.............. Episode 7...... ..
We were already in the second half of December and everywhere had started being cold. Snow had started falling in Western Europe down to the Northern Spain and OPorto ( Porto) area in Northern Portugal. The cold breeze from the north brought down the temperature in Lisbon to about 13 degrees celsius, which was considered cold down there in Lisbon.
I figured that miss madam and her squad wouldn't wait for too long around my house in that weather if they knew where I lived. I suspected they knew where I lived anyway because someone must have pointed me to her in the first Place.
I called jennifer to open the stairwell door before I arrived.
I took a taxi to my street and as soon as I stopped, I jumped into the house and closed the door. I waited at the door to see if I could detect some movements outside but I heard nothing.
We went up and I told her what had happened during the day. She was very sorry for putting my life in Danger.
She said she knew the two men who had come with madam to the elephant Blanco restaurant. She told me their names and said that they were the people who usually shake down Madam's girls if they fall behind in weekly payments.
She said their names were Efe, a Nigerian and Abu A Guinean.
I wrote down their names inside my phone.
I told Jennifer that we were going somewhere in the morning. She asked where it was and I told her it was in the MONTIJO area across the River. She had no objection.
Early in the morning, I called a taxi and we loaded our bags.
I had woken Francis up and told him I was going to live somewhere else. I told him to call me if I received a letter from the Immigration people.
Since we lived in The AMADORA area of Lisbon, We took the shorter route across PONTE 25 DE ABRIL bridge across the River and got to ALMADA before going to the hostel where I had rented. The lady receptionist gave me my keys and we walked up to the first floor apartment.
There was no TV or Fridge in the apartment. Just a bed, a reading chair and table, a reading lamp, a window over-looking the Tagus river, an Electric cooker, an electric kettle, and some other useless items.
We settled down and made tea. jennifer was feeling cold and I could tell that she was also scared of how things were turning out. I was scared a bit too but I couldn't show it. I had underestimated miss Madam's powers.
We slept in the single bed afterwards and woke up around 10am.
I called Johnson, my master in Germany and demanded for 5000 Euros. I knew that the next few days would be critical and I needed to have enough money to run out to any country in Europe with Jennifer if things became more hostile.
I got the money through western Union an hour later and hid it from Jennifer. I also had over 2000 euros left from the money I had earlier.
In the afternoon, I called Jose, my snooker friend and told him that I was around. He was not around but promised to come as soon as he returned.
I took Jennifer to a mall and bought some canned foods that would be enough for us for a week or more. She insisted on buying two pots and a frying pan. We also got a 10kg bag of Basmati rice and some tomato pastes. We bought a Small TV and a video DVD player. Then we went back to our apartment.
There was no mood or appetite for sexxx, so we just laid on the bed and talked about Nigeria, madam, Germany and other unimportant talks.
Jose called me an hour later to meet him at the bar. I took Jennifer along and went to the bar. I ordered for a full bottle of Chivas at 60 Euros and took it to a table. Jose saw us and came. I had brought a glass for him. We drank two fills and got down to business.
I told Jose that I was not an American. He laughed and said he knew from my English accent. He said I was a Nigerian and there was no point arguing. I told him why I was at the bar the night before and why I was running from those people. I told him about Jennifer and how I intended to help her travel to another European country to take asylum or even go back to Nigeria. He listened carefully and was full of anger when I finished.
He said we will use the evidence to get the money from the madam and still report to the policia.
We went to my apartment and Jose called the Madam with his phone. He claimed that he was my close friend and that I was in his house at that moment. He said I had a recorded message that implicated her in a human trafficking crime.
He played the recorded message to the Madam and demanded for 10,000 euros.
He threatened to go to the Policia if she didn't get back to him through the same phone number in an hour, then he hung up.
After the call, we went down and strolled into the district center. We took a taxi to The Lisbon Oceanarium located in the Parque das Nacoes. The Oceanarium had the largest collection of marine species - birds, fish, mammals and other marine organisms. There were hundreds of tourists at the Oceanarium; we mixed up and enjoyed our lives before madam and her thugs would make another unpredicted move. Late in the evening, we took a taxi and drove back to our apartment.