The judgment lasted for about thirty minutes. The entire court room was silent. The court remained silent even after the judgment had been pronounced. It wasn’t a high-profile case, but that was not the reason for the unusual silence. Everybody was silent because nobody was sure whether the judgment was in their favour or against them.
 
To the family of Akinwale, who were the victims in this case, justice had not been served. There was nothing to be jubilant about in the judgment. A drunk driver had knocked down their breadwinner in the prime of his career. They were not clamouring for a murder case. Everybody knew that it was manslaughter. But they believed that such careless act should carry a minimum punishment of ten years behind the bars. They were almost consoled when the judge handed him a punishment of seven years prison term but was disappointed when he gave an option of a fine. They couldn’t understand why a man that carelessly turned sour their happy home should be allowed to walk free just for a fine of a million naira, not even for all the naira in the Central Bank.
 
The option of fine would have triggered jubilation in the camp of Leke. Everybody knew he was guilty. Everybody on his side in the court that day was only hoping for a miracle. Even the best lawyer could not save him in that case and he could not even afford the service of the worst lawyer. He had to use the government-appointed lawyer, and the poor man tried his best. The case had already been lost at the spot of the incident.
 
Leke was drunk that night and was driving his boss’ car. Medical tests showed a high level of alcohol in his blood. The CCTV camera at the party he was coming from showed that he drank more than eight bottles of beer that day. At the time of the accident, he was driving at a speed of 180 k/hr in a region that had a limit of 80km/hr and he had no driving license. No lawyer could win such a case.
So, at the mention of the option of one million naira fine, his lawyer felt relieved. He believed that he had saved him from going to prison. But Leke didn’t believe the same. To him, the option was useless because there was no way he could get such amount of money. He had no relative and among his friends that had come to witness the case, he knew that only Precious, his girlfriend, could make any attempt to look for the money. And even if the fine had been one-tenth of what it was, he was sure that Precious could never get it. She was a student and her parents were as poor as church rats, maybe, poorer.
 
The judge gave him seven days ultimatum to pay the money or go to prison but if the judge had given seven month ultimatum, the prison option would still be the only feasible option for him.
 
Everybody remained quiet. Nobody jubilated. Quietly, members of the Akinwale family stood up and headed towards their cars. Without making any open comment on the judgment, they drove away.
Leke’s lawyer went to where Leke’s friends were standing. He wanted to know their decision. Leke too was escorted by the police towards them. He knew he couldn’t afford a kobo, so he kept quiet.
 
“What are you going to do?” the lawyer asked.
 
“Of course, we are going to pay the fine,” Precious replied as if she had the money in her bank account.  
 
Jennifer wanted to talk but Annabel gently tapped her. Everybody knew Jennifer didn’t know what not to say.
 
“We have seven days,” the lawyer said.
 
“Yes, how much can you guys get?” Precious asked facing a group of Leke’s friends.
 
The young men looked at one another, and then Sam replied “We can’t say now, but we will try our best.”
 
“I know you won’t be able to say. Look, it is everybody’s concern; don’t heap everything on Precious’ head alone. You guys should go and look for half a million naira and we girls will look for the remaining half,” Jennifer said.
 
Leke remained quiet. It was his life and future that they were discussing and unfortunately, he couldn’t contribute to it. He had no dime. There was nothing he could sell to earn any amount of money and he had nobody to go to for favour.
 
The police officer told the lawyer that it was time for Leke to be returned to custody.
 
“Let’s meet at my office tomorrow morning,” the lawyer said and called off the meeting.

It was 9 o’clock on Tuesday morning. The weather was cold. It had rained all night. Undoubtedly, many people would still be in bed if they didn’t have to go out by compulsion. Such was the case of Jennifer and Annabel. They still had their blankets over their bodies. But Precious had woken up since 5 o’clock. She had been chatting with everybody she knew on every social medium available to her. She knew she couldn’t get one million naira from a single person. Nobody in her world was worth that amount of money. But she hoped she could get one hundred people that would give her ten thousand naira each. But the truth was that in her circle, ten thousand naira was still a lot of money.
 
For the past four hours that she had been chatting, nobody had promised her a kobo.
 
“Lk wateva u gv me wl reduce the total moni am luking 4” she would type, but all of them gave a similar reply.
 
“Dias noffin I cld gv u dat wl mk any difference” they would reply. Funmi was even specific. She typed
 
“If u subtract #500 from 1 milla ao much remain?”
She looked at the time. It was exactly 9 o’clock. She dropped her phone and ran to the bathroom. She quickly took her bath and dressed up. She didn’t use any make-up, maybe she forgot; maybe she didn’t see any reason for it.
 
