REGRET

By Nnachetam Calista Chinonye

Sirens blasted across the street and I froze immediately. ‘No no no! I cannot be caught. I cannot go to prison,’ I thought to myself. Someone must have snitched on us and I think I know who did. Bayo; the gang leader must have had my exact thought because he immediately cursed; ‘Jagun! That bastard!’ ‘RUN!’ He ordered the four of us. We were on the eighth floor of a ten-story building and all began to scramble in different directions. I ran towards the elevator but it was not working then proceeded to hit all buttons numerous times but it still did not bulge. ‘FUUUCKKK!’ I screamed while running my hands in my already tousled hair. ‘USE THE STAIRS!’ One of my guys said and we immediately began sprinting downstairs. After what seemed like hours, we reached the basement and all the lights went off. I reached for the torchlight in my jeans but discovered I must have dropped it while on the race. Thankfully, Tunde immediately put on his but it was too late as I could feel the muzzle of a gun behind me and a voice ordering us to drop our weapons. Trembling, I dropped the pocket pistol I was with and raised up my hands. I slightly looked around to see Emeka’s hands also in the air, as a shot rang out of a gun. I looked and saw Tunde on the floor holding his left leg in agony. Apparently, he was trying to escape so he was made incapacitated by getting shot on his leg.

We were handcuffed and escorted to the police van. I began quivering as I realized just how much trouble I was in. My Father would for sure, disown me and my Mother would be disappointed. I may spend years in prison, if not a lifetime even. Looking around, I realized Bayo and the last guy named Saturn escaped the police. When we reached the Station, a nurse began tending to Tunde’s wounds while Emeka and I were shoved into different cells. Our phones were also confiscated, and by the next morning, were asked for the whereabouts of Bayo and Saturn as they did not return home that night. Emeka parents visited and were told we will be tried in court since it was a case of Armed robbery and not theft. Tunde was an orphan and had no relative who cared enough to visit.

My Father stormed inside the Station angrily with my mother wailing behind him. He was told the same thing as were told Emeka’s parents and was advised to get a Lawyer for me. My mother came sobbing to me, and with her hands of both of my cheeks asked me ‘Why?’ I sobbed bitterly in my heart and cursed the day I befriended Saturn. I remember a Classmate of mine advising me against him but I did not listen. My father meandered towards me and my heartbeat rapidly increased. I have feared my father for as long as I can remember. He has always been harder on me than my brothers but I always shrugged it off as me being the oldest child. Staring at me with eyes filled with hatred, he said; ‘I always knew you wouldn’t attain to anything honorable. That’s why I asked my wife here to take the other child instead of you at the orphanage, but she insisted it must be you. Now, just look at the pains and shame you’ve brought to this family!’

I moved away from the hands of the woman I’ve called ‘Mother’ all my life and retracted till my back hit the wall, then I slid down and stared into space. ‘Dotun,’ my mother pleaded as she  stretched out her hands to try and reach me. ‘Don’t mind him, we’ll make sure to get you out.’ She said in tears as my ‘father’ hauled her out. I ran both hands down my face as I thought of all the ways I had failed the woman who showered me with love and affection even though I was not her biological child and the man who had catered for my needs in my twenty-four tears of existence even if he had strongly disliked me all along.

Image