08/10/2021
WE FINALLY CAUGHT HIM
About three phones have gone missing in
our room in the past five months. When we
reported to the School's security, they only
told us that it was a roommate that is
responsible. Everyone of us was waiting for
the day we will catch the culprit.
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Last Tuesday, when we were all asleep, I
think it was about 2 a.m., Ben woke up
suddenly and his phone was gone. His
phone was the most expensive of us all.
When Ben woke up and couldn't find his
phone, he sprang up from the bed and
quickly opened his cupboard. He rummaged
the contents, even removed his clothes but
still could not find the phone.
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I was sitting and reading before I dozed off
with my heading resting on my books. So
when Ben couldn't find his phone, he gently
shook my shoulders until I woke up. 'It has
happened again', he told me.
I didn't even need to ask what happened as I
could see the panic and loss written in his
eyes.
This is the second time his phone had been
stolen. So I took my phone and dialed Ben's
number; just to be sure it had not been
misplaced. 'Error in Connection'. I dialed it
again and it started ringing, faintly audible,
in the room.
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We were both surprised when we heard the
tone. I beckoned on Ben to keep quiet as he
was visibly ready to 'finish' the person who
took
his phone. I continued dialing as we moved
silently, following the direction of the ring
tone. There were four bunks in the room,
each with two bed spaces. Ben and I use the
same bunk just beside the door and the
sound was coming from the last bunk at the
extreme left corner.
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We tiptoed like Jack Baeur until we traced
the sound to the top bed space on the last
bunk. 'So it is John who had been stealing
phones in this room'. Ben whispered to me.
We shook his leg and woke him up only to
find out it was not John sleeping on the
mattress. Neither of us had ever seen the
guy before. To make matters worse, the
ringing was coming from the bag he was
using as pillow.
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When he woke up, he looked at us strangely
as if he didn't know why we were there.
We opened the bag and found not just Ben's
Samsung, but three other phones. 'So, you
are the one who's been stealing our
phones!'; Ben shouted at him.
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Before he could find an excuse, Ben slapped
him on his left cheek and walked out looking
for anything to break one or two of the guy's
bones. I don't know; but there was
something about the guy. So I asked him,
'Oga, what are you doing here?' 'What are
you doing with Ben's phone'. He was just
looking at me without saying anything, so I
slapped his right cheek with my left hand.
'ANSWER ME!', I screamed at him; waking up
the roommates who were around. John had
obviously gone to night class to read.
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The two guys remaining in the room
with me and Ben came and gave their own
round of slaps. The accused was now
staggering when Ben came back with a long
wood hard enough to kill the guy. As he
raised it up, the three of us held his hands
so he wouldn't murder the accused. Ben
dropped the wood and swept his right leg
against the thief's legs and he fell down. Ben
had told me before that he had attended the
Soldiers' recruitment training but failed the
medical test. I believed him right then.
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I looked at the guy crumpled on the floor
and before Ben killed him, I decided to
interview him, at least to know who he is.
'Who are you?' I asked him again; this time
gently. He was crying but it was only the
tears that were coming out. It was then I
realized he had not even uttered a word
since it all started.
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Not even when he fell to the ground. 'Why
are you in our room'? I asked again. 'Can
you even talk?' He shook his head then. I
was now confused. Why was he shaking his
head?
So, I asked again, 'Can't you talk?' He shook
his head again. 'Wait, is it that this guy is
dumb?', I asked.
He nodded his head and pointed to his
mouth and then shook his head left to right.
It hit me then. The guy is dumb but not
deaf. That was the first time I am seeing a
case like that.
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My anger changed to pity immediately. 'Are
you dumb?', I ashamedly asked the guy to
confirm. Again, he nodded his head.
'Can you read and write?' He nodded again.
'Get me a pen and note!' I said to my
roommates over my shoulder. I collected the
pen and wrote, 'Who are you? Explain
yourself.' I was almost in tears as I read his
fine handwriting, 'My name is James, I am
John's elder brother. I am a student of Delta
State University. I was traveling to Delta but
our bus stopped for the night at Benin. So I
decided to sleep with my brother till
morning. He brought me here around 12
a.m. and went to night class to read. He
gave me the bag to keep for him. So I
decided to use it as pillow so that it won't
be stolen'.
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I held the note with the guys at my back as
all of us read it. I became so weak I almost
fell.� 'The guy is innocent.' I needlessly
announced.
When we realized this, even I was ashamed
of myself.
Ben just stood there with the wood he
almost used to hit him, looking as if he was
the one who had been beaten. I am not sure,
but I think I saw tears in his eyes as he
realized he had just punished an innocent
man.
So we knelt down and clasped our hands so
he will know we were really sorry. With tears
in our eyes, we told him, 'We are sorry. Sorry
for accusing you wrongly and beating you
for it'. The dumb guy just smiled with
bleeding lips from the blow I gave him. He
smiled and looked into
our eyes. And I could see pity in his eyes.
He wrote in the same paper. 'It is Alright. I
took the pain willingly. Please don't beat my
brother anymore. I know why you were
beating me. John had always been a thief,
right from home. But please don't report or
beat him again'.
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Tears dropped from my eyes as I read his
sacrifice. He deliberately allowed us beat
him just so that John will be free. I lend my
hand and raised him up as I used my cloth
to wipe the tears from his face and blood
from his lips. It was then my own tears
flowed from the corners of my eyes.
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Although this story is 100% fiction, this is
what Jesus did for us on the cross of
calvary. He kept quiet and even died so that
we can be saved. He never protested his
innocence but bore it all for us. He gave his
life for you. What have you given for him?
Return the life to Him. Jesus Loves u