She took her phone and called Sam.
 
“Hello! Good morning.”
 
“Morning,” he replied lazily. Obviously he was still in bed.
 
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
 
“Go where?”
 
“To the lawyer’s office. He said we should meet there this morning.”
“What for?” Sam asked as if he was not there when the lawyer said it.
 
“To discuss the way forward.”
 
“Precious, the only way forward is the money. I have no money with me now, so I don’t see any reason to go there.”
“It may be more than that Sam. We may appeal the judgment or at least attempt to extend the ultimatum.”
 
“Look, I don’t even have money for transport and I can’t trek from here to that man’s office,” Sam said and terminated the call.
 
Precious stared disappointedly at the screen of her phone. She angrily threw it on the bed facing her. It hit Jennifer.
 
Jennifer removed the blanket from her head.
 
“Easy, baby girl, wetin I do you?” she asked.
 
“Sorry,” Precious replied casually and went to sit on a chair.
 
“What is the problem?” Jennifer asked.
 
“Look at the people we told to go and look for half a million. Sam couldn’t even get money to take a bike to the lawyer’s office.”
 
Jennifer laughed.
 
“Are you really expecting half a million naira from the guys? Even half a million Indonesia rupiah, I’m sure they couldn’t get.”
 
“But at least he will come to the lawyer’s office and we will plan together.”
 
“You are disturbing yourself, Precious. Why not let the guy go to prison. He is just 27 years. He will come back 34, you will be 31 then. You can still have your wedding.”
 
Precious didn’t respond. She took her bag and started walking out of the room.
 
“I’m off,” she said and left.
 
“Hey! Precious, where did you put the remaining spaghetti?” Jennifer shouted.
‪

The office of Barrister Collins was jam-packed. A group of people were there shouting on top of their voices. The lawyer tried for several minutes to put things under control. When things were settled, he followed them out. At the reception, he saw Precious waiting for him.
 
“I am sorry, dear. I have an urgent case to attend to now. I will be back in a moment,” he said as he left with the group.
 
That “moment” lasted for over three hours. Precious waited patiently. Her lectures usually started by 11 o’clock on Tuesdays and ended 3 p.m. but she knew that she couldn’t attend any of her four classes that day.
 
“When the lawyer returned, he apologized for delaying her and then invited her to his office.
 
“How much have you got,” he asked.
 
“Nothing, sir. Absolutely nothing. Those that have the money wouldn’t give me; those that can give me don’t have.”
 
“So what are you planning to do?”
 
“I am thinking that maybe we can appeal the judgment.”
 
“No, that is not a good idea. We got the best judgment,” Barrister Collins said.
 
“What about asking for the ultimatum to be extended?”
 
“It is not possible, my dear. It is part of the judgment.”
 
Precious took a deep breath and said “So I have just six days more to produce the money now.”
 
“I don’t think you have up to that,” the lawyer replied.
 
“Why? Today is Tuesday; the judge gave us seven days.”
“Yes, but he didn’t specify that the seven days should be seven working days, so it will be taken as seven calendar days.”
 
“What is the implication of that?” Precious asked anxiously.
 
“The seven days started counting on the day he gave the judgment. That was yesterday. So you have till Sunday night to produce the money, but the office we are to pay to doesn’t work on weekends and knocks off by 1 p.m. on Friday. So you have till 1pm on Friday to pay the money,” Collins explained.
 
Precious was surprised.
 
“Today is Tuesday, so I have just three days to pay the money now.”
 
“That is it,” The lawyer said and looked at his wrist watch. It was exactly 1pm. “You have exactly 72 hours more to look for it,” he added.
 
“72 hours to look for one million naira from nowhere,” Precious said in despair.

OH

. . . Things lovers do!
But is it going to be worth it?

Are u going to finish it sir, if yes Quduz if no all d best. But follow you.

Intresting story. RIDE ON BRO.

Nice story

Nice one,dearie. Kwantinue

nice one... love it

INTRESTING

Good story,nice flow of thoughts. You are a good writer. Keep it coming please!

im hooked to dis story.. nice one dear

I never expererit but this story is interesting.... O.P continue....and you should invite more people to the party

Nice story.

Do go on. Meanwhile, u guys can go on and check my feeble first attempt at writing on nairaland, a small story called love the devil, by clicking on my username.

please come and update

the lady knows how to get what she want.
Ride on sis.

chai, the trials men pass tru