Her Boyfriend, My Husband

CHAPTER 48

Abdallah's POV

A loud banging sound made my sleeping eyes slowly open up to the sight of the constable knocking on the window of my car. My limbs started awakening and hurriedly, I sat up straight and reeled down the glass, wiping my eyes of their drowsiness before I could focus on the lankily built police officer.

I'd spent the greater part of the night in my parked car outside the police station waiting for the DPO on duty to arrive so we could discuss Salim's bail. And the wait had gotten so long that in my tiredness, I dozed off and slept in the driver's seat of my car, something I hadn't done since my exam days in university.

Now, a new morning has rolled around and a fog clouded the atmosphere thickly in a sheet of mist. To any other person, it wasn't that cool of a weather but owing to my high sensitivity to the cold, I felt chilled. I rubbed my hands together and pulled the hood of my jacket over my head before opening the door and exiting the car. Sleeping in such a cramped position made my back crack and I had to stretch to my full height to loosen my muscles.

"Oga," the officer said, his black beret set at an awkward angle on his egg shaped head. "The DPO don come."

"Alright," I slapped my face to fully wake myself up, "What time is it?"

"6:41 am."

"You told me he'd be here by 3 am." I said, partly annoyed at having wasted hours and hours hampered in the driver seat. "And you made me spend the night here waiting for him."

"Na that time he suppose resume nah, but you no say how things dey." Answered the officer and the sheepish grin on his face as he rubbed the back of his head made me know what he was going to say even before he said it.

"Oga, anything for your boy?"

I side eyed him before stuffing my hand in my jeans pocket and handing him a 500 naira note. He collected it with a wide smile and I knew he would have collected it just as gratefully even if it was a 50 naira note in its place. He was a low ranking constable that I just needed to keep me informed and as long as I gave him something to grease his hands, he would do the job just fine.

"Listen, I'm going to go pray. I'll be back very soon, you have my number so call me immediately if something comes up."

"Yes oga, thank you." he called after me as I entered my car and drove off.

I utilized my time well enough that in twenty minutes, I was back having prayed and freshened up in the nearest mosque. I parked within the premises of the police station, and walked past two flag posts that hanged the fluttering green white green Nigerian flag and the blue yellow and green flag of the Nigerian Police Force.

I had stepped into this same old tattered building many times before but I had never been so discouraged as I've been now. Never have I seen anyone from my family behind bars but just last night, all thanks to Salim and his blunder, that was the sight I had to suffer with.

Instead of being directed straight to the DPO's office, I was asked to wait yet again to my great dismay. I puffed out a tired and exasperated sigh as I sat down on an old chair to commence the wait that lasted up until I was dozing off yet again. When I was finally called in, it was almost mid day, meaning my spending hours waiting was absolutely useless. I wish I had just gone home and had some good sleep instead.

I knocked twice before the DPO answered and with an irritated voice, told me to come in. The door squeaked when I opened it and immediately, I set my eyes on the man seated behind a worn-out table, clad in his sky blue police uniform and black beret, I knew he wasn't going to be too pleasant to handle.