I spent four days at Division F police station before I was finally released. I spent most of the days either weeping or brooding. Dark thoughts occasionally crossed my mind about my siblings “were they locked up as well?”
“Where are they?”
“What’s happening to them?” Were the questions I asked without getting an answer. Sometimes, other inmates would make fun of me and call me all sorts of name like “mummy’s boy” or “omije oju” I wasn’t bothered because I know that most of the inmates were mean by default, I know because I do watch movies about them. Only a boy of the same age with me showed interest in me and will always try to start a conversation with me, maybe he’s one one the internet fraudsters the DPO spoke about... who knows?.
The second day I spent at cell fourteen wasn’t a day I’d love to remember for the rest of my life. The young man came to meet me behind the bars where I stood that evening “hey man” he said trying to force out a smile
I did not even turn to look at him as I continued humming the rock of ages hymn. He tapped me on the shoulder a number of times before he decided to leave because I didn’t give him the desired attention.
I stood at the same spot, behind the cell bars till night time perhaps expecting a miracle or anything you call it. Another guy walked up to me... oh not a guy, he’s a actually a grown up man maybe in his late thirties or early forties, who knows?
“Hellooooo Omo mummy” he said in a tout’s voice not different from that of Broda Shaggi.
“I don dey notice u since yesterday and I no fancy d way u dey do like fowl wey pikin die for hin belle” he added “u gaz free yourself and forget about everything, this place na place of joy... if u no happy for here, gbagbe you no fit happy for anywhere” he said feeling happy like someone who won lotto. “Why’s he sounding so excited” I muttered
“Na me dem dey call Kesari aka you see me, you die. I see you, you die... I am a notorious armed robber and I was apprehended last week while on an operation with my gang members. We gather dey my brother” Kesari said grinning, exposing his black, gaped sets of teeth.
I looked at him with so much that I didn’t know when a loud hiss escaped from my mouth. Before I got to know what was happening, Kesari landed a a hot slap on my face and rained punches on me. It took a while before the police officer on duty that night could intervene. I felt sharp pains in my body that night. I had dislocations as well, my waist hurt so badly that I couldn’t stand nor walk. I crawled to a corner of the dark cell where I sat and wept quietly for the rest of the night. Kesari and his accomplice Skye were laughing wildly at me. It was only the young guy (of my age) who didn’t laugh. Instead, he came to sympathize with me.
“I’m sorry about what happened earlier bro, I wish I could help but there’s no way I can, else we’ll get beaten together” he said while trying to pull my legs
“Thank you” I said still weeping quietly.
“By the way, I am Samuel” he said while stretching his hands forward, towards me.
“My name is Timmy” I said stone faced like someone who just fired a bazooka, refusing to take his hands. Samuel took back his hands in disappointment “so what brought you here Timmy?” Samuel asked, sounding so inquisitive
“Theft related issues” I replied wondering why he had to ask such questions.
“Wow! So you’re a thief?” Samuel asked looking at me straight in the eyes and glancing at Kesari secretly like we had something in common.
“I am not a thief” I fought back Samuel’s allegation “things just had to turn out this way” I added.
“Well, mine is just a case of stray” Samuel coughed then continued “I was on my way to my place of work that morning when a SARS van pulled over beside me. I was dragged in the vehicle” Samuel pauses for a while then he continued “I was apprehended with thirteen others who were also on their way to work or home. We were told to pay a ransom of one hundred thousand naira or we would be detained even though we did nothing wrong.” Samuel scoffed then continued. “Those who could afford it were freed as soon as the money was transferred into the Officer’s bank account and those of us who couldn’t afford it were detained. I tried to explain to them that I work in a junkyard and I have to walk miles everyday pushing a cart to pack used and condemn metals, but they turned deaf ears to all my pleas.” Samuel sighed after he finished talking about his own arrest while on his way to work and for once I felt pity for him.
Samuel and I became friends that night and we were also freed the same day. Samuel had a similar story as mine too, the only difference between us is that he never knew who his parents were.
Samuel lives his whole life with his uncle in Egbe, Kogi state until when his uncle told him that he could no longer fend for him. Samuel left Kogi, after all life goes on, he came to Lagos to find greener pasture.
After being freed from the police station, I dropped my siblings at the motherless baby’s home as planned earlier while Samuel and I hunts for petty jobs to engage in.
YOU ARE READING
Reasons To Live
Aventura18-year-old Oluwatimileyin Turner had seen enough of the world to know that it was unfair. He's spent most of his life in the most dreaded parts of Lagos State, where men, women even children risk their lives on highways just to make a living--- an...
