The Angel And The Fugitive – Chapter Two Part A

THE ANGEL AND THE FUGITIVE CHAPTER TWO PART A

© Reginald Obetta

It was 11 am in a bright Sunday morning. The power-filled blissful service had just ended in Saviour church, built with glassy surface material as well as with fine marbles, giving it a radiating appearance from afar. The white building was built on a three to four hectares measurement, up to 100 ft. tall and had a sign of a big golden carved cross at the apex. It’s architectural design was revered by onlookers and added glamour to the street on which it was erected. Each member were slightly engaged in one form of discussion or the other in groups , while some stood outside, bidding farewell to departing members. Tafa and Rita waited behind for their end of the month executive meeting which was slightly encroaching into Tafa’s time. The executive meeting usually took a lot time, several plans and suggestions were laid on how to improve the welfare of the church and members and a lot of review was carried out on how the church had progressed like most churches. Tafa got accompanied by Rita to the check point, the latter needed to remain behind for the new comers meeting while the former excused himself to go see his parents which Rita was ignorant of till he accompanied him to the check point.

“You never told me it was your parents you planned on visiting. I thought it was your home you were going. ”

“ Am sorry, I said home but didn’t demystify that it was my parents’, it has been long I have seen them you know. I think it’s the perfect time to see them, they would be less busy”

“ I think so. Nobody gets so busy on Sundays. So you are going to spend some days with them? ”

“ Yes, maybe two days. I don’t have lectures tomorrow so I can stay for a while”

“ Hmmmm, ” she heaved a sigh.

“ what’s the matter? “, he asked after noticing an oddity on her face.

“ Nothing. It’s fine I presume ”

“ Oh Rita it’s not. You are going to miss me. That’s the feeling you have got”

“ Nothing of such. Well, something like that. You know the praise night programme is huge, the preparation and all that. My hands are tied and I need you to be available to help me out. But I don’t want to be the spoiler in your own plans. ”

“ Hey, it would be fine. It’s just two days and I promise to be back in time to help out. You can have other member of the executive to help out for now”

“ Ok”, her face still unchanged. It was a matter she couldn’t have a say and never had. She had developed a chemistry with Tafa in executing projects in church or in school that she had with no one. Sometimes, she questions her feelings for him and most times resolves that he was still her normal friend with benefits only for the question to pop in her head the next time. She wouldn’t want to be the first to take the ultimate step in succumbing and declaring her romantic feelings with the obsessive fear of ending the friendship abruptly even though it manifests in her expressions continually. Tafa considered her as another sister with the rarest of quality and not romantically inclined to her as she to him.

“ Alright, I will be back tomorrow noon”

“ No, spend time with you family ”

“ It’s ok. My mind is made up. Tomorrow noon.”

“Ok then”, her face was beginning to glow a little but felt guilty at the same time about Tafa’s decision. She must have made him change his mind about spending an extra day which she imagined was selfish of her.

“ You don’t have to feel I forced you into taking that decision. ”

“ And you don’t have to feel guilty either. I have to go now, aurevoir.”

“ Aurevoir, extend my greetings to them”

“ That, I will surely do. Take care of yourself “.

He flanked down a taxi that came by five minutes after Rita had gone back to the church.

“ Pallet junction”

“Ok, before or after the eatery? “, asked the old mean looking driver.

“ After the eatery”

“Three hundred naira is price”

“ This is a Sunday now, I can’t pay you that amount. One hundred and fifty naira. ”

“Hmmmm, Mr, that place is very distant and road, untarred. I can’t take less. Another taxi will charge you more”.

After a bit of haggle, the driver succumbed and ordered Tafa to step in. He wouldn’t want to go home directly, he would, drop by the local market and get some good stuffs before embarking finally.

It took almost two hours to reach, a journey Tafa himself thought was unending prior to when they took off after the buying. It was almost four, the sun still appeared in the sky but was quite harmless unlike few hours before when the earth burned with its emission. From that time, Tafa couldn’t bear staying further in the outside even though, he was in a taxi. He wanted to get home quickly. Each time, he hurried the driver to take shorter routes and drive faster but it wasn’t entirely his fault. Each time, they are met with road blocks and security checkpoints, flooded with military personnel which further delayed their movement. Security situation in Baigari State had deteriorated and deserved rapt attention and that accounts for the heavy deployment of military personnel in the State. Tafa paid the driver as he alighted in front of a tree where motor able road terminated, Tafa would have to take another long walk to his house which was now, a touching distance. It was an underdeveloped vicinity by its look, refuse littering the street and the gutters, stagnant water not drained. A yellow painted bungalow stood in front of him, no elements of a modern house was found in it but was finely built in its own way, compared to the houses found there which were unpainted and oddly built. Tafa knocked twice before hearing the sound of footsteps coming towards the door. A young girl, still in her adolescence opened. It was his younger sister.

