Survival 29 Out of Jail I woke up. Everywhere was still dark. I thought it was already morning, but it seemed like it was still late in the night. Then I looked outside the cell, across the hall to the reception area of the police station, to see if I could get a look at the time. I did, and it was just past 12:00 a.m. It seemed like time did not want to run, and sleep had already left my eyes. I was left there, dying. I did not know what to do. I tried again to sleep, but sleep was running away. I felt tired. Trying to use my hands to cover all the parts of my body, but there was nothing left to be covered. Even what I was wearing was not even clothing—it was already torn. I tried my possible best not to cry, but I could not hold back the tears as they came out on their own. I felt bad. Everything was falling on me. I got angry. I did not know where to pass the anger to. Was it my parents? Was it my uncle? Whose fault was it that I am here right now? It was not too long ago I had my first time, Charles. I started asking myself if I had committed a great sin. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. Maybe that is why I got arrested. A whole lot of things were running through my head as I lay down, changing from the same position, lying on the bare floor. I held myself together. That daybreak, it came so fast. I’ve never wanted the day to break so fast—even on a cold night. Most people want the night to last longer so they will sleep more. But I was in pain. They had really beat me up. I did not know what to do. I started thinking, What if I die as a prisoner after all this? I needed to get out of this place. I stood up and knelt down. Me: Father, I thank you for everything you have done for me. Please, I don’t know what particular sin I have committed to deserve this, but I beg you to remove it from me. I cannot go through this. This whole issue has been put on my head. Take it away. Please, please Lord, I don’t want to die in this cell. I have not yet fulfilled what I am supposed to do. My mother did not die for me to come and die in this place. My father did not die for me to come and die in this place. Please, use your power. I believe in you. By saying those prayers, sleep came. I felt a warm wind blow on top of me, even in the cold environment. At Engineer Van’s House They were both inside the room, locked in embrace. Oke: I really don’t know how we are going to go about this, but he must not sleep there one more night. Engineer Van: Oh Lord, he will not be sleeping there for another night. I’ll assure you of that. Oke: My father can be so wicked. See how he pushed everything to his head. Engineer Van: I can assure you that nothing done under the sun stays hidden forever. One day, the truth must always show itself. Oke: What can we do that can help the process? Engineer Van: You and I know that this is a country where there are so many procedures. Let’s leave everything in God’s hands, but we still have to draw our paths. Oke: His friends gathered and they have an idea on how to help. Engineer Van: What is this idea? Oke: Very soon, you will find out. I am not to spill for them—they will spill it themselves. Engineer Van: This night is very cool, different. If it’s not raining, I wonder how he will be feeling inside that cell. But we’ll go there first thing tomorrow morning. Oke: We will go together. I need to see him. Engineer Van: Do you know the reason why we did not go there the first time? Why I did not take you there? Because I know how you react. I don’t need the police arresting both of you. Let us find a way to get at least one of you out of that place. Oke: I promise I’ll behave. At Uncle Ike’s House Aunty Amaka: Where did you keep my son?! Tell me, where did you keep my son?! One ran away—I have not seen him. The second one is nowhere to be found. I will not take this from you! Uncle Ike: My friend, will you shut up and go and sit down?! Stop talking nonsense. Aunty Amaka: Don’t play with me! I will not take this from you! Where is he?! Knock knock. Uncle Ike: That must be someone. Go and check who’s at the door. Aunty Amaka: Good evening. Please, who are you looking for? Nurse: My name is Nurse Abigail. I work at Victoria’s Hospitals. I have a letter from one of our patients. She gives her the letter and leaves. Aunty Amaka: A letter addressed to me? Who writes letters in this modern time? She opens the envelope and starts reading. Dear Mother, How are you doing? I'm very sorry that I had to write a letter like this to you. I have given it to the kind nurse who is going to present it to you. This letter is only to be presented to you if the operation is not successful. I’m sorry. I got pregnant and I wanted to do an abortion. I was not sure about it. I should have spoken to somebody. But I have faith it is going to go through and they are not going to read the letter. But if you are reading this letter, it means I did not make it out of the operation. I’m very sorry. Please take care of everyone and ask them to forgive me. After reading the letter, she fell down on the floor and fainted. He rushed his wife to the nearest hospital, trying to resuscitate her. At the Police Station Inspector Issa: Good morning, madam. It’s nice to see you once again. We are very sorry that we have been busy. Madam Esther: I know you have been busy. The news is everywhere—you guys caught the young man. But you and I know that young man is innocent. Inspector Issa: Madam, nobody is innocent until proven innocent. As far as we are concerned, he is the suspect we have in