 
# SEALED

# (Everyone has a story)

BY

Sunday Eyitayo Michael

Published by Sunday Eyitayo Michael at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Sunday Eyitayo Michael

# BELIEVE IN YOUR TALENT.

# CHAPTER ONE

"It is important to make the right choices in life, however in many critical situations; it is never enough to choose. You also have to be chosen." She paused as she gazed through the audience. I wondered why she gazed; she could see no one because the whole place was dark except for the spotlight she was beneath. Her gaze stopped at my direction then she threw a broad smile."It seems she sees anyway" I thought, but she didn't need to display all those dramatic expressions, it was certain chief Tayo will win the prize, everyone knew that; they knew so far he was nominated, he wins.

I turned around to feed my eyes, to see a little more of the attendees and nominees or rather, those who came to celebrate chief Tayo. Aha! Alhaji Karimi is also here; the co-founder of 'Happy Life', one of the largest orphanage homes in sub-Saharan Africa. He is really trying, I must commend him for that but he is not so much of a threat anyway, Chief Tayo is the sole owner of the largest orphanage and charity homes in Africa, it was really named on critical thoughts, 'The Intimidation Co-operation For Orphans'; it keeps up to its name. I turned to see a few more people, but due to the darkness, I could only see the people close enough to be seen: a few Russians, Polish, South Africans, Brazilians... it seems all 195 member states were represented. H'm, is that not Col. Isaac, the soldier man who has led five peace-keeping missions to different countries? I bent forward a bit to get a clearer view. He is; the bullet scratch close to his bulgy eyes says it. Ignoring his presence, I wanted to focus, he was not worth my attention, and even he too knew that, he knew that Chief Tayo is far better than he could be. If I could remember vividly, twice, he came to me to apply as my personal chief security. I couldn't give him that chance, I have heard of several rumors of his escapades; how his bosses' wife carries his children. Also from the 'bush radios', I heard that the bullet scratch close to those eyes were not gotten from a peacekeeping mission as was believed by many but rather from an impotent boss who didn't realize he couldn't impregnate a woman until he discovered his four kids were not his but the scoundrel's. I couldn't risk mine and besides he is certainly no match too, Chief Tayo has financially sponsored twelve peace-keeping missions.

I sat to focus when I noticed Gov. Tandu, unable to resist the impulse, I burst out in laughter. It caught a little attention due to the absolute quietness so I immediately adjusted and apologized. Could Gov. Tandu be thinking at all? Did he realize this was a peace prize? Who could have nominated him? The longest period his state was ever at peace during his reign was just one month and a week. No politician had ever caught so much attention because of their evil the way he did, I do not know if he could actually beat that again since he is still on seat, but no one could see that coming anytime soon not even the so called optimists. It was obvious he rigged his way into power; so perhaps, he thinks he could rig this one too.

".... The key question in this kind of matching is: who gets what?" she continued in her melodious tone. "Beautiful! Beautiful!" I thought; do these organizations organize a beauty contest before selecting a host? A belle she was indeed; tall, long curly dark hairs, beautiful straight legs and a no doubt figure-8 structure, no wonder the men were so concentrated. My eyes slowly followed her features from her feet and just as it was about to cross over her knee, Bisola tapped me and sternly looked in my eyes. She didn't have to speak, I could read the words in her eyes, but she spoke, "focus on what you ought to focus on" she said in a low livid tune, I couldn't respond, perhaps I could, but just don't know what to say so I just held her hand tightly and looked away. Bisola is an epitome of beauty, the belle in her town when I married her, each morning when I wake up to look into those beautiful eyes, I get a renewed freshness within me, a reason to want to live for another day. For once, I never regretted the day I walked her down the aisle except for the fact that her eyes consistently follow mine, which still does not make me regret. I always hoped that one day she would get tired, but she does not, and I do not see that happening anytime soon either.

Sometimes things do not work out the way we plan, but often times it is for a better option that's coming our way. When Lydia jilted me because I had no money, I was sober for weeks, rather just a few hours, thinking I could get none like her ever, but that prepared me for a better piece, Bisola, a beauty even Lydia can't compare. Now, even she regrets she jilted me, the last time I heard from her; she could not afford three square meals, so pathetic. I need not talk about her much anyway, she aren't worth it.

