Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail - Literature (3) - Nairaland
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Thorns Part 1 / Travail Of Agent Davis / BED OF THORNS (a short story by madgoat) (2) (3) (4)
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| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 11:24am On Mar 12, 2015 |
Guys! I wish to thank every one that has read my story and deemed it necessary to encourage me by penning down a comment or two. I really appreciate. Thanks to Princesa for the nomination. and I really do thank the following persons in no particular order for voting for me as best newcomer: FAM23,DROLLSTAR,RONDO235,CHARIJEE,PEACEFULNESS and STONECOLD. I have six votes so far. jesuzboi, abamizy, costlybabe,Anas09,wasak and others how far nah? make una vote for me nah! I beg! I thank you all once again. God bless us all and may Prison not be our Portion IJN. 9 Likes |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by Peacefulness: 3:04pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
Voted Doma 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by 53cur3m0d3(m): 4:55pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
This is wonderful. I've always loved every bit of this emotional story and I'm a fan. U're appreciated. 2 Likes |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by Abbamizy(m): 5:43pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
DOMAWOLEYE:ah don cast my vote o 2 Likes |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by charijee(f): 6:04pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
DOMAWOLEYE:You're welcome Doma.....things we do to show appreciation and love   1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by wasak(m): 6:16pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
DOMAWOLEYE:bro. how doi vote? 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by jezuzboi(m): 6:50pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
DOMAWOLEYE:Done my brother. Done! All the best. 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 7:15pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
peeled 6 Likes 3 Shares |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by jezuzboi(m): 8:18pm On Mar 12, 2015 |
Oga inside fit dey right 4 dat ur lawyer mata oo. Mek we still dey look nah 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by stonecoldcafe: 5:58am On Mar 13, 2015 |
Uhmnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nawa  when this boy suffer go end nah?1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by charijee(f): 10:17am On Mar 13, 2015 |
So oga Inside dey reason like this  ....it's left for you soldier boy to wise up......1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by stez: 10:43am On Mar 13, 2015 |
uhmnn this lifeee 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by Barbienice(f): 11:51am On Mar 13, 2015 |
Wow!!Oga inside get good heart o! how do I vote for u ?@ DOMAWOLEYE 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 1:14pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
Barbienice:Hi Barbie u can vote for me as best newcomer in March @ https://www.nairaland.com/1804027/free-n5000-writer-here-every. Thank you. |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by Barbienice(f): 4:15pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
DOMAWOLEYE:Hlo DOMAWOLEYE.Have cast my vote.We are hungry ooo!! abeg no starve us for long. Waiting patiently for update.tnxxx 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by ezystar(f): 8:13pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
Hello Doma..am kinda new here and I was forced 2 comment on this thread. Jux one word''AWESOME''....I also have to say dat this is d most touching story I have ever read.. Nice work and pls am hungry 4 more. |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 9:53pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
CHAPTER 13 FEBRUARY 10TH 1994, we were in Court and the only new development was that the Lady that was raped in the Konwea’s family was in Court to testify to the incident of the night the Car was stolen and their Father murdered. She testified that I was not among the Rapist, so the case was once again adjourned till the 19th of June to allow for further investigation. Baba Miko was also in Court, he had been in Abakaliki for about two weeks when my Mother was brought to a Psychiatric Hospital, we had not seen for a while and I was happy seeing him but he was sad at my situation. This time around, the Police had closed in on Mr. Chike and were only waiting for him to make a wrong move. On our way back to the prison and by special arrangement, we drove to the Psychiatric wing of the University teaching Hospital in Abakaliki to see my mother. I was so sad after the visit that I became depressed and I fell sick, I was hospitalized at the prison hospital for three days. My mother was far gone! Immediately I saw her in her ward, I had expected her to react positively on sighting me but she looked past me into oblivion, it was as if I was not there. Her stare was stone cold and pale, she was very thin that I could see her entire skeletal system through her tight skin, apart from being psychologically unstable, she was equally ill, she was on drip, and her eyes were sunken, expressionless and