CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

“let me help you out on this, i got married in my third year in the university. I was very young innocent back then, I was only twenty two years, don’t think further.”

“Wow, wow,” he chuckled, thinking of what to say. “Well, Mrs Helen Gambo. Let me buy you lunch. No strings attached.”

“No strings attached?” she asked.

“Yep, Mrs, i cross my heart, no strings attached.”

“Very well then, no strings attached, just keep remembering I’m Mrs Helen Gambo.” She laid much emphasis on the ' Mrs.’

 Nandem should have left her alone after that lunch but he didn’t, he kept thinking about Helen, disturbing Helen, making her uncomfortable in camp. She was so glad when the program came to an end and they left the camp, at least that madness would stop, but it didn’t. 

Nandem would call her when he felt she wasn’t home, he would try to chat with her online but Helen stood her ground, she wouldn’t budge. She had stood before God and men to say her marital vows, she wouldn’t renege on those vows now because some lost sheep was disturbing her, she had been down this road before, before she got married and even in marriage. 

She knows the game so well. What did this one know? Did he know what being a married woman meant? Yes, she had seen married women in camp going after single and younger boys, but so what? That was their problem, not hers. She wasn’t in their class, she wouldn’t be in their class, she belonged to the class of faithful women. 

Helen eventually got her husband involved  when she felt she had had enough of Nandem's stupidity. Her husband, a pharmacist involved his police friend and they planned a sting operation, being friends with police comes with it’s edges, at times. They decided they needed to teach this boy a lesson, how to stay clear of people’s wives. It was well planned. 

Helen would begin to reason with Nandem, give him the impression she was into him and ready to play dirty, and they would see how things would turn out. It worked as planned, he fell into their trap. She kept teeing him up until he invited her on a date, to meet him in a hotel room. She told her husband and they all agreed with the plan, she would meet him in the hotel room and try to play along. 

 The day came and Nandem tried to be at his best that day_ in action, words and outfit. He tried on a native wear but felt it was inappropriate for where he was going to. He tried on a suit but thought getting the suit off might take time. He eventually settled for a long sleeve shirt, a jean trouser. He put on different perfumes, he thought he needed to smell nice. 

He got to the hotel, a carefully selected one free of scrutiny and familiar faces, paid for the room and went in. It was nice room with a big bed, TV, a sofa and a table. He checked his watch, it was around six thirty, there was still time, what was the rush for? 

After all her husband had traveled for a conference. He turned on the TV to keep himself busy instead of thinking. His phone rang at exactly ten minutes after seven, it was Helen. He went out and saw her standing under a tree in the compound. She was beautiful, she was a beautiful creature, the t shirt and the jean trouser she had on only complimented her beauty. 

“Hello,’ he said. ' You look beautiful, just like an angel”

“Thanks.’ She smiled. ' Let’s go in, I don’t want any body I know seeing me here in a hotel.”

“Sure,' he said and they walked through the hallway straight into the room. “You are welcome,” he said. “What can I get you to eat or drink?”

“Not now,' she was nervous but she smiled to hide her nervousness. ' Let me wash myself, just get us anything, drinks, non alcoholic for me.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” He rushed out to make an order.  She walked to the bathroom, typed a short message and sent to her husband who was outside, if Nandem had been vigilant, he would have noticed something was off track when he went to meet her. When she came out of the bathroom, he had returned from the bar and was sitting  on the sofa. 

He stood up the moment she walked out of the bathroom, a sign of respect, he had been brought up that way. She smiled, the knock on the door took away the smile that had formed on her face. ' It must be the barman,' he said. He walked to the door, when he opened the door, men in black uniforms pushed him back into the room, they had descended on him, slapping, kicking. 

It happened so fast, he was trying to protect his face but he still saw, he saw Helen walk into an embrace, she was crying. That was when he realised the game is up, he had been drawn into this game plan, that Helen had planned it with her husband and these men, these men in black uniforms, these policemen. 

“you left all the single ladies in town for married women right? So your special delicacy is other people’s property right?” anyway by the time we are done with you you will know what time is it. A stern looking police man said, “we will deal with you so that the next time you see married woman, in fact any woman at all, that silly thing inside your pant will advise you to run far away or stay clear.”

Nandem was beaten point blank and taken away to the police station, the police station where Helen's husband's friend worked. There he will be closely monitored and made to suffer for his sin, the sin of wooing another man's wife. That was how Nandem ended up being in the same cell with Gabriel the kidnapper.