GREENER PASTURES

CHAPTER FIVE

The calmness of the bus was perfect for its passengers as every one of them got lost in the world of their thoughts. After a brief message and word of prayer by the pastor who was hired by the agency to pray for their clients, there was complete silence. 

They were presently on their way to Nigeria. A normal journey by car from Cameroon to Nigeria will take three days and Talia had prepared herself physically and psychologically.

“How did you escape your father’s watch?” Gray asked with a bit of humor in her tone. Talia just rolled her eyes and shrugged, “Everyone was asleep.” From the way she sighed, Talia knew her friend wanted details.

“May I remind you that your dad is a police detective and prunes to the least noise, so dearest dear, I need more details.” And there she goes. One thing Talia loved about her friend was the fact that she could make the atmosphere lively and enjoyable. She also knows how to bring out the answers she desires from her friends.

“They were all tired from the party thrown by my dad in favor of Liza for winning a court case,” Talia says. 

“Ah! That case that kept everyone on edge, then it was not a small party at all, not only because the case was a big one but also because the party was able to get everyone so tired to the extent that daddy bear didn’t notice you sneaking out.”

They all laughed, but what she just said was the truth. “And I guess you did not participate in the party because you were sulking in your room. Do not worry my friend, I was there live and direct and I will fill you in on what happened during the court session and more interestingly on the case story.” This drew her complete attention because she needed a sort of distraction.

“Why couldn’t you think I was in my room packing my things and getting ready?” Talia jokingly asked her friend.

“Oh please Talia, I know you like a book, oh no! Not a book, that thing is hard to master. I know you like the different liquid powder foundations.” That caused Talia to burst out laughing.

“Anyways..so back to the story at hand. I hope you remember that businessman who settled in our town when we were in Form 3?” This got Talia thinking and Gray’s impatience to continue with the story was burning and churning in her like lava, that is what she always said

“Ah! Mr. Donald, that has all the big cement shops around town?” Gray nodded her head so fast that it made Talia dizzy, then imagine the person who nodded.

“So it was suspected that the man was a pedophile and the wife was not aware of it. The suspicion started when some town boys who were playing football out on the football field opposite their mansion saw father and daughter going at it in the car. Yes I know right.”

“Gray! Oh my God! This is horrible.” Talia could not hide her surprise and disgust for the man she kind of respected and looked up to even though no one knew about it.

“I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. So, no one believed the boys because you know how lousy they used to be, right? A few months later the said daughter got pregnant and her mother got her well beaten and demanded to know the father of the child. When she said it was her father, the mother almost believed it because, like any mother,  she had a soft spot for her daughter. But then her mother confided in her friend who warned her not to believe her daughter because according to her, it was the tactic of young girls to steal people's husbands since the girl was the woman’s child she had with another man. She believed her friend and sent her daughter packing.”

Talia could not believe her ears, she thought she was going through difficult times in her life, but apparently, hers is not that difficult. Truly if there was a market where problems were sold, she won’t even get to enter the market because of how small her problem was or so she thought.

“Two years later, the wife died after falling from the staircase. The husband hid it but months later, their house help came out and confessed that they had just came back from the market when they heard their daughter of 8 years crying which was unlike her, at the same time, they heard another person moaning in pleasure so they rushed upstairs and got the shocks of their life. There he was, her husband, raping her8-year-old baby from behind and enjoying it. She could not take it so she rushed down to take something to hit the man but then she stumbled and fell badly leading to her death. He paid the house help to keep quiet but she couldn’t hold it anymore. 

The police decided to follow the case but months later, the only witness, the house help, mysteriously disappeared and the case was closed. It was this year, two months ago when the family of the woman decided to revoke the case and seek justice for their daughter. The family chose your sister to be their lawyer and after many court sessions that I couldn't keep count of, Mr. Donald was proven guilty and sentenced to life in prison.”

Many thoughts went through her mind as she listened to the story. She thought about the woman’s daughter whom she sent packing if she was alive and somewhere dying mentally and emotionally and if there was someone to help her. She thought about the woman's 8-year-old baby. Where was she now?

 She thought about her sister who fought and won the case for this family, maybe, just maybe she loves what she is doing. She knew being a lawyer has many aspects. Was her sister doing it to show how good she was and to prove a point or was she doing it to save people and give them opportunities she never had as a way of redeeming her conscience? Only time could tell.

A/N

I am also enjoying this story guys, it is gonna be a long journey.

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Much love 💕 Aqui-Pretty.