I called Daniel’s phone.
“Hello, Daniel. Are you in Lagos yet?”
“No, I’m on my way. Any problem?”
“I was wondering if we could meet and discuss this today.”
“Wait. Are you calling the police on me?”
“What?! What kind of nonsense is that? Do you have something to hide that you think I’d call the police on you? I just told you I was duped of 900k with your phone. I’m giving you a chance to explain yourself, and you’re worried I want to set you up? Is that what you’d have done in my shoes—call the police?”
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to save my head. Nigerian police don’t listen to explanations. They’ll find a way to pin it on you.”
“But you’re a responsible citizen with a good job to your name. Your company will vouch for you.”
“Why are you talking like you don’t know how Nigeria works? By the time they torture you into admitting to a crime you didn’t commit, your company’s endorsement will mean nothing. Anyway, where do you want us to meet?”
“Big Treat at Ikeja. Since you’re coming in through Berger, it’ll be easy for you to find, and it’s close to my office. It’s open enough to convince you I’m not setting you up.”
“Dami, I’m sorry about your experience. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d have done in your shoes. This just goes to show that you have a beautiful heart, and I promise to make this up to you.”
“Thank you, Daniel.”
I dropped the phone on the table and paced my office. He sounded genuinely concerned. He was right to think I might call the police on him; anyone could have done that. Thank God I called off Yemi’s suggestion to meet with him—it could’ve killed his trust altogether.
Oh, my God, I’m confused. If Daniel is eventually proven innocent, I’ll be torn between him and Yemi. As much as I’ve come to cherish Yemi’s friendship, Daniel still has a special place in my heart. God, I’ve known these two guys for only two weeks, and here I am plunging myself into an ocean of confusion. Well, let me deal with the issue at hand first—one step at a time.
Daniel called me around 1 p.m. to say he was driving toward Big Treat. I went to the GM and asked for permission to attend to an emergency. He asked about my appointment with iPov, and that was when I realized I hadn’t updated him on the latest development. I apologized and left.
By the time I got to Big Treat, Daniel was just driving in. I stepped out of my car and waited for him to park. He walked up to me and hugged me tightly for about 30 seconds. I felt myself softening under him as the seconds ticked by. Finally, he released me and held my hands as we walked into the building.
At the food counter, he asked what I’d like to have. I told him I didn’t have an appetite, so he ordered fried rice and chicken for himself and asked me to excuse him since he was famished. I settled for water—that was all I could manage. We found a seat far from where most people were sitting. The eatery was almost empty.
“So, start from the beginning and tell me what happened,” he said, transferring a forkful of rice into his mouth.
I narrated the entire story to him—how I was so scared something had happened to him that I paid the full amount to ensure he was taken care of, and how angry I became when I realized I had been duped by someone who booked me on Facebook.
“Blocked you? How? I could never have done that,” he said.
I opened Facebook and searched for his name to show him we were no longer friends. To my surprise, his name was still there, and we were friends. It didn’t make sense because I was certain I hadn’t seen his profile the last time I searched. Was it a glitch? I shrugged it off and continued telling him the story, carefully skipping any mention of Yemi. From the look of things, Daniel was innocent, and I felt it wasn’t necessary to complicate the story further.
While I spoke, Daniel maintained eye contact. At some point, he dropped his cutlery, and I saw genuine concern in his eyes. I think he passed the “Yemi test.”
When I finished, he held my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I really wish I could change what happened, but I promise you, within the next three months, I’ll pay you the full amount back. The only reason it’ll take that long is because I have to replace my MacBook Pro and iPhone 15 this month, and you know how expensive those are.”
I heaved a sigh. If he was guilty, why would he offer to return the money? What would be the point of duping me if he planned to pay it back?
“I’d never do anything to hurt you. I know I’ve only known you for two weeks, but no one has made such an impact on me in such a short time. All through the time I was incommunicado, all I could think about was how much anguish you must’ve been going through—not knowing you were dealing with worse. Forgive me, my queen. It’s my fault you were duped. If I hadn’t been robbed, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Oh, please stop. You were robbed, for goodness’ sake. No one prays to be robbed. So, it’s not your fault. I’m sorry for your misfortune.”
And then, my mind drifted. I must find a way to make Yemi see that Daniel is innocent.