I knew everyone was so focused, but the seriousness on their faces has intensified, what is about to happen? I thought as I looked around trying to find out. Aha! Now I know, the big moment is finally here, she is done with her lengthy speech as though we were there for a motivational conference. ".... In this line, we hereby announce the winner of this year prize for peace and philanthropy" she paused, removed all traces of smiles from her face and stared through the audience. Hosts have a special way of raising people's blood pressure. I am used to it already, if not perhaps, I would have fallen to her trick as well, although within me I knew I felt a little panicked, but you could see no trace on my face, I looked fully confident. Doctors should have warned these hosts that, intentionally or unintentionally rising people blood pressure is not healthy, but they don't, Perhaps, because just like every other businessman, they seek customers too, if they warn against high blood pressure, who will come to the hospital for treatment of blood pressure? Once, that was about three years back, during the commonwealth awards, as usual, the host paused to rise the tension amidst the crowd, but it was a terrible tension rise, some nominees needed the award so bad that as soon as she paused, Prof. Timbu had an heart attack. I pity the poor old man, at the end of it all, he was not announced the winner, chief Tayo was.

"Ah! Ah! My chest" someone screamed from the audience. "Who could this be? Who want to ruin this moment?" I thought loudly. "It is Dr. Ingbian..." Halima replied. "And what is he?"

"The doctor popularly known as Dr. PhD"

"Oh, oh, now I know him, the doctor who acts and speaks like the only one with a PhD?" "That's right sir," she said.

"Sometimes, I wonder why people tend to act so weird. Do you know I have a PhD too?" not waiting for her reply, I continued "But I prefer to drop the full stop at chief. Perhaps, that's his only achievement and...."

"With due respect sir, you needn't speak rudely about my uncle" she stopped me. What! Could he have being her uncle? Why did I never know? I gently turned away and Bisola stared at me in disgust, I never knew she was listening, I certainly would not have said a word if I knew.

Everything was back to normal; Dr. Ingbian was taken away and just like nothing has happened. The host continued without wasting much time or trying to increase the tension any further, "and the winner is nobody else but.... Chief Tayo". The light bulbs were turned on and almost immediately, Bisola stood up and danced energetically in ecstasy. Those who didn't know who chief Tayo was would certainly think she was chief Tayo, but everyone knows chief Tayo and also, everyone knew she is the first lady to that great man. I wondered why she kept dancing more and more each moment another prize was given to me, rather us, because she was always with me and without her I couldn't have achieved this much success, perhaps I could. This was not new to us or perhaps, because each moment it happens, she has something new to brag about, women!

Finally, I stood up, the applause was intensified, I pulled out my agbada that was stuck beneath my potbelly, I wonder why people insisted it was a potbelly; it looked more to me like a weak large calabash. Then I walked majestically to the stage, even the oba of Benin can't imitate that, it was outside this world. I didn't do it because of my hauteur, I wasn't proud, I did it because I knew there were certain people in the crowd who weren't really happy, who would happily throw their mugs at me if given the chance, I could even tell their names. However, they should be proud a black man from a developing nation is doing great things. My hand was shook by the executives of the organization, and immediately, the prize was given to me.

It was time for me to speak, initially; I used to be afraid of speeches, because words will not just come out no matter how hard I tried. Therefore, I discovered just the right trick. throughout last week, I told and continuously reminded Ndoka, my personal assistant to organize a perfect speech for me to memorize, it wouldn't be manly if I go up there with a piece of paper. I cleared my throat and started immediately so as not to forget a word, "I feel that this award was not made to me as a man, but to my works. What I do, I do not for the appreciations and awards, I do it for the love for humanity, graciously trying to work in God's line, he gave unto me, and I was left with no choice but to use it for humanity aids. But then most of all, I must say a big thank you to you, the executives of this organization, those who nominated me and those who feel I deserve this award, thank you so much" I bowed a bit and the crowd gave a standing ovation and another thunderous applause. I wondered what a nice speech I must have said, I have not even read through it to know what was written, I just memorized.

As soon as I walked down the stage, Bisola ran to hug me, she held me so tight that I didn't have enough space to tell her I needed to breathe, but nevertheless, it was a nice thing that she showed so much love. I could feel her warm, soft skin tightly pressed on me, no wife could be better. But on a second thought, no woman who has a man like me won't show this much love to her husband because the moment she snaps a finger, over a million other women will want to come and take her place. Just last year, we had a little fight, I wondered how it got to ears, a woman came to me that she has left her husband to be my second wife, that was just one of them and it also by the way.

