Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Caro felt like she was having a nightmare the day she was picked up in a marine-blue van for an interrogation at the police station. When Nkiru brought her back home, she trembled like a hen beaten by rain. A police case was one thing she dreaded the most in her life. Monday had his pound of flesh as he made jest of her, but Caro never found it funny at all. Everyone had since tasted the bitter experience created by Theo’s disappearance.

“Me I done tire for this police matter,” she admitted to Monday.

“No be only you," Monday said. "Me I dey sick now.”

“Pray make oga come back make all this police matter end.”

“I pray so because my papa no ever tell me say e enter any police matter. My own no go be the first case.”

They grew pensive and sought solace in each other’s company.

Nkiru was relaxing in the living room when Caro walked in, shouldering a travelling bag. Nkiru watched her walk closer to her, trembling as though there were an unbearable cold.

“Where are you going with that bag?” Nkiru asked.

“Madam, I no fit continue with the work,” Caro said.

“Why?”

“My mama dey sick, I won go take care of her.”

“Caro, you are running away from the police,” Nkiru said, “Don’t ask me how I know.”

Caro was shocked her madam had guessed right about her intention to run away from the house.

“I will advise you to drop the idea of running away," Nkiru went on. "Otherwise, you will be the number one suspect, and the police will be after you.”

Caro became more afraid at her madam’s evaluation of the situation.

“But if you know you can defend yourself when arrested you can go ahead and leave.”

Caro was left in a self-limbo. Her madam had gotten all her initial plans mixed up. She felt brainwashed by her madam’s greater knowledge and the power of her words. The possibility of leaving shrouded in greater fear compared to her present condition.

“Or can you defend yourself?” her madam’s seductive voice came again.

“No, madam.”

“I advise you then to stay; I will defend you here. But if you go, I will not be able to do that.”

After a second thought, Caro returned to her room. Nkiru wanted someone to keep her company, and Caro's departure would have added to her depression. She wondered who would help with house chores and shopping with her present condition.

Nkiru was caught in traffic while driving to her mother-in-law’s place. She was sick and tired of her being offensive at her and her employees. She had resolved to confront her mother-in-law, come what may.

“I have been keeping quiet all this time,” she said to herself. “I am going to tell her my mind. I am going to talk to her the way I have never done, and I don’t care if she calls the police.”

She kept her focus as she pulled through the traffic. She sped off, the rear side of her car disappearing into a dotted spot on the ever stretched road.

Nkiru arrived at her mother-in-law’s compound, parked her car outside, and walked in through the open gate with a fearsome aggression. She did not take note of Mary in the compound. Mary was taken unaware by her hostile tendency.

“Sister Nkiru,” Mary called.

Nkiru marched toward the house, ignoring Mary's greeting. Mary went after her.

Nkiru stormed into the house without knocking, shocking Theo's mother who was studying the Bible at the dining table.

“Mama, I have come for you!” Nkiru said.

“Nkiru, you scared me,” mama said.

“Oh yeah,” Nkiru said angrily. “You should be because I am not here on a friendly visit!”

Mama packed up what she was doing to attend to her daughter-in-law. “What is it you want, Nkiru?”

“You think you can use the police to scare me, wicked old woman."

The old woman did not say a word of retaliation. Instead, she observed Nkiru with a steadily building interest, noting her slightly protruded stomach and her changing body stature.

“Nkiru, are you pregnant?” Mama walked closer for a proper observation, to Nkiru’s utter dismay. “Or are my eyes deceiving me?”

Nkiru was humbled by her mother-in-law's sudden concern for her. She wandered back in time to when she'd experienced the first signs of pregnancy. During those times she'd felt nauseous, she'd called at the clinic when the symptom persisted. The doctor had her examined, and a test was conducted on her

“Congratulations, madam, you are six weeks pregnant,” was the greeting she received from the doctor when she came for her test result. She was confused. Despite that she had been praying for the fruit of the womb, she found it hard to believe the doctor’s report. The five years of her barrenness haunted her like a plague.

“It can’t be true,” was the reply she gave the doctor. No doctor she had ever been to had said a congratulatory report to her.

The pregnancy was two months and three weeks old, and that was the exact period of time Theo had been away

Nkiru returned from her wandering mind. She could not believe her mother-in-law still had a soft spot and could smile at her. The last time she'd smiled at her was on her wedding day. She'd given her a welcoming hug, showing her around as her pride to people.

“Nkiru, you are looking heavy,” mama said, still observing her.

Nkiru could not hold back the tears trickling down her cheeks. They were tears of joy. She could not believe she could still be loved by her mother-in-law.

“I am having Theo’s child," she said. "I kept it away from everybody to be sure.”

“Hey! Halleluiah!” Mama went about rejoicing, giving in to a moment of dancing. She invited Mary lurking at a corner to join her in the merry-making.

“Come, my daughter," mama said to Nkiru. "Have your seat. We shall settle our differences later. Now is a moment of celebration.”

While Nkiru sat down on the sofa, her mother-in-law prepared and served her a meal. She could not understand the VIP treatment she was receiving. She had called to quarrel with the troublesome woman, and had not expected to find that she’d turned a new leaf.