custody. Madam Esther: The only reason why I always come here to meet you is because I know that you are a different police officer from other officers—you have sense. Because if you say you don’t have sense right now, it will be understandable. How can somebody who is the houseboy—who has never owned a car, who doesn’t even drive—be involved in trafficking young men? How much is he gaining from it? Carry the boys on his head? Or did he put them in his pockets? Because I don’t see any part of the logic in all of this! Inspector Issa: You are right, my darling. You are all right. But let the police do their job. We are still trying to help find your missing son, and we are going to do that right now—since we have time now and we have caught the criminal. Madam Esther: These are the pictures once again. Please do the needful. Inspector Issa: All right. Noted. I will call you if anything comes up. Madam Esther: I heard that there are also new cases. Inspector Issa: Hmm… Where did you get that information from? It’s like you have to come and join us to become a detective here. Yes, there are new cases. It's like the whole city wants to kill boys. Madam Esther: How many boys now? Inspector Issa: With these new cases, four boys. But this person is a new person. All his victims are mostly raped, but he doesn’t kill them. Just dumps them somewhere like piles of shit. Madam Esther: So this one, his own is to rape them, pay them, and throw them away? Inspector Issa: Yes, and the problem is, when we finally see the boys, none of them is able to locate the hotel. Or maybe they don’t want to locate it—because they got paid. And he’s not paying them via transfer. He is paying them cash, so there is no way we can trace him. Madam Esther: Since he’s not killing the boys, then that’s not a problem—and the boys are not complaining. Inspector Issa: Even some police officers are trying to locate him so he will pay them too! Madam Esther: Aha! Now that is very funny. Goodbye, and see you later. Inspector Issa: Please send in the next people. Barrister Santos: Good morning, Inspector. Is the DPO here? Inspector Issa: Good morning. Barrister, he is not yet here. And if he’s the one you want to see, you have to wait for him outside the police station. Barrister Santos: I don’t know who made you angry, but I am sorry. I cannot help you. I’m here to ask after my client, and we brought breakfast for him. Inspector Issa: I know your father is a judge, right? And you people are of the high places. Now you want to come and defend this young man so that he will not suffer for his crimes. Barrister Santos: I think your DPO needs to brief you on issues we already discussed with him. And I’m sorry if my family has offended you in any way, but then, don’t let us start this morning like this. Then Engineer Van enters. Engineer Van: Good morning. Inspector Issa: Good morning, the most intelligent man! Engineer Van: Hmm… please, can we see him? Inspector Issa: Yes, you can—only for a limited time. Barrister Santos: Not true. He is my client. I can see him as long as I want. This content is the intellectual property of OurStory TB and the author, Whiteman Micheal. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution without proper credit to the author or the page is strictly prohibited. Permission must be obtained before any use. Inspector Issa: Mychew. Engineer Van: Did the news not report two more boys beaten and raped and dropped in dustbins? And he is here. So I hope you know you're set to fail for following this route. They left him, thinking. Sergeant: Sir, you know what they said made sense. There is no way the two cases are different. I believe it's the same person or persons doing all of these things. Inspector Issa: That's a possibility. Engr. Van enters the office back. Engr. Van: Sorry, I forgot my keys on your table. Inspector Issa: I am sorry about how I spoke earlier. Engr. Van: I'm guessing the apology is meant for the barrister? Inspector Issa: Okay. He moves his desk file and Engineer Van sees the picture Madam Esther dropped. Engr. Van: What? Is that small child a criminal too? Inspector Issa: Oh no. He is missing. Actually, he should be twenty years now. But Engineer Van was still staring. Inspector Issa: Do you know who that is? Engr. Van: I think so. Inspector Issa: Please tell us. It will be of great relief. Engr. Van: Mychew. Tell you what—when my boy is in your cell until he is out. Sergeant: Eh! Holding information from the police is a great crime. Engr. Van: Eh? Okay na. Inspector Issa: You know this case is not in our hands. Engr. Van: Whoever is on that picture is not in my hands either. Let's all focus on what's in our hands. And he left. Sergeant: Ahh, sir, we can detain him. Inspector Issa: No. He has done nothing wrong. Besides, his houseboy is already here. You want to arrest him again? Sergeant: His thought towards that pic can save this whole situation. At the Hospital They tried to resuscitate her. Aunty Amaka: Noooo! Nooooo! Not my daughter! Ikechukwu, you have killed me. You have killed me! Ahhh! She starts crying. He stood in one place with his hands folded around his chest, settled on his fat stomach, and they took them to the mortuary, where they had deposited their daughter and the foetus she removed. She had died from bleeding. At the Penthouse on the Island Mario: Welcome back, sir. I have finished cleaning up the place. Are you going to have another guest this evening? Chima: We are very loyal, Mario. How old are you? Mario: I am 24 years old, sir. Chima: Did you go