PAUL MY SON... WHY???

Paul Kolawole, a final year engineering student is seen locked up in his room, raging with fear and deep sorrow. He was thinking about the recent happenings within the last five days. 

Yesterday, Linda's parents, Mr and Mrs Greg, had come to confront him and his parents because he'd impregnated Linda after raping her at the hangout he went last weekend. Though she'd pleaded with him not to do it, but he wouldn't budge, he was pushed by his friends who set Linda up for the rape, because Paul liked her and wanted her but she wouldn't give him a chance to date her. Thank God Paul's father was an ex-army official, Paul would have been arrested and put in prison immediately, but his dad pleaded that the police officials allowed him to investigate the issue before arresting his son. 

After the exit of Linda's parents and the two police officials, Paul's father, Mr Kolawole, sat him down and asked if it was true. Paul admitted so, because  he had lusted over Linda on campus and tried to make her his friend, but she had always pushed him away. 

Mr Kolawole threatened to kill Paul for engaging in such act against his instructions, despite the Bible teachings and relationship advice he always gave him. During his first year at school, Mr and Mrs Kolawole had at several times called his attention against bad friends and illicit relationships. He had promised to keep himself from such acts throughout his stay at school.

Paul sobs along his thoughts as he blames Chuks for his ordeal. Chuks was the one who initiated the idea to him. Chuks threw a party, invited Linda and her friends and set up Linda to be raped by Paul in one of the closed room at the apartment where the party held. Paul felt very bad and wished he'd never met Linda, but the deed was done.

Amidst his thoughts, he hears loud voices of commotion and harsh words coming from his dad's room opposite. 

"I won't take that in my house. What nonsense!" Mr Kolawole said, raging with anger. 

"Honey please, take it easy with that boy. Let's handle this issue with care. Please.. Ehnnnnn" 

"What do you mean by handle with care? He is 22 this year. After I'd warned him. Ehnn.. What will pastor Williams say when he hears this? Do you know who I am in this community? In fact I will disown that boy!"

"Ha! my husband, please take it easy. We will settle this issue... Take it easy.. Joor oko mi." (she pleads with her knee on the ground.)

"No. No. I can't take care of a vagabond child. This boy has disgraced me. I would have allowed the police to take him away the other day and beat the hell out of him. So that he will have sense" 

"My dear, please calm down. Let's have a talk with him and see how to settle this. Please don't rush into conclusions and do something bad to him." 

"See.. Your child is a disgrace. I won't allow him soil my reputation. I'm going to that girl's father's house now. To tell them I have disowned him and they can do anything with him. He's leaving this house today. I'm not going to train a vagabond child under my roof" 

"Ha... . Honeeeey....Olowo-orimi, Pleaaaseeee.. For God's sake.. Pleaseeee.. Don't do that... We can handle this matter... (Mr Kolawole walks away and slams the door after him) 

Paul, on hearing that, began to sweat profusely with hot tears rolling down his eyes. 

"What am I going to do now? I'm finished. Hey, God. What have I done... Jesus! Who will help me now..." Paul said, putting both hands with fingers his locked on his head. 

Amidst his thoughts, he hears a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" He said. 

"It's me, your mum" Mrs Kolawole responded. 

"Muuuummmm!" Paul responded with a long sob, walked towards the door and opens it.

"My boy, I know you've done the wrong thing. You know I warned you about this. Even last month, I told you I saw a revelation about you walking against God's instructions. But you told me you're sure you're doing God's will. I warned you about bad boys... You didn't listen... Ehn... (She cries a little and continues speaking). See what you have done now.. Ehn.. You see what you have done.. Abi? And you know the kind of father you have. Now he's gone to see Linda's father (he collected Linda's father's card the other day they came here). Who knows what will happen next... Ehn.. Who knows.. (She bursts into loud tears, as Paul also sobs painfully). She couldn't hold the tears anymore, so she stood up and left the room. Paul said nothing but wept heavily). 

As soon as Mrs Kolawole left the room, Paul stood up to close the door. After which, he bursts into regretful tears again. 

"Ha... . Gooood! Why meeeee?...Haaaaa... I'm dead! What will happen to my education if the school authority hears this. I'm done for... And I'm in final year now o... Jesus! What will daddy do when he comes back now... Ohh Goddddd..." he says pacing and wailing round the room. 

Paul sits on the floor silent for a while with drops of tears still rolling down his eyes.

After about fifteen minutes, his phone rings.

It's Chuks. He sobs sharply and tries to speak a bit clearly. 

" He-he-hellooo" 

"Hello, Chuks. See what you've pushed me into.." Paul said. 

"Paul! Paul! Where are you?" Chuks speaks rather sharply in great fear.

"I'm.. I'm at home.. See what you've caused, Chuks.. See me now... Ehn...." 

"Ha.. Paul.. We're in trouble o." Chuks says with a sad tone. 

