UNBELIEVABLE!
“This
is awesome!” Mezie exclaimed aloud, kept moving as he spotted a white Hummer
Jeep that drove by while he was headed for a friend’s place of residence. “What
a world.” He added in a low tone, shook his seeming big skull that had been
drilled in the prison.
Catching the sight of the magnificent and
irresistible car instantly brought the memory of his lost ‘glory’, thus he
subconsciously found himself in a sober mood in spite of the fact that he was
trekking along a very busy major road, situated in the ancient city of Onitsha,
Anambra State, Nigeria.
It’s
pertinent, and perhaps shocking to acknowledge that the 42-year-old Mr. Mezie
Alozie was an ex-convict. He reigned for several years in Lagos State and
beyond as an armed robber before he was duly convicted by a court of law of
competent jurisdiction. While in the crime, he was recognized as a kingpin of a
dreaded confraternity that majors in highway robbery and other related
offences, and was throughout the ugly reign rated as a very successful young
man by friends, fans and relatives whom were yet to realize what he actually
did for a living.
According to the said well-wishers,
prior to when he was captured by the police, Mezie was an importer of repute
that toured across all shores of Europe and its environs, particularly Germany,
Italy and France as they were falsely informed.
He
enjoyed the outpouring eulogies and applauses from all and sundry who thought
his overwhelming wealth was genuine, for over five years, till one certain
afternoon when luck ran against him and his accomplices along Ikorodu road in
the city of Lagos when they were headed for a bank robbery. On that fateful
day, the police whom had gotten reliable information based on the proposed
operation, descended on them on reaching the locality of the ‘blacklisted’
financial institution, and thereafter charged them to court for onward
prosecution. It was obviously the end of the road for each member of the gang
of five bachelors and two spinsters. Their respective assets were confiscated
by the court immediately after the verdict regarding their conviction was
served.
He
relocated to Onitsha the moment he was released from prison – one month back –
having successfully served a six-year jail term, with a view to starting life
afresh. He was actually sentenced to twenty-one-year imprisonment but owing to
amnesty granted to him and his allies by the government of the day, he was
lucky to have the scheduled duration of the jail-term truncated.
As
he walked along the busy road of Onitsha having caught the sight of the white
Hummer Jeep, he kept wondering what the world was really made of and why man
was created in the first place. In respect of his presumption, the universe
only comprised wicked men, thus there was no need ensuring that mankind was
created since his mission on earth didn’t mean well for the aforementioned
vessel. He was actually linking the owner of the Hummer Jeep to his person
considering the time he was still living a dirty life; he was deeply of the notion
that an average man could do anything to grab wealth with the sole purpose of
showcasing to the world that he has arrived, thereby creating unnecessary
tension particularly in his immediate polity.
He was therein seriously regretting his past
life. He reasoned that if he had known what he knew at the moment, he would had
channeled the wealth he acquired from armed robbery into charity and what have
you, rather than using it to intimidate those that had nothing or little by
showcasing all sorts of exotic cars as well as indulging in debauchery
lifestyle. He concluded by concurring that life was just vanity and nothing
more.
Truly, he had come of sense going by the look
of things. Assessing his overall thoughts in recent times coupled with this
very one, it seemed his personality had metamorphosed for good.
“This world is so funny.” He landed
aloud as he eventually got to his destination being the lodge of his old-time
friend, Emeka.
Mr. Emeka Okoro had been Mezie’s pal from
childhood but the former had never been involved in any criminal activity ab
initio and had remained a resident of Onitsha till date. When the later was
based in Lagos prior to his imprisonment, both kept in touch and Emeka never
knew that he was into robbery – probably owing to distance – not until the news
of his arrest went viral. Hence, Emeka was one of those who earlier believed
that the dude was into importation. Since he came out from the prison yard,
they hadn’t met, so this was supposed to be their first meeting.
Immediately Mezie walked into Emeka’s
apartment, the latter’s wife named Chiamaka who was graciously seated at the
sitting room waiting to receive the awaited guest, recognized the former from afar.
When Mezie walked closer to her, it became a clearer picture, thus she became
convinced that her sight wasn’t deceived. “What!” she exclaimed in a low tone,
hurriedly stood up and walked into her matrimonial room without minding to say even
‘hi’ to the long awaited august visitor.
Mezie was embarrassed over her unannounced
reaction, thus became so perturbed. “Why did your wife act that way?” he said,
preoccupied with several presumptions.
“I wouldn’t know.” responded Emeka who
equally felt unease. “Please, sit down.” he managed to utter.
“Thank you.” Mezie appreciated, sat on
one of the sofas, still jittery and depressed.
“Please, give me a second.” Emeka asked,
raising one of his right fingers.
“Okay.” quoth Mezie. “No problem.”
On receiving the response, Emeka
hastily left the parlour for the matrimonial room to meet with his wife. “What
was the meaning of that?” he inquired from Chiamaka as soon as he stepped into
the room.
Chiamaka who was seated on the bed,
shunned the query, remained thoughtful and moody.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Please, who are you?” she eventually
broke the silence.
“How?” quoth Emeka, bemused. “What did
you mean by that?” He added, still standing.
“So,” said Chiamaka. “I have been living
under the same roof with an armed robber?” She thought aloud.
“How do you mean, angel?” He enquired,
walked closer to her.
“Please, don’t angel me.” She ranted
furiously, stood up. “Tell me you are not an armed robber?” she supplemented hesitantly.
“What a hell are you talking about?”
Chiamaka had been robbed by Mr. Mezie Alozie
alongside his gang in one of the revered supermarkets in the city of Lagos
prior to meeting their waterloo. And therein, she could strongly recall his
picture as if the incident transpired just the previous day. Intriguingly, her
hubby never informed her that he was expecting an ex-convict; rather, he only
told her that Mezie was a childhood friend who lost contact with him in recent
times. So, the misinformation created a huge room for doubts and complication.
“That man out there was the person who
robbed me years ago in a supermarket.” She frantically disclosed. “The incident
I told you about.” She added in a jiffy, madly sat on the bed again.
“What…?” Emeka shouted, equally sat on
the bed, and seemed deeply shocked.
What transpired afterwards ought to be a
narration for another day, so stay tuned. But, if you were in Chiamaka’s shoes,
how would you handle the state of quagmire? Think about it!
FDN Nwaozor
-Novelist, Playwright & Poet-
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Clinic - Owerri
_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056
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