bland. Mama was dying slowly. I broke down in tears at her sorry sight. Every one tried to console me; I was taken out of the ward and later brought back when I got control of myself. I sat on her bed and carried her gently onto my Lap, I pulled her close and held her firmly for some minutes, I recited our family eulogy into her ears while pulling on her graying hair, isang into her ears, her favourite tunes. I was permitted to detach the drip from her arm so I could carry her about in my arms; I kept talking to her as I rocked her walking around the hall called Ward 6. I kept talking to her and begging her to stay with me, I told her my plans for her, I told her I was not dead, I was alive and healthy. It was barrister Amaka that noticed the tears running down my mother’s cheek! I could not see it as a result of the tears in my own eyes. The nurses were happy that she eventually reacted emotionally; they said it was a good sign. Baba Miko knelt down and started thanking God for the fact that my mother could cry; it meant that she was coming back. He kept saying that he knew I was her cure. Baba Miko had come to Abakaliki with all the money he had, he said he sleeps anywhere in the Hospital premises but most times he slept with the security guards at the hospital, he said he wakes up early in the mornings and wash up any car parked in the premises then he hangs around and greet the Owners when they want to drive away, that had guaranteed his daily bread since he came to Abakaliki. I promised to send him some money to rent a temporal apartment and for upkeep. I sent it through Oga Inside. After my recovery from the hospital, mama became my obsession. It was risky for me and Oga inside as he constantly smuggled me to the hospital at least three nights in a week to attend to my Mother. There was this night I had told Oga Inside to get his Wife to prepare bean cake using palm oil and pap using wheat so we could take to my Mother who had not tasted food for a long time, that was why she had been on drip since she came to Abakaliki. I carried her as usual when I got to the hospital, I then told her I had prepared Akara elepo (Bean cake prepared with palm Oil) and Eko olokababa (Pap made of wheat) for her, I then took a ball of Akara to her mouth, to the astonishment of every one watching, she opened her mouth and gnawed weakly at the ball, there was shouts of joy from the nurses, the other patients in the room started shouting and screaming too and some of them had to be sedated to keep them calm again. Baba mike fell on the floor and started rolling about, he was shouting Jesu oseun! Jesun oseun o! (Thank you Jesus). Mama finished a big ball of Akara and took eight table spoons full of Pap before vomiting everything on my body; she also urinated and excreted on me. The Doctor said I should not panic as it was very normal for her system to react that way, he said they would continually be trying to feed her with the delicacy. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................................................... June came and passed and we did not go to Court due to strike action in the nations Judiciary, all Court cases were postponed indefinitely. I continued to do my business; I sometimes add Sardines or Geisha to my Stock. Some rich inmates buy Garri and Geisha to prepare cold Eba with Geisha as soup. I stopped smoking Kpoli every night, I smoked once in a while and that was only when Oga Inside was not on night duty. Through the rest of 1994 I kept visiting mama nicodemously. Her condition kept improving except for her inability to talk. She moved her eyes and followed movements, she could blink her eyes and she tried to smile however wryly. On the first of January 1995,at night as usual with Oga Inside; I sat mama down by her bed and I plaited her hair for her, she needed to look good on near year day. I ended up plaiting the hair of six other inmates that became uncontrollable when they saw me plaiting mama’s hair, they came and sat by my side and started to loosen their hair in readiness for their turn. One of the nurses brought out a mirror and gave to mama after her hair was done, though it was forbidden to allow the Patients access to mirrors. For the first time mama laughed out, the sound of her laughter was strange but it was laughter all the same. Baba Miko performed his jubilation drama again. Baba Miko! He is actually not a blood relation of ours in any way. I was drawn to him because he had always been close to me and my mother, he was the only listening ear we had and he was always trying to assist us in any way he could. I have never known him to be married, but I know his kinsmen. For him to have abandoned his brick laying work back home and come to Abakaliki with my mother to live like a beggar and wait on her to recover is what beats my imagination. I knew there was something I did not know between the two. But time would tell, I need him where he is now since I could not be there twenty four hours, and I was grateful to him. 1995 and 96 passed without a court appearance due to incessant strike actions in the country. Some developments also took place around me within the two years. Barrister Amaka was promoted and transferred to Abuja Supreme Court. But before her departure, she had introduced a certain Barrister Efe to me as