Thorns In My Boot

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 20

Two years passed quickly and my mother

improved with every passing day; she had

regained her weight, though she has never

being a big person, she had always weighed

about fifty five of sixty kilogram, her glow

had returned but she could not talk, we

communicate by writing in Yoruba language

or by sign language, she wrote that she

does not know why she could not speak

and she had tried to loosen her tongue to

no avail. The Doctor assured me that she

would talk in due time, he said she had been

mute for years without saying a word so

she had lost her sense of speech but it is

recoverable by special therapy and with the

rate at which my mother had fought to

come back to her senses, she would talk

soon.

On the fourth day of May 1997 barrister Efe

followed by Oga Frank the Warder came to

our cell in the afternoon before visiting

hours calling out my name right from the

entrance of the corridor to our Cell, I jumped

up from my afternoon sleep scared as to

why my name was been called aloud in such

manner, I was the only Ojo in the whole of

the Prison.

They got to the gate of our cell beaming

from ear to ear; Chike has been arrested o!

He shouted; Chike and the gang have been

arrested! Chike came home to visit his family

at Easter! He was nabbed by the Police! He is

busy singing to the Police at state C.I.D

Enugu as I speak with you! Barrister kept

repeating.

I ran wild inside the cell, I screamed till my

head ached, I hugged each and every

inmate; I hugged them so tight my arms

were aching afterwards. An elder inmate

started a worship song and the whole cell

became charged with rendition of worship

and praise songs. I rolled on the floor like

Baba Miko and wept tears of joy after almost

seven years of incarceration.

Where is Barrister Amaka? I eventually found

the voice to ask Barrister Efe; she should be

in Enugu by tomorrow, she has gone to

Agbor to inform the Agbor Police and the

prosecuting Family about the latest

development.

Kai! This Amaka na man! I shouted; what a

man can do a woman can do better!

Imagine what the Police station at Agbor

could not do, a single Girl has done it! Ha!

May God bless her! May God give her a

husband that would appreciate her! A man

that would know her worth! Ha! Victory at

last! Glory be to God almighty! I danced like I

never did for a long time, as my fellow

inmate sang I danced like David danced in

the Bible.

October 9th 1997 I was set free by the

Court! The hearing was brief and clear. Baba

Miko, Mama, Barrister Amaka and Oga Inside

were all in Court. Mr. Chike and the gang

were all sentenced to life in jail with hard

labour without option of fine or bail.

The Judge took a cursory look at me, and

then he skimmed through my file

How old are you? He asked me directly.

I remembered what Barrister Amaka had

told me; I was borne on the 6th of

September 1974 ma! That means I twenty

three years old ma! I said.

And how long have you been on awaiting

trial? She asked.

Since 1991 ma! About six years plus now

ma! I replied

She nodded her head, she skimmed through

my file again then she removed her glasses

and cleaned the lenses before putting it on

again, she looked at the Counsels and

beckoned at them to approach her, they did

and discusses for about ten minutes then

the Court went for one hour recession.

Immediately the Court reconvened, the

Judge court came in, received our

compliments and proceeded immediately

with the hearing.

Mr. Ojo Makanjuola Stephens! You have

spent over six years of your life in

incarceration already! You were sent to

prison when you were barely seventeen

years of age, a minor! A juvenile! A

teenager! Whoever did that? That was

wrong!

The purported crime which you committed

at the age of seventeen should have been

taken care by a juvenile Court and not

sending you to a maximum security facility,

the Police did not help matters as they were

in a haste to heap all blame on you and bury

the case. The divisional Police Officer and

every Police Officer that handled this case

shall be arrested and prosecuted for

negligence of duty and gross incompetence!

For having spent six years in Prison already,

Mr. Ojo Makanjuola Stephens! You are

hereby discharged and acquitted of all

charges and you are free to go home in

peace. She banged the table and she rose!

Case closed!

I turned back to see my Mother talking

hurriedly and gesticulating to Baba Miko

who stood looking at her with opened

mouth. mama has started to talk! I walked

towards my friends, I hugged Oga Inside, I

patted his back and thanked him for

everything, I moved towards my mother, she

was on her knees with arms spread toward

heaven speaking in tongues and in Yoruba

language, It reminded me of her night vigils

back in the Village, I turned towards

Barrister Amaka, she just stood there as if

afraid to move, tears were pouring out of

her eyes, Oga Inside came behind me and

nudged me forward then he whispered into

my ears.

She was not wearing their Lawyer uniform

as she was no longer my Counsel, she wore

a light blue Jeans and a fitted white silky

blouse that clung to her body; I walked

straight to her with open arms and

embraced her, she wept uncontrollably as

she rested her head on my shoulder and

wrapped her slim hands around my neck. I

raised her chin and looked into her eyes,

they were inviting and our Lips locked.