ERRONEOUS WAYS TO LOVE - pt37

“What do we do dear, what do we do?” i
nervously asked as i picked up the crying
child.
“I don’t know my dear, i guess we have to
wait for her to come for the child, hope you
ain’t planning on leaving me here alone?”
he asked fearfully.
“Of course not, how do you think i will leave
this child with you” i answered. He heaved
a sigh of relief.
Anxiously we waited for Stella to show up,
the clock soon struck 7:00pm, but she was
yet to return. 8:00pm i got very worried and
anxious,
“What if she isn’t coming for her baby?” i
asked Emmanuel who simply shrugged with
confusion.
“There is no way she could have left for the
village by that hour, i have a feeling she’s
at her brother’s apartment. Her elder
brother is a police A.S.P, a graduate in
police uniform” he explained lightly. I
simply stared at him, extremely shaken and
confused.
“I think i still remember the house address
the brother once gave me when i was
settling her case with the family, i will
return the child first thing tomorrow” he
added with a blank expression.
“Seriously Emmanuel, how did you get
yourself involved with such obnoxious girl
eeh?” i asked curiously. He silently
scratched his head and shrugged.
“It’s a long story my dear. A very terrible
mistake which is slowly eating me up like
cancer” he muttered weakly, collasped on a
chair and sighed. My stomach growled and
bit, i was very hungry but had no appetite
whatsoever to eat. I knew
Emmanuel equally felt the same way.
Exactly 8:38pm, we heard gentle knocks on
the entrance door. Emmanuel breathed
deeply, stood up and opened his door. I
instantly gasped as i saw him leap
backwards, while two uniformed policemen
jumped into the room, grabbing his trouser
by the waist, another guy on mufti gently
walked in with Stella by his side.
“There she is” i heard Stella say, pointing at
me, “she’s the lady that orchestrated the
whole plan to steal my child” she said to
the policemen. My heart instantly skipped
five beats, i felt like disappearing that
moment.
“What’s happening, how dare you guys
barge into my house to intimidate me, i
know my rights” Emmanuel yelled.
“Then you have to start calling your
lawyers, because you are in for a very big
case”, “Assault and battery, attempted
murder and child theft, my friend you ain’t
getting easily away this time. You can’t
humiliate my younger sister and get away
with it whatever be her fault” The guy on
mulfi barked angrily, while the two
policemen, dragged us into a waiting police
Van.
My first visit to Emmanuel’s apartment was
a big disaster, it earned me a night at the
police station.
Emmanuel was thrown into the cell as soon
as we arrived at the police station, while i
was left to cool off at the counter behind
the reception desk.
“I just don’t want to punish you further
because just like my sister, you are equally
an unfortunate victim in this whole mess, if
not i would have thrown you into one of the
cells as well” Stella’s brother said to me. I
nodded gratefully and thanked him.
“Yes sir, thank you sir” i murmured
nervously.
My thoughts kept me company all through
the night as i wondered what Emmanuel’s
fate would be. By the look of things, i saw
that Stella and her brother were very ready
for a tough battle. Mosquitoes however
never allowed me to think properly, i kept
slapping myself as i battled them all
through that restless night. I was in a very
terrible state the following morning, which
luckily arrived very fast.
Fortunately for us, stella’s brother arrived
the station very early, and sent for us. I
hastily walked into his office, while
Emmanuel was dragged in minutes later. He
looked tired, scared and nervous, but
fortunately his body wasn’t in anyway
tampered with.
“You know before i joined the police force, i
used to be a very bad player?. I did
everything unthinkable just to get down
with a girl, but i never for once laid my
hands on any girl nor got any pregnant.
You know why?, Because i used my head”
he lectured Emmanuel with a smile, “I’m so
sorry mister, but you went too far with my
sister this time around, and i’m going to
deal with you to the extent you end up
losing your job. You know banks hate
getting involved in scandals huh?” He asked
Emmanuel, who instantly frowned and
looked away.
“I already have mapped out my plans, first i
will call the press and some popular
bloggers i know, give them the story i
prepared about you with the caption,
“BANKER COOLING OFF IN POLICE CELL
AFTER TRYING TO KILL GIRLFRIEND”, OR
“BANKER TRIES TO KILL AN INNOCENT
EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL IN HIS
APARTMENT” or better still, “BANKER TRIES
TO KILL BABY MAMA FOR ANOTHER” he
tilted his head sideways and poured out
evily, while i gasped.
“What do you think will become of your job
after such news is made public, or what do
you think the state prosecutor will do after
learning of such case?” He asked with a
mischievous smile. The look on Emmanuel’s
face was terrible, it was very obvious he
was extremely scared. He looked like
someone who just saw a ghost.
“I have evidence, plus pictures of my
sister’s battered face and doctor’s report”
he continued.
“Please what is it you want?”
Emmanuel nervously asked, interrupting
him. The young police officer simply licked
his lips and smiled.
“Hmmmm what do i want?” Stella’s brother
repeated and scoffed.
“You used my sister, got her pregnant,
made her unmarriageable, abandoned and
broke her heart, I kept quiet and never for a
day challenged you.” “When my parents
managed to fetch you for talks, you showed
up, claimed responsibility and disappeared
like a ghost, i still never bothered you”, “I
took care of my sister without complaining,
but i guess because of our soft nature and
the way we handled everything, you thought
you could do as you like, thereby further
insulting my family by inviting the innocent
girl to your house, so as to beat her up and
snatch her baby” he poured out calmly,
while Emmanuel nervously watched him like
a rat watching a friendly cat.
“What do you expect me to ask for eeh?” he
asked Emmanuel, who simply shrugged
silently.
“I can’t force you to marry my sister, neither
can i allow you to walk away from your
responsibility over her and the little girl” he
added seriously.
“But this isn’t a case settled in the police
station, can’t we do it elsewhere, like in
your house or village?” Emmanuel asked
pleadingly,
“Oh yes, but i don’t trust you, moreover my
sister is the person pressing charges and i
fear you might spend more time here with
us” he replied with an evil smile.
“Oh goodness me! i beg of you, don’t do
this to me, i can’t afford to skip work even
for a day, please” Emmanuel begged
nervously, while i nodded in support.
“Alright, but there is still one more thing
you have to do, if i’m to allow you guys to
leave” the young officer added and licked
his lips.
“You have to sign some papers, it’s just like
an undertaking which you have to accept,
before i let you have your freedom” he
added as he brought out two envelopes,
which he placed before Emmanuel.
“All you have to do is just to sign both of
them, you go with one copy, i keep the
second copy for myself” he explained as
Emmanuel went through the papers.
“You don’t expect me to sign this crap do
you?” i soon heard Emmanuel ask with a
raised tone.
“How do you expect me to suspend my
upcoming wedding, till i settle issues with
your sister?” he asked angrily.
“Oooh so the wedding rumors are true??,”
“yes sir, my request is very reasonable,
because that’s what any sane man will do.
For the sake of my family’s pride and for
the sake of tradition, you have every reason
to sit down and settle with us, before
rushing into another marriage, moreover
which church will wed you when you are yet
to resolve your problems eeh?, my friend
you better sign the two papers, because it’s
that or nothing” the young officer sprang
up and barked loudly, hitting the table with
his fist. My heart skipped a hundred times
over.
It just looked as if someone was blowing an
air of misfortune towards my happiness.