her colleague and my new counsel. I loved the man instantly because of his warri accent. He was very warm and jovial. Barrister Amaka did something that I did not understand until much later; she told me she had altered my date of birth as recorded in my file, she also showed me a sworn affidavit of age declaration in my name, I was borne on the 6th of September 1972, but the new age read 1974, she had reduced my age by two. She said I should not forget my new age hence forth. I thanked her even though I did not know the reason. She promised to be following up my case from Abuja and that I should have confidence in Barrister Efe. I believed her. Her Father retired from the Government and set up him private chamber in Awka the capital of Anambra state, his state of origin. My main man Oga Inside also went on voluntary retirement after having spent twenty five years in Prison service, he handed me over to Oga Frank, another Warder before he left. He paid me all he owed me and he was still coming to see me once in a while. Oga Inside invested his gratuity in Rice farming. He opened a Rice mill at Ezamgbo and he bought a twenty hectare of land for Rice farming alone. He told me that Local Rice is well sought after by fast food joints for preparing Ofada rice, he further explained that the exportation of Local Rice was also on the increase because of the nutritional value. He also said I was welcome to come and work with him after I must have been released. Mr. Luke Umahi! That is his real name and he hailed from Ohaozara local government of the then Enugu state but is today Ebonyi state. It is only few of us that got to know his real name. He is a man I cannot forget, I am for ever indebted to that man. 10 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 9:55pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
ezystar: Thanks a lot my Brother! please vote for me o! |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 9:59pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
CHAPTER 14 Two years passed quickly and my mother improved with every passing day; she had regained her weight, though she has never being a big person, she had always weighed about fifty five of sixty kilogram, her glow had returned but she could not talk, we communicate by writing in Yoruba language or by sign language, she wrote that she does not know why she could not speak and she had tried to loosen her tongue to no avail. The Doctor assured me that she would talk in due time, he said she had been mute for years without saying a word so she had lost her sense of speech but it is recoverable by special therapy and with the rate at which my mother had fought to come back to her senses, she would talk soon. On the fourth day of May 1997 barrister Efe followed by Oga Frank the Warder came to our cell in the afternoon before visiting hours calling out my name right from the entrance of the corridor to our Cell, I jumped up from my afternoon sleep scared as to why my name was been called aloud in such manner, I was the only Ojo in the whole of the Prison. They got to the gate of our cell beaming from ear to ear; Chike has been arrested o! He shouted; Chike and the gang have been arrested! Chike came home to visit his family at Easter! He was nabbed by the Police! He is busy singing to the Police at state C.I.D Enugu as I speak with you! Barrister kept repeating. I ran wild inside the cell, I screamed till my head ached, I hugged each and every inmate; I hugged them so tight my arms were aching afterwards. An elder inmate started a worship song and the whole cell became charged with rendition of worship and praise songs. I rolled on the floor like Baba Miko and wept tears of joy after almost seven years of incarceration. Where is Barrister Amaka? I eventually found the voice to ask Barrister Efe; she should be in Enugu by tomorrow, she has gone to Agbor to inform the Agbor Police and the prosecuting Family about the latest development. Kai! This Amaka na man! I shouted; what a man can do a woman can do better! Imagine what the Police station at Agbor could not do, a single Girl has done it! Ha! May God bless her! May God give her a husband that would appreciate her! A man that would know her worth! Ha! Victory at last! Glory be to God almighty! I danced like I never did for a long time, as my fellow inmate sang I danced like David danced in the Bible. October 9th 1997 I was set free by the Court! The hearing was brief and clear. Baba Miko, Mama, Barrister Amaka and Oga Inside were all in Court. Mr. Chike and the gang were all sentenced to life in jail with hard labour without option of fine or bail. The Judge took a cursory look at me, and then he skimmed through my file How old are you? He asked me directly. I remembered what Barrister Amaka had told me; I was borne on the 6th of September 1974 ma! That means I twenty three years old ma! I said. And how long have you been on awaiting trial? She asked. Since 1991 ma! About six years plus now ma! I replied She nodded her head, she skimmed through my file again then she removed her glasses and cleaned the lenses before putting it on again, she looked at the Counsels and beckoned at them to approach her, they did and discusses for about ten minutes then the Court went for one hour recession. Immediately the Court reconvened, the Judge