THE TRAGEDY!
Episode 20
Miebaka was on the hospital be-d with a bandaged arm when the doctor entered. He was beginning to get relieve. He had watched on Tv, Shiber’s trial on how she was said to have killed the children of one Alhaji, “Why would she do that?” he said to himself. He had concluded that once he was strong he’d go to the cell where Shiber was in to demand for explanation. The doctor c@m£ in and interrupted his thoughts,
Miebaka: “How are my kids,doing?”
Doctor: “They are responding to treatment Mr Miebaka”
Miebaka: “Thank you Doctor, I do appreciate that and May God continues to strengthen you and your profession. If not for the Maid that alerted me on time, I wouldn’t have known house is on fire” I had to rush and come back home to rescue my children
Doctor: “How are you feeling too?”
Miebaka:”Good! Just for the little pains!”
Doctor: “That’s good. Thank God you and your kids were rushed in on time if not none would have survived. I’m can’t believe how the babies weren’t choked by the smoke!”
Miebaka sighed as tears rolled down the eyes
Miebaka: “When would we be discharged!”
Doctor: “in two days time!”
Miebaka:”Can I come and see my twins?”
Doctor: “after a little rest! They are still asleep”.
The doctor sed@t£d him and left.
.
Finally sleep tussled me to the ground, and I sle-pt off. I woke up feeling erratic. Something wasn’t right within me. That was the feeling that to-re me. They took us for manual labour and the 8pm fight bec@m£ the feast for my mind. I couldn’t st©p thinking of it. In the fields, Presido always tried in her best in getting in my way but I avoided her like cancer. I had to even feign illness had,
Me: “I no well!” I called out to one of the Warders.
Warder 1: “If you like make you die here sef!”
I turned back when no one was looking di-pped my f!ngers, three of them, in my mouth as if I was going to t©uçh the oesophagus and threw up. Another Warder c@m£ to me. She seemed nice.
Warder 2: “we-tin dey do you?”
I continued throwing up,
Me: “I no well!”
Warder 2 : “Any man t©uçh you before dem carry you come here?”
Me: “Yes, my husband!” I nodded,
Warder 2: “Ah, na belle be dat na!”
She was a superior to Warder 1 the harsh one. I was taken into the cell and given food to eat. I wasn’t truly ill but you know fear has a way of ma-king one feel awful. I was scared that my throat was going to be slit in that night. I busied myself with thoughts. I dozed off.
After an hour I woke up, tears rolling down my cheek. Miebaka had appeared to me with our beautiful twins in the hands. They were all happy and smiling, “Don’t worry about us. We are doing fine! We’d be coming for you soon but make your way right with God first!” those were the words, “Mummy!” the babies smiled at me. It wasn’t just a dream. I woke up and noticed I was alone inmates were still tilling the ground.
Me: “What kind of dream is this?” it felt so real, I didn’t know when I knelt and pray, “Father I don’t know what to say but I’m lost without you. I don’t know what the dream is! I just want to be reunited my family again! “
It was the first time in my adult life that I had said a genuine prayer. I sobbe-d when I finished praying. It was a cry of agony; I was crying out the pains of r@p£ many years ago Alhaji’s torture and all I had gone throu-gh in life. I was crying my heart out! That was what I really yearned for all those years. To cry out the pains that grasped my b©dy and soul. One of my inmates c@m£ in, her name was Endurance but formerly known as “Badoo” she was formerly the Presido but gave up her position when she accepted Christ. Stories had it that she was ruthless and it was during her time that male warders started coming in to r@p£ inmates. She allowed them.
Endurance: “Hello!” she wore the smell of fresh gras-ses.
Me: “Hi!” I wasn’t audible.
Endurance: “You look troubled!” that sounded funny, who wouldn’t look troubled in a cell. I felt irritated.
Me: “And you’re some psychologist in cell,I guess!” she smiled at me. Her pres£nce was calming with her gap teeth ma-king her smile next to perfection. It was ha-rd to believe such a beauty would be found in such a place and was once known to be a ruthless leader. Truly looks were deceptive.
Endurance: “I don’t mean to pester you but I’ve got a message for you!” startled, those words got me curious.
Me: “Eh?”
Endurance: “Yes!” I sighed and nodded, “ God doesn’t want you to fight for he has a surprise for you! He said I should tell you to allow him fight for you but first you have to acknowledge him. And that you were born to be famous….”
Those words again? I thought,
Me: “See, I was told that from infantry but see where I found myself!” I cackled, “Guess He meant I’ll be famous in a wrong way!”
Endurance smiled, the smiled annoyed me,
Endurance: “No! You got it wrong. He wanted more and better things for you. God isn’t evil remember what Mattew 7:11 says, ‘If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!’ All you nee-ded to do was look up to him,” those words pricked into my heart and tears dropped. I had never really un-derstood that I nee-ded to look up to God to fulfill my potentials, “You don’t have to cry! He said he had come to your rescue on numerous occasions but you never saw it fit to acknowledge him. He was going to make you famous throu-gh the girls’ foundation you had started with your husband!”
How did she know all these? I was puzzeled
Me: “But…” she cut in,
Endurance: “You’re wondering how I got to know all these?” I nodded like my head would go off my b©dy, she smiled and said, “He is the revealer of all things. Christ knew us before we were born,rememeber?”
Stubbornly I said,
Me: “I have to fight! If I don’t I’ll be killed!”
Endurance sighed,
Endurance: “Let him do the fighting for you!”
Our inmates ran in chattering, Endurance left for her corner. Everyone spoke about the fight in high spirits. Endurance always threw glances at me reminding me of what we had discussed. I had made up my mind to fight even though I was scared,
Me: “Na one day pesin dey die!” I said to myself.
I was fondling with my sharp weapons.
To be continued!
QUESTIONS
Should Shiber really fight? or should she just allow God do the fighting for her?