I Kissed an Angel - chapter 3

I WAS CONFUSED

It was late in the afternoon when I opened my eyes where I had dumped myself. The sweet memory of the previous year lingered on.

            Suddenly, I remembered the drama I had with Aisha’s father earlier that morning. The man was serious! What am I going to do? How can I make things up? Come to think about it. I’ve not done anything wrong. Why does he want to take Aisha from me? No, I’m not going to give her up. Aisha is mine; nobody’s going to take her away from me! I’ve got to be reasonable, though. Why don’t I tell him I’m interested in his daughter? Yes, I will. But isn’t it too late? Ah, it’s too late! What then? I’ll wait for her to come, and then we can decide together. Why, she should have been here by now. She must have heard about what happened between me and her father. Perhaps she was tied down.

            I waited in vain that weekend. When I didn’t see her I decided to check on her during break time on Monday.

            I was in class that Monday morning when I was informed that some visitors were waiting for me. After the class, I went to see them at the waiting room. Three men, one in police uniform and the others in mufti, approached me.

            “Are you Mr. Temi Williams?” one of them asked.

            “Yes, can I help you?”

            “We’re from the State Police headquarters,” he announced waving his I.D at me.  “You’re a suspect in a recent kidnap. You’re under arrest!”

            At first I wanted to say he was joking. He looked serious, so I demanded for an arrest warrant which he promptly produced.  I went through the document half-heartedly, my legs knocking against each other. I pulled myself together and pull out my I.D. “I’m a corps member,” I tottered.

            “So you’re a Corper,” their spokesman said. “Well, I respect that identity so I won’t embarrass you, if only you cooperate with us.”

            I didn’t resist the arrest. I led the way out, signaling to the receptionist to inform the Principal. Fortunately, the senior master met us on the way and he wanted to intervene. He was told to meet us at the police headquarters.

            At the police headquarters, I was taken to an office where I went through unnecessary and unintelligible interrogation. The officer was talking about kidnap and robbery – both confused together. Later, I was handed over to another officer who put me in custody.

            I was stripped of everything on me, except my trousers, and led into a dark cell. I was trying to see into the darkness when I heard a heavy voice: “Welcome him, boys.” Before I could clearly see their forms, I felt a hard knock at the back of my head. Another followed quickly. I landed on my knees and rain of punches fell on me in quick succession.

            I managed to break loose from them and leaned on the iron door. “Wait, wait guys,” I said and they stopped as if I had charmed them. Meanwhile, my eyes had adjusted to the dark room and I could see them now.

            The inmates clenched their fists ready to pounce on me again. But I was ready for them.  One of them rushed toward me and I handled him in a way that told others what I’d got. I held his two hands around his body and locked him down. I didn’t kick him. I simply locked him down. His friends didn’t know what was happening to him until I released him and he dropped as if he were dead. Then he began to groan in pain.

            “Guys, listen to me. We don’t have to fight.” I tried to make them see reason, but they wouldn’t listen to me. The others dared me and I kicked them good. When they understood that they couldn’t handle me, they left me alone. I was allowed to dwell by myself at a corner near the iron door while they dwell by themselves at the other corners.

            I was dozing off at my corner when I heard Mallam Zakka’s voice. He was talking to the officer at the counter. He dipped his hand into his pocket, brought it out and shook the officer’s hand.

            “Mallam? Mallam!”

            He shook with fear as he turned my way. Then, he concealed the fear and flared up. “You bastard! Bastard! I’ll deal with you if you don’t produce my daughter.

            “What are you talking about, Mallam?”

            “Shut up! You think you can have her by kidnapping her, eh? By the time I finish with you, you would have lost your urge for women.”

            Aisha kidnapped! I was dazed. I thought I broke down. Though Mallam Zakka was still threatening, I was no longer interested in what he had to say. I leaned back on the wall and slide down until I hit the floor. I hit my knees on my head and closed my eyes. Aisha warned me.

            Raging emotions flooded under my skin and dilated in hot sweat all over my body. I had always known the value of what I had and the pain of losing her was beyond what I could describe. The thought of it broke my heart.

            I cannot afford to lose her. I’m going to get her back!

            I had thought I would spend the night in the cell. But I was released that same day when my zonal inspector came for me.

            I was not so much bothered about my brief detention as of Aisha’s kidnap. All the way home, I tried to reason out what could have happened to Aisha that evening when she left my place, but it seemed a mystery to me. Did she run away without me? Was the kidnap arranged by her father simply to punish me? So he arrested me to cover up? He doesn’t have to cover up anything from me. Does he? It’s likely Aisha ran away by herself. But where could she have run to? Lagos? No, she wouldn’t do it without informing me.  What then?

