My ordeal in the hands of SARS

Episode 2

“Ellen John kee? You be igbo? He asked. “Yes sir” I answered. “Which side?” he asked. “Emii in Mbaoma, Imo state” I answered. “You see your life, I have lived there for almost 10years and I don’t know any John family, you’re lying. Tell me your town fast!” he commanded. “Ahah oga why would I lie na, that’s where am from” I said getting worried. “Besides you can’t know everybody” I murmured. “What did you say?” he asked. “Nothing sir”. “How old are you?” he asked. “22 sir” I replied. “Bring out your phone, money and any other thing you are with” he said. I brought out my nokia torch light phone, 200 naira and placed them on the table. “Haa madam na only 200naira you carry? Women sef, una no dey hold anything you dey depend of your bobo” the elderly armed man said, laughing. Feeling embarrassed, I removed my slippers and sat back on the floor. Thinking about my fate in this mess I got myself into, no Tony got me into and also my ‘longthroat’ for barbecue chicken. “Oya everybody enter inside, stay there till una enter cell” the ugly armed man said.  We got behind the building into an open space, there we saw two tiny cells for women and men. There were about three girls and many boys in the women and men cells respectively. I got talking with Tony, he tried consoling again. I also recognized a guy from school, we talked about the situation, and he said these men just want bail money that one person is 20k. I was shocked, how would I get 20k for my bail? Before I knew it two guys bargained with them and bailed themselves. “You nwaanyi ocha, the tall girl come” the elderly armed man said pointing at me. Am I going? Maybe they pitied me, omg am going home, I thought as I entered the building. “Go to that man there to write your statement” he said. My heart broke, was so disappointed. I got to the table to find out ‘the man’ was my crush, I put up the seducing slutty side of me, anything for me not to sleep in that dirty cell of theirs. “What’s your name?” he asked. “Ellen John” I replied. “How old are you?” “22” “What time were you arrested?” he asked. “I don’t know”. He writes down something and asked “Were you alone?” “No, came with a guy” I replied. “What do you do?” he asked. “I just graduated from the university in that town you arrested me from, I came for clearance and decided to chill with a friend”. He writes down again and then shifts the sheet to me. I went through the statement HE wrote for me, shouldn’t I be the one to write it and I realized I don’t know my offence. “Sir, what’s my offence?” I asked. “You don’t know the government said anybody found outside from 9pm is a criminal and should be arrested” he said. “Haa! Sir as I said before I just entered town on Monday for clearance, I didn’t know about this curfew” I said almost in tears. He asked me to sign the statement and asked me to return to where I was standing. When everybody had finished writing their statements, we were shoved into our respective cells. I didn’t believe I would enter that cell, first time in my life to be arrested and put in a cell. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I held the burglary door as I see criminals do in movies.

Okay now let me describe my cell experience and cell mates (can’t believe I just said ‘cell mates’). We were four girls arrested that night, there were three girls in the cell before we joined them. I was the only one among the new inmates that wasn’t an indigene, the other three were friends. Now here’s their story, I can’t recall their names so am going use X, Y and Z. X’s boyfriend asked her to bring her friends to the bar to chill, she called Y who called her cousin Z. Y and Z were just arriving when we were arrested. X’s boyfriend and his friend bailed themselves but had money to bail only one person. He pleaded with X to be bailed that the next day they would return to bail Y and Z but X refused because she said she can’t let the people she called to chill with her sleep in the cell alone. Y supported her, I just minded my business. The other three old inmates asked her to go because her boyfriend and his friend will not come back tomorrow for them and that was true, they never came. Well, X’s boyfriend left and we girls ended up bonding. X asked the older inmates their story, this is what I got from it. They are prostitutes who work under a woman in one town like that, their ‘madam’ insulted a SARS officer and they arrested them to lure their ‘madam’ to the station. Apparently, the ‘madam’ doesn’t care about them because she has not been picking their calls and they have been in cell for 3 days. People are mean, I thought. It started raining, could this night get any worse I said to myself. The cell began to stink, the worse of it was that Z was on her period and had no extra sanitary pad nor tissue. Don’t ask me how I coped. I slept standing, sitting and squatting, I couldn’t lie on the floor. I was awakened by a man whose eyes were somehow, can’t describe them. “So you guys are the cultists that has been terrorizing the neighborhood” he said with his hands in his pocket. “Haa sir, no o. I am not a cultist” I said. “Babe take time, which one be I, so na we be cultists. Sir please we are not cultists, am an indigene and I get family wey dey look for me now” Y said. “Shut up, you guys are going to suffer for your crimes. You are going to be transferred to another station for interrogation” he said. Mogbe!!

