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Episode 5. - #On The Run.
I spent two days inside the apartment without venturing outside. I knew that miss Madam would be waiting for me somewhere in the dark corner of a building near my house.
I had two taxi numbers, therefore on the third day, I called one to pick me up in front of my house.
He drove me straight to Rossio area to buy food stuffs. It was a very open area, so I didn't fear being attacked by anybody; I was wrong.
A prostitute spotted me and called the madam. The news that Jennifer was with me had spread like wildfire all over the Nigerian community in Lisbon. The whole thing was becoming dangerous to me.
I was on the look out for her and her husband all through my shopping. Lisbon was a small city where everybody shops in the same area.
I saw her coming towards me from about 200 meters down the road. I brought out my Motorola Razor phone and put it on a recording mode.
The madam arrived and saw me carrying a nylon bag full of food items. She blocked my way and stood there vibrating like a toy gun.
'' What is it again'' I asked, trying as much as possible to be economical with words since my own voice was being recorded too.
'' Where is Jennifer, I'm the one that brought her to this country, I spent a lot of money to bring her here. If you don't show me where she is, I will take your name to the shrine. You will die'' she shouted in my face.
I remained calm knowing that every single word from her mouth was being recorded.
'' What is voodoo'' I asked; More silly questions as usual.
'' Na charm be that, you don hear, na mamiwoter'' she yelled.
'' Ok, I will tell her to leave my place, if she wants to return to you, that one is her business. Please don't send my name to any deity in Nigeria'' I said pretending to be very scared.
'' Give me your phone number'' I said without hope of her doing that.
She refused and said I should just tell her to return to her house.
I agreed and as soon as I turned to go, she called my name.
'' Bros, I spent big money to bring Jennifer to Europe, If you want to live with her or marry her, you must pay me 40,000 euros'' she said.
That was it. The very line I was hoping to record. She had just delivered it unadulterated.
I just nodded and left the scene.
I returned to the house and kept the food items in the kitchen. I went into the room and saw Jennifer sleeping. I didn't want to wake her up, so I went back to the kitchen and boiled 4 eggs. I opened a can of cooked maize and a can of cooked green beans. I also opened a can of smoked fish and made Salad.
I ate alone in the sitting room. After the food, I went into the bathroom and took my bath, then I returned to my room and woke Jennifer up.
'' Baby we need to talk'' I said.
She kept quiet.
'' I saw your madam again today at Rossio. She confronted me and asked that I tell you to come back to her today'' I continued.
I brought out my phone and played back the conversation I had recorded. It was as clear as a studio-recorded conversation.
She listened carefully and when it stopped, she smiled.
'' What do you want to do with this'' she asked.
'' I don't know, but I will think of something soon'' I said.
My first thought was to go to Police. The European authorities had been debating over human trafficking and the suitable punishment for the offenders. It would be a massive evidence if they got their hands on the recorded conversation.
The problem however was that I haven't gotten my resident permit. My virgin passport was not enough to be a witness in an European court.
The Second option was blackmail; yes blackmail. I had nothing to lose. Miss Madam and her voodoo whatever didn't scare me a bit. I have never regarded any deity as powerful enough to harm me.
Blackmail sounded a better option but the problem was how to began.
I called Francis, my flatmate and told him what was happening. He said he heard they were looking for a girl but didn't know it was Jennifer. He was in for the blackmail but warned me to be careful. Unlike me, He was scared of voodoo.
The following day, I got miss Madam's phone number from Jennifer and called her. I scheduled to meet with her in Elephant Blanco restaurant.
I got there 30 Minutes before time and hide in a kiosk across the street. I smoked a Marlboro Menthol cigarette and waited. Some 20 Minutes to time, she showed up with two men I had never seen before.
She went inside while the two men walked towards me and crossed the one-way street to the kiosk. They bought a pack of chewing gum and sat on the concrete bench a few meters away from where I was sitting. I had switched off my phone when I saw them coming. I pretended to have received a call, put my phone on my ear and talked on the phone while walking away from them.
I crossed the road and walked faster towards the bus stop. Luckily for me, a bus was coming up.
I ran to the bus stop to be able to be there on time before the bus stopped.
(Unlike Germany where every bus was required to stop at the stations even if there was nobody there, Portugal bus would drive-bye if nobody was at the bus station).
I was in time for the bus. As I entered, I looked down the street and saw miss madam coming out of the restaurant while trying to make a call with her phone. I guessed she was dialing my digits but it was off.
As soon as I settled down in the bus, I switched on my phone and called her.
'' Where you dey, I don come for the place'' she said as soon as she picked my call.
'' I warned you not to come with anybody'' I said.
'' I am here alone Bros'' she lied.
'' No, you are with two Policemen'' I said knowing that the men were not police. I just wanted to push her to the edge to spill out her intentions.
'' They no be police, na my friends'' she said.
I hung up the call and waited. I knew she would call again and she did immediately.
'' What is it madam'' I asked that silly question again.
Before she could say anything, I cut off the line again and switched off my phone.
I stopped at the next bus stop and walked to the road parallel to the one I was and took another bus down to the SANTA APOLONIA train station. Then I crossed the Tagus River through the long VASCO DAGAMA bridge and went to a bar with snooker tables at Rua Antonio Calvaho. ( Rua means Street).