The awards and all other things that followed were soon over, people came from all over, shaking hands with me, congratulating me, some I could hear, others I couldn't, different tribes, different people, some others just walked away and as usual the press came over, taking pictures of me, I was used to it, it happens all the time. "Sir, how do you feel being honored for your works once again?" a reporter asked me, several recording devices were all around me, I knew that they were seeking a headline for the news and papers the next day. I would not give them that chance again, when it seemed as though they were all waiting for a blunder from the lips of chief Tayo. The last time I was on an interview with Lookers TV, I was asked how the government's policies have contributed to my success and I replied "... you know the government could be stupid at times", literary, I didn't mean they were stupid, perhaps, because I was just used to the word, but the next morning, the papers had an attracting headline which even attracted me; all news about me attracts me though 'Chief Tayo says government are stupid'. They didn't pick the first words or the last which might have expatiated; they just picked out that line, although even I can't remember it either.

"Err, err" I stammered, I had to carefully select my words, no mistakes again. Yes! Lugubrious, I think I have heard or seen that word somewhere before, even though I haven't really cared to find out its meaning, but I can use it, it actually sounds impressive. I smiled and said "from within my heart, I feel so lugubrious about this prize. I can't find another word to express my joy". I quickly stared at their facial reactions, there were smiles, except on the faces of those who have never smiled, and then I knew I had impressed them. They won't have a bad headline about me tomorrow, am sure I would see nothing else but "once again, The Nigerian multi-billionaire and Philanthropist have yet won another prize for his works" or something similar. I held Bisola's hand proudly as we walked out of the hall with our security guards helping us hold the crowd; we went straight to our parked Hennessey venom and moved for our suite.

It was a cool evening in Johannesburg and what I needed at that moment was a quiet ride, which I knew I could not have. No man as big as I am would move around without escorts in blowing sirens, it was risky because I was an asset. Bisola and I hardly spoke to ourselves throughout the ride. She is what I would call a perfect wife; she knew when her husband needed to be spoken to and when he needed to be left alone. It took about thirty minutes to get to the hotel's suite, a rare hotel I built In south Africa, its topnotch, those whose salary were not six figures could only dream of going there, except if they want to starve for years.

"We will fly back to Nigeria tomorrow morning" I finally said.

"Won't you at least give me a little time to shop? How will I leave Johannesburg empty handed"

"We aren't going empty handed; we are going with the prize again"

"And that's more reason I should shop"

"No problem then, we will fly by night, tomorrow" I said to cut the argument short, I knew for certain that no matter how long we argued, when she is determined to do such things as shopping, she doesn't relent.

Finally, we got to the hotel or rather, my hotel just to meet what I did not want to meet at that moment or any moment soon, even if I knew I would meet it. A host of workers and non-workers were outside to welcome me, lined up, all dressed smartly in white and black cloths; a white shirt and a black trouser or skirt, men in black bow-ties and women with a piece of black clothe around their neck. No matter how much I wanted to just ignore them, pass and go to my room to sleep, I could not. I was just awarded another prize for Peace, shunning them was not peace; I had to prove I was worth it. I forcefully threw a smile as they all sang and danced the Zulu's way. Although, I couldn't comprehend a word they said, but it seemed really good to the ears. "Thank you so much; I am so grateful. With what you have just done, you have proven to me that you are the best workers on earth, so for this month, your salaries are increased by ten percent" I said to please them, I really felt honored by their action and their turn out, but mostly, that they should stop so that I could go in.

"Ah!!!!" they all shouted and immediately started off with another dance, this time more energetic. The sleep began to clear off my eyes gradually; I needed to watch this dance a little more. South Africans are great people, I thought, I would have loved to live here almost forever, but certainly, there is nowhere like home. I stood smiling, watching the dance, my body was already moving to the rhythm when Bisola tapped me, "my Love, am really tired, I need to sleep, you know I have to wake up early tomorrow morning to shop" she said in a low romantic tone. That was when I remembered I needed to sleep too, immediately we walked into the hotel, waving at the dancers.

# CHAPTER TWO

It was a cold morning; I woke up on the right side of the bed feeling energetic with so much enthusiasm. I rolled around, just to see beside me, my queen, my spirit was lifted the more. I needed to do something with that energy; I could not wait there all day, waiting for her to be done with her shopping, and certainly could not follow her to shop. "Perhaps, I should go around south Africa, to view every nook and cranny. That's a great idea, am a genius" I thought as I walked happily to the Jacuzzi.