            I was confused.

            Suddenly, a whiff of peace made at me. I knew I had a visitor.

            “You don’t struggle for what’s not yours…”

            “No, you must fight for your right!” It was another voice, taking me by surprise. The atmosphere had changed and I felt tensed up.

            My right? Is she actually my right? Yes, I have a right to her. But then…

            “Yes, she’s right for you! Go for what belongs to you. They mustn’t take her from you. Fight them. Don’t be a coward, man. Fight!”

            Yes, but then…how do I fight?

            “You don’t fight for what’s not yours!” The peace returned.

            Yes, but what do I do?

            You must fight!

            Yes, but how do I fight?

            I was in confusion like that all the way home. I went straight into the bathroom and washed off the jinx of the day. Afterward, I didn’t feel like doing anything. Though I was hungry, I simply didn’t have appetite. I sank into my bed and within a minute I dozed off.

We were at a motor park. The place was covered with frantic faces on endless queues waiting for buses. I looked and the park was a stormy sea. Only Aisha and I were at the shore. Suddenly, a wave roared. It towered above us, spread its claws and opened its frothing mouth at us. We ran away from it but it kept coming furiously. We kept running but it was too fast. It came mightily over us and swallowed us into the belly of the sea.

            We found ourselves inside a canoe, drenched all over. We faced each other as I rowed the canoe. I looked at her, a soaked white shawl covering her loosed hair. She was shivering. I looked frantically around. The wind was boisterous.

            When I looked at Aisha again, she was shivering more violently. I had to leave paddling the canoe and embraced her, hoping she would get warm. But her shivering body set mine vibrating at the same frequency. The wind was violent now, rocking the canoe and biting at us. Still shivering, I held her with my left hand while rowing the boat with the right.

            Suddenly, a patch of land rose up at the horizon. I announced to her and we both stood to see; we sat back quickly because the wind was going to throw us out of the canoe. Now, we were at the brink of the land.

            It was not land. It was a large pier that covered that part of the sea. On it were steel structures of various sizes and glass sky-scrappers, gleaming in the sun.

            As soon as we alighted, our clothes were dry and the cold was gone. We walked along what looked like a concrete slab, but the sound it made under our feet gave it away. It was made of steel. The footpath led to a deserted road, on either side of which were buildings. Everything was made of steel or glass. Nobody was in sight; no, not even a living thing.

            We went to one of the trees along the road and sat down under its shade. The ground was clean – no litter, not grass, not even a grain of sand. A leaf fell from the tree and I picked it up. It was green but felt heavy. I looked closely and…it was made of steel! Then a fruit fell from the tree and Aisha picked it up. I took it from her and examined it. Aisha joined me.

            While we beheld, the fruit turned into gleaming luster, blazing beams diverging out from its surface. The beams were reflected by the glasses of different colours and spread out generously covering the entire area with gleams of rainbow. The gleams caused excitement on the inside of us and we raved in their brilliance.

I woke up with a start – it was a dream! I rose up, went to the bathroom and washed my face. I put on a jean trousers and my NYSC crested vest. I rushed out of the house. I was about to lock the door when I remembered my NYSC face cap. I rushed back.

            When I came out of the compound the second time I bumped into Nkem.

            “Bro Temi!” he called out. “You have become a scarce commodity nowadays. I almost thought the rapture had taken place.” He shook my hand vigorously and embraced me with his left hand. Before I could respond to his compliments, he added more: “You’re looking rough, bro. Where have you been? What’s ruffling you? Hey, I can help, don’t forget.”

            I knew Nkem was only pampering me. As the president of Christian Corpers Fellowship, he knew those who were regular in fellowship and those of us who were not. I respected him for his deep spiritual insight and how he combined it with a sense of humour. He had taken interest in me since I joined his fellowship. I couldn’t think less of him as a God-sent, though I tried to hide it from him. Yes, of course, I knew he could help. I just wasn’t ready for that help. So I made a joke of his questions.

            “I should ask you that question, Mr. President,” I quizzed.

            “Which of them? I asked three questions.”

            “Where have you been?”

            “Have been in fellowship…”

            “No. I’m not asking you. I’m telling you the question.”

            “Yes, I understand. But you’ve not been in fellowship. You need fellowship, friend. You can’t be in fellowship and be this ruffled. What’s ruffling you, bro?

            “Nothing.” I lied. “I guess I need some rest.”

            “Yes, you sure do. So where are you going instead of resting?”

            “Town.”

            “Rest, my friend. Rest and stop pursuing what’s not yours.”

            I looked baffled. Does Nkem know about Aisha and me?

