However nothing extraordinary happened days after the meeting. Giving Jenifer and I the peace we badly needed to recover and move on with our lives.
I was now a lone ranger with no friends nor relatives to watch my back in the great city of Benin. All i had left was Jenifer, Joe and my gas stations but i still looked towards the positive side of life, hoping that with time my sins would be forgiven by the people i wounded.
Exactly one week later, precisely on a Saturday. I took Jenifer to my village for her to at least see some of my uncles and equally know where i came from.
It really wasn’t easy taking her home, knowing fully well that our story was already making headlines in my village.
Of course Jenifer was scared, but i strongly asked her to be strong.
“live is full of fights. You can’t survive without fighting. Fight this battle with me dear” i begged on our way to my hometown.
Luckily my uncles and cousins kept their feelings to themselves and received us politely. Nobody embarrassed Jenifer but i couldn’t help but notice the disdain On their faces.
We spent a night at my family house before heading to Jenifer’s village the next day for a little introduction to her family.
Her people received us very well, giving me the chance to reveal my intentions to them. They all accepted me with open arms and equally asked me to come back with my people any time i was free for the proper marriage talks, but that was the big problem, how do i convince my people to follow me. My parents weren’t alive which inevitably meant i needed the help of my kinsmen who were far from pleased with me.
Unfortunately, i had to discard and lay aside my fears when we returned to my house in Benin city very late in the evening that fateful day to meet a team of policemen waiting for me. I couldn’t believe my ears when the officer leading the squad said that they were at my house to question me concerning Chief Manuel’s disappearance.
Could you believe i was forcefully dragged to the state police headquarters like a criminal that same night.
To be continued.