"Aha, Whats happening now? Did you see my dad? Whats going on? Where are you?" 

I'm seeing our names on the school notice board now that we have been rusticated for carrying out illegal party and gang raping Linda, who was reported pregnant. In fact, we are wanted by the school disciplinary committee.. Ha Paul.. Kasala don burst o... Watin we go do now?" Chuks said, rather fast and fearfully. 

" Haaaaaa!... The school authority has heard it? Jesus! I'm in trouble... I don't know oooo... I'm so confused..." Paul said hanging up the phone.

"Haaaaa... My lifeeeee... I'm in soup... Who will save me nowwww?... How do I escape this?... Who knows what will happen when daddy comes back.? Or have they both gone to get the police on me? Ha.. I don't want to go to jaaiiilllllllllll.... God pleaseeee" He said with a long cry... "I can't go to prison... Jesus please!"

Paul cried bitterly for some minutes as he thinks on what to do. Few minutes later, Paul was seen heading towards the kitchen to get a kitchen knife. He also opened the kitchen drawer to get the fetching bucket and rope which mum often used to fetch water in the well. He cuts out the rope and takes both the rope and the kitchen knife to his room. On getting to his room, he heads to the corner of the room to take the bottle of "sniper" (rat/insect killer) which his mum had put there to kill cockroaches and rats. These three items sat motionlessly on his table as Paul stares strangely at them, this time not weeping but in furious anger. 

What would he do next?

Few minutes after, Mr Greg, Linda's father, walks into Paul's father's house, accompanied by three other police men and an army official. As soon as Paul's mother heard the door, she began to cry and wail. She walks towards the door And opens it.

"Where is your son? Where is Paul? Bring him out now.. Or else.." Mr Greg said hastily, with furious anger. 

"Mr Greeeeegggg... Please don't do thisssss.. We can settle this amicably.. Pleeeeeeeseee.." She said crying bitterly.

"I'm not here for all this madam. Bring that boy out now... That rapist.... Who wants to destroy the life of my daughter...

" Mr Greg.. We are not denying the baby... Please we will take responsibility...'

"I hear you madam.. But let him come and face the consequence of what he's done first... Later we will talk about that..."

"Oga pleaseeee don't take him to the prison. Pleeseee ehnnnnn" she said kneeling down. 

As she wailed, one of the police men interrupted...

"Emm.. Madam.. We don't have all this time. Where is the boy?" 

"He.. He is in his room..." She responds. 

"Where is the room? show us the way to his room..."

Paul's mother pointed at his room door, then they all headed there.

Mr Greg, Linda's father was the first to knock the door.

"Hey.. Mr man, open the door... We have come for you!" He said. 

He knocked the door several times, but there was no response. Then Paul's mother tried to open the door. 

"Pauuullluuuuu, Paul my son... Please open the door. Don't worry, they won't harm you... Please. Just open the door.... Paulllll... Paul.... Ha... Baba Paul is not even around... How do we do this now? Let me go and call him on the phone... 

Paul's mother goes into her room, picks up her phone and call her husband, weeping and wailing as she spoke. 

Meanwhile, Mr Greg and the trio wouldn't stop hitting and banging the door, hoping for a response. But no one responded. After about ten minutes, Mr Kolawole came in and walked in between Mr Greg and the policemen to the very front of Paul's room door. 

"Where is the disgraceful boy? Has he opened the door now? Where is he? Is he inside? Are you sure he hasn't ran out of this house overnight, because I don't trust him... Hey Paul... Open the door (he says, hitting and banging the door). There was still no response. 

After several fruitless attempts, the policemen decided to break the door open. With the hit of a hammer and a chisel which Mr Kolawole provided, the door broke open. As soon as the door was forced open, everyone ran in...and there was a brief silence... 

A brief silence.... 

Then, all of a sudden, Mrs Bridget cried out with a loud voice as she walks towards Paul, grabs him by the hand, holding him close to her as she sits on the floor.... 

"Haaaaaaaaa Paaaaauuuuuuulllllllllll my sonnnnnnnn... What have you done to yourself???" she said with a loud cracky voice... 

The other men stared with a mixture of surprise, amazement and fury. Mr Kolawole, Paul's father, moved with anger and compassion, bent down close to his son, trying to see what had happened to him. Paul had actually stabbed himself in the neck with the kitchen knife. He was already bleeding profusely, although it was a very recent act, it happened just few minutes before Mr Greg and his team came in. 

"Somebody pleaseeeee get the doctoorrrrrrr pleeeasseeeee haaaaaaa my sooonnnnn..." Mrs Kolawole said with bitter tears. 

Immediately, the policemen went out of the room to make a radio call to the station and requested for an ambulance. In about fifteen minutes, the ambulance came. And Paul was rushed to the hospital. Mr Kolawole refused to go with them to the hospital but Mrs Kolawole would not leave her son alone, so she went with the ambulance to the hospital. Mr Greg and the policemen however drove their car behind the ambulance to the hospital. 