            “All the things we pursue in this world are not real. They don’t belong to us. We find the real things in the Lord. Bro, the things of this world are shadows.”

            Maybe I’m pursuing my shadows. My shadow is mine. So if I’m pursuing my shadow, then I’m pursuing what’s mine! But do I need to pursue my shadows? Couldn’t I simply wait for it and at the end of the day it will come and lay by my side?

At Aisha’s place, I met Audu in debate with two of his friends. I sat quietly and listened to them. They were speaking Hausa so I had to pick up every word to understand what they were talking about.

            “Do you know he married recently?”

            “You and your mouth!”

            “I swear it’s true. Jamilu, isn’t it?”

            “Don’t bother yourself with Audu. He doesn’t know anything beyond this fence.”

            “I wouldn’t take abuses from you!” Audu rose up to go.

            “It’s not abuse, friend.” Jamilu pulled him down.

“Sit down and let me give you the latest news in town.

Maikudi is about to pluck a ripe orange in this compound.”

            “Liars! We don’t have an orange tree here.”

            “His friends laughed out their hearts. I couldn’t help laughing, too. Audu was embarrassed. He rose again.

            Jamilu pulled him back. “I’m not talking about an orange fruit. I mean Maikudi is about to marry a sweet beautiful girl from this family.”

            “It’s a lie.”

            “It’s true. Auwulu, tell him more.”

            “It’s true, friend. In fact, arrangements have been concluded for the wedding.” Auwulu explained.

            “Can it be true? Little wonder the man frequent this place nowadays.” Audu was going to agree – “but there’s nobody he can marry here.”

            “Stop playing a child, Audu.” Jamilu said. “Is Aisha married?”

            “Who would give Aisha to that monster?” Audu asked and turned around to me. “Timi, you dey hear?”

            What did you say?” I pretended as if I didn’t hear him.

            “Aisha wan marry!”

            “That’s interesting.”

            “I think say she be your your girlfriend.”

            “I’m a friend of the family.”

            Then they continued in Hausa:

            “Don’t put that young man in trouble,” Auwulu warned. “Maikudi can be dangerous when it comes to women.”

            “I’m only joking,” Audu replied. “Anyway, the girl is still missing.”

            “She’s missing?”

            “Look at you.” It was Audu’s turn to laugh. “I thought you knew what’s happening in town, but you don’t know that Aisha has been missing since last Saturday.”

            “She’s been missing? Since when?”

            “Don’t you have ears? I said since Saturday.”

            “It must be Maikudi.”

            “Does he have to kidnap her?”

            “If she refuses.”

            “Which girl will refuse money?”

            I became increasingly uncomfortable listening to the three friends. So I rose up and left their company, my mind made up on what I was going to do to get Aisha back.

            After school the following day I went to find out Maikudi’s residence. The house was a white mammoth towering above the high fence wall that surrounded it. The Iron Gate that barricaded the entrance was imposing. At first sight of it, courage shrank in me. I walked past it to the end of the street before commanding the courage to face it.

            I pressed the bell button at the gate and waited. I was in my NYSC full regalia and confident of the authority on me. A man opened a wicket door in the gate and bestrode it.

            Before he said anything, I quickly introduce myself. “Hello, I’m a corper. We are carrying out a community development project and maigida is one of our patrons.” I lied and quickly asked, “Is he in?”

            “No, Oga not inside.” He replied in halting English.

            “Fine. Then I can speak to his wife.”

            “You not allow to talk to Madam,” he cautioned me.

            “I’m sorry. What about the children. I need to talk to somebody.”

            He looked at me with searching eyes, turned back and closed the door behind him. “Wait,” he said as he was going.

            I remained at the gate for over fifteen minutes before a fair girl in school uniform opened the door.

            “Corper!” She exclaimed when she saw me.

            “Hello.”

            She invited me in at once. I entered into a well-dressed garden. We walked across the garden on an interlocking footpath. She led me to a balcony where a set of chairs were neatly arranged around a table, and she made me sit down. Then she disappeared around a corner. She reappeared in a couple of minutes with a boy that looked so much like her, but dark in skin.

            The boy was called Moses and her sister’s name was Zainab.

            I was amazed to find that Maikudi was a Christian. I told them that I would be taking them extra-mural coaching classes, and they jumped at it.

            I didn’t know that their mother was listening to us until I heard a voice greeting me. I was searching for the owner of the voice when Zainab told me it was her mother talking from behind a tinted glass door. Her spoken English was good. I explained my mission again and she liked it. “But  my husband may not want to pay,’ she complained.

            “It’s free of charge.”

            “Then you should come tomorrow to see him. I would talk to him before you come.”

            I left Maikudi’s place smiling to myself. No place is impregnable after all.