No one could believe that I was a militant, fighting somewhere around the Niger Delta. No one could believe that because as a militant, you would expect me look rugged and rough. Maybe that was because I was retired. The government had granted amnesty to us, and I had no choice than to return home. I didn’t become a militant because I wanted to. It was because of unemployment. I was 35 years old, married and had two kids. I needed to take care of my small family and also my old mother. However, ever since I graduated from the university, no job was forthcoming. I had applied to every company or establishment I could think of. Still there were no positive results.
I was actually a bachelor’s degree holder in accounting with second class honours. I had high prospects of making it in life after university. Life in the university itself was hell, but that is a story for another day. When I finally graduated, I got married to my childhood love and within a short while, we produced two beautiful girls. Now, with no job or a tangible source of living, I was forced to pick up a rifle and do things the hard way. It was a risky business because just one mistake, it could be lights out for you.
I remember my days as a militant. Several times, we had gone on operations against the government. We robbed and abducted, not for the fun of it but for the money. We believed we were just collecting our own share of the national cake. Our community had immense wealth which was not being enjoyed by us. Poverty was rampant and our youths were unemployed. So, we decided to take the bull by the horns and get our own money from the government and the numerous multinational organizations that operated in our area.
I am not in any way endorsing militancy. But like they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. We didn’t kill anyone. We just wanted the money and if we ever got into a firefight with anyone, it was simply for defensive purposes. The hostages we captured we treated fairly until their ransoms were paid. Personally, I was afraid that I was going to die someday as a militant. That explained why I was one of the first people to accept the government’s offer of amnesty.
I was back home now with my wife and two beautiful children. From my hustle as a militant, I had been able to raise some money. I was able to raise almost three million naira. I was going to use that money to start up a business to take care of my young family. I believed that with that amount of money, my family and I would grow and progress and make sure poverty and suffering never returned to us. However, fate had decreed otherwise.
One fateful evening, my wife came to me with a proposal. She just came from church and couldn’t understand why she sounded so happy. After she had served me my evening food and made sure the children were comfortably in bed, we started talking.
“Babe, our pastor announced something in church today and I find it interesting.” She began.
“What did he say? Pastors always say things. What’s new this time around.” I was impatient.
“He said there is a “line” to jappa and it doesn’t cost very much.”
“Hmmm!! That is great but who wants to jappa in this house?”
“Me, babe. It is a good opportunity for us. I know we are trying our best. However, it is an opportunity for us to make good money within a short while.”
“Hmmm!! You want to travel abroad? Who do you want to take care of your children? Remember, both of your children are females. They need their mother to be around to show them the ways of life.” I was skeptical.
“Honey, you can take care of them. They are already used to you. In fact, they even love you more than they love me, especially that daddy’s girl called Chidinma. She won’t miss me at all.”
“That doesn’t change anything. It is dangerous if a woman travels and leaves the man. It is the man who should travel. I should be the one to travel, not you.” I was insistent.
“That is true, but they said the opportunity is only for women. So, do you see? My love, you can’t go.”
“Alright, how much would it cost us?” I asked.
“They said it’s just one million five hundred naira.”
“What? You call one million five hundred naira 'just'?
“Yes na.”
“Yes na? Have you ever seen that kind of money in your life? In fact, have you ever seen 250,000 naira?”
“The bible says a man and a woman are one, right?” She asked.
“Yes.”
“That means we are one, right?”
“Definitely.”
“That’s it, then. If you have seen, then I have seen, too. Are we not one?” She laughed.
Chisom was a woman I had loved since she was a child. We were both in nursery and primary school together. In fact, I remembered my elder brothers and sisters used to call her my wife. I used to cry each time they call me that because I was shy. I had always admired her and when we met again later in life, we fell in love immediately and got married not long after that.
I had a soft spot for her, and she had long realized that and always took advantage of it. That was why she came to me with all the confidence with her proposal, knowing very well that I wouldn’t turn her down. However, that particular proposal was too big and there was a lot at stake. I couldn’t just let my wife go on a strange journey like that just because of the promise of a good life. I was having a very hard time making a concrete decision on that. I didn’t want to tell my mum about it because I knew she would object to it immediately. My elder brothers and sisters were out of the question. Because I was the last born, even now that I was married, they still tried to control me. So, I decided that I would keep them away from it. Instead, I decided that I would talk to my friend, Chima, who was also a militant just like I was.