to the university? Do you have information? Mario: No, sir. I don't have any invested education, but I have my WAEC. And from the money you are paying me for this job, I am saving up to go to the university. Chima: Why are you not afraid? What if the police come and ask questions? Mario: You have not done anything wrong. First of all, they followed you here knowing fully well what they were going to do with you. Secondly, you do what they knew they were going to do. And also, you pay them very well. So I don't think any of them would want to go to the police either, because they got paid. Chima: That's a good idea. And that is nice—you want to make money. How much have you saved from all the money that I have been spending on you? Mario: 5 million now, sir. Chima: If I remember correctly, 5 million is the total amount I have given to you. Are you not paying for house rent? Are you not buying things? Mario: I am trying to survive on my present salary because I knew this won't last. I will make money. One day we travel out of this country, we will leave others here. So everything that I have got for you, I will start using it when I am ready. But for now, I wish to make as much as possible. Chima: There's 2 million cash under the table. And check under the bed. If I excuse someone right, dancing with those guys... Pick all of them, whatever you have, and then ask another waiter to come and serve me. You are dismissed. I don't want you to work in this hotel anymore. Mario: Let me serve you at least one more week. Please don't sack me now. Have I done something wrong? Chima: The issue is that you did not do anything wrong. But the reason why I'm dismissing you is because I'm beginning to like you—and I don't want you in this process. Or would you like to go through this process? Mario: So I am not going to die. I will never consent to something like this... Unless the money is good. If you pay me good money, you can do it to me. I will take the beating, and I will sit on the cock—but don't drug me and throw me away. Pay me a million added to this, and I will leave. Chima: Hahaha! A straight willing to sit on cock for 1 million? Mario: I started working here 7 years ago. In all that time, this is the first time I have 100k in my account, not to talk more of millions. Chima: Oh, I see. Come to bed now. Let me have you as you wanted. Mario: It's my first time, sir. Please use lube. Chima: Your wish is my command. At the Cell Visit Room Me: Good morning. Barrister Santos: OMG. They let you sleep with half a boxers? What type of thing is this? Engr. Van: Make sure he eats. I will go and buy him new boxers now. Barrister Santos: My father says, before today post comes to an end, a letter will come from the office of the Chief Judge of the state to release you immediately. As I eat, I look at him and I wonder. Me: Father? Chief Judge? Barrister Santos: Yes. My dad is a retired judge, so he has friends. Me: Why am I seeing you now? Why have you not looked for me since I entered Lagos? Barrister Santos: I was scared. I was ashamed. And I felt bad. I did not know what to say to you. I just left you in the hands of that monster. And I'm sorry. Me: It's fine. Just make sure you get me out of this place. Please. I don't want to stay here. I don't want to go to jail. Barrister Santos: It is not even possible. There's going to be a court proceeding, and it is not going to be easy. There's a lot of evidence that is going to be used. I'm just waiting for the DPO. Engineer Van got back and brought me new clothes and boxers. But they said I could only use the boxers in the cell for the meantime. Engr. Van: The barrister has promised that you will be leaving before evening. And your brother did not call me asking to go and meet your friends, because they said they have things planned out. They’re going to fight with social media, and they’re going to do a whole lot of things for you. Barrister Santos: Wow. That’s a very big thing to do for a friend. I wish I had friends like that. I promise you, you will not be here today. The DPO then came to the office. DPO: Good morning, Barrister. Good morning, Engineer. You were talking to your client and making him promises that he would not be sleeping here today. I hope that comes through before I go home. I don’t think I want to spend the whole day at work today. Barrister Santos: I am in charge of the corporate section of that company—liaising with the community. I registered the company, and I also wrote down the essential laws and every bylaw. For the last 2–3 years since the company opened, it has been run by Chief Ikechukwu Okoye—not the young man you have. The young man is supposed to inherit it when he turns 25 years, as written in this will and in this agreement. It was written by the council and family members when the father of the young man died. He came to Lagos, like I told you before—you know the story. These are the evidence. If you don’t act on this evidence, I will send it to the press. I will have it sent everywhere in Nigeria that you just want to keep an innocent boy in jail. DPO: Give me 1 minute to make a phone call. Please wait for me outside. They left. DPO: Hello, good morning, sir. AIG: Good morning, DPO. What is the latest development? DPO: There is evidence that this young man was not involved. In fact, the name of the person involved is there. The lawyer that is in charge of the company has both all the documents of the company—right from the day the company was established. The company that owns the hotel and everything inside