The LONGEST WAIT

Chapter 10

Tim's Stories' THE LONGEST WAIT

CHAPTER 10

I wanted to run back into the darkness but the soldier on the armoured car motioned me to halt. He told me not to make a move or he was going to shoot. I stood there, frozen, waiting for what would happen next. Then the doors of one of the cars opened and one of the inspectors stepped out of the car and smiled. The smile on his face reassured me and gave me hope.

"Lower your gun." He told the soldier. "He is harmless." Then he turned to me and asked. "Are you armed?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Please, disarm yourself." He instructed.

"Can I trust them?" I asked, pointing at the UN soldiers. I was hesitant.

"Of course, you can. Now, disarm yourself."

I removed the two guns I was carrying and handed them to another soldier that was standing next to the official. He handed the guns to another soldier too and they were kept in the armoured car. I was asked to get into the car. I happily got in and the convoy continued moving.

I couldn't believe my luck. I was in a UN convoy. That meant I was safe. I was a free man again and could now concentrate on the task of finding my wife once again. The official who had asked me to disarm myself engaged me in a conversation.

"So let me get this straight. Why did you leave Nigeria and came all this way, putting your life in peril?" He asked.

"My wife, she is missing. I have to get to her."

"Do you know where she is?"

"As of now, I don't know. Last time I saw her, she was here in Libya."

"Hmm!! Are you sure she hasn't already crossed the Mediterranean? It's possible she has died. Many migrants drown every day on their way to Europe."

"I don't think so, Sir. My mind tells me that my wife is still alive. I believe she isn't dead. If she had died, I would have felt it. Part of her lives in me and that part is still alive." I was optimistic.

"Alright, young man. But come to think of it, how did you learn to become a fighter? Do you have any military experience? Your commando action this evening was outstanding. You lighted up the whole place without any outside help and still managed to escape."

I wanted to tell him that I was a member of the MEND, but my instincts warned me not to. There was no telling if he had once been a victim of our k********g. He was my saviour now. Antagonizing him would be a very wrong move and could lead to an untold outcome for me. So, I decided to lie.

"Sir, I have a bit of military experience back in my days as a youth copper in the NYSC in Nigeria."

"Oh!! That makes sense now. You are good, really good." He spoke.

"I thought you guys would be angry with me for attacking the place while you were all there, thereby putting all your lives in danger." I spoke.

"Well, I have to admit that was a bit rash of you. But it was a good thing and I understand that you were desperate."

"Why did you say it is a good thing, Sir." I was curious.

"That particular prison has been very notorious. It's a good thing you set it ablaze."

"If it has been notorious, then why have you guys not shut it down?" I asked.

"We don't have the power to."

"Why? You are the United Nations."

"Young man, it is more complicated than you think. Libya has been a very volatile country since the death of their former leader, Col. Gadhafi. The country is now run by many factions each vying for power. So, the whole thing is very confusing and dangerous. But don't worry, negotiations are underway, and I am sure things will improve significantly in the near future." He explained.

"I understand, Sir. That explains why human trafficking, modern day s*****y and other despicable crimes are rife in this country."

"Yes, you are right. As for your wife, there is a reckon office where some migrants who leave the country via the sea are recorded. Let's hope your wife was registered. If she was, then it would be easy for you to trace her because you will know where she has gone to. I will take you to the reckon office myself tomorrow."

"Thank you, Sir."

It was late at night when we got to Tripoli, the capital city of Libya. It was a very beautiful and modern city. The buildings were tall, the roads were paved and clean and you would think that you were in Europe if you ever found yourself there. We drove into UN building and were welcomed by armed UN guards.

I was provided a safe and comfortable place to sleep and was given fresh new clothes to wear. I thanked God for my good fortune. I woke up that morning still in b*****e. Little did I know that by the end of the day, my fortunes would have changed so positively. I praised God with all my heart. For the first time in almost three months, I was spending the night on a soft bed in a beautiful building in a comfortable and safe environment.

The next day, after haven taken a heavy breakfast, the official whom I had now befriended took me into the city in a convoy of two UN cars. Our destination was the reckon office where we were going to find out whether Chisom had registered there. When we got there, Mr. Adam Lawson as he was called introduced himself and showed his UN ID. We were ushered into an office and given seats. After about ten minutes, a beautiful aid worker with a blond hair came to attend to us.

"What is your name?" She asked in her sweet voice.

"Buchi, Buchi Emeka."

