The LONGEST WAIT

Chapter 5

Tim's Stories' THE LONGEST WAIT

CHAPTER 5

"What are you doing with a gun?" I asked Armelle. I was shocked but not afraid. As a militant, I was already used to seeing and carrying guns.

"I always carry my gun when I am going to meet a client. p**********n is a dangerous business. You can never tell what type of client you would be meeting. By the way, are you expecting anyone?"

"No."

"Then, who could be knocking the door at this time?"

"I don't know."

"You know what? Go peep through the peephole."

"What? Are you sure that is a good idea?" I was hesitant.

"Don't worry, I got your back."

I tiptoed to the peephole and tried to see who was at the door. The men who were there were dressed in military uniforms. They looked like immigration officers. I told Armelle what I had seen, and she asked me to step back and quickly put the gun back in her handbag. I came back towards the bed and then asked.

"Who is there?"

"Open the door."

"Your name first."

"That is not important." One of the immigration officers answered in his French accent.

"Alright, since you don't want to tell me your name, let's play the waiting game. I am not opening the door." I told them.

"We are officers from the immigration service. Now, would you please open the door before we force our way in?" He threatened.

I walked up to the door and opened it, and all three of them walked in. They looked around the room as if they were expecting something.

"What is your name?" Their leader asked.

"Buchi Emeka."

"Can I see some identification?"

"Yes, Sir."

I removed my passport from a small bag I always carried and gave them. They peered at my passport like forever and then gave it back to me.

"Who is the woman with you?" he asked.

"My girlfriend."

"Okay, we are sorry for the interruption. You are not the one we are looking for. It is clearly a case of mistaken identity."

"It's ok, Sir."

"Enjoy the rest of the night."

"Thank you, Sir."

They went out the door all three of them, and I collapsed on the bed in relief. I already had bad thoughts running through my mind. I thought they were bandits or that someone had set up me up. I turned to look at Armelle and realized that she had dressed up. I reached for my bag, pulled out 30,000, and handed it to her. She counted it to make sure it was correct and then put it in her handbag.

"Now, let's talk, Armelle. You said you were going to tell me about someone who knows about the Europe by road business, right?"

"Yes, I did. His name is Frank. He has an electronic shop just about two hundred meters from this hotel. Go to him and he will tell you everything you need to know. But be careful. This business you are undertaking is a dangerous business. Always be on your guard."

"How do I find his shop. Do you know the name of the shop."

"Yes, his shop is named Frank Electronics. It will be easy for you to find it. It is very close to the main road. It has a glass exterior, and there is a filling station beside it."

"Alright, thank you very much."

"You are welcome."

The next day, I boarded a taxi and headed for Frank Electronics. The place was easy to locate because Armelle had given me a vivid description. When I got there, I met a receptionist at the entrance, and I told her I was here to see Frank, her boss. She asked me if I had any previous appointment with him, and I answered in the negative. She gave me a keen and suspicious look before using the intercom system to tell someone that there was a person here to see Frank.

A few minutes later, someone appeared at the receptionist and motioned for me to follow him. He took me up a flight of stairs on to the second floor of the building. We went down a long corridor together, and at the end of the corridor, he opened a side door, and we both stepped into a beautifully furnished office. He offered me a seat opposite his, and we started talking.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"Are you Frank?"

"No, I am not. What is your name?"

"Buchi, Buchi Emeka."

"Alright, Mr. Buchi. What would you want with Frank?"

"I am sorry, but it's kind of private, and I would have loved to meet Frank himself."

"I am sorry too, but I am Frank's assistant. So, if you do business with me, then you are doing business with him. So, tell me what you want with him."

"I am here in respect to the Europe by Road business." I revealed.

"Ohh!! Do you want to engage in that? If so, then you have come to the right place." His countenance had suddenly brightened.

"Nope, I have no intentions whatsoever to engage in such a dangerous and perilous journey. I am here because my wife took that road, and it seems she has been trafficked." I explained to him and noticed that his countenance had become dark and ominous.

"So, what do you want us to do?" He asked, and it came out rude.

"I want you to help me to find my wife."

"I am sorry, Mr....

"Buchi."

