C7 Chapter Seven

After Precious finished saying what she had to say, I became even more confused. I didn't know what to think anymore. In that moment, it felt as if my head was going to explode.

One part of me was saying, “Why not accept Precious's advice?”

But another part of me said, “Don't try it. This is not who you are, Chinyere.”

I stood still, staring ahead. My mind was filled with so many thoughts.

Then, suddenly, I remembered who I was.

I remembered that I was Chinyere Obi.

My family had never, for one day, visited a native doctor. They never taught me or trained me to believe in such things. So why would I allow anyone to push me into something I had never believed in?

I looked at Precious again.

“Precious.”

“Yes?”

I asked her a question that changed everything.

“What if Ngozi did not use juju on Ebere? What if Ebere decided to leave me for Ngozi just like that? And now you are telling me to go and do something that could harm somebody. What if Ngozi is innocent all along?”

Immediately, Precious became even more angry.

“Oh, really? Is that what you think? That Ebere left you for Ngozi just like that?”

She shook her head.

“Okay, fine. Let us assume that Ebere left you for Ngozi. Why now? Why is it happening now, after three good years of your relationship? Why hasn't Ebere left you all these years? Is he not seeing other girls out there? Why hasn't he left you before now?”

I remained silent.

“Why now, when Ebere had already promised to take you to your parents? Why must it be Ngozi? Why is it that immediately you took Ngozi to Ebere's house, everything changed?”

She continued before I could answer.

“Does it mean that Ngozi is the only woman Ebere has ever seen? Is he not surrounded by other women? Why Ngozi? And why is it now that you took her to Ebere's house that everything changed? Yet you are telling me that you believe Ngozi might be innocent.”

She paused.

“Fine. Believe whatever you like. Follow whatever you think is right. But don't blame anyone when things get worse. I will say it again: you are the cause of your own problem because you are too quiet for my liking.”

She turned away angrily.

“I am out of here. Do whatever you like.”

Immediately, Precious walked away in annoyance.

I stood there, watching her as she walked away.

Then I looked at myself and sighed.

“God, Precious is right.”

There was no way Ebere would just choose Ngozi for no reason. This was three years of our relationship. If Ebere wanted to leave me, why hadn't he left me all this while?

Why did everything change immediately after I took Ngozi to his house?

Why now, after he had promised to visit my parents in two weeks?

I shook my head.

“Something is not right.”

Deep down, my mind kept telling me that Ngozi was behind it.

But even with all these thoughts, I knew one thing.

I could never visit a native doctor.

I could never visit a shrine.

That was not who I was, and I would never try it.

I looked up and spoke to God.

“God, if it pleases You that Ebere should leave me, if Ebere is not the man You have destined for me, then fine. Let him go. Bring me the man who will love me and never leave me for another person. But if Ebere is truly my own, then please bring him back to me.”

After saying that, I decided to go home.

Our lectures had already ended for the day, so I left school without telling Precious or anyone else that I was leaving. I didn't want more blaming, shouting, or arguments. I was tired of everyone yelling at me and telling me what to do.

All I wanted was to go home, relax, and forget everything for a while.

I started walking down the road.

My plan was to get to the school junction and take a taxi straight to my apartment.

But something happened when I reached the junction.

Just as I was about to look for a taxi, a police vehicle suddenly arrived.

At first, I didn't think much of it.

After all, I had done nothing wrong. Why should I be afraid of the police?

But to my greatest surprise, the vehicle stopped directly in front of me.

One of the policemen came down and looked at me.

“Are you Chinyere Obi?”

“Yes, I am.”

He brought out his identification card.

“My name is Inspector Ibrahim.”

He looked at me again.

“You are under arrest for threatening a fellow student.”

I froze.

“What?”

I was completely confused.

“What is this man talking about?” I wondered. “Which fellow student? Which threat? I didn't quarrel with anybody today.”

For a moment, it felt like a dream.

I couldn't understand what was happening.

“Sir, excuse me, sir,” I said. “Maybe you are mistaken. Maybe I'm not the Chinyere you are looking for. Maybe there is another person with my name.”

He looked at me.

“Are you not Chinyere Obi?”

“Yes, I am Chinyere Obi.”

“Then you are under arrest.”

“I'm sorry, sir. I am innocent. I didn't quarrel with anybody. I didn't have any issue with anyone today. I never threatened anyone. Please, what exactly did I do?”

But he didn't listen.

“It's better you keep quiet. Anything you say may be used against you in court.”

Before I could say anything else, he grabbed my hand and pushed me into the vehicle.

The vehicle drove away.

I had no one with me.

No one was there to witness what happened.

I was scared. I was terrified.

“God, what is the meaning of this?” I asked myself.

“Could this be another trick by Ngozi and Ebere? Or who is after me again? Who did I offend?”

I knew I had never offended anyone.

“Why am I so unfortunate? Why is everything happening to me at the same time?”

They took me to the police station.

Immediately we arrived, they pushed me into a cell and locked the door.

“Please!” I cried. “I am innocent! I did not hurt anyone. I did not quarrel with anyone. I didn't do anything that warrants me being here. Please!”

But instead of listening to me, they shouted at me.

“If we hear your voice again, you will not like what you will see.”

I became quiet.

After a while, I begged again.

“At least, give me my phone. Let me make a call. Let me call somebody. Let people know where I am.”

But they refused.

“You are not allowed to make any calls.”

“God, what kind of thing is this?”

I sat down inside the cell, completely helpless.

I had cried.

I had begged.

I had shouted.

Yet nobody was coming to help me.

I looked up to God.

“God, what is really my offense? It is only You and me that know that I am here. Please, Father, vindicate me. I am innocent of this accusation. I have not done anything that warrants me being here. I never hurt anyone. Why am I being punished for something I know nothing about?”

I cried and looked up to my God because He was the only one I had left.

At that moment, I had no idea what was going to happen to me.

To be continued.