Soon afterwards, Bisola also woke up and joined me in the Jacuzzi. "My husband, congrats about yesterday oh" she said. It was a common tradition among the Yoruba's, do them a favor today, and they will greet you for days, until they are sure you are fully satisfied with the thanks. Yea, I did her a favor, adding an extra inch to her shoulder was a favor.

"You too congrats, my Love, the victory is not mine alone but ours. When will you be going on the shopping?" I asked after I replied.

"As soon as I am done dressing but where will you be throughout the day, because am certain you have somewhere in mind?"

"A tour around south Africa" I said proudly as I caressed her soft, smooth, fair and moist cheek as I bent forward to kiss her when someone knocked on the door. Some people are just skilled at ruining romantic moments, besides, I was not expecting anyone at this moment, or perhaps, Bisola was.

"Oh, that must be Mrs. Nelson, we are to go shopping together" she said even before I asked, Mrs. Nelson again? I thought; I certainly could not let my wife know how much I dislike this woman; she was her favorite foreign friend. Every chance I get, I try to avoid her, she screams a lot and it disgusts me.

"So the shopping was planned from day one, she had it all in mind. Women! Can't they ever be unpredictable?" I murmured. Without replying she moved out of the Jacuzzi and immediately wore her night gown as she walked slowly out of the bathroom through the room towards the door, I could pay to see her walk that way over a million times.

"Big woman!" Mrs. Nelson shouted in her high-pitched voice immediately she entered, a tall, plump, hairless woman. Each moment I look at her, I wonder what Prof. Nelson was looking at when he married her. Perhaps, as they would say, love is blind but could it be deaf too? I knew for certain they will take quite long before going; women never use less than an hour to dress up and besides, this was my wife dressing up, a woman I know so well, no matter how hurried she claim she is, forty-five minutes was the least she could spend in front of the mirror. I quickly dressed up to leave; a man like me could not be involved in a discussion with women, most especially with a woman I dislike.

"Chief! Chief!" Mrs. Nelson screamed as I walked out of the room. That was her lifestyle, shouting; the moment she is somewhere, you could easily tell she is there.

"Who didn't know you will win again?" she continued, "even my husband was nominated too, but the moment we heard you were nominated too, I told him to just go and congratulate you". I knew that and she knew I knew; she did not have to tell me. "Madame, its God. I wouldn't have won too, several there were better than I am" I said, trying to shut her up, but certain people couldn't just be quieted and Mrs. Nelson was top on that list.

"Mention one person who was better than you are there"

"Gov. Tandu for instance...." I said as I was interrupted by her loud laughter.

"Chief, you just want to make me laugh?" she said laughing. I didn't really want to make her laugh, why would I? I just wanted to see if I was the only one who felt that way about him.

"You are on the news chief," she said pointing at the television screen. Immediately Bisola picked up the remote proudly and increased the volume.

"It happens all the time, am always on the headlines," I said patting my protruded stomach; I was told it was a bad habit but I find it pleasurable.

"The executives of UNESCO express their remorse awarding this year's prize to chief Tayo, who publicly demeaned the organization's prize on public television who said and I quote 'from within my heart, I feel so lugubrious about this prize. I can't find another word to express my joy,' " the reporter said.

"What!" I screamed, "What does lugubrious mean?" The place was quiet for a short while, no one replied.

"Someone who is sad rather than cheerful" Mrs. Nelson finally answered. I could notice the smile on her face she tried to hide. I could not give her that satisfaction.

"Yes, I felt lugubrious. UNESCO shouldn't be complaining it was demeaning to them, I should; I am Chief Tayo" I said as I noticed the hidden smiles on her face fading off.

"I would be leaving now, you both should have a good time" I said when I noticed the risen tension amidst us after a short while of quietness.

"Okay chief, till you come" Mrs. Nelson replied.

"And honey, don't forget to do your shopping quickly, remember we are going back to Nigeria tonight" I said to my wife.

"So soon chief? I thought you will stay a little longer with us"

"We have a lot of things to attend to in Nigeria, if not we certainly would have stayed" I said as I walked out of the house.

"What came over me? What was I thinking of? Why did lugubrious mean what it meant? Why didn't I use a word I was familiar with? Words like excited, no, that is too happy for a small prize, or perhaps, just happy since it's not the Nobel Prize" I thought as I walked to my car. Escorts ran all over to their positions, all dressed in black suit as usual and the driver came running towards the car. I certainly would not need all these escorts, Bisola would. I called the chief security and whispered into his ears immediately, without speaking, he did one or two hand signs and they left.