"Yes, Mr. Buchi. We are not in the business of finding people. You are in the wrong place, and you have just been wasting my time here. Now, if you would excuse me, I have work to do." He had suddenly become rude and impatient.

"You mean there is nothing you can do about it?"

"Nothing, please leave."

"Help me, please. I am desperate. I need to find my wife." I pleaded.

"And did someone tell you your wife was here. Please, leave. I am a very busy man, as you can see."

Feeling disgraced and sad, I left the office and went down the corridor. However, before I left, I took one last look at the door, and only then did I notice the name plate on the door. It read 'Frank'. So, I had indeed been talking to Frank. I was right inside Frank's office. But if that was frank, why did he refuse that it wasn't him? What was he hiding? Why did he become suddenly angry after I told him I was looking for my trafficked wife? There were a lot of questions that needed answering.

When I got back to the reception area, the young, beautiful receptionist looked at me, and I saw a sadness in her eyes. She asked me to come closer, and when I did, she told me to make sure I never come back to that building. When I asked her why, she turned around and started concentrating on her computer.

I was out of the building now, walking in the streets, lost in thought as I went back to the hotel. I was so lost in thought that I almost got ran over by a cyclist.

"Imbecile!!" He cursed.

"Toi aussi." I shouted after him.

If only he knew the kind of things that were going through my mind, he wouldn't have dared call me a fool. As I continued walking, I noticed that there were about five or six men walking behind me, and they seemed to be going to nowhere in particular. I suspected they were following me. However, in order for me to be sure, I suddenly turned left and started walking into a side street. I looked over my shoulders and noticed that they were still following.

I wondered what they would be following me for. Were they thieves or robbers, and were they trying to rob me. Then I remembered that the beautiful receptionist had warned me never to come to that building again. I also remembered Frank's hostile behaviour towards me after I told him that I was looking for my wife. I added all that up and realized that this could be more sinister than I thought. I started running.

I ran into another street, and the men gave chase. There were five of them, and they looked rugged and dangerous. They could do a thousand evil things to me if they succeeded in catching me. So, I made up my mind that come rain or high water, I wasn't going to let that happen. I wasn't going to let them catch me. I increased my speed and ran into another street that led back to the main street. But the men were smarter than me. Cotonou was their town, and they had a better mastery of the place than me.

Two of them suddenly appeared in front of me. That meant they had split up. Three were behind me and two in front. I was cornered. I was now between a rock and a hard place. I didn't know what to do. I was tied to the stake and, like a bear, had to fight my cause. As they drew closer, one of them spoke.

"Lay flat on the ground and raise your hand."

"What do you want?" I asked. "I don't have any money with me."

"Lie down immediately and stop asking questions." He growled.

"You guys don't know what you are doing. I will call the police on you."

"We are the police, so calm down and do as we say." Another one spoke.

"If you were the police, you wouldn't be harassing a foreign citizen like this. I will notify the Nigerian embassy. I will talk to the United Nations office."

They all burst out in raucous laughter when I said that. Then, one of them who seemed to be their leader spoke.

"No one is going to help you here. You are completely in our power, and we can do with you as we deem fit. Now, lie on the ground before I kill you." He spoke, pulling out his gun and coking it.

Poor me. There was nothing I could do. I laid on the ground and waited for the inevitable to happen. I knew that was the end of me. I thought of my wife, Chisom, for whom I had made this journey, and I wished her goodbye.

I thought of my children, especially my Chidinma. She was going to miss me terribly. My worst fears had finally come through. I had always been afraid of dying in a foreign land. Now, my fears had realized. I wished I was back home in Nigeria and still had my gun with me. Those guys would have understood that I was a notorious member of the MEND. But I was in a strange land with no one to help me.

I had walked blindly into a trap, and I was going to pay the ultimate price for it. I thought of my old mother, and a strange and sudden strength returned to my body. Mum, please help me. Help your son, but if you can't, then please take care of my children for me.

They guys were now close to me. Three of them had their guns drawn. They all looked fierce and dangerous, and their guns looked well used.

"Shoot him." Their leader ordered, and one of them raised his gun and pointed it at me. Three shots rang in the air in quick successions, and my body flinched and became calm.

TO BE CONTIUNED...