Soon, it was time for Francis to travel back to Jos.
Isabella pleaded with him to take her along that she was afraid he would forget
her when he got there. Francis told her it wont be possible since he was
leaving very soon for Liberia. But she insisted she was willing to come with
him and wait for his arrival from Liberia. She explained she’d enough of the
village life and would do anything to see the outside world. Francis thought
about what she said and decided to take her along with him to Jos.
“Even
if I leave for Liberia, the fact that someone who loved me was waiting for me
would give me immense strength and courage,” he said. Therefore, he told his
parents about his decision to take Isabella along and they agreed. The girl’s
father was also pleased with this arrangement. He confessed he was a bit
concerned that her daughter should not be allowed to rot in the village when
there were better things she could do with her life out there in the city. So
he gave them his blessings. They now fixed the marriage proper when Francis
comes back from Liberia.
Francis
got back to Jos with Isabella looking shy and pretty. They got to the barracks
and settled down. Francis lived in phase1, Block D section of the barracks. A
massive two storey building with series of rooms and parlour allocated to each
soldier. The whole place was filled up with children running around their
mother, throwing things at them, It was a sordid affair. Immediately he relised
this was not a place to bring up an innocent young girl who was going to be his
wife.
Before
long, she would have fallen prey to the immoral tendencies noticeable in most
barracks. Apart from that, he wont be around soon, he reckoned it would be
better to rent a place for her in town, and keep her busy with something to do.
Francis
went to town and rented a two bedroom apartment in a noiseless and clean
neighbourhood, furnished it to taste and enrolled her in weekend program in the
university of Jos. Isabella was very happy and told him in tears how much she
loved him. He stayed one month with her in Jos before he finally left for
Liberia. Those months were the happiest moments of Francis’s life. A period of
absolute well being and pleasant excitement. Francis loved Isabella and she
added happiness and joy to his life. She was his friend in time of trouble his
heart and soul.
Before
he left for Liberia, he bought a small pretty dog to keep her company. He named
this dog Whiskey. A very beautiful dog it was. Though, not one of those exotic
dogs. It’s a cross between the local and the exotic breeds. The dog went with
Isabella any where she went and ate whatever she ate.
Francis and his fellow military men landed in
Monrovia the capital of Liberia under the intense heat of the sun. Quickly,
they assemble in ECOMOG section of the town where they were given their first
bulletin.
Liberia
was in a state of ruin. Corpse littered everywhere, people were dying of
hunger, epidemic attack of typhoid, rape, armed robbery etc. Young girls were
raped in the broad day light and nothing could be done about it. Young men were
forcefully conscripted into the rebel army and they were used as stooges during
the attack. To compound the whole situation, the ECOMOG army was less equipped
compared to the rebel forces. Talking in terms of ammunition and weaponry, the
rebels were being supplied with sophisticated weapons by keeping more difficult
than ECOMOG soldiers had excepted.
For
a whole year, they were in Monrovia. Francis never knew it could take them that
long to bring peace back to Liberia. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought Isabella
to jos.” he regretted. However, thoughts of her kept him going. He missed her
so much that most nights, he lay sleepless recalling the good times they had
together. And he prayed fervently that they should be recalled back to Nigeria.
After almost what seemed like eternity, it was only
a year, they were called back to Nigeria. His happiness knew no bounds. Before
they left Monrovia, all their allowances were paid to them in full and it made
quite a pile. Before they were airborne, he went to the only market where good
things could he bought, though at very high prices. This was the black market
and it was operated by some powerful men in Liberia. He bought a lot of ladies
things, a video and television.
Immediately
they landed at the air port in Nigeria, they all filled into the waiting
military trucks headed for the barracks. By the time they were through with
procedures, he was aready on his way to the town. He had to see Isabella. It
was the only fire burning inside him. He couldn’t wait any longer. He had
missed her terribly.
When
he got to the apartment block he rented for Isabella the place was locked up
and it looked deserted. The first thing he thought was that Isabella had returned
back to village after she became tired of staying all by herself. He looked
around, looked through the windows, but there was no sign that someone was
living in that house.
Later,
he began to get worried. Francis thought anything bad could have happened to
her. As he thought along this direction, his heart began to beat faster and his
mouth went dry. All the excitement in him died. Not knowing what to do, he went
round the building and climbed the stairs with trembling, shaking legs to do
the landlady’s apartment. He reckoned
that the Landlady must know about her where about. He knocked on the
door “Yes who is that?” Came a reply “it’s me””you who?” Replied an angry
voice. “Sorry to disturb you please. It’s me Francis, the soldier whose wife
stays down stairs.” The door opened and the woman came out. After exchanging
pleasantries, Francis asked for Isabella. “Your wife has left O.” she informed
him. Francis could see that the woman was feeling very uncomfortable about
something. “Left for where?” he inquired further. The woman was silent, her
eyes down casting staring at the walls. Francis realized she was hiding
something. “Madam, please tell me what happened. I know nothing bad has happened
to her?” “My child” the woman called after a while “Look at the building over
there” she pointed at a building about two blocks away. “Do you know the young
man that lives there? The one that owns a white Santana car? Francis looked at
the direction of the house where the woman was pointing. But he didn’t know the
man she was talking about. “I don’t I know him” he replied her. “You don’t know
him? Well, I suppose your wife knows him. She has gone with him to Lagos” she
informed him. “To where, What for?” Francis asked the woman. By now he was
sweating with purpose. The woman did not reply him. Instead, she opened her
door and ushered him into the sitting room. There she told him how the man and
Isabella started relationship after he had left for Liberia. She told him how
the man would come into the house Francis rented for Isabella to spend the
night with her there. She said the man was a banker in Lagos and had come to
Jos for a project. After completing his assignment, Isabella left with him.
Francis found it difficult to believe all this. But deep down in his mind he
knew it was true.
With
heavy heart, he climbed down the stairs case to walk away. The he heard this
soft footstep following him from behind. When he looked back, he didn’t see any
person but he felt something crawling on the ground. With a start, he jumped
back only to see it was a dog. God! He shouted. It was whiskey. It was as thin
as a broom stick and house flies hovered around it from the wound it sustained
in the head. Whiskey began to wriggle its tail and jumped up in excitement. As
Francis looked down at the dog’s excited face, he began to cry. He couldn’t believe
it that a dog, which he had never done anything for which he never for once
showed any sign of love could be the only one to remember him and despite
series of hardship since Isabella left the house, could still remain Loyal. He
was really sad.
Quickly,
he gathered the dog in his arms and took it with him to the barracks. And since then the dog has been his only
companion.
Later,
Francis confirmed Isabella’s betrayal when he got back to the village. Her
mother was first person he saw when he got to their house. And when she saw
him, she couldn’t say a word. Instead, she look Francis hands and led him
silently to her husband. It was the man who now told Francis that Isabella was
in Lagos married to another man. He showed him the letter she had written. That
period was a traumatic one for Francis because he suffered so much, both
emotionally and psychologically. But it was not long, he had forgotten about
the experience. And now he is back to being his old self. Though he was not
married yet he had serious plans to settle down very soon. But he was very
careful this time about not being taken for a ride again.
Chapter Six of this Amazing story will drop a week from today.
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