Tales By The Brothel

Episode 13

The men uncuffed me immediately and set me free as the General had commanded.

“Take him to the convenience to freshen up and get him new clothes to wear then get him to my office,” General Obianodo further commanded.

“As you wish sir,” the men replied, dropped a salute and set to work.

They took me to one very clean bathroom with a toilet inside and left me to wash myself clean. There was soap there already and I requested for sponge which one army man brought immediately.

I took my time and washed my body thoroughly beginning from my head to my toe.

I shouted out in pain intermittently as soap entered the wounds which the army and policemen inflicted on me while I was being tortured.

How God saves the life of his children… What would have been my fate if General Obianodo didn’t ask me of my name?

I shrugged in fear as I splashed water all over my body. The shower ran freely and drained away slowly through the drain on the floor. The entire complex was spotlessly clean.

When I was done, the men brought me clean and new well-fitting clothes and disposed the old smelling ones I came with.

Then they took me to General Obianodo’s office as directed. I sat before the General feeling wonderful.

“What do you do for a living?” He asked immediately I was seated.

“I work with a bottling company sir,” I replied a bit ashamed.

“Do they pay well?” He asked.

“Not really sir,” I replied. “I’m just there managing sir.”

“What are your qualifications?” He asked.

“I’m a graduate of mechanical engineering from Delta State University sir but I wasn’t opportuned to get a high paying job so I had to take up the one I saw with the bottling company,” I replied.

“So how come you got to know my daughter?” He asked.

“It was by chance sir,” I replied. “During the period when I came to search for job in Enugu. That was how I met her.”

General Obianodo kept mute for some seconds. In his silence the door of his office clicked open and his wife, Mrs Theresa Obianodo angrily walked into the office.

“Darling please what’s the meaning of all these?” She asked infuriated by the sudden turnout of event and how fresh I was now looking.

“My dear he’s the son of a General,” General Obianodo solemnly replied. “He has military blood flowing in his vein and as you and I know, you don’t treat anyone with military blood anyhow. We owe him lots of apology for the humiliation and torture we already meted out to him.”

Mrs Theresa Obianodo was momentarily stunned by her husband’s words. Quietly she turned and left the office without uttering any other word.

“What about joining the military?” General Obianodo asked as soon as his wife left the office.

My eyes fluttered open in wild excitement. I couldn’t hide my joy at this easy but rare opportunity of joining the military.

With all the honour, power and prestige that comes with the military, it was only a foolish man that would turn down such request.

“It will be my utmost pleasure sir,” I replied beaming with untold joy…