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By Nitefury
III **Revenge is an act of passion**
JANE DUKE
She knocked on the gate after the Major drove off to
meet up with
the party waiting for him. “Who’s that?”
The voice of one of the police officers guarding their
residence thundered from inside the compound.
“Jane.. It’s me Jane” She replied Calmly
“Who?” The officer repeated again with leaving his
position.
From inside the compound their personal security and
gate keeper moved towards the gate but was shouted
at by the same officer saying “Peter don’t open that
gate if the person can’t answer”
“Open the gate Oga Peter.. It’s me” Jade replied
calmly in Efik now knowing who was behind the gate.
“Madam Jane.. It’s that you” Peter replied happily
recognizing Jade’s voice.
“It’s me” She replied smiling at the elderly man as he
threw the smaller gate open for her.
Calmly she walked in saying a casual “Good evening”
to the two police officers who had quickly stood up to
see if it was truly her. They both didn’t know her
because they were only recently drafted there by the
commissioner of police after she was kidnapped. Peter
on his on part started singing God a praise song in
their local Efik language as he quickly locked the gate
and followed Jade towards the main building. The
police officers too surprised at the turn of events
quickly followed the Peter as they all left their post.
******
Dr. Duke was on the phone talking to the police
commissioner who then promised to send more men to
guard their house that night and that he’ll be there the
next day himself.
“You say where dis they take you to? How did they find
you?” He asked Jade taking a seat opposite his wife
and kids.
“When I woke up, I was in the midst of other girls and
for the next days we were locked up in that particular
room. Twice daily we were fed but nothing else was
done all we saw were men brandishing guns around
us. We didn’t know if we were to be sold into slavery or
used for rituals….” Jade began but was interrupted by
her mother
“God forbid my child being used for rituals or slavery”
Her mom said interrupting her. “It is not your portion.
It will never be the portion of any one of my children.
You shall not die prematurely. The devil is a liar. My
God is alive that’s why He brought you back
unscathed” She continued not letting Jade answer her
father’s questions. All the while she held Jade close to
her b—m in what was a bear hug. She continued
singing God’s praises in tears while Jade’s younger
siblings who sat next to Jade also struggled to touch
her.
She just wouldn’t let her off her hands as she felt she
would go missing again. Though she had eventually
delivered her own biological children (a set of male and
female twin) five years after she Jade was found at
their doorstep, she still treated Jade like her biological
and only child. The birth of the twin was attributed to
the arrival of Jade and the fact that she completely
ruled out mothering her own biological child leading to
a rest of mind.
She and her husband had at the last minute jettisoned
the operation but opted to treat the tumor in her womb
again that year. The tumor never appeared again and a
few years later when she was told she was pregnant
having suddenly fainted one evening, she didn’t
believe. Jade was like her backbone and pillar having
grown fond of girl.
“For the next week, one girl would be picked and we
never saw her again. Finally on Friday night they
carried what was the remaining 5 of us and led us
outside into a boat with our hands tired behind us. No
one dared them because they made it clear you would
summarily be shot. That was when I realized we were
on an island of some sort. The whole place was very
dark and silently I began to pray while most of the
other girls were crying as the journey started..”Her
mom interrupted again
“Yes my daughter. And God answered those prayers..
That’s why I always teach you children to pray but you
like sleeping during prayers” Her mom said with
reference to her younger siblings
She continued when her dad asked her to with a wave
of his hand “After about 20 minutes, we then suddenly
saw beams of bright lights being pointed towards the
boats carrying us. One of the men asked us to lie down
quickly on the floor of the boat as the boat came to a
stop. Next thing we heard was the sound of another
boat approaching with the occupants of the other boat
asking some questions in a language I haven’t heard
before. And before we knew what was going on,
someone on our boat opened fire on the approaching
boat and seconds later all we heard were heavy and
scary gunshots. Three of our kidnappers were shot as
the other quickly jumped into the river leaving us
behind..” Mom interrupted again
“They’ll continue to run my child. They’ll never find
peace. You are God’s own child and those children of
darkness have no power over you… Hehehehehehe”
She laughed mocking the devil
“The men in the other boat entered our boat and saw
us. They untied us and took us in theirs to another
place after collecting whatever they could find in ours
including the guns of the dead men. They asked us
some questions about the men and we told them we
were kidnapped and they told us we were to be sold of
for different purposes. They kept is in their camp that
night and Saturday afternoon we were blindfolded and
led into their boat to our surprise. We started begging
and crying but were shouted at to remain quiet. After a
long while on the boat we were asked to remove our
blindfold that was when I realized we were obviously in
rivers state or Akwa Ibom. But I was sure it was rivers
since I didn’t understand the language.
The men carrying us told us once they drop us at the
jetty, we were on our own and shouldn’t say anything
about who rescued us both should quietly find our way
home. As we were about leaving, one of them who had
been given instructions came down and told me and
another girl from owerri to follow him. He took us to
Portharcourt and put us in a hotel saying he had seen
me on Tv and all.
He left us with some money to get food but suggested
we stay there because they might be looking for us.
That is the group who kidnapped us. Being scared, we
obeyed and again he looked very friendly. It was from
there I called you with his phone. So today he first took
the other girl to her place in Owerri before driving me
Calabar. He just left as soon as he dropped me at the
gate” She ended the tale again having told them the
first time when she came into the house
“We thank God for your safety my child. Tomorrow
we’ll go and check you up in the hospital. Don’t know
what they were feeding you people with” He said as he
stood up from his seat
“Daddy I’m fine” She insisted again saying she didn’t
want any attention
“Are you doctor? Until a doctor says you’re find, you’re
not” He said telling her she had no choice which she
knew.
“Honey come lets pray o..” Her mother called out to
the dad who just left them
“What about Vicky’s parents?” She asked her mom
when her dad answered that he was coming.
“They fixed her burial in her village for this coming
Friday” She told her
******
The next day she sat behind with her dad on his way to
the hospital. Someone called him and they both talked
for a few seconds with him thanking the person.
“That was your mom’s brother in London. I asked him
to look for a good university for you. We’re transferring
you from here” The day turned and said to her
“Huh…?” She bloated out surprised before adding “I’m
not leaving Calabar o. The time I wanted a foreign
university have passed. I’ve already started here o.
Was it mommy that came up with this idea? And you
are decided for me?” She replied her dad matter of
factly
He knew she meant what she just said because she
hardly talked to him that way. It was actually her
mom’s decision during the night to send her out of
country and for some reason he had just kept quiet.
“So that you’ll go missing again and give your mother a
heart attack right?” He asked calmly in a bid to support
his wife
“Dad I’ll be fine. Even if it’s to move back home for
now” she said
“This people must be joking” She thought in her head.
She is far from the Jane they both knew.
TBC

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