Thorns In My Boot

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 27

My G.C.E result came out and I cleared all my

subjects with A’s and B’s. My first semester

result also was published and I passed all

eight subjects with good grades. Amaka had

gone back to Abuja; she will be around by

Easter break.

School resumed again and I continued to

double between school and my Okada

business. I purchased the Joint admission

and Matriculation board’s form and applied

for admission into the University of Nigeria

U.N.N as first choice and the Enugu state

University of Science and technology E.S.U.T

as second choice, I chose Business

administration and Management as my

choice course to study.

I went to the Golf course on a Saturday

morning in March to see the G.O.C. I went

early enough and waited at a bar for his

arrival. My C.O arrived first, I went to greet

him but he became hysterical the moment

he saw me.

So you are a Criminal indeed! He shouted.

I looked back to see if he was addressing

someone else.

I am talking to you Barger! He said again

pointing his finger at me; you came to meet

me with your girlfriend whom you claimed

was a Lawyer last year! You people came

with a forged document from a Kangaroo

Court to deceive me right? You think we will

not know? You have forgotten that my R.S.M

read law too? That man has a diploma in

Law and can decipher between authentic

legal documents and fake! Look here Mr.

Man! The next time you cross my path in this

world, I will jail you!

I opened my mouth to speak but my tongue

was clipped somehow, I could not utter a

word as much as I tried to.

If I hear kparan! From your mouth, I will

shoot you down here right now!

He charged towards his car and brought out

a Silver plated 16 Cartridge revolver; I will

bore sixteen holes in your chest if you don’t

scram from here right now! He shouted. As I

turned back to run for my life, about five

uniformed Soldiers were upon me with the

butts of their riffles and their boots, I ran

wildly but they chased me wildly too and at

the end I was dumped into a ditch totally

battered. As I struggled to sit upright inside

the ditch, my Bike was rolled and pushed

upon me inside the ditch, something hard

hit my head, I saw flashes of coloured lights

and I passed out.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I made up my mind to forget going back

into the Army, it was not worth it, and the

forces against me are enormous. I was

beaten blue black and left to die in the ditch.

I woke up later at night with my teeth

gnashing uncontrollably in response to cold

and fever, the Bike was on me and the ditch

smelled of Petrol that had leaked from the

Bike. Thank God a smoker had not walked

by and decided to throw a glowing cigarette

butt into the ditch.

I struggled to get up, painfully pushing the

Bike off from my body, I scampered out of

the ditch, I had to drag my right leg along as

it had gone numb and my ankle was twice

its natural size. My chest was burning inside

and my head was pounding. I coughed and

I tasted blood as I spat out mucus, I pulled

myself till I got to the bar where people

were drinking, the illumination from the bar

made me to see that I was drenched in my

own blood. I fell down tired, I saw people

running towards me as I passed out again.

I woke up two days later in a private

hospital, the owner of the bar had brought

me there to avoid having a Corpse at his Bar,

they saw my I.M.T identity card and they

contacted my School, my Course rep and

some friends I had made in School raised

the money to pay as deposit for my

treatment.

My head was bandaged and my right ankle

was in P.O.P due to a fracture. My body was

bruised and full of sores. I thanked the

Doctor for his effort, and I explained what

transpired between me and the C.O to him, I

described the position of the ditch and I

begged him to help retrieve my Bike. It was

on that bed that I made up my mind to

move on with my life and forget the Army.

I was discharged from the Hospital two

weeks before the date for the J.A.M.B

examination, so I wrote my exam and I was

very optimistic of a good result.

Amaka came around for Easter break; I

narrated my ordeal in the hands of the C.O

to her and she cried bitterly. She saw the

scars on my head and my body, the P.O.P

was still on my ankle. She swore to sue the

Army but I begged her to forget about the

Army. I told her that if she does sue the

Army, her father will be involved and there

would be a scandal if the Father gets to

know that we are lovers.

And who told you he does not know

already? She asked with teary eyes.

I mean your father! I said; does he know

about me?

Yes Ojo! I am just coming from Awka to

discuss with my Father about you and I. I

told him everything I know about you till

date.

No! No! No! Amaka! You did not tell him I

was in Prison! Tell me you did not! I begged.

I do not lie to my Parents Ojo! She explained;

I told him the truth! The true circumstance

that led you to prison and your eventual

exoneration! He is in the system and he had

seen more pathetic situations than yours!

At least you should have waited till I am

something! Till I am worthy of being

presentable as your husband, we need time!

Remember you still want to go back to

Liverpool for your masters! Before you are

through with that, I would have made

something out of life. I explained.

You think you are not presentable? She

asked; and what do you need to become

presentable as my husband when I am

already carrying your baby!

Ba-what? Baby? I screamed and my head

ached violently so I resorted to whispering;

did you say my baby? I whispered

She nodded her head and she whispered;

yes my love, I am eight weeks pregnant, you

are going to be a Father soon Ojo. I had to

go home and explain to my father before

breaking the news to you. My Dad is a liberal

man and does not discriminate, he said we

should go ahead with our lives, he said you

should come around with your family for

introduction before the pregnancy becomes

noticeable. He will handle all traditional

requirement of our people, he owed me that

much. On our own, we can go to the

registry and legalize the union.

I was just staring at her and listening as she

spoke, she had everything sorted out

already and it sounded so easy to me.

Amaka! I called; do you know what you are

doing? You mean you want to settle down

with an Okada man?

She laughed, her laughed was infectious

and I laughed too.

To everyone you may be an Okada man, but

to me, you are my hero! You are everything I

ever wanted in a Man. You are genuine, you

are strong and you are filled with positive

energy. I will love you till I die, she said.

I pulled her closer and hugged her without

out saying a word, my hold on hear was to

reassure her of my faithfulness and I

resolved to stand by her and never to break

her heart for her sacrifice through all my

hard times.