"What are the best places in south Africa you will like me to see?" I asked the driver as we moved.

"Sir, there are several eye catching places I can show you, places like; Cape town and cape peninsula, the wine lands, Garden route popularly called south Africa's Eden, Kruger national park, Durban beachfront, Robben island, Soweto, Blyde river canyon nature reserve and several others"

"We will go to as much places as we can before sunset"

"Where will we go first?"

"Garden route of course, I want to have an impression of what garden of Eden looked like for Adam and Eve to have put us all through this much sufferings" I said.

"Sir, even you too talk about suffering?" he asked. What do they all take me for? A God? I wished I were anyway, but am not and can't be. They expect perfection from me that is why every single mistake I make goes on headlines, just like every other celebrated person.

"Of course, I don't just talk about suffering, I face suffering too, possibly more than you do" I replied.

"We have reached sir," he said as he halted the car.

The place looked awesome, but I expected much more; a place described as Garden of Eden should look better. I walked a few miles and returned to the car, I had to see the rest places too; I might not have the time to come to South Africa any time soon as a very busy man.

We moved round and round and it was time to go back to the suite, it was getting dark already, Bisola have certainly arranged the luggage and could be waiting for me. I would have returned a little earlier if not for the crowd and press who kept stopping us on the road, I had to leave them without answering a question; I did not want another similar headlines to the one I saw in the morning.

"Sir, you refused to answer a question, why?" the driver asked as we drove back.

"You saw the news headlines this morning?"

"Yes sir"

"That's the reason I didn't speak if not tomorrow, they will have another headline of me" "not talking wouldn't stop them, tomorrow they might still put 'after being awarded over three prizes for peace, chief Tayo, an expected model of peace shuns south Africans crowd and press' "

"Now you realize why I said even I too suffers," I said.

Soon afterwards, we got to the suite, expecting to see Bisola, but she has not still arrived. What could she have being shopping since morning? Time is money. I ordered a plate of fried rice and chicken even if at that moment, I had an appetite for local dish, amala and egusi soup was what I needed. I slowly ate and sleep flooded my eyes. I didn't even realize I had started sleeping until...

"Honey! Honey!" Bisola said as she tapped me.

"What have you being doing there?"

"I thought you would come so late too, Mrs. Nelson told me no stranger who moves around South Africa for the first three times will come back quick because of the amazement"

"They exaggerate these things too much. Let's pack up"

"Honey, am as tired as you are right now, can't we just wait till tomorrow? First thing tomorrow morning" she said in her tender voice, anyone would succumb to that, and besides, I was tired too.

"Okay, just ensure you wake up very early" I said as I quickly went to sleep.

# CHAPTER THREE

The morning was just not one of those good Saturday mornings. I woke up with a terrible headache, it seemed as though there was a pounding competition going on in my head; a pounding competition would be better, because in no time the competition would be over and the prize would be awarded, but this seemed like it would never end. I staggered to the bathroom like a drunkard, although I never drank though, or rather, no one knew I drink, washed my faced and brushed my teeth. That was when I noticed Bisola was not in the bed when I woke up.

"Bisola! Bisola!" I screamed but there was no reply. Where could she have gone? This was unlike her. On the other hand, have South Africans kidnapped my wife? I ran all over the room searching for her but to no avail getting scared, I called the police but as I was about to tell them, Bisola walked in all dressed up.

"Where did you go to?" I asked still breathing heavily.

"I couldn't have gotten missing. I went to drop our luggage at the airport, or did you see the luggage here"

"Oh, I just noticed" I said a little relieved as I looked around the room.

"Dress up so we can leave immediately" she said as I hurriedly wore my clothes and she brushed my hair.

It took about two hours to get to the airport and I wondered when Bisola could have woken up to have being able to drop those luggage and return that soon, she could have easily sent a worker. We got to the airport and flew in our private jet down to Nigeria.

Nigeria looked a little less beautiful than it was when we left just three days back, perhaps, because we left her borders to a nation a little more beautiful. We alighted the plane and immediately entered a car that was already waiting for us, along with a large group of people waiting to welcome us, dressed in different attires from different ethnic groups of Nigeria, all looking tired as they expected we would arrive a day before and waited all through the night. We waved at them all as they danced, 'can't they find some way else to welcome or congratulate someone aside dancing and singing?' I asked myself as the car moved slowly through the crowd and we waved continuously until they were out of sight.