the hotel. Even the people running the company are all here, signed by one Chief Ikechukwu Okoye. They are demanding the release of the boy immediately. And they’ve sent copies to the Supreme Court in Abuja, so that everything is going to come down against us. What do we do right now? AIG: You cannot release him to them. Make preparations and transfer the young man to Abuja. Let his case go directly under the National Assembly or the National Police. Nobody will be able to bring any documents from anywhere to do anything. DPO: I'm very sorry, sir. They also threatened to go on social media and the press immediately that boy leaves here. And if the press leaks all that information, they will push the blame to my head. AIG: I am your commanding officer from Abuja, and I am telling you what to do. And you are talking back to me? DPO: I know you very well, sir. When this problem escalates, you will exonerate yourself and leave only us—the best standers—to suffer for it. This content is the intellectual property of OurStory TB and the author, Whiteman Micheal. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution without proper credit to the author or the page is strictly prohibited. Permission must be obtained before any use. AIG: If I remember correctly, your son is one of the accused persons in this crime. If you don't release that boy, he will also be added to the list of people that will be brought to Abuja. DPO: Listen to me and listen very well, sir. With all due respect, if you add my son to your list of whatever, just know that I am going out now to arrest that Chief, and I will use my hand to bring him to book. Because whatever he's holding against you, I know you have been handling all of this. And if he's going to expose you, better stay away from me and my family. And he drops the call. DPO: Tell them to come in. Barrister Santos: Sir, you requested for us. DPO: Sign these release papers. But I have a condition. Barrister Santos: We are listening. DPO: I was just asked to bring the boy to Abuja so that you guys won’t have to release him. And I refused. But they threatened me that my son will be arrested. Barrister Santos: Is he among? DPO: He is linked. Barrister Santos: What’s your ask? DPO: You will defend my son. Barrister Santos: Okay then. I was released just like that. I was so pleased, I cried, and I went home with the barrister. At the hotel Chima: Did you enjoy it? Mario: Ah sir, nooo. My hole is still hurtful. But I have got me some millions. Chima: Haha haha. So seriously, what's next? Mario: I resign immediately, as you have said. Chima: I like you. I want you to be my one true boyfriend. Mario: Ah bros, I can’t. I can’t. I am the light of my family, and I have to be okay. Like, I have to make it, and I seriously don’t want to make it like this. Chima: But you just slept with me to get some money. Why won’t you do it again? Mario: I am sorry. I can’t. Chima: I can assure you that the moment you start university, you will come looking for me to get more money. Mario: The truth is that I already have a side hustle apart from this hotel work. I have a shop, I sell provisions. In fact, I feed my whole family from there, pay rent and all. Not adding this—my sisters and brothers are there. Chima: And what’s your plan for now with that money? Mario: I will open three more shops and put my siblings there. Three of them combined, I can get an education smoothly. Chima: You have plans. That’s good. But I will have you here tomorrow morning again. Mario: Ahh sir, please. I don’t—I can’t. Chima: If you don’t come, we will be enemies. Now ask them to send me Moses, the other guy. Mario: Sir, please don’t tell him I did this. Chima: I won’t tell anyone. Just come in the morning. Mario: Can you be done with it today so I don’t have to come here again? Chima: No, please. Tomorrow. At Engr. Van’s house Me: Where is Oke? Engr. Van: He is probably with your friends. Me: Shouldn’t we call them then, to inform them that I am home? Barrister Santos: I don’t think it’s a good idea. Engr. Van: You need to bath and rest. Please use my room. Me: Okay. Knock knock. Engr. Van: What can I help you with? Inspector Issa: I am sorry for the way I attended to you earlier. Barrister Santos: Please let him in. Engr. Van: There is no one for you to arrest here. Inspector Issa: I have actually come for the picture. Please help with any information about the boy in the picture. It’s actually a long story, like that of your boy. I came out Me: Oh, not again. Inspector Issa: Nooo, I have not come to arrest you. Me: Why are you here? Inspector Issa: Do you know this person? He handed the picture to me. I was shocked. Since I saw “missing,” but he was young and cute. Me: Do you want to arrest him too? Inspector Issa: We are more than just people who arrest people, you know. Me: What did he do? Inspector Issa: His mother is seriously looking for him. Me: What? His mother?? Barrister Santos: You know him? Me: Yes, that’s Philip. By Whiteman Michael What goes around comes around. Always know what you need. If you leave your wants to be limitless, you will never be satisfied. Know what you need at the moment. That's enough to boost you to your next ground or step. If you just take any route, you might find yourself taking no route. Have friends in high places—not the ones you fuck, or steal from, or make unending requests from— But the ones who can fight for you if need be. By Whiteman Michael Thanks so much help share and like and follow the page I have been sick all theses time please 🙏 pray for me.