My ordeal in the hands of SARS

Episode 1

I just graduated from the University with a good result, well I think. I couldn’t wait to get cleared from school and at the same time missing school actually the life in school not the school itself lol, I rushed back to school. My lodge mates were happy to see me, they cheered me “Graduate!” I loved the feeling. I smiled at them and walked into the compound, my room was so dusty and messed up. Laziness struck me like a thunder bolt, but I had nowhere else to lay my head. I got to work. Few people I know walked passed me while I was sweating, sneezing and suffocating but no one volunteered to help me, me the latest graduate. Lol, yeah am full of myself I know. The next day, I went inside school campus for clearance, met up with my course mates, teased ourselves about NYSC (National Youth Service Corp), then clearance began. To be honest, I planned to stay just two days in school but I found out I had to stay a week. Was disappointed. On the third day of my arrival, I met a friend of mine in who also came for clearance. He accused me of dodging him (I was dodging him actually) he asked me to hang out with him that evening by 7pm, I wanted to decline but I said to myself “Come on it’s just this once, you won’t see him again after all”  I accepted. I regret that decision, this is why.

We arrived at the bar by 7:32pm and ordered some drinks with chicken barbecue. We talked about old times, already tipsy but was enjoying it. I was on my third bottle awaiting the second plate of the chicken barbecue when I heard someone shout “Everybody stand up!” I thought it was my head messing with me until the table beside ours was scattered, I stood up immediately. Still tipsy and confused I noticed men with guns dragging and pushing people, one of them cocked his gun and that was when my eyes cleared. “Enter the bus fast!” commanded one of them. Feeling so scared, I rushed to the bus with my friend beside me. We got squeezed into the tiny bus, I noticed a girl lapping a guy, it wasn’t funny at that time. A particular lady in front was ranting about how one of the men kicked her, she was cautioned by the armed man beside her but she raised her voice and said “If I don’t shut up nko? You can’t just come and arrest me when I didn’t do anything wrong, on top that you kicked me on my waist, you don’t know am a woman eeh? It seems that’s something wrong with….” Before she could finish, the armed man beside her slapped her. Then, I realized shit just got real. I started crying. My friend kept consoling me that everything was going to be alright that they are SARS that their station was at the next town. How is everything going to be alright when am being carried in a bus by armed men to a place I don’t know by 9:15pm? I blamed him for this. I thought of what explanation am going to give my parents if eventually we are to call our parents at the station, Jesus what have I gotten myself into? I thought as I cried. Tony, that’s the name of my friend secretly texted the situation to his friend using my phone. We drove for about 20mins and came to a halt in front of a terrible looking bungalow with an abandoned bus by the side. “Oya come down, fast. In a single line enter the house”.  We entered the building, about 4 armed men were present, young and old. The room was vast, with some missing glass louvre windows, I could see footprints on the wall and a dirty torn couch.  Trying to get control of my tears I cleaned my eyes. “Sit down on the floor all of you” one huge armed man said. “Ah sir, on this floor?” asked one of us. “No, on this air. Come on sit down before I break your head, criminal” replied the armed man. We sat reluctantly on the dirty floor, among us a girl kept nagging and ranting about how one of the armed men assaulted her blah blah. She was just irritating me because she was making matter worse. I hugged my knees and sobbed, someone tapped me and asked me to stop crying. “E yaa, this one dey cry. E be lyk say na ajebota but na good girl, she never talk since unlike this mumu ugly one wey dey make noise here since” said the elderly armed man. “Am telling you fine gal just keep quiet o na this ugly shapeless thing dey make noise for here. I tire o na until I slap am again she go comport” said a younger armed man. One of the armed men maybe in his late 30’s or early 40’s caught my attention, he has this cute face got me thinking why he would choose this field of work. A voice in my head told me he’s going to be my way out of the mess. His voice gave me chills, his body build up made me drool, I can’t believe am tripping for my captor I thought as I shake my head. “Make una dey come one by one make I write una details. And the guys go remove una clothes” said the ugliest armed man as he sat behind a desk. “Ah sir, even singlet? The weather cold” said one of us. “Your father there!” replied the armed man. I made to stand but was asked to sit down that the guys will go first. After a while there was commotion behind me, a guy was accused of peeing on himself. A lot of liquid was found surrounding him and his boxers was soaked which implicated him that he peed on himself. “Chai I don die, this people no go kill me for here o. the guy fear so tey he piss for him body” said an armed man laughing and everybody laughed including me seriously. “I dey tell you, he no get liver. Guy you suppose dey show these girls say you strong o, you just dey fall hand” said another armed man laughing. “Sir, am not the one that urinated here, it’s not me sir” the accused fellow said with watery eyes. “But why na only your boxers soak for there? This shows you are the one. But wait o how you piss reach like this, go check for diabetes when you commot here” said the elderly armed man and this got everyone laughing again. It was turn to give my details, “What’s your name?” asked the ugliest armed man. “Ellen John” I replied.

