Comprehension: Robbers Invade Obioma’s Home

          When her husband was leaving on yet another tour of his clinics, Mrs Obioma braced up for the now familiar period of boredom. How wrong she was! By nightfall, the robbers struck. They forced their way into the living room with relative ease. The woman, shocked to the marrow with fear, shouted for help. The neighbours heard but none was brave enough to take on the armed men. The gang leader shouted at her to stop being a nuisance. She was dealt a couple of blows and was pushed into the living room. She kept on shouting, pleading for the safety of her children. These were soon shepherded to her side and, sure enough, she kept quiet.

          Thereafter, the men worked uninhibited without any apparent hurry. Once in a while, a man would come to ask where Dr Obioma kept an item they knew he had, and the woman would tell him. By 5 am, they left with their loot. It was then that Mrs Obioma realised they had a vehicle outside. By daybreak, Mrs Obioma had contacted her husband by telephone. In the afternoon, he came, pleased to learn that no one was harmed. On seeing his wife fairly composed, Dr Obioma decided, just as a matter of formality to report the robbery to the police.

          At the police station, a female officer directed the couple to the next office. On entering, they saw an inspector having a chat with a man in a three-piece suit. Hardly had they sat down when Mrs Obioma’s and the other man’s eyes met. After a brief moment of mouth-gaping surprise, the woman fainted. Dr Obioma fought hard to resuscitate her. All she continued to say was, “Let’s go home”. So home they went.

          But the medical practitioner had one more scene reserved for him in the drama. Late in the evening, opened the door to someone who was knocking. It was the man in the three-piece suit “I have come to thank your wife,” he said. “What she did on recognising me was a discreet act. You’ll have all your missing goods back, yes, before daybreak”.

          As Dr. Obioma discovered before daybreak, this was not a hollow promise.