The Longest Night - Episode 2

 

​I zoomed off into the night oblivious of what it held for me but determined to succeed this night. I sat straight with my head almost peering  through the wind shield, I looked at the back seat and Ada sat down probably wondering why she was out at this odd hour. Soon after I got to a T- Junction and I took the left turn, I felt something was off few minutes into the road. This was the beginning of my ordeal. 

Immediately after that thought I met a couple of young men at the middle of the road, I paused and honked for them to clear from the road . They stared at me and two of them approached my car and demanded I rolled down my window. I refused and gesticulated with my hands that I was passing through. They smiled and said something to another man that seemed to be the boss. He approached me and his mean face made me shiver. 

“What is happening mom? Who are these men?” Ada asked from the backseat.

I was terrified but my mama instincts came on and I looked back and smiled at her  replied with assurance

“Everything would be fine dear, they are just doing their job”.

“What kind of job?” She asked.

I asked myself same question. This time the boss was standing beside my window and asked me to roll down my window

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-longest-night

. He raised a wood to show me that  he was going to break my wind screen if I refused. I thought of reversing out but a few of them surrounded my car already. I rolled down my glass and I broke into pidgin.

“Oga Good evening sir”

“Madam good evening” He replied

They are armed robbers or kidnappers , run for your life my mind seem to tell my head but fear gripped me.

“Bros, Good evening sir, abeg my sister dey hospital, na emergency”.

He looked at me and smiled and said “Madam come down from the motor, we need to used am this night”.

I unhooked my seat belt and I retaliated to pleading.

“Bros , abeg my sister dey hospital and they need my attention “.

“I don hear that story before na, na beg me dey beg you too, I nor wan tell my boys make them slap you o”

Slap??? I just had one and my face still tingles from the slap Uzor gave me earlier. I hurriedly got down from and car and they entered and zoomed off. 

I started screaming “my daughter o”, Ada o. I sprinted after the car but was soon out of breathe and I sat on the tiled road crying. It soon started raining and I felt so lost . I asked God to take my life. My only source of joy is gone. How do I begin to look for Ada. 

In that moment I saw light and I felt my prayers to leave the world was answered. I didn’t pay any  mind if the car was going to crush me. I looked up and the light was so bright but I recognised the car and I saw a little girl get down from the car. The car sped off and I recognised my Ada. She ran towards me. I held on, never to let go.

We started walking out of that road and finally we arrived at the intersection i was before I turned to the left and met this ordeal. The rain has since stopped and Ada was shivering as she was drenched a little by the rain. I approached a food vendor and I explained my ordeal and told her where I lived and needed help to get to the hospital to see my sister. She started explaining that the neighbourhood to the left road i took was no longer safe. I felt it was an intervention after death . After the lecture She handed me #500. I took the nearest keke to St. Margaret Hospital. 

I imagined Tunde attempting to dial my number. My phone and money  went with the car. The breeze didn’t curb the cold as Ada continued to shiver. I prayed to get to the hospital on time to see my sister and to get Ada warm. 

I saw a torchlight beckoning on us to stop. The keke driver stopped and we saw it  was the policemen.

“Oga Good evening “. The keke driver greeted the police man.

“Good evening, na who you carry for your keke” the police man asked pointing his torchlight toward the backseat.

“Good evening ma, who get that pikin wey u carry for there?”.

“Oga officer, she is my daughter “

 He gave me a puzzled look and started calling his other officers. 

“E be like say we get kidnapper here o”. He screamed.

“I am not a kidnapper oga officer, this is my daughter. We were just robbed of everything not too far from here.”

Ada laid on my laps motionless. She was so cold and probably have drifted off.

“Wetin you give her wey she dey sleep like this” Another officer asked.

“Keke man, na you be the getaway driver abi, Una go see pepper today”. A third officer said.

I soon started crying. I asked myself if this night would get any longer. I asked God several questions. 

“Madam kidnapper, come down. We don catch you today”.

“Only God know wetin she give the girl wey make her weak like dodo”. The officers discussed among themselves.

They began dragging my hand to get me to get down from the Keke. 

The whole struggle woke Ada and she screamed 

“Mummy”. 

“Eyah, This woman juju strong o, the small girl nor know him mama again. Chai”. One of the officer exclaimed.

I was already standing and they motioned me to kneel down so they could handcuff me and transport me to the station. My tears just flowed effortlessly, I had lost the  strength to say anything. 

Ada ran to me and starting crying. 

“Let my mummy go please”

She ran to the officer and repeated the same thing. This time hitting one of them.

“What is happening there ?”

I heard a fourth officer ask as he walked closer to the commotion.

By this time, the Keke driver stylishly drove away. 

The officers stood erect and greeted this fourth officer. I felt he was their superior and they relayed the events to him.

Ada ran to him, tugging on his trousers and pleading with him to release his mum. 

He walked closer to me and screamed in recognition.

“Madam, what are you doing here?”

I lifted my already tear filled eyes and I recognised his face but couldn’t quite place where i had seen the face. 

I explained my ordeal and everything that had happened. He released my cuffs and asked me to stand up. 

I realised he worked with my dad before his police job appointment and my dad was a factor he got the job. 

He offered to drop us at the hospital with the police van. The other officers quickly apologised for the ill treatment. 
I ran into the hospital, wet from the rain and extremely tired. I looked around and saw a sign leading to the Labour ward. I saw Tunde sitting with his hand over his head.

“Tunde”. I called out.

He lifted his head and walked towards me.

“I have been trying to call you but it rang endlessly with no response. I called your husband and he said you left the house long ago to the hospital”.

“Tunde, that is a story for another time. Where is my sister?”

His countenance changed.

“We welcomed a baby girl, but the  Doctors said she is losing blood. They are currently transfusing her but she is bleeding.

Read " The Robbery Attack " by the same author ( Nancy Eseosa )

. To make matter worse she is too weak and tired”. Tunde answered looking so frustrated.

“I was about going out to get blood, the Blood bank has closed and the Blood we got is almost finished.

I started speaking in tongues. Strength enveloped me from a place I didn’t quite recognise. I called upon God. I screamed my lungs out. I was tired but not so tired to lose my sister. 

I opened my eyes and saw some visitors giving me a quizzical look. I didn’t seem to bother .

“Can we go and see her?” I asked.

“I think so” He responded

I walked to the matron and told her I wanted to see my sister. 

I got in and my sister in a state that I could barely recognise. There was a vial of blood fixed into her and another one for drip. I lost all sense all hope. I called her name and she didn’t answer. I prayed for a while and walked out to meet Ada and Tunde in the corridor.

“They just signalled me to go and get the Blood “ Tunde said . 

“Okay, would go and see your daughter now”.