Night walk

Episode 2

Shola! Yeah, I returned to my body. It was Mr. Femi calling me, but he was alone, the woman was not with him. What were you thinking? Have been calling you, he said. Were you with a woman a while ago? I asked. No, I wasn't he replied. Was I hallucinating? I thought.

I felt a little fear going back home alone. What a boring life I live, got no man of my own, no family, no friends to complain my problem to. I took my shower being conscious of everything around me. Thanks to God, there was electricity. I searched channels for any interesting program, I heard a creak. I ignored it then it became louder, I walked towards the direction and found nothing, the doors were tightly shut. I returned to the sitting room and continued my program. Then I saw a reflection of a bleeding woman behind me on my television screen, i turned immediately and saw no one. I had had enough of this am not sleeping here, I thought. But where would I go? A hotel isn't a bad idea. I hurriedly packed a few clothes, some documents, some provisions, toiletries and rushed out of the house. Arriving at Golden gate hotel by 7:45pm, checked in and ordered dinner. How long would I be staying here? I need to know what it going on.

I wasn't paying attention to my work, was distracted by the past events of the week. Pondered on what could be wrong with me, I was as confused a man trying to choose between two girlfriends he loves equally. Mr. Deji’s tap on my shoulder startled me, Ah ah Mr. Deji you startled me I said. What are you always thinking about? You have been distracted since morning, what is the matter? He asked, with a strong Yoruba accent. He still doesn’t realize he has mouth odour and he keeps leaning close towards me as if I can’t hear him properly. I moved my chair back, trying to endure the odour to avoid embarrassing him. Am fine…..actually am not I have a problem, I think I have been seeing……I was interrupted by my boss. Shola and Mr. Deji these are working hours not gossip time, please face your individual duties. Shola see me in my office in the next 5 minutes he said and left. Yes sir, I and Mr. Deji said in unison. What have I done this time? I asked myself as I walked into his office. Please have a seat, he said. I have been observing you for the past few days, you are always absent minded, and your profit making is minimal. Talk to me what is happening? He asked. I wanted to tell him but I knew he won’t believe besides he is not an understanding person. Nothing sir, just that I have been a little bit distracted. I promise to pick up my performance, I replied. Are you sure you don’t want to share the problem? He asked. Not that o, there’s no problem sir, thank you sir, I said trying to stand up and leave. Ah ah where are you rushing to? Sit down, he asked. I sat down reluctantly then he stood from his chair and sat on his table in front of me, I moved back a little bit. You are a very pretty lady but haven’t seen you with a man, he said. I just forced a smile.  I would like to have something with you, you know…….as he was talking I looked up and saw the bleeding woman coming behind him, I couldn’t move or say anything then I felt someone touch me. Are you okay? You have been looking into the thin air, my boss asked. I looked behind him and saw nothing. Sorry sir, just that I thought I saw something I said. Hmm you are strange Shola, you can return to your corner, he said. I quickly left his office and returned to my desk. It is confirmed that something is wrong with me, still can’t place what exactly is wrong.

At exactly 2:15am, something woke me up. The night was windy and silent except for the cries of a strange bird. I stood up, closed the window and took a glass of water. I began to hear voices murmuring but couldn’t make out the words. I searched the room to make sure I was alone, had to open my door to check if people were at the hallway but it was empty. It became so loud that I closed my ears with my hands screaming Stop stop stop but to no avail. I rushed to my box and searched for my bible, began to pray or something like that because I was scared and confused I didn’t know what I was saying. The murmurings stopped. I opened my eyes and slowly removed my hands from my ears. The night was silent again.

The alarm rung at 5:30am, I turned it off and returned to sleep. I finally woke up by 9:45am and decided am not going to work that day. I slowly had a bath, thinking about last night, trying to find a solution to my problem. Regretting turning down a cute guy few weeks ago because I would have had someone to share my burden to, a little voice in my head was telling me to accept Mr. Jude’s offer in order to kill my loneliness. I knew it was the devil. I sat naked on my bed planning on where to go, I need to shop to clear my mind, I thought. Dressed up for the excitement ahead at the mall, I opened my door and………. Hi Shola said the bleeding woman with a smirk on her face.