Written by Chibuzor Iwobi (@JeSuisChiby)
I was completely astounded. There was no way he could have come into the station and into my office undetected. It had to be a prank from my fellow officers and I obviously didn’t find it funny. It was totally insensitive on their part and I was aggrieved with their behaviour. Swollen with anger, I stormed out of my office into the large office space with desks where the other officers, mostly lower ranked, sat.
“Who the fuck stepped into my office and put this shit there?” I shouted, holding the piece of paper in my hand.
Nobody answered. They carried on with their individual activities, acting like they hadn’t heard a word I said.
“Are you all fucking deaf?” I roared.
I got their attention. Everyone immediately stopped whatever it was they were doing and looked at me but said nothing. They all looked clueless.
“Alfred, calm down,” Ahmed whispered behind me, pulling my shirt.
“Leave me, Ahmed,” I warned him, turning to my shoulder. I faced the crowd again. “I repeat, who walked into my office and dropped this in there?”
Instead of a reply to my question, they started murmuring.
“Bobo yi okay sha?” One officer whispered.
“Was it his friend that died or his brain? Mi o mo nkan to’n se ti bobo yi o,” Another officer whispered.
Their side talk irritated me and aggravated my anger. I was left fuming on the spot without answers. They weren’t taking me seriously, so to get their full attention, I rushed to the closest officer, put my hand on his neck and slammed his face on his desk.
“Are you lot fucking deaf? I howled. I repeat myself again, “Who the fuck entered my office?” Saying those words slowly, one by one.
Ahmed ran to my side tugging my shirt, causing me to jerk. I shoved him aside, aggressively.
“Alfred, stop, you’re hurting me!” The officer begged.
“Then answer me. Who put that in my desk?”
“I swear to God, it was none of us,” He replied, sounding sincere.
“Alfred!” a voice shouted.
“What?” I replied, angrily.
It was the Chief Officer. I wasn’t phased by his presence.
“Get into my office, Alfred and don’t make me repeat myself,” He said, calmly.
I loosened my fists and the officer quickly escaped from my hold. He dusted off his shirt and gave me a warning look. Everyone in the station looked at me with disgust and hatred as I walked to the Chief’s office. I felt like one man against the world. Ahmed tapped me on the back, he saw the look on my face and although I didn’t say anything, he knew I was sorry.
“It’s alright,” Ahmed said.
The Chief’s office had very repugnant smell. We all dreaded being in his office. In a way, it kept us on our best behavior because he only invited officers he wanted to reprimand into his office and nobody wanted that. We thought he did it on purpose but who on earth is purposely dirty?
I took my seat, trying to hold my breath.
“Did you hear me say anything, son?” He asked.
I shook my head.
“Stand up, you fool,” He instructed, pulling his bushy mustache. He continued, “What was all that rubbish?”
Before I had the chance to defend myself, he continued with his scolding.
“I heard about your little incident earlier today,” He said.
I said nothing, uninterested with whatever he had to say.
“What’s wrong with you boy?” He asked, “I gave you time to heal, didn’t I? And I made sure nobody got in your way.”
“Maybe if everyone didn’t treat me like I’m handicapped…” I shouted, not completing my sentence.
He stared at me with disbelief shaking his head, showing he was disappointed with me. He got up, walked up in front of me and sat on his desk.
“You dare say that to me? When everything I’ve done has been in your favour, you ungrateful fool.”
He got up, readjusted his belt so that his pot belly slept perfectly on it. He then poured himself a drink and offered me but I politely declined.
“Talk to me, Alfred,” He said. “I know you’re still hurting and the truth is these wounds never fully heal.” He paused for moment to study me. “Don’t bury it within you. It will damage you, it will. Acting tough about it isn’t the way, son. You need to talk someone. A problem shared is a problem halved.”
His words were penetrating the barrier I put up and the impact his advice had on me led teary eyes. My fight against an emotional outburst was futile as little drops of tears ran my down cheeks.
“Alfred,” the chief called, “It’s alright, let it all out.”
And that was it. I cried like a baby. He brought me into his embrace, and I accepted it. He was right. I had bottled up so much rage within me because I kept blaming myself for James’ death.
I pulled out from his hug and wiped my face clean. The chief was like a father to me especially since mine never bothered to carry his mantle. We had a relationship that had weakened the older I got. I believed I didn’t need him anymore because I had Angie but there were still things I couldn’t tell her. Things about my past that only James and the Chief knew.
“Chief,” I said, my voice was shaky and a tone light, I handed him the piece of paper I found in my desk. “See this.” I sniffed. “If its any of them, they should come clean. This isn’t funny.’
“Alfred,” He said, calmly, “I don’t think the boys had anything to do with this.”
“Come on Chief, or are you in on it too?” My voice shaky once again.
“Are you accusing me too?” He asked, his tone was different. It sounded a bit angry.
“I didn’t mean any disrespect, I’m sorry sir,” I said. “Its just that there is no how he could have walked into the station and into my office without anybody seeing him.” With my emphasis on anybody.
The chief said nothing and kept his eyes on the paper. I saw the look on his face, it was fear. He was almost as scared as I was, and he tried to hide it in an awful way but it I didn’t help
“Chief?” I called for him.
He spread the piece of paper in the air, he read it out slowly as if trying to intelligently understand it.
“I’m bored, Detective. Why have you stopped looking for me? I’m looking forward to our next meeting. Don’t come late, time is of the essence.”
“Next meeting?” He asked.
“That is what baffles me,” I replied. “There is no way in hell I have met this man before.”
“But what If you have?” The chief asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re the detective, think.”
I slumped into the chair, hissing, holding in my frustration. The chief looked lost as he repeatedly read out those lines. Then, there was a knock on the door that distracted us. The door opened and it was Bose – a constable.