“Hey brother! We weren’t expecting you. Welcome home”, helping him gather his luggage.

“It isn’t wrong for a brother to visit home. I wanted to pay you all a surprise visit.”

“ I never said it was wrong brother ”

“Just joking. Where is everybody”

“They are all inside except mama. Oh, papa is here already “.

“ Good evening papa”, he greeted.

“My son, how are you? Such a long time “, asked his father. By his smile, he was a relatively young man who had known suffering and so, his mild face depicted it with wrinkles clouding it. His eyes was as red as a scarlet, probably had just woken up from his sleep and didn’t look as chirpy as he used to.

“Am fine papa. You don’t look radiant today”, observed Tafa.

“Yes, I don’t. I was taking a nap when I heard your voice. I had to get up and see you. You haven’t changed significantly since your last visit.”

“Yes, I haven’t. How can I? It’s a survival game we are all in. The suffering is unbeatably unbearable. I haven’t gotten a pay from my part-time job, so there is no room for enlargement whatsoever Papa.”

“So how did you get to buy all these? ”

“My church has been helpful a bit and God being on my side”

“It’s all a bit a complicated situation we are all in. I assure you, we will survive through this.”.

“I believe we will. You shouldn’t have bothered coming out to see me. I will spend my night here. ”

“It’s ok son. Am happy after all”.

“I was told by Fatima that mama wasn’t around ”

“Oh yes. She left a few minutes ago, shortly before your arrival. She had gone to her friend’s place to get some food items.”

“I assume no one has eaten yet?”

“None, since morning, replied his father, bluntly.

“Hmmmm, Fatima will get it done quickly, never mind”

“lest I forget, how is my beautiful daughter doing? ”

“Who are you referring to papa?”

“The young girl you brought home after the vigil. ”

“Oh, Rita is very fine. She sends her greetings too to you all.”

“That’s so wonderful. Oh poor me, “gazing at the white peeled ceiling, “a destitute, immersed in pauperism, how indigent I am that I cannot provide for my family, and I am still alive. Oh, poor me”, he lamented. He always does anytime he remembers his plight, the way he was relieved of his job during the past tenure, the way he lost all his savings from his diligent service to fraudsters, casting a compelling frustrating figure ever since. He had been living a life of just mere hope.

“It wasn’t your fault you were caught in a scandal that cost you your job, you are the most diligent man I have ever known of. ”

“I am a rabble in the face of everyone. Such a pity”

“Your statements are not good for the ears at all. Today is Sunday, a new day of the week. Optimism is supposed to be the order of the day. ”

A little bit of calm was restored, the movements of Fatima in the kitchen, clinking of the pots and spoon were the only sound that was heard. Tafa had been the source of encouragement to his family, even when it seems to be depressed by the negativity surrounding him, he strives to be there when needed by them. A responsibility that had been inborn in him as the first child of his parents.

“Where is Ibrahim now? How is he doing? ”

“He is still in the local clinic, deteriorating as usual, his constant hallucinations and delusion are progressive. And we can’t afford to get the treatment advanced.”

“What is the cost of the treatment? ”

“Three hundred and fifty thousand naira”

“Hmmmm, that’s a whole lot ”

“It’s not their fault, psychoactive drugs are expensive, the whole treatment is out of our reach at the moment”

“Ibrahim will be alright, we will get the money and treatment will commence immediately “.

Mr. Joshua’s phone began to vibrate on the table, Tafa reached for it and handed it over to his father, the caller ID was unidentified. Mr Joshua never had a strange number calling him. Every number he answers is due to the fact that he had each one of them saved or written in a small-sized diary which he carries about in his pocket. His main reason for this scepticism was the last time he received a strange number, it plunged him into a scandal that got him lose his job. Ever since, he had been living with that phobia of plunging into another trouble that could cause him his entire family. After checking his diary and saw nothing, he instructed Tafa to answer it.

“Hello, please who is this? ”

“This is Gradel hospital calling, am I speaking with Mr Joshua Waziri?”

“No, the son, how may I be of assistance to you”.

“Am sorry, but your mother just had a head collision in an accident along Ramon way. She is right here now. ”

“What? Is she alive?”

“Well, I can’t guarantee that at the moment, she has lost a lot of blood but still breathing. ”

“Ok, we will be there shortly”, he hung up.

“What is the problem son? ”

“Mama just had an accident”

“Oh my God, is she still alive? ”

“I don’t know, she is in a critical state. We should get going now”.

Fatima was ignoramus of what was happening, Mr Joshua called for her and told her to take care of the house. When she decided to inquire what happened, Mr Joshua lied they were both going to a place of importance and that she would be briefed when they gets back. Fatima was insatiable by their statement but never argued. Mr Joshua and Tafa had already gone, involving Fatima will be unwise, she too had been through a lot, it was their own way of protecting a family member from breaking down