The emergency unit of the William Bicker Hospital welcomed the ambulance and Paul was immediately admitted. One of the ambulance officials called Mrs Kolawole aside and told her he heard Paul's heartbeats and felt his pulse, meaning that there are chances that he might still be alive, though unconscious. In return, she held the official's clothes to the neck crying and wailing... 

"Paul must not dieeeee ooooo... Haaaaaaa... He must not die... Pleaaaaseeeeee help meeeee..."

The doctors immediately examined him, stopped the blood flow and put him on oxygen. 

"Madam, please see me at the office", the head doctor said, pointing at Mrs Kolawole. 

"OK doctor..." She replied, walking hastily towards the doctor's office. 

"Madam, what happened to your son? Was he stabbed by someone? Was he in a fight" 

"Haaa doctor, its a long story.. He tried to commit suicide because of the criminal offense he had committed recently..." 

"Oh. I see. Was anyone there with him? No one could stop him?" 

"Doctorrrrr, this boy must not die o. Haaaa... He was in his room... I was outside.. I went to open the main door for.. Emmm.. Mr Greg who was knocking... They asked after him and we attempted opening his door, calling him all along, but he didn't respond... When we broke the door open, we found him lying on the floor bleeding... Doctor.. My son was bleeding..." She said crying... 

" Hmmm... Well, fortunately, your son is alive. Though he's lost a lot of blood but his heart is still beating. There is a chance that he might survive it. We only need to get some pints of blood to resuscitate him."

"Haaa. Doctorrrrr.. My son is alive... Haaaa... We will get blood... I will donate...please help him mm. Don't let him die.. Please. I will donate..." Mrs Kolawole said. 

"Madam, calm down... We will have to schedule a session for that, where we will run some blood tests on you to know if your blood group is same as his and if your blood can be transfussed into him. Till then, you may leave for now... While we watch his heartbeat and see how he responds... "

" OK doctor.. Okay sir.. Please help me son.. Don't let him die.. He's my only son.. Pleaseeee..." She said as she walks out of the doctors office. 

TWO DAYS LATER 

Mrs Kolawole sits at the edge of Paul's sick bed, holding his hand as a white bandage was folded around Paul's neck with lines of tears on his eyes as he stares at his mum. Paul had regained consciousness overnight after several blood transfusions. 

"Paul my son... Why??? Why did you do that to yourself? Why did you attempt suicide, over a mere issue?" 

"Muummmmm... I'm soooooorry.. I couldn't take it... I was overwhelmed by the situation and I was afraid Linda's parents will take me to jail..." He said faintly, squeezing his eyes for free flow of tears down his cheek. 

"But you shouldn't have attempted to kill yourself..my boy..the situation could be controlled without taking your life... Ehnn... See yourself now..." She said sobbing and crying. 

While she was talking, three policemen came in, accompanied by the doctor. 

On seeing them, Paul began to roll on the bed, hitting his leg over the mattres and shedding bitter tears.

" Haaaa.. Officeeeeeeer.. Pleaseeeee.. Don't take him away... He's not well yet... Doctor pleaseeee.. Don't let them take my son.. Pleaseeee..." 

"Emm.. Madam... We got a directive from the state command this morning. We are sorry, we may have to hand him over to the police today. So get him ready and let them have him. I'm sorry madam." The doctor replied. 

Mrs Kolawole then turns to her son, Paul, (who was already soaked in tears but due to weakness couldn't speak,) and said, "My son, you can go through this... Be strong... This season will pass and you'll be fine. I know You have learnt your lesson and you won't do that again... God will be with you... God will go with you... "

Those words came out of her mouth as she accompanied Paul out of the hospital with handcuffs over his hands held at the shoulders by two police officers... 

EPILOGUE 

Few years after he left prison, with his new found faith,  he got the needed courage to start afresh.

He started his career again and in no time, he was certified. He got married and was blessed with two boys. 

THE END. 

Dear Young One, how has your journey been, what have you been through? 

You might be contemplating suicide at the moment because you just can't take it anymore but wait, God hasn't given up on you yet, why give up on yourself? 

Why will you die, when Christ has died for you already? 

You deserve to live, the world needs YOU.

Dear reader, like Paul, you may think life is over because of the financial, spiritual or family challenges you are facing presently. That is not true. You can come out Victorious, only if you persevere. If Paul in our story had successfully killed himself, he would have died, denying himself the opportunity to become a better person in life. 

Suicide is not the solution to the problem, patience and faith in Jesus will help you along the challenge and give you lasting peace thereafter. Hence give Jesus a chance in your life today and see Him hold your hands through the storm. 

Thank you for reading... 

Stay strong! Stay hopeful! Stay alive!