“What is it?” He asked.
“I wan tell you something, Oga,” She replied.
“Come later. I’m busy,” Chief replied her.
“But Oga-”
“I said come later!” He screamed at her.
She left the office and closed the door behind her. He hissed and murmured some words I couldn’t put together. I was uninterested.
“Doesn’t it bother you he came in and out of my office undetected?” I asked
“I doubt anyone can pull that off, Alfred,” He replied. “Which brings me to my final conclusion.”
“Which is?” I asked, curiously, leaning forward, hoping to hear something brilliant.
“A prank.”
I sighed heavily.
“Chief,” I sighed again. “I do hope so. Better than being targeted by a serial killer.”
“Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your mind open,” He said.
“Sure thing, Chief.”
I was mentally exhausted and drained, so I stepped out of the station for fresh air. I got a cig out of the pack and placed it in my mouth. Standing there, I couldn’t help but remember my last moments with James. Only if I had known
“Alfred!” Ahmed called, as he walked towards me. “What did the Chief say?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “Do you have a lighter?”
He nodded, dipped his right hand into his pocket and placed it in my hand. I flicked the lighter and lit my cig. Once I took my first drag and puff, I had a rethink and threw the cig away, feeling the need to honour James.
“We are going to get him,” Ahmed assured me.
I smiled and shook my head.
“What?” He asked.
“I can’t believe you told the chief,” I said, sounding disappointed. “For a minute, I thought I could trust you, again.”
“Told chief what?”
“Are you seriously going to deny it?”
“I’m sorry, Alfred, but that wasn’t me,” He replied.
“Don’t lie to me. Just man up and say the truth.”
“I promise, I didn’t do whatever you think it is I did,” He replied, with a little bit of conviction in his voice.
“Sure, whatever. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Where are you going?” He asked.
“So you can tell the chief that too?” I smirked.
I stopped a taxi, got in and waved Ahmed goodbye.
The driver got me to my destination safely. I paid him and he drove off. I stood in front of the office feeling nervous.
“Here goes nothing,” I whispered to myself.
When I entered, a young lady in her early twenties welcomed me. Her blouse was revealing. A little too much make up on her face reminding me of Harley Quinn. She had a pretty face though.
“How may I help you?” She asked
“I’m here for Dr Owolabi’s group sessions,”
She held up a list and asked, “You are?”
“Alfred Olusegun,” I answered.
“Okay. Follow me,” She said.
She got up, looking taller than I thought she was, and as she was out of her desk I noticed her heels which were about four inches high. It was humourous watching her lead because she was struggling to walk.
“These damn heels,” She yelled, trying to make sure I understood.
I smiled.
“Here you go, Mr. Olusegun,” She said, pushing a door forward for me to enter.
“Thank you,” I replied, courteously.
To my surprise there were a few too many empty seats. I wanted to turn back before my presence was noticed but It was too late. Dr. Owolabi called for my me, I answered and took a seat beside a Hausa man who was thin as a broom that I wondered how he hadn’t broken yet. A woman was sharing her story with the group. Her name was Oreva; fat and short, looking round as a ball. She blabbed on about being depressed, something about her boyfriend but I couldn’t be bothered. Intrigued by the skinny man beside me, he was my main point of interest. A few more minutes of pointless talking and Oreva was done. The skinny man beside me took his turn. Standing at 6ft tall in a white kaftan playing his neatly trimmed goatee, he said,
“Hello everybody. My name is Faruk and I’m an alcoholic.”
“Hello, Faruk,” Everyone said in Unison, except me.
He looked around feeling shy and his eyes caught mine staring at him, “It’s my first time here, I don’t know what to say.”
“You may say anything you please, Faruk,” Dr. Owolabi responded to him. Her voice was a bit coarse.
“I lost my friend, Jimi two years ago and a few months after I lost my girlfriend. Death was after me, so I thought and I was right because not too long after, I lost another person – my kid sister. That was when I gave up on everything. I started drinking and never went back.”
He dropped his arms into the pockets of his kaftan and resumed talking.
“I gave up on life. Drinking everyday to drown my sorrows……..”
He caught me staring at him again and didn’t say anything after that. It was my turn next as he sat down immediately. I got up and stared at an empty space for a while behind the Doctor. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me.
“Um, I’m Alfred, um…”
“Hello Alfred,” They greeted, in unison.
“Err… how do I start?… Life was going great until a tragedy happened to me few months ago. Everything was so fine, I forgot about the past. I forgot about my sister’s death, I forgot about my dad abandoning my mother and I. Everything was fine, everything was so so great. My friend, my brother was murdered six months again and it drove me crazy. I lost it and I almost lost my life – my wife and kids… So I went back to smoking… um… It’s not been easy for me. I keep wondering why bad luck befalls me but I believe in God and I know… I hope it would change.”
I sat down. My chest felt like a load was taken off it and for the first time since James’ death, I felt slightly relieved.
At the end of the session, I hurried outside to catch up with the skinny man to apologize for making him uncomfortable. He was in his car just about to drive off.
“I’m so sorry, sir, for staring at you like that. It’s just-”
He laughed, “It’s okay, Alfred.”
Calling my name like he knew me personally. Something felt odd.
“I was bored anyway, Detective,” He said, “I have to go. Time is of the essence.”
Those were his last words before he drove off. Suddenly, it hit me! The piece of paper I found in my desk three hours ago. His words matched the message on the paper.
“I’m bored, Detective. Why have you stopped looking for me? I’m looking forward to our next meeting. Don’t come late, time is of the essence.”
Edited By Olamide (@Miss_Ola_D) & Gbadebo (@Oaa148)
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