court came in, received our compliments and proceeded immediately with the hearing. Mr. Ojo Makanjuola Stephens! You have spent over six years of your life in incarceration already! You were sent to prison when you were barely seventeen years of age, a minor! A juvenile! A teenager! Whoever did that? That was wrong! The purported crime which you committed at the age of seventeen should have been taken care by a juvenile Court and not sending you to a maximum security facility, the Police did not help matters as they were in a haste to heap all blame on you and bury the case. The divisional Police Officer and every Police Officer that handled this case shall be arrested and prosecuted for negligence of duty and gross incompetence! For having spent six years in Prison already, Mr. Ojo Makanjuola Stephens! You are hereby discharged and acquitted of all charges and you are free to go home in peace. She banged the table and she rose! Case closed! I turned back to see my Mother talking hurriedly and gesticulating to Baba Miko who stood looking at her with opened mouth. mama has started to talk! I walked towards my friends, I hugged Oga Inside, I patted his back and thanked him for everything, I moved towards my mother, she was on her knees with arms spread toward heaven speaking in tongues and in Yoruba language, It reminded me of her night vigils back in the Village, I turned towards Barrister Amaka, she just stood there as if afraid to move, tears were pouring out of her eyes, Oga Inside came behind me and nudged me forward then he whispered into my ears. She was not wearing their Lawyer uniform as she was no longer my Counsel, she wore a light blue Jeans and a fitted white silky blouse that clung to her body; I walked straight to her with open arms and embraced her, she wept uncontrollably as she rested her head on my shoulder and wrapped her slim hands around my neck. I raised her chin and looked into her eyes, they were inviting and our Lips locked. 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by Peacefulness: 10:15pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
Free at last! Thank you Lord, Amaka. 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by stonecoldcafe: 10:56pm On Mar 13, 2015 |
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! No compensation for unlawful imprisonment? Does he have his army job back? Choi freedom at last. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by jezuzboi(m): 12:17am On Mar 14, 2015 |
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Abeg, I hope this isn't the end of the story oo. 3 Likes |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 10:15am On Mar 14, 2015 |
Of course not! Wahala still dey for front. jezuzboi: |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by jezuzboi(m): 10:21am On Mar 14, 2015 |
DOMAWOLEYE:HABA! Well, mek we see nah |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by Barbienice(f): 12:29pm On Mar 14, 2015 |
[quote author=DOMAWOLEYE post=31604484]Of course not! Wahala still dey for front. We the gallant, because we know oga Domawoleye will conquer all the wahala for front. |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by charijee(f): 5:22pm On Mar 14, 2015 |
Yiiiiipppppeeeeeeeeeee .......**dancing non stop*......so good to be free.....I'm so happy for you Mr Ojo......as for you and Amaka I actually saw that coming..... Doma I hail o |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by charijee(f): 5:24pm On Mar 14, 2015 |
DOMAWOLEYE:You better convert the wahala to something better.....enough is enough 2 Likes |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by 53cur3m0d3(m): 11:54pm On Mar 14, 2015 |
Hey DOMAWOLEYE, I've always wanted to give this as a suggestion if U wanna be a strong contender for the newcomer of the month award. Take a cue from Fantasyisland, our last winner. Observe her style of updates. Her fans know when she updates so they don't have to be impatient. She serves it as breakfast and dinner and everyone smiles. do U know what it feels like starting Ur day with such story that shows a man of valor, the fighting spirit and also ending the day with it? All I'm saying is get an update structure that suits your schedule and U'll attract more fans. U've a good plot, now give us a nice update structure and we'll all end up winners. #My2cents 2 Likes |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by agileson: 4:10am On Mar 15, 2015 |
Just started reading but in awe of your writing. The mixture of culture, proper grammar and simple diction tastes sweeter than amala ati ewedu. Please continue |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 8:55am On Mar 15, 2015 |
53cur3m0d3:my brother I thank you so much but truth be said I cannot guarantee a fixed schedule. You will hate me if I do. I can write now because I am on casual leave. And I am trying to finish this story before I go back to work. My next update after today's will be on Wednesday. I will be travelling . Pls bear with me. One love! 4 Likes |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 8:56am On Mar 15, 2015 |
agileson:I am flattered my boss! Thank you very much. 1 Like |
| Re: Thorns In My Boot....a Soldiers Travail by DOMAWOLEYE(m): 9:35am On Mar 15, 2015 |
Chaptet 15 tonight. Stsy tuned. |
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