Consequences

Chapter 48

Twenty-four hours passed by before Nancy ordered a policeman to bring me out of my cell room. When he came, he handcuffed me and then lead me to her office.  I got into her office and saw her looking out of the window.

The officer who brought me left and finally, we were alone. She stared at me. Then she walked up to me and shook her head.

"How did my best friend get to this point, Tola?" I bent my head as seeing her, tears started filling my eyes.
"There's no use crying, now that you've crossed the line from being the sincere friend I once had...,"
"Nancy, I am sincere. I still am." I interrupted her.
"And you want me to believe you when I saw you pointing a gun at an innocent man?" My face suddenly lit up. What was she driving at, telling me Ola was an innocent man?

With the handcuffs still on me, I used the back of my hands to wipe my tears. I then looked at her. Alone with her in her office, she had to really tell me what was going on.

"Nancy how sincere are you in all of this?" I asked her.
"What are you talking about?"
"Nancy you were there right from the beginning. You of all people knew my relationship with Ola. Now you see me as a criminal and Ola as an innocent man?" Nancy bent her head when I said that. When she raised it up she went to sit down.

"You and Ola are like family, Nancy. Maybe that's why you can't see beyond that, can you?"

"Tola, everyday I work to keep the streets of Lagos free of criminals. I do it for a living." I laughed when she said that. When I stopped laughing, I looked at her seriously.
"Yes, I know that. But you go after petty criminals, and not the big ones like Ola." With that she got up.

"Tola who are you to tell me how to do my job?!" She shouted. I had to shout back.
"Nancy go after big criminals like Ola! Go after them!" With that she came over to me and gave me another slap.

"Go on slap me! Slap me, you can even lock me up and throw away the keys! I told Miss K herself that I have nothing to lose!" Nancy folded her arms and stared at me in silence.

"Nancy, I have nothing to lose," I said shaking my head, " Since the day I found him in a pool of blood, everyone including you told me to forget about what happened and move on. Look at me here in handcuffs while the woman who pointed a gun at me is allowed to walk away freely. And you want me to believe you keep the streets of Lagos free of criminals? Nancy tell me a better lie!"

Nancy couldn't say a word but kept staring at me. Then she sighed and I knew she was about to say something.

"Tola, na your stubbornness carry you enter this wahala. See as you just dey shout dey talk to me anyhow."

"And how am I suppose to talk to you?"
"Na because I be your friend naim make you dey raise voice for me."
"Look even if it was another officer, I am only standing for my right."
"Tola, which right?" She asked me.
"Which right? Nancy are you taking me to be a fool?"
"Answer the question since you know you have rights."

This is where I found myself confused about what rights I really had. I had seen a woman who had pointed a gun at me not being arrested. What right did she have to walk away armed while I was arrested?

My silence didn't surprise her. She only smiled as she knew I wouldn't give her a satisfactory answer. Just then her phone rang and she picked it up. When she finished talking she looked at me.
"Tola, your parents are here. What do I tell them?" My eyes widened at the mention of my parents.
"Where are they?"
"They are out there in the reception room."

I closed my eyes as the sight of my parents seeing me in handcuffs was something I couldn't stand, especially my mother.

Knowing what had happened, she would start making a scene. I didn't want that happening, but I had no choice.