As we approached my house, I looked at the awesome structure, I noticed Bisola's sigh and that smile of admiration filled her face, no one who passed by the house ten times daily for ten years ever ceased to be amazed at its awesomeness. Built throughout the noughties and a little beyond; started 2000 and finished 2012. A modernly-ancient neoclassical design, built on several hectares of which I don't even know the precise number, design by twelve world class professional architects. Worth a little more than $100,000,000; one of the most expensive houses in the world, I still can't count how many times people from different parts of the world have come just to look at it. The hi-tech gate automatically opened to us as we drove into the magnificent compound. This day technology increase unemployment rate; normally I would have employed a gateman, reducing the unemployed by one more man but technology has denied that staffs the opportunity.

"Daddy, Mummy" Michael and Jessinta screamed as they ran towards the car. Two lovely children. Michael looked so much like me, a handsome young boy barely five years old yet very intelligent, in everything, he took after me, whereas Jessinta, barely five years older than Michael looked a little like her mother and possibly her grandfather, though I never saw him, but I was certain he looked good, she had big cute eyeballs and she was very tender. As they approached us, they separated; Jessinta ran straight to my side of the door and Michael ran to his Mum's. The car moved a little bit forward and finally halted at the parking space. As soon as I opened the door, Jessinta jumped on me; I grabbed her and placed her on my shoulder.

"My baby, you missed me right?" I said as I gently pat her back.

"Yes daddy, very well. We thought you would come home yesterday"

"So did us my dear, but some things came up but we are home now".

The house helps were all out to welcome us along with some of the dancers who followed us from the airport. Bisola shared some gifts for them as they all thanked her and left; I did not give them a penny even though I knew they expected it. The house cleaners carried out the luggage and other items we had brought from the car and took them all into the house as we followed behind.

"Hope they treated you well when we were away?" I asked fully aware that they would not dare treat them otherwise.

"Yes daddy, but Michael refused to do as you said before you left; he no longer read nor eat when he suppose too, he just plays video games through out, he doesn't even sleep when we ought to" she said in a sad sharp tone.

"What!" I screamed as I dropped her from my shoulder and went towards Michael who was beside his mother trying to prevent him. "Are you trying to be a bad child? Disobedience, ehm? "

"Am sorry daddy, so sorry" he shouted as he tried to move to his mothers back for safety. I had just returned; scolding him at that moment didn't seem right.

"I will postpone your punishment, but first, take that game straight to my room this moment before I...." I have not finished speaking when he ran into the house. Michael was getting afraid of me, I knew for certain this was not respect but fear; if he did respected me, even in my absence, he wouldn't acted the way he did. Although, perhaps because I scold him so much and have never scolded Jessinta but I would not blame me, I learnt that from Baba Agba, who never touches Florence but flogs me at every slightest error. We went into the house as I smiled and talked to Jessinta about the trip and what her mother had bought for her. it was not necessary though because her mother will still give them to her, but it created the father daughter bond.

"Dad, I missed your stories for two days, tonight you will tell me a long one' Jessinta said as I walked to my room. "I also missed telling you the stories, so don't worry tonight I will tell you" I replied.

Bisola and I went inside the room, took a cold shower and slept for a few hours.

It was time for dinner the table was set. It was pounded yam and egusi soup, my favorite; the cooks have mastered the act of cooking these kinds of dishes when they are needed. "Call the kids" I said to Nkechi the chief house maid. An old woman in her late sixties, I couldn't have young maids no matter how much I wanted to have them they are active, agile and smart but they also come with a lot of temptations and my body is no wood, besides I am a man of great honor, scandals related to that shouldn't be attached to my name. She walked sluggishly to the rooms, my stomach was already eager and I angrily growled curses. She came out holding the kids, Michael on the left and Jessinta on the right; she treated them like they were her grandchildren, she said she never had one likewise the kids never saw either of their grandparents so they called her grandma. "Grandma, hope you added bush meat to the soup?" I heard Michael asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Of course I did, its bush hare, you will love it?" she replied. As they reached the table and I wondered if domestic hares existed. Jessinta took her seat beside me, as usual and Michael, close to his mother, Nkechi sat opposite me. The table was long table; it would do for a mini banquet.

