The LONGEST WAIT

Chapter 20

Tim's Stories' THE LONGEST WAIT

CHAPTER 20

Chisom was very excited about us going back to Nigeria. I had thought that she was going be against the idea. Instead, she was thrilled, very thrilled. She couldn't believe she would be seeing our children, Chioma and Chidinma again in just a few days.

The next day, I went back to the ambassador and told him that me and my wife had accepted to go back to Nigeria. The ambassador was happy with our decision and ordered his men to start making arrangements for our trip. We were given a sum of thirty million Naira in dollar bills.

Two days later, we went to the airport in the ambassadors' car. In fact, it was a convoy that took us to the airport. All the cars in our convoy had diplomatic number plates, and the Nigerian flag attached to their side fenders. That alone was able to ward off any attack from Giovani and his men. However, we were still in for one last surprise by him.

At the departure lounge of the airport, we came into direct contact with him. He couldn't come close to us because we were given diplomatic treatment by the airport authorities, since we were with the ambassador himself. But that didn't stop him from throwing interjections at us.

"Mr. Buchi!!" He cried, pronouncing the name like an Italian would do. "This isn't over yet. We will meet again."

"That is true, boss. We will meet again. However, when that happens, we will be meeting on my own terms. I will no longer be in the underprivileged and desperate position you found me."

"You should be grateful to your ambassador friend for saving your ass. But someday, he won't be there to save you, and I will get my pound of flesh."

"I think you should be more worried about me than I about you. You clearly really underestimate me. In a neutral ground, you can't even come close to me. In my country, you would be a dead man for saying all that gibberish. Consider yourself lucky that we are in your country. You dressed-up halfwit."

My last statement angered him so much that he attempted to thrown hands at me. He was roughly prevented from doing so by the ambassador's security detail which comprised of both Nigerian and Italian men. As he was being pushed away, and his own security not being able to do anything, he made one last desperate threat.

"Don't rule me out, Buchi. Don't rule me out. Remember, the mob never forgets. I will get you one way or the other."

Chisom and I went into the plane and not long after that, we took off.

Late evening on the next day, we arrived in Nigeria, our beautiful country. I was happy to be home again. I was happy to be once more around familiar people; people who looked and talked like me. Chisom, too was overjoyed. That night, Chisom and I booked a hotel at the airport where we spent the night. The following day, we took another flight and flew to Port Harcourt. At Port Harcourt, we spent five days. That was enough time for me to conduct all my money transfer transactions and to get a new car for me and Chisom. I needed to get to Warri like a big boy.

Our journey to Warri was uneventful. I drove myself in our new Lexus Jeep. When we got to our family compound, my mother was overwhelmed and so were my children.

"Buchiiii!!" My mum shouted, dancing around my new car.

"Mum, I am back. Your son is back. Thanks be to God."

"I am so happy, my son. I have been so worried since the last time you came and went back. I didn't hear from you again."

"It's alright, mum. It is a long story. But don't worry, I will find time and tell you everything."

"Chisom, my daughter. Welcome back. Your children have missed you. I am so happy you have returned in one piece. Please, don't leave your children again, please." My mum was all tears.

"It's alright, Mam. I have learnt my lesson. Thank God for giving me a capable and loving husband. I am never leaving my family again. Where are my children?"

"They went to see Chima and his wife, Obiageli. They will be here any moment. Anha! There they are."

Just at that same moment, Chima was getting into the compound, bringing Chioma and Chidinma with him. The joy could not be described in words. The children hugged their mother and would not let go. They cried and cried until they became weak. Everyone was happy that we were altogether again. Chisom made a promise to Chioma and Chidinma that she would never leave them again.

"Nna, na your ride be dat?" Chima asked, smiling.

"Abi oh, my brother. Everything worketh for good."

"I am happy for you oh. You sure say I no go japa too?"

"Hahahah! No try am oh. At least, not the way I did. But don't worry, I have nice things for you."

It had been a week now and Chisom and I were now settled back in our hometown, Warri. We had taken our children and moved back to our old house. We had paid the landlord all the rents we had in arrears. It was now time to assess our life as we began to make a fresh start in Nigeria.

I still had the five million Naira I had stashed away during the deal with the kidnappers on board our ship during my first trip to Nigeria, saved in the bank. I had transferred the thirty million Naira given to Chisom and I by the ambassador to my account. From our credit cards, Chisom and I had a joint total of fifty million Naira. That was a total of eighty-five million Naira.

We had used some of the money to buy our car, pay our landlord, gave some to Chima and Obiageli and some to my mum. We still had about seventy million remaining. We had to invest that money so that we would never be poor again. Our plan was to start a profitable business, buy a plot and build our own house.

