CHAPTER TWO

In Downtown or in most other commercial cities , it is close to difficult to drive and not find an excuse to call somebody an idiot or worse names than that. Some drive as though they left their brains at home. No wonder accidents were rife now, not just in this town but all over the world. Some who drove carelessly even had the effrontery to insult better drivers than themselves. 

A pastor who was bringing his kids home from school insulted a taxi driver whose recklessness almost got them both involved in an accident. Luckily, the pastor wasn't speeding and found himself unconsciously saying  the "F" word . Many people have‬‬‬ gotten into fights because of this trivial word. Well the pastor said it and cautioned his children never to use that word on people, and his kids heard it. His daughter who was about four years old said “Daddy, Jesus heard that,” it was a pitiful sight when he heard his daughter say that.

Michael was almost at old airport junction when a greedy taxi driver who was on high speed saw a passenger and just decelerated. Luckily, Michael who was driving behind him was not on high speed, maybe because mama was there, he also braked on time and swerved to the other side at the same time trying to avoid contact with other cars, mama was already shouting "Jesus" while Michael who had averted danger shouted “bullshit.” Annoyingly, the passenger was not going the driver's way, all that for nothing. 

 Michael and Mama arrived at the station without further incidents and as‬‬‬ Michael looked for space to park his car, no papa's car, Mama had already gotten out and dashed into the station. Typical mama, she ran as if she were a doctor rushing into the emergency room to save a life. 

The station had a hall, a long bench that was stuck into the floor, possibly to make stealing it impossible, and three policemen. There was a door that led into other rooms, cells and offices. But most of our people are just unfair to these police men. Yes, some are corrupt; having some corrupt elements‬‬. That does not mean they are all corrupt, just a part which brings disrepute to the larger house. All countries have some corrupt elements in their societies. In fairness to these people, they ought to be treated with regard. These men put their lives on the line, going after criminals who also possess sophisticated weapons as the policemen, though sometimes they run away over the sounds of Superior firepower of the police, shouldn’t they run? Was it that they had two lives or what? Again being poorly paid doesn't even motivate the policemen., The policeman who stood up to attend to mama was a constable, handsome and around twenty two to twenty three, he was neatly dressed, perhaps they put him there because of his neatness. Mama noticed he had brown teeth when he opened his mouth to talk to her and he was polite.

 “How may I help you ma?” He said. Mama always knowing how to blend in replied him.

 “My son,” referring to the young policeman. “My boy was brought in here,” she corrected herself, “my friend's son, please, I'm here to see him.” Michael had already joined mama. 

“Officer good afternoon,” he said.

“Bro, how are you doing?” The policeman asked. 

 “Sergeant, what do they want here?” A senior officer who was going through his phone and smiling suddenly looked up and asked.  Mama thought it was a show of superiority or perhaps to make himself noticed. 

“they came to see someone in our custody” The sergeant answered politely. Perhaps mama was right, he should have heard what mama said without having to ask the constable. Mama played along, she was now talking to him.

 “Jesse,” she said, “a student from the university, he was brought into your custody today.”

 “Ohhhh,” the sergeant remarked .  “Those boys that vandalised government property.” Mama didn't know whether it was a question or a statement. She only looked at Michael who was already looking at her. “Who are you to him?” the man asked‬‬‬.

“I’m his mother's friend, and my son,” grabbing Michael, “and this is his childhood friend.” The sergeant was already going through a book, a book with names and used his finger to point to a certain name.

“Jesse Longs,” he said, mama was already nodding and even calling his middle name.

“Musa, his middle name is Musa. Please what time did they bring him here?” She managed to ask.

 “It was around nine or ten in the morning,” the sergeant answered. Mama looked at her watch, it was after four already, that meant he'd been there for almost six hours. “the sergeant will bring him out of the cell so you can see him before we go into the proper proper thing when our boss comes back.”  Michael thought he knew what the sergeant meant by 'proper proper thing'- which in local parlance means bribing your way out. As the sergeant left to get Jesse, mama began bringing something out of her bag- it was a food flask.

‘Damn mama,’ Michael thought, when could she have gotten time to get some food for Michael? But that was mama for you, always coming through. Her ability to fit in anywhere ‬‬‬ always thrilled Michael. For example, the way she developed good rapport with these policemen was exceptional. Another person? maybe the policemen would have been threatening to throw him or her into the police cell or would have been teaching such a person courtesy and manners lesson. But not mama, she blended in well, naturally, that was her gift; to get into people, to carry them along to the top and sustain them up there. 

Whenever mama went to a house of mourning, she knew how to behave and convince people she was deeply touched, she would cry and console others. She wouldn't leave on time, coordinating the women fellowship members. During celebrations, birthday, wedding, or even 'Pusdung festival,’ mama knew how to dance well, she would try steps younger people were enjoying and they would laugh with her, not at her, enjoying it and hailing her, it was real and natural for mama, another person tries it and it becomes fake, artificial, often generating insults, sometimes. There is this African saying’ When translated means, what one does and gets celebrated, another would only get shame and disgrace. I think mama is always on the side of those who get to be celebrated, not disgraced. And that was just what she had just done here, with these policemen, entered their arena, tamed them and now they were giving her what she came for, at least for now.

 Seeing Jesse was the first on the list, no need to rush, one step at a time, one step at a time. She knew it was one step at a time and that the time to do the main thing which was getting Jesse out would come, but now, she just had to take it slow and steady. She knew she had this under control.   

There were four cells in the station, each no bigger than a room you could find in a motel but well occupied, a perfect example of over population. In Jesse's cell there were seven inmates, the inmates were all different - tall, short, bearded, handsome, ugly, scared. Some stood while others sat. Jesse was among those who stood close to the door holding the railings. He was not used to this environment, he had never been in a police cell before, well, there is‬‬‬ always a first time for everything. No one was born and tagged with the word 'cell' on his head, something or nothing would take you there, the guilty and innocent all end up in a cell, that is the world we live in.‬‬‬ The day for him to end up in the cell had come, and he had ended up in one just like the others. Some for the first time like him while others were no visitors to the cell. Well, here he was in the cell, indeed his day had finally come.