hidden truths 8

The girl moved out of the room still confused as Banji enters slightly limping. Banke ran out of the bed and hugged her husband. Minus his limping he is now a bit more radiant and fresh. One could see the effect of his just being out of the hospital on him. When he saw his twin brother they hugged each other and started crying. Their wives looked at each other. Then the questions started pouring. Everyone minus Banji wanted to know what happened. They were all curious about who was buried and how he found himself in London. Banji postponed his answers to some time after lunch.They went to Zenith Water Margin and after a good Chinese meal they drove home. Home to the home of the D’Almeilda’s. Banji started explaining how he had died and now is no more dead.

“When I left you that 10th day of April last year I had the intention of going to ‘Whispering Palms’ on the way to Badagry. I was really agitated and worried. Here I was with a secret which I could share with you then. I wanted to be sure that Taye would be around before telling you.Your anger about Bimbo here got to me, more especially when you told me of your barrenness. So I – was speeding and at the same time thinking about telling you the truth. I was really disturbed. I was disturbed because you did not trust me. I was also disturbed because I know if I had been in your shoe I could do the same. It was just after the toll gate at Badagry that the accident occurred. I blacked out. I became catatonic and the car went straight into the bush. I did not regain consciousness so to say until I found myself in London. At first I did not know I was in London, so I called for you.The Doctor looked at me and waited until I could feel and remember things before telling me I was in London. I then wrote the letter which you must have got now and also wrote Taye to make sure he keeps the 10th of April 1992 date. I was not sure I would survive the operation then but the doctors gave me a 50-50 chance. I survived the operation and today here I am with you”

“So, who then was buried,Taye D’Almeida?” she asked

“I don’t know. Banke, who told you I died?”

“The policeman who came after the accident did”, she said.

She explained how the policeman had asked her questions and showed her his I.D. card. The policeman also informed her that there was an accident. He came with a plain clothes man who was a Lt. Colonel in Army Intelligence.They both explained about the accident informing her it was on the way to Badagry. She went along with them to the scene of the accident. She explained that she saw the burnt out car with only the number registering it as her husband’s.The policeman told her they did not see a body and that it must have been burnt. It was on their way back to the patrol car that she saw Banji’s handbag. That confirmed his death for her. She became disturbed, distraught and full of guilty feelings. She went through the burial and other arrangements lifeless, broken and weeping. It was after the burial that she accepted the fact that he is dead.

What brought her hope however was the appearance of the twin brother and the letter he brought to her.Taye explained how he was not able to come on April 10th 1992 as he promised because the Royal authorities in Saudi Arabia did not grant his travel permit. The Queen mother was seriously sick and as the physician to the Queen, he had to stay around.They allowed him after the Queen improved, which was almost six months after the date he promised. When he got the letter from London, he decided to come during April 1993 and also to come back home and settle down and reconcile with his twin. He came down to hear he is dead. After the explanations, Banji and his wife were driven home with the promise of checking the D’Almeilda’s the next morning.

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