Back in Italy, Mr. Giovani could not believe that an ordinary Nigerian migrant had been able to outmaneuver him in his business and in his own country. He was fuming seriously and had become very difficult to work with. He now suspected all his workers and shouts and bullies them at the least opportunity. He had lost me, lost his wife and child, and the confidence in all his associates. That put him in a very bad mood, and he promised himself that someone must pay for it all.

Out of anger and frustration, he made a threatening phone call to the Nigerian ambassador to Italy and threatened to deal with him. What he didn't know was that the ambassador, before he became a politician and then a diplomat, was also an area boy. In fact, he was the leader of his cult back in his university days in Nigeria. As a result of his past life, he had become hardened and wouldn't budge by Mr. Giovani's threats. He reported the matter to the Italian Prime Minister personally.

The very next day, Giovani Inc. was raided. Luckily for Mr. Giovani, he was smart. He had cleared and destroyed any document or article that could implicate him. He had put everything in his massive ship docked somewhere in the ocean. So, when the special forces came, they found nothing. They however, told him that they had their eyes on him and warned him that if he ever threatened the ambassador or any other foreign dignitary again, he would be prosecuted.

Mr. Giovani cursed the day he met me. He saw me as a curse and a taboo. He kept complaining that his business had suffered from the very first day he met me. He regretted ever recruiting me to do business with him. He regretted not killing me the day he met me at the migrant detention center. His greatest frustration was that he could no longer get his hands on me because I was millions of miles away in my own country.

Compounding on his frustration, he had also out of anger, recklessly picked a fight with the Nigerian Ambassador. By doing so, he had entangled himself with the security forces, something he had tried for years to avoid. Now, the police had him on their radar and his list of allies grows thin. He decided that there was only one thing left to do; he had to leave the country. If his rivals in the business discovered how weakened he had become, they would take advantage of it and try to eradicate him.

Mia and Bianca Giovani had already moved to America a week after we were all rescued from Giovani's men. They were living in one of Mr. Giovani's properties in the US state of Texas. Mr. Giovani therefore decided that since his family had moved to America, he would wind down his business in Italy and relocate to America. However, he had one challenge. Would his family accept him back after all what he had put them through? He decided that he would give it a shot and call Mia.

"Hello, dad. Why are you calling me?" That was Mia.

"I am sorry, Mia. I am sorry about everything I put you girls through, you and your mum. Please, my daughter, I want you to find a place in your heart to forgive me."

"Are you sincere about this, dad? Why the sudden change of heart. Just a few months ago, you wanted us dead, mum and I. So, what is happening to you now?" Mia was skeptical.

"I never wanted you to die. I had no plans of killing you both. It was all because of that rascal from Nigeria. I felt so bad and dejected that you and your mum chose him over me." Giovani tried to explain.

"We didn't choose anyone over you. You caused all these. First of all, you blackmailed him to work with you against his will. Then you kept all your dealings away from mum. When she found out, instead of you to be understanding with her and explain things to her calmly, you beat her up."

"Alright, I admit it was my fault. Please, I want my family back. I want you and your mum back in my life. Please, help me talk to her."

"She is not home at the moment. Why don't you call her directly?"

"I tried but she didn't pick. You know she hasn't been taking my calls now for months."

"Can you blame her? Anyway, I will try to talk to her. However, don't get so comfortable. For one thing, I am not sure she will accept you back. Also, even if she does, you have to know that it will take a very long time for our trust in you to be restored."

"I understand, my daughter. I am prepared to wait for eternity for my family to come back to me."

True to Mia's fears, Mr. Giovani's intention of getting back his family wasn't genuine. Though he had no proof, he still suspected that there was something amorous between Mia and me. He wanted to get close to them so that he could use her to lure me to him and then kill me. Another reason was that he wanted a place where he could lie low for a while and pass for a good family man while he made his plans to reestablish in America. None of his reasons were genuine.

When Bianca Giovani got back home, Mia told her about the call with her dad. She was very skeptical but decided that as a good Catholic woman, she would forgive him. However, she made up her mind not to ever trust him again until he had proven beyond reasonable doubts that he had fully repented.

She also made it very clear that if she ever found out that her husband was still involved in the manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs, she would divorce him for real this time around and there would be no turning back. Mr. Giovani accepted all those conditions during a lengthy call that they had. What Bianca didn't know was that her husband was a megalomaniac and very unforgiven.

His coming to America, aside from reestablishing his drug business, was also to punish all those whom he now considered his enemies. That included, Mia, Bianca and me.

TO BE CONTINUED...