SECOND CHANCES

I had just returned from burying my
father. His death irked me so much for he
died just when things started turning
around for good. I had returned back to
my base in Jos where I plied my trade as
a businessman. Since we buried my old
man in the last week of November, I had
no plans of returning again for Christmas.
I agreed to go first while my wife and four
months baby boy will join me later in two
weeks time. I had some business deals
waiting to be wrapped up and my wife as
the
norm stipulates had to be with her
mother-in-law for awhile after the funeral
before travelling.

Three weeks later my wife with our son
set out to rejoin me in Jos. As usual night
journey was much preferable so she
boarded SilverLine Luxurious Bus going to
Jos. God granted them a safe and blissful
journey, we spoke on phone all through
and it didn't seem we were apart! We
talked till 3:30am and my wife asked me
to drop so I can sleep a little. Trust my
wife she wasn't actually asking but
commanding, though with a voice filled
with love and motherly concern, part of
the reason why I married her. She said
they
were at Forest less than an hour
drive to enter Jos town! I was relieved
and so I slept like a baby.

Five minutes after I dropped the call, the
bus carrying my wife was double-crossed
and halted by an army of hoodlums who
began to rob the passengers one after
the other. Quickly my wife hid the
N25000 she had on her inside our baby's
clothes and left some change in her purse
for the hoodlums to loot. Little did she
know what that move will cost her.
The
robbers got to her seat and sighting our
four months baby they took what they
saw in her purse and left her alone. But
the woman sitting beside her whose
N17000 was stolen couldn't bear my
wife's mischief, she called back the
robbers and told them my wife had some
money inside her baby's clothe. The
robbers were infuriated and with a mad
rage one of them tore off my baby from
his mother and with a thunderous force
threw him on the vehicle floor spilling not
just the neatly stacked 25000 but also
the brain of my son, whom I waited
patiently for five years to have! My wife
fainted and the woman who ratted her
out was mobbed.

Thirty minutes later my sleep was
murdered when I got the call! I was
never to sleep for many years to come. I
received both my dead boy and my
unconscious wife at the hospital. The grief
was unbearable and the pain
unspeakable! I was mad at my wife! What
is N25000? Forgiving her was impossible,
and even God was not free from my
blames! Where was He when the bastards
snuffed out my boy's life? And now they ll
want me to believe it is his will? I waited
patiently for five years before He gave
me a child only to take him away four
months after who said God isn't a
manipulative sadist? Those were my
thought for several years to come! I
didn't send my wife packing yet it was
better she did, I stopped eating her food,
sharing bed with her not talk of touching
her. I refused all counsels and reasons!
My wife became a walking dead in matter
of months and expectedly found Jesus so
attractive! It took me two solid years to
deal with my pains and forgive everyone
including God and myself. Joy came back
to my home and my wife added flesh
overnight. Everything we halted for two
resumed again in earnest!

One night I was returning from a business
trip from Lagos to Jos and a man entered
our bus at Gidan Waya, he had with him a
big Bible and some other spiritual books.
He prayed and preached and touched
many hearts! Soon it came to testimony
time and he was all fired up again telling
stories of his dark days and wailing
uncontrollably to showcase his remorse as
he was about signing off he now
recounted the ordeal that haunts him
most, which was that of a little baby
whose skull he smashed on the floor of a
luxurious bus near Forest some two years
ago! I froze immediately and a furious
rage surged through me! So it was
him....hmmm it was this bastard that
killed my joy? The urge for revenge
became so high at that instant, but I
needed a plan, a careful plan which didn't
include creating a scene. So I sat quietly
and listened to the murderer rant while I
perfected my plans!

The robber-turned-evangelist alighted at
Bukuru and instead of following the bus
to Jos town where I live, I alighted at
Bukuru too in pursuit of my revenge! I
immediately approached the man telling
him how touched I was by his message.
He was so excited to have won a soul for
Christ and offered more preaching time if
I am free, venue will be his apartment
down the road. My plan was working
accordingly and I followed him to his
house. Once were in and before I could
think, I saw myself pinned on the floor
with the little jack-knife I had in ma
pocket aimed expertly at my neck! Next
he dragged me up, forcefully sat me on a
seat and dropped the knife on the table,
then he calmed down a bit and asked,
what were u thinking? You think you can
outsmart a professionally trained ex-
military man? Suddenly I jumped up and
went to his face with anger; that baby
you smashed his skull was the only child
of my seven years marriage, now tell me
why I won't desire your death like a deer
yearn for water? Then he stood weak and
defeated and heaved a sigh of resignation,
here is the knife he said you re justified in
ending my life! I took the knife, but at
that instant it hit me, that the burden of
killing is heavier than meets the eye!
Slowly I tucked back the knife inside ma
pocket and exited the apartment
slamming the door behind me! I got to
my house around 11am and met my
anxious wife phone at hand worked up!
Then I hid her with a big hug in my
bossom and calmed her down! Next we
both blurted in unison... I have
something to tell you... Alright I said, you
go first and she swept me off my feet
with the sweetest of news... She went to
hospital yesterday and the doctor
confirmed she was pregnant! Guess what?
She is having twins! She now asked what's
mine, but I was gone already, too far to
bother about anything else other than my
two babies warming up to have the best
father ever!!

By Ifeanyi Danga