“April 13,” Nkiru said as she checked the calendar. She picked up Theo’s picture and gazed at it thoughtfully. “Theo, it’s been three months since you left. How I wish you’ll be back home soon to find out all our fears have been conquered, and our prayers answered.”

Her cell phone rang. She hurriedly picked the call, hoping her husband had decided to call.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hello, my daughter.” It was her mother-in-law calling.

“Good morning mama.” Nkiru smiled, stroking her protruded stomach.

“How is your health this morning?”

“Mama, I am fine.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did, mama.”

“I hope you have been going for check-ups?”

Nkiru chuckled at mama’s too many concerns.

“You know you have to guard against any unforeseen occurrences,” mama said.

“You are right mama,” Nkiru said, still laughing. “I am doing my check-ups. Thank you for your concern.”

Nkiru kept a lighter mood after the call had ended. The turning point in her relationship with mama had brought comfort to her, and also helped her to cope with the pain caused by Theo’s absence. She was of the belief that the coming of the new born had brought her all the favours she needed to carry on. She recalled the reconciliation she'd had in her apartment with her mother-in-law and her two children...

“Nkiru, you may be wondering why I came with Udoka and Mary," mama said. "Our mission is peaceful. We are here to apologize to you. I acted cruel towards you. I blamed my conduct on my desperation to have a grandchild. Please, find a place in your heart to forgive me and these children. They acted on my influence.”

“Mama, I have forgotten everything,” Nkiru said, her eyes teary. “I realized why you were angry with me. When I told you I was pregnant, your attitude toward me changed completely. I was angry I could not have a child myself. But it is God who actually gives a child.”

“Udoka and Mary,” mama called her children, “apologize to your sister-in-law.”

“Sister, we are sorry,” the duo said.

“Don’t worry," Nkiru said. "Everything is over now.”

Nkiru came out of her thought of the reconciliatory meeting, which was one of her most cherished moments. It was the moment peace returned to her extended family. She hoped and prayed Theo came back the same way his family had done.

Nkiru and her mother-in-law called at the police station to see the inspector in charge of Theo’s case. The two had decided to team up to find Theo. They met the inspector and he offered them a seat.

“Inspector, we have called to know what else can be done to ensure Theo is found,” Theo's mother said, just after she and Nkiru had sat down. “I am ready to provide monetary and logistic support on this mission.”

“Madam, our next line of action would be to extend our investigation to those places he could possibly be spending his vacation,” the inspector said.

“Please do all you can to help, inspector,” Nkiru said.

“My men will be in Cross River by next week, and we shall continue from there to other places.”

“Thank you inspector,” the women said.

“The Lord will be your strength,” Nkiru added.

The women donated some money to the inspector to boost the police to do an effective job.

Weeks later, Nkiru and mama were frustrated and disappointed that the search for Theo had not commenced. They called the inspector several times, querying the ineptitude of the police. The inspector allayed their fear, blaming the delay on logistics and protocol.

A team of CID men arrived at Calabar on the third week and began their search for Theo. They combed the hotels, club houses and everywhere relaxation activities took place. They stumbled on two people who bore the name Theophilus, but none met the description of who they were looking for.

Theo’s name was placed on the local media to increase the chances of finding him, and a monetary reward was attached for whoever had useful information on his whereabouts.

The progress report of the search team did not go down well with Theo’s family, particularly Nkiru. She stood before the mirror, looking at her sobbing self. She rubbed her protruded stomach. Her mind wandered far to her meetings with the pastor during the past few months. The man had assured her Theo would come back and would apologize to her. She wondered how much of Theo’s apology would mend all the damage that had been done.

“Theo, why are you doing this to me?" she asked as though he were present. "Why are you hurting me so badly?"

Her cell phone rang, distracting her from her thoughts. She hurriedly answered the call. “Hello.”

“Hello, Nkiru.” It was the inspector.

“Any luck at the Yankari, inspector?”

“No luck at the moment.”

The inspector’s report dampened her spirit as the hope of finding Theo was fast becoming elusive. She feared the worst might have happened. She managed to find a seat to avoid collapsing from her dizziness.

“Could my husband still be alive, inspector,” She expressed her fear.

“I hope so.”

“What is next now?”

“The option we have now is looking for him at the unlikely places.”

“How? I don’t understand you, inspector.”

“What I mean is that we are going to extend our search to those places that are not on the list of the likely places your husband could be spending his vacation.”

“Where do you suggest?”

“Abuja is on our list of the likely places.”

“Do you think he might be there?”

“There are possibilities; Abuja is the home of hospitality business.”

Nkiru wiped her tears after the conversation with the inspector. She checked her calendar. It was the 13th of June.

She sighed. “Theo has been gone for six months.”

She walked into the bathroom to spit out the saliva in her mouth.

The new mission of the CID was to shift their search to Abuja as Nkiru had been told. But the mission was stalled due to cash cramp. The inspector called Nkiru and her mother-in-law, asking for more money. The women borrowed some money despite the huge sum the search had gulped. They did not hide their disappointment at the police with the way they asked for money.

“I am out of job," Nkiru complained to the inspector who showed empathy. "And I have spent almost all the benefit from my previous job on this matter.”

Akintola proved very supportive throughout the search mission. The search resumed immediately the money was made available. Nkiru's domestic staff had not received their salaries for some time, and when they grumbled, Nkiru pleaded with them to be a little patient with her.