MISSING PIECE (Part 3)

(Kirikiri Prison)
“Madam, you cannot see him, it’s not allowed. Go back home. When your husband is through with his sentence here, he’ll leave”, one of the warders told her unruly. Jacinta couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t let her see him.

How could she go home again without seeing him? All her pleas fell on deaf ears. They ignored her and continued playing their chess game. She knew what they wanted. Many times, she’d seen people give the warders money and they’d allow them see whoever they wanted to.

Isn’t that bribe?, she thought to herself. She shrugged. Maybe she should give them want they want so they would allow her see her husband.

As she was still contemplating, she was a man walk past her and all the warders stood up to salute him. OJne of them took the bag the man held. This must be their boss. I pray he listens to me. 
“Excuse me, sir”, she called out.

One of them stopped her. “Wetin be your own? We never say make you dey go haus? You wan use your own disturb oga abi?”

The man she called out to stopped and turned. “Let her be. Woman, what can I do for you?”

She walked up to him. “Good morning sir. I want to discuss something important with you, sir. Please.”

He looked at her for a while. “Okay. Let’s go to my office”, he said, leading the way.

When they settled, she explained her plight to him. Out of pity, he allowed her to come see her husband whenever she pleases. He also gave her a permit to avoid further embarrassment. She thanked him and left.

*******
“You. Stand up, somebody is here to see you.”

“Me?”

“No, na me. Anybody dey here wey I dey talk to?”, the warder asked angrily. Somebody is here to see me after two years? Unbelievable!, he thought.

When he got to the visiting arena, he was surprised the more. His wife looked pale and stressed. That ‘glow’ she had was no longer there. All these must be taking a toll on her. But why didn’t she visit all these while? 


Seeing her husband bound both hands and feet like a hardened criminal was too much for her. She felt like crying but tried very hard to hold herself together. He looks so different. God please save my husband, she prayed silently.

He sat looking at her sternly, after his handcuffs had been removed.

“Good morning my love. How are you?”, she greeted him, smiling.

“Fine”, he replied distastefully. “What are you doing here? I’m really surprised. You came to see my miserable face, right?

“What are you saying? Are you not happy to see me?”, she asked, shocked.

“So I should jump up and down because you ‘chose’ to come see me today. Even if everybody forgets me, it shouldn’t be you Jacinta.”

She couldn’t hold it anymore. Uncontrolled tears streamed down her face. She opened her bag, brought out some letters and threw them on the table.

“These are letters your children and we’ll meaning friends wrote when they wouldn’t let us see you. I’ve always carried it with me, hoping to give it to you. Bye.” She stood up to leave.

“Wait, Jaycee”, he said, holding her hand, “I didn’t mean it that way. Please sit.” She sat, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry for all that. I was just angry.”

“It’s okay, I understand. But you owe me for that.”

He laughed. “Yes ma. So how are you and the children? How are you surviving? How is….”

“Hey, calm down. God is taking care of us, okay? We can’t wait for you to come out”, she replied.

“How? Without paying the money, I’ll never be able to leave this place”, he said sadly.

“There’s nothing God cannot do. He will do it”, she said calmly.

He laughed. “Did I just hear you say God? Where was He when all these happened? Will He come down and pay the money? Please, leave Him out of this.”

“What has come over you? This is just a test of our faith. We’ll come out better and stronger”, Jacinta said. She paused for a while. “The kids miss you. I told them you travelled overseas. I couldn’t think of anything else.”

He exhaled. “That’s okay for now. Extend my love to them.”

“I will.”

“Lest I forget, have you gone to meet Chris, my friend? I’m sure there’d be something he can do about this.”

To be continued…….