“You are stark, raving mad, my friend.” Chima told me, point blank. “You want to allow your wife to go on that kind of journey?”
“Yes, she said it would be profitable. She said in no time at all, she would return with a lot of money. It’s an opportunity for a lifetime.”
“What if she never comes back to you?” Chima asked.
“Mbah!! Not Chisom na. She will be back. She can never abandon me and her kids. Remember, she is my wife and we have been lovers since childhood.”
“Buchi, lover boy. Look let me tell you. The mentality of a woman is very weak. Chisom, in spite of the fact that she has had two kids is still very beautiful. One Oyibo man can just confuse her and that will be the end.”
“God forbids! Not my Chisom. Anyone tries that with my wife enh, I will send thunder direct from Sambisa Forest to strike that person.”
“Magical thunder doesn’t cross the Atlantic Ocean, my friend.”
“Who told you that?”
“Anyway, listen Buchi. I am just being concerned. I want you to take your time to investigate this thing before you subscribe to it. Do you understand. It could be a trap or anything. What if she is being trafficked? What if she is being lured into prostitution? How about organ trafficking and all that? You have to be careful.”
“Thank you, Chima. I know you are a true friend and that is why I left all my family members and instead came to you for advice. I have heard you and I will take whatever you have told me under serious advisement. Let me go home now and tell my wife all what we have discussed. Thank you, brother.”
“It’s alright, my brother. I just want the best for you. Let me walk you to the road.”
When I got home, I explained everything to Chisom. Instead of her to see reason with what Chima had said, she instead got angry and accused Chima, my friend for being jealous. She said Chima didn’t want us to progress and that was the reason he was against her traveling out of the country. She said Chima was a weakling and didn’t know that life was all about risks. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
“I know he thinks I am going to end up like his wife who went to one Middle Eastern country like that and came back in a miserable state.” Chisom was very angry.
“Don’t say that, Chisom. Please, don’t say that. Chima’s wife, Obiageli is a good woman. It is unfortunate that what happened, happened. So, we shouldn’t use it against them.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t change the facts. The facts remain that he is feeling jealous.”
“I don’t think so, babe. He is just concerned, judging from what his own wife went through. He is talking from experience and experience they say is the best teacher.”
Chisom would have none of my explanations. In fact, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, I decided that I would do as she said and leave the rest to God. I didn’t want a situation whereby she would someday say she had a golden opportunity to change our lives and I stifled it. I decided that I would allow her carry on with the process and we would see how it goes.
The next day, I gave her the sum of one million naira, and she took it to her pastor. Her pastor called the man whom they said was in charge of the program and gave him the money. From what I heard the man was going to use the money to process their documents and secure them a visa to the United States. It was easier for Chisom because she already had a valid international passport.
A month later, Chisom came home and told me that all their traveling arrangements had been concluded. She told me the man who was in charge of the program said they would be taking off from nearby Benin Republic. That made me suspicious because I couldn’t understand why they had to take off from Benin Republic. However, she explained to me that the man said he wasn’t able to secure their visas from the US Embassy in Nigeria. So, he had to go to Benin.
I had never been to another country before. I had never even attempted to travel out before. So, the whole thing was confusing and hazy to me. In the end, I had no choice but to give my blessings.
Late that night, long after our children were asleep, I helped parked Chisom’s bags and all the things she would need. I prayed with her and gave her my blessings. That night, we made love like it was the last day we were ever going to see each other.
Early the next morning, I woke the children up, brought them to our bedroom for them to say their goodbyes to their mother. Chioma, my eldest daughter wept until she almost passed out. As for Chidinma, my youngest daughter, it was nothing to her. She walked up to her mum and said,
“Mum, you are going?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Go you nah. I will stay me with my daddy, and he will be buying me my ice cream.”
“You this child.” Chisom spoke. “You have a very strong heart like your father. Someday, you will become a militant like him.”
“Leave my daughter alone.” I spoke and smiled in spite of the somberness of the situation.
Chioma and Chidinma were both sent out of the room. When were left alone, I went down on my knees and spoke to my wife.
“I will miss you terribly, my love. Be focused and never forget your family. Those are your children. You see how small they still are. Chioma is just eight and Chidinma is five. What ever you do, always remember us. At the appropriate time, the good Lord will bring you back to us. No matter what happens, know that you are always in our hearts. Go in the peace of the Lord.”
TO BE CONTINUED…