Episode 2 (The Journey to Uyo - The Soldier Encounter)

THE JOURNEY TO UYO – THE SOLDIER ENCOUNTER

Uyo was really a beautiful city. It was babbling with all sorts of activities ranging from road side bars, eateries, supermarkets, malls, kiosks, etc. not to talk of the Fulani men who sold sweet savouring suya at strategic points of streets. It was 7:25pm when we’d arrived from a journey that was supposed to last 2 hours but because of traffic congestion, terrible roads filled with potholes, countless police, road safety, military checkpoints and finally unforgettable occurrences. It was a really eventful journey.

“Mumcy, are you ok?” I asked the chubby woman who was struggling to lift her luggage off the boot of our bus.

“Hope say you no break waist?” Asked our driver laughing, while coming down from the driver’s seat.

“It’s your mother’s waist that will break!” Answered the woman in outright annoyance.

Everyone responded with laughter but I only managed a wry smile, probably because the woman’s eyes were now fixated on me, and being the one that initiated the helping hand, I didn’t want to emit an air of sarcasm.

“Next time when she see soldier man, she go respect ‘am” said a young man, probably in his early thirties, who sat behind me in the old blue eighteen seater bus we boarded.

“She feel say na anybody she fit talk anyhow with” said another voice, this time, from a middle aged woman laughing.

“You people should let her be.” Came a calm commanding voice from behind the bus.

“Say watin happen?” Responded the driver, closing the boot of the bus, after everyone had offloaded their luggage.

“She was simply airing her view on our predicament then. She just wanted to…”

“Oga leave that thing!” Interrupted the driver “You wan use big big grammar… “

“My brother God will bless you” said the chubby woman, cutting him off, and looking appreciably at the other man. “Don’t mind this…”

“Scommon shut up there!” Retorted the driver, cutting her short. “Na everywhere person dey air views? You no fit get small sense?” Everyone laughed, and drifted apart, except the woman and of cause, my humble self. It was a great battle fighting back the laughter.

“So you’ll be able to move your things?” I asked.

“Yes I will, my son. Thanks a lot.”

“The pleasure is all mine, ma” I responded, strolling off. “Have a delightful stay.”

“You too, my dear.”

The journey was one that…

“Wait…where are you headed?” She asked, jerking me off my thoughts.

“Plaza, ma.” I replied, turning to face her, with my box rolling behind from my left, while my backpack hung on my back.

“Please come.” She requested.

On getting to her, she rummaged briefly though her little purse, and then folded something into my palm. “Manage that as transport fare.” She said, smiling.

I was so overwhelmed by this generous gesture. I knew the power of five hundred naira. She was really a nice woman. It was quite unfortunate that she had to face such inhumane treatment because of a single utterance, uttered in one breath.

We were almost crossing the boarders into Akwa-Ibom state, when at an army checkpoint, while the dark Yoruba soldier with two short strokes on his chicks, was going about the usual checks – though done annoying slow – that the short dark chubby woman on purple gown, with braided hair and light makeup, out of frustration uttered.

“Watin this man dey check self? Make him do make I comot for here, abeg.” Some passengers close to where she was seating chuckled, while few tried to reprimand her silently.

“Who be that?” Asks the soldier in a thunderous voice that ran though the bus.

“Nothing, Sir” replied the driver, trying to defend the woman. “Are we good to go?”

“Una no wan answer abi?” He asked, peering through the bus. Our eyes met, and my heart skipped a bit. For a moment there, I feared he might think I’m the guilty party.

We all played deaf and dumb. Everyone knew who was responsible, but no on was willing to divulge.

“Alright!” The soldier thundered again, adjusting his gun from his left arm to his right in a simple swift hand movement. “Driver, come down.”

“Oga, abeg. We are really running out of time” begged our driver. It was 2:05pm.

“In short, everyone, out!” Commanded the soldier. Anxiety dived in, and reflected in all our faces, as we gently came off the vehicle. The wrath of a soldier was not to be toyed with. So, we did whatever he asked obediently. “Today una go either produce that idiot, or sleep for here.

“Me I can’t come and suffer for someone o” said a young lady out of frustration and fear of what may ensue if we remained dumb. “Me I can’t come and take paracetamol for another person’s headache o! Aunty you talk na. No be you talk that thing?” She asked, standing akimbo, facing the woman. The proverbial beans was now spilled. This reflected on our faces and mannerism as some of us looked away, while others bowed.

“You say watin?” The chubby woman asked, about to defend herself, on seeing the ordeal she was in. “No be …”

“Shut up there!” Interrupted the soldier, coming close. “Na you talk that nonsense abi?”

“Talk watin?”

“You still wan lie abi?” He asked with a scoff, turned round dramatically and then continued “you go hear ‘am. Every other person, get back in!” He commanded.

