“I’m not here for any ritual. I’m here for something different,” the man said in his calm voice. His thick voice had to be censored so as not to pass the wrong message. His son, the direct opposite in that aspect, had no trouble trying to sound calm.
“Stop pretending Step-daddy. I’ve talked to your son. You can take me away,” Bimbo insisted.
Femi had the space between his two eyebrows furrowed. The first person he ever preached Jesus to was only using it as a means to an end. Femi looked into his Father’s face, their expressions mirrored each other’s.
“Bimbo, I know it’s hard to believe me, but I’m only here to take you with me to Ogun to sort some troubles out…”
“That’s the man. He’s the one who’s been threatening my friend with pictures for a few months now. Arrest him!” Sandra stormed into the corridor with two armed policemen following her with calculated steps.
Sandra walked towards the trio who stood outside Bimbo’s room. Fierce anger blazed in her eyes as she did so. The two policemen roughly grabbed Femi’s dad and tried to put a handcuff on him.
“Gentlemen, I don’t understand why you’re doing this. I’m a middle-aged man who just travelled down from another state to see his daughter.” He pleaded.
The policemen hesitated and looked to Sandra for a clue. Sandra sent them a glare instead.
“Keep quiet Mr Man. Anything you say will be used against you in the court of law!” One of them barked at Mr Ademola who continued to look serene.
Sandra almost hissed. The policemen had almost been swayed by the little compliment the criminal had thrown at them. Besides, couldn’t they dig up more appropriate phrases to address criminals at the point of the arrest? That didn’t bother her anyways, seeing her friend in the best situation she could be, was her priority.
“I’ll be at the station soon with the evidence,” Sandra shouted after the policemen as they led the grey-haired man out of the house.”
Sandra ran to Bimbo who collapsed on her shoulder. Femi, who pretended to be on his phone was torn between fighting for his dad who seemed to have changed or letting him go with the police for his past transgressions. He wondered what advice Jesus would have for him in such a situation.
“Are you fine?” he managed to ask Bimbo who still had her head on Sandra’s shoulder.
Bimbo nodded. “Thank you Brother,” she said in a small voice. Femi nodded and left them for his room upstairs. He had things to sort out. His job and his pastor aside, he had to sort out his feelings.
Sandra and Bimbo returned to the room after that. They did a bit of talking, with Sandra doing the prompting. After guaranteeing that Bimbo would be alright alone, she made to leave the room.
“Don’t forget that the file is named Step-daddy. If you need additional stories plus someone who can testify to his behaviour, you have my brother. In case I die….”
“You won’t die in Jesus name. You can’t continue to talk like this. Your situation has driven me back to church. And now that I’m on your case, you can’t die.”
“But, my brother said I was going to die if I give my life to Jesus.”
“Ah,” Sandra said slowly, “I see where this is going. You wanted to die, didn’t you? Sorry, mission incomplete.” Sandra shook her head as she replied. “You can’t die on my watch. If he said that, he only meant it literarily. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I understand. Thanks for covering up for me at work.” Bimbo smiled and nodded in appreciation.
Sandra returned the nod and wondered where the seemingly happy Bimbo who had come to work every day was.
Femi’s sleep was so disturbed that he kept rolling on his bed. His father sure looked different but the sight of the things he had seen with him many years ago lingered. Bimbo’s turmoil was another thing entirely. Watching the girl suffer had gotten to him, and that was even before he knew that his father had been the source of her turmoil. Now, he was at the Police Station with no familiar face to talk to. However, if his father was telling the truth about travelling down before he was arrested, he ought to be resting in his bed, instead of facing the rigours of a prison cell.
Femi wondered if he was merely being sentimental instead of acting out his Christian faith. He turned sideways and turned haphazardly till he concluded. First thing the next morning, he was going to see his father, before facing the query at work. He would make sure to keep the pastor updated too. But right now, he’d try to get some good sleep, so he could face the next day, strong.
