Forbidden Love - S01 E12

Story 3 years ago

Forbidden Love - S01 E12

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 12

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This chapter is Dedicated to all innocent prisoners suffering in our Prisons.
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PRESIDENTIAL PARDON AND A SURPRISE

{Abena’s POV}

10 Years later

Apart from your freedom that is denied you, life in Ghana prison is like living in hell even for one day , not to talk about one year, let alone ten years.

If you are convicted for capital offences, consider yourself dead before your time. Honestly, I didn’t know how I survived that inhuman environment for ten years. I still have thirsty five(35) years to go.

I knew I will die before then.
A Prisoner’s daily life takes place according to a daily schedule determined by the laid down rules and regulations in the prison.

The food you are given in the prison isn’t food that you will eat at home; it is food cooked by prison standards.Meat and fish were eaten once in a blue moon.

The food served there was so terrible that it was not fit for even a dog. The banku had no salt and the soups were so light that you could see your reflection in it.

I met Portia in prison. She told me she was arrested for killing a teenager she had no idea about; a fellow left a vehicle in her care which later turned out to contain the body of a teenage girl. She was arrested for that and she ended up in prison after the fellow told the police she( Portia) had stolen her car.

For a little comfort , one must indulge in lesbianism. An older
woman who had a little bit of privilege or serving inmate will have “Supi”(sexual intercourse) with an inmate who allowed it in exchange for giving her good food and basically providing a comfortable life for her.

The state of the prison was a very disturbing sight to the eye, people were arrange like sardines like slaves in Europeans ships, making it difficult to breathe. We were overcrowded.

There were frequent disease outbreaks and wee smoking .‘Wee’ in the prison cells, yes, the hard drug ‘wee’ and other illegal materials prohibited in the cells were smuggled into the cells. 
The Prisons were a place where little or no attention is paid to inmates’ health; they were left to their own fate when they fall ill.

When you prove stubborn,you would be beaten mercilessly by your own inmates.

Nurses and Health Aides who operated infirmaries and clinics within the prison facility were quack and not qualified. 
They were unexperience and didn’t knew the drugs they administered very well. I was once given a bad injection and that worsen my situation resulting in chronic pains all over my body.Sometimes we had to prescribe drugs for ourselves.
Though it’s unlawful and illegal for a prison officer to brutalize or assault an inmate, it was rampant to get beaten by prison wardens to the point of death.

I fell very ill in prison. It became very serious and I was rushed to Korle-bu Teaching Hospital. I knew that was the malady that could take me to the land of the dead but it turned out to be another disappoint
ment. I was told I was in Come for two weeks. When I finally woke up, I was told the President had fred some of us. He had exercised his powers of prerogative of mercy to grant remission to 100 persons under Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution in consultation
with the Council of State based on the recommendation of the Prisons Service Council.
The freed prisoners range from first time offenders, seriously ill inmates, very old prisoners among others and I happened to be among those freed. I was did discharged from hospital. I was so elated to regain my freedom. I founded my feet and walked briskly towards the exit of the hospital. Just when I was about to finally step out of the hospital yard, I bumped into a gentlemen. He was dressed like a doctor.

He gazed at me with curious eyes and I also gazed at him with the same curiosity. I said, “Sorry Sir” and started moving away.

“Abena!!” I heard a familiar voice called my name.
“Oh, no , God. Tell me I’m dreaming. That person couldn’t be calling me now.

“Abena!!!!”
That is his voice. It’s unmistakenly clear and audible.
Familiarity registered in my ears.

My heart thumped sporadically and my breathing became intermittent. I almost jumped out of my skin. Suddenly, beads of sweat found their ways through my pores, unto my skin and I could feel cold shivers down my spine. My heart hammer with fury against my ribcage.

My knees became weak and I was breathless. My knuckles shivered and my limbs felt paralysed. Collapsing seemed eminent. I feel like tearing the sky open and jumping onto its ceiling.

“ABENA!!!!!” It’s me…..”
The familiar deep voice echoed in my ears again. I turned round and saw the owner of the voice. My heart sunk and goose pimples sprang onto my skin immediately. I felt like urinating in my pants but then the urine suddenly disap
peared. I brushed my face again to see if  I was dreaming in my sleep or I was fully awake.” Am I in a trance or hypnosis ?”

I tried to move my legs but they seemed to be pinned to the ground
Lacking the belligerence to take me from such heart thumping situation. After much struggle, my legs lightened up and I broke into a run.

“Please it’s me, ABENA, don’t run away.”

He started running after me but I ran faster. I didn’t know I had ran so far . I started panting, yet I ran on.
Then I felt a strong hand grabbed me by the waist. I tried to extricate myself from him but he was too strong for me.
In the course of the scuffle, we fell on the pavement,closed to a taxi ranch, in the full glare of onlookers.

We made a huge scene there. Hundreds of people , mostly the sellers and taxi drivers.They gaze at us in amazement. He was oblivious to my discomfiture when the crowd gazed at us and cuddled me.
Feeling his fleshy components assured me it’s him, not a spirit.
I shouted, “FAFA?!!!!”
I looked at him wordlessly again.

I was nervous but very excited.
I tried to talk but no word came out from my knotted throat.
Then he hugged and kissed me. We began to cry for joy.
“Why did you……”
“Shhhhh, not now,” he cut me off.

He smiled and say, “don’t worry. When we reach my place, I will explain everything to you. My car is in the hospital years. Let’s go get it, dear.”

#prison

#agamahfrancis