We all started begging for mercies on her behalf. We were well aware of the pride of a soldier and what it ment to dare or threaten it, especially through silence. So, we reluctantly eased into the bus one after the other, while the woman stayed back. At this point the sun was immensely hot, and standing under such heat was unbearable in itself. “You get luck say we no dey touch woman” said the soldier “but I get person wae go handle you.”

Now this was something new. If he was not privy to lay hands on women, who then, was he going to deliver the chubby woman to? She was already begging tearfully. She was taken to where their jeep was, and was offered a very good shade to seat under. Then, we noticed the soldier move to their jeep, where another soldier was – probably their boss. They spoke briefly, and a call was put across. All these while, no other soldier interfered. Even when they were well aware of what was going on.

About forty five minutes later, while still in the bus at the mercies of the frowning sun, we noticed two army trucks come from behind. One stopped right in front of our bus, while the other, beside the jeep parked under the shade where the woman sat. On seeing this, we knew we were in for something really big – we were in a whole lot of trouble now. Will they punish us for playing dumb? Will they leave us here, without food and water till the next day? Soldiers could be really sadistic at times. The suspense was killing us.

Three able bodied women alighted from the jeep that parked close to the one under the shade and matched with and air of dominance and authority towards the man in the other jeep. On a normal day, this would have been a very beautiful sight. Unfortunately, today wasn’t a normal day.

On getting to him, they saluted and conversed for about two minutes. We were out of earshot and so, we read their gestures as they spoke. Our tension rose the more when one of them pointed at us, and then used her index finger to glide through her throat.

Was she? Were they? Oh! No no no. They can’t do that. It’s not right. They wouldn’t. I tried to convince myself.

“Oga please forgive her.”

“Have mercy on us”

“She’s someone’s wife, oga.” Pleaded some of us. As for me, I maintained my calm, and offered series of prayers to God.

Then, the thoughts of Dorothy came to mind. How she locked the door, and stood nude before me, with all her curves at the right places, and how I’d resisted and left the room. She may never forgive me for abandoning her at such intense point of sexual need, but I was keen to keeping my virginity. God will surely not abandon me in this manner. After the gesture of the female soldier, I looked fervently on God’s grace.

“Will you shut that gutter of a mouth, or would you rather join her?” Shouted the huge female soldier. Her English was surprisingly good. “The man she insulted, ” she continued ” don’t you know he’s someone’s son, husband, father, brother, best friend, and colleague?” What a valid point that was. The other lady soldier moved to the chubby woman, and pushed her out of the shade, and into the sun. “Move!” She ordered.

The male soldiers that drove in the truck parked in front of our bus, simply came out, and sat together on the bonnet of their truck, facing us. They had the disposition of people who were about to see a movie scene unfold. And yes. A showdown was imminent. The only error was that they had guns for popcorn.

The medium sized soldier woman moved about 20 feet away from where her colleagues were, and shouted. “Madam! You’re going to frog jump from where you are, to where I am, and back, twenty times.”

Everyone in the bus exclaimed. I didn’t know when I suddenly exclaimed “mad oo!”

“Una wan join ‘am?” Asks one of the soldiers who sat on their truck before us. I literally felt some heat run from my throat to my stomach, as I swallowed, while my heart plucked, bounced on my stomach, and went back to its position.

“No sir!” We shouted unanimously.

“Now listen,” continued the medium sized woman, addressing their chubby victim. “You shall do this punishment non-stop. Any time you stop, one of my colleagues would whip you with the twine she’s with” she said pointing at her colleague, who had gone to their jeep, and was coming back with a twine. “You dey hear?” She asked their victim, who was now tearfully pleading on her knees. But these ladies’ minds were set. She had to go through with the punishment or we’d spend the night there.

“Now move!” Commanded the lady soldier with the twine. Struggling with her size, the short, dark, chubby woman on a purple gown with braided hair and a light makeup, – which was now replaced with beads of perspiration – began the imperfect frog jumping. She hadn’t gone half way through when she got fatigued, stopped, and received her first whip. This inhumane treatment went on for about two hours. And just as they said, she did twenty frog jumps and from where I lost count, received thirteen whips.

She was unable to carry herself at the end of the punishment. She was bathed in tears and sweat. We literally lifted her into the bus, and drove off, amidst laughter and curses from the soldiers.

This was an experience I would never forget. She literally slept through the rest of the journey.

I was told a lot about plaza before getting to Uyo and so, I was very alert. It was 8:05pm when I got to plaza and with my luggage, stopped by a shoe vendor to pick one. I was about choosing one, when from behind, with some iron pressed into my rib, a voice order in a whisper “big boy”, no make any noise. Just jejely follow us or I go blow you shot.” I could perceive the stench of alcohol and cigarette from his breath as he spoke.