Busy Busy

Her heart beat accelerated. She could feel blood rushing through her veins. Calm down! She cautioned herself. Taking steadying breathes Sarah tried to focus on her clients and not the anger rising within her.

“My son is innocent. They just want to victimize him because my husband is dead.” 

The woman said on a sob and dabbed at her swollen eyes with a damp handkerchief.

Indeed! Sarah thought and shifted her gaze to the cute boy seated next to the whimpering lady. He should be in his early twenties she guessed while taking in his popped collar and fake “bling-blings.” Guilty as Charged was written all over him. He was definitely guilty she concluded. In fact, she could bet her wig and gown on it. Suddenly running out of patience with the sobbing woman, Sarah sat back and cleared her throat noisily...

“Madam, please excuse us for a while. I need to speak with your son privately.”

The woman got up slowly and left the office.  Once the door was firmly shut behind her, Sarah pushed away from her desk and strode to the window.

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life in jail?” her voice dripped of acid.

“No Ma. Please...”

Turning away from the window, she noticed that the boy was more relaxed and had turned slightly in his chair. He even had an awry smile on his young face.

“Do you believe I can help you win your case?” she walked back and stopped right in front of him. Her face was expressionless.

“I believe Ma.”

“I want you to think about your answer because this is the last time I will ask you this question. Tell me the truth; are you guilty?”

He hesitated. She waited…

According to Sarah, her bling-bling client used to live in the village with his mum. His dad passed away and life became very difficult for them. He was invited to Abuja to live with his uncle, a young father. The regular family accepted him into their circle and the kids called him brother. Bling-bling was exposed to the good life and before long; he was more of a city boy than a village lad. He was loved by all and worshiped by the kids. Years later, young uncle got promoted at work and his wife’s business went global. They became too busy. They were hardly home and as to be expected, bling-bling was left in charge.

One day, young uncle came home unannounced and walked in on bling-bling in a compromising position with his daughter.Bling-bling had raped the little girl. It was not the first time. It turned out that he was a notorious rapist back in the village. The signs were there, but mum and dad were too busy to notice.

This is not the first child abuse case. In fact it will not be the last. Some unlucky children have been sold into trafficking, turned into addicts or brutally murdered by people they trusted.

I am not going to write a long essay on this matter. I am not going to tell you how to run your homes. I am not even qualified. However, if you are a parent and you are privileged to be reading my boring, same old story today, I just want you to answer this question;

ARE YOU TOO BUSY FOR YOUR HOME?