"Your name sounds like a famous Nigerian writer I know. She is called Buchi Emecheta. She wrote a famous novel called THE SLAVE GIRL. Are you by any means related to her?" She asked, smiling.

"No, Mam."

"But your name suggests you are from Nigeria. Am I right?"

"Yes, Mam."

"I have been told that you said you were looking for your wife."

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"Chisom."

"Full names, please."

"Chisom Ikechukwu."

"If you were to see a picture of her, would you recognize her?"

"Of course, Mam. She is my wife."

"Okay, please give me a minute."

I sat there in great anticipation as she went through her computer, trying see if my wife had registered with them. I watched her every move keenly and my heart skipped when she smiled. She printed out a piece of paper from a laser printer on her desk and handed it to me. I almost jumped out of my seat with excitement.

"Is that your wife?" She asked.

"Yes, Mam. It is her. It is my wife. It is Chisom. Oh my gosh! I am so happy. Thank you so much, Mam. Can I see her now?" I was excited.

"Not exactly, Mr. Buchi. Your wife was here, no doubt about that. I can remember vividly seeing her. She is a beautiful woman, but she looked sad and was always crying. Last time I checked, she boarded a boat with some other migrants. They were heading to Italy. That night, there was a terrible storm and their boat capsized. Many of them drowned. Luckily for her, she survived because she was rescued by the Italian Coast Guard and taken to the Island of Lampedusa."

"So, Chisom is alive." I almost shouted.

"Yes, she is, as far as I know. She was lucky that it was the Italian Coast Guard that recused them. If it were the Libyan Coast Guard, she would be back here and in prison."

"Thank God. Thank God!! Thank you, Mam. Thank you so much."

Mr. Lawson talked to her for a while and then we both walked out of the building.

"What are you going to do now, Mr. Buchi?" Mr. Lawson asked.

"I intend to go to the Island of Lampedusa, Sir. My journey continues."

"You are in luck, Mr. Buchi." He smiled. "We have a ship leaving for Lampedusa tomorrow. You can tag along, and we will take you there to find your wife."

"Really? Oh God! Thank you for sending Mr. Lawson to me. I am so grateful, Sir. Very, very grateful."

"It's alright, Mr. Buchi. Everything will be fine. You didn't come all this way for nothing. God will see you through and you will find your beloved Chisom."

"Amen, Sir. Thank you very much."

"Alright, will you like to go back to us to the UN building or you want to spend the afternoon enjoying the view of the beautiful streets of Tripoli? You can take some time out here and reflect about your life and your future journey. It will do you some good. You can return to the building later since it is not far from here." Mr. Lawson spoke.

"Thank you, Sir. I will just stay here and enjoy the view. I will join you later."

"That's good. Do take care of yourself and see you later at the building."

Mr. Lawson got into the car and drove off. I stood there in front of the reckon building for a while and then strolled down to the port which was not far away. I sat on a seat where I could have a good view of the sea and for the first time in many months, I felt hope. I was now sure that I would actually see my Chisom. I had been told that Lampedusa was a small Island. So, it would be very easy to locate a woman from Nigeria.

I reflected on all the things I had been through. I remembered my journey from Benin to Niger and then to Libya. My imprisonment and the many people that had died all in my quest to rescue my wife and I wondered if Chisom was worth all that trouble. Of course, she was. She was my wife and the people whom I had killed on the way deserved to die. They tried to kill me first and got what they deserved. May their souls rest in peace. In their next lives, they should be more careful.

A huge ship had just ducked at the port. So, I went closer to take a look. It's not that I was fascinated with ships. I had seen plenty of ships during my days as a militant in the creeks of the Niger Delta. I was just going closer to take a look because I felt I might see Chisom by chance though I knew that was highly unlikely.

About thirty minutes later, I got distracted and walked down the port admiring the natives and foreigners I came across. Then I realized that I was pressed and needed to pee. Because I was in a foreign country, I couldn't just pee anywhere. I didn't want to get involved in any trouble again. Tomorrow, I was going to continue the quest for my wife. So, I had to make sure to remain focused. However, I badly needed to relieve myself.

I strolled to a secluded part of the port and relieved myself. As soon as I finished and zipped my trousers, I had a strange feeling that I was not alone. I felt like someone was behind me. I quickly turned around to confront whoever was there. As soon as I did so, I was given a hard knock on the head with the barrel of a gun and I fell on the ground. I looked up to see who had hit me and I froze in fear. It was Ahmed.

TO BE CONTINUED...