"Mike, pray for the food" I said as I looked towards him. Mike is the short for Michael, and I usually call him that only when we were in good terms. He raised his head in shock and smiled; I knew for certain he would have done all those childish superstition in his room while we slept; plucking out his eye lashes and putting them on his head so as to make me forget to scold him, I did that too when I was his age. He was happy it had worked and he sat well, with his head bowed.

"In Jesus name" without waiting to be replied, he continued, I knew he wanted to impress me "Father in heaven, we thank you for our father and mother who have just returned from abroad with yet another prize, we...." He continued and as it approached 5mins I shouted a loud Amen. I would never tell him to pray again when am hungry.

"When you pray for meals make it short and simple, God will understand," I told him as we swallowed the pounded yam; the pounded yam was soft and very elastic; you could hear that pak sound when you cut out a morsel. I hardly swallowed a morsel that is not well attached with pieces of bush meat, as a big man, that is the kind of life I should live.

"Tomorrow is Sunday, we will have to go and do thanksgiving at the church," Bisola finally said after being quiet almost throughout the meal.

"Oh, oh that's true, what do you have in mind that we give as thanksgiving offering?" I asked.

"Maybe a space bus or something similar that they can use for evangelism"

"That's right...." I said, I haven't finished speaking when Jessinta interrupted.

"But daddy wont we take yams too, Pastor Fred told me he likes yams very well" she said smiling.

"The yams and others small stuffs are certain my baby, we are talking about the main thanksgiving offering" I replied.

"Which of them are we carrying?" I asked Bisola.

"Let's take the white one, it looks more presentable" she replied, immediately I started coughing, Bisola ran towards me with a cup of water. "olowo ori mi, bless you, drink water please" she said as she tries to put the cup in my mouth but I objected.

"What! Do you want to kill me?" I screamed, "That car is worth a few million dollars; I paid for the design, construction and importation of just that one car and you want me to just give it out?"

"No, my love, it's just a suggestion"

"Bad suggestion, suggest something lesser... or rather, I will suggest myself... Ali! Ali!" I screamed as Ali came running.

"Yes oga" he replied as he ran towards us; Ali is one of my illiterate drivers, I picked him up when he was just fourteen, an orphan who lived under the bridge and I made a life for him, sent him to driving school and made him my personal driver.

"That blue sienna space bus, drive it to church tomorrow when we are going, is that clear?"

"Yes oga" he replied; his usual response as he had not fully learned English language. He stood there watching.

"Am done with you, you can go now" I said as I used my hands to try to demonstrate for him to understand.

"So that case is closed now, write a list of the other things we will give and send Nkechi to the market," I said to Bisola who was tidying up the dining table already. She paused "but honey...."

"Don't but me, that's my decision and its final," I said trying to make her talk no longer. I knew she love it when am authoritative, I overheard her saying it to Mrs. Nelson, and so I wanted to prove a point. I saw her smiled as her cheekbone protruded a bit; it made me remember when I met her just a decade ago it feels just like yesterday. When I hungrily stood up to buy a sachet water with the last penny on me just two weeks after Lydia jilted me, I mistakenly bumped into her, I expected her to act like every other girl would have acted; slap me, call me a wretch, classless monkey, etc. Therefore, I already started pleading "Madame sorry"; but to my surprise, she smiled; that was when I noticed her lovely protruded cheekbone, took my hand up and told me, it is all right. For days it kept reoccurring in my brain; the smile, the pretty face and those two words 'it's alright', I could not sleep well and I swore I would marry her, which I did.

"Okay Love" she said in her usual low tune as she sat down back. It was the normal tradition in the house, no matter how long ago you have finished eating before the last person does, you will have to wait so that we all pray together; Bisola introduced that anyway. Not long after, we all finished eating and Nkechi did the final prayers, as usual thanking God for the meal and praying to him to give me more money so that I will be able to be able to feed them more and more. I always pray that prayer too, that I will have enough money to feed the whole world comfortably without feeling it, but I would not if I do have.

Like the happy family we are, after the meal, we all sat in the large sitting room, laughing and cheering as we watched movies. As soon as it was 7:30 pm, Jessinta tapped me.

"Story time dad," she said. I held her hand and we both walked to the garden.

"Why do you love to tell me stories in the garden?"

"I get inspirations from nature. Most of the stories I tell you are imagined, I imagined them, the ones I heard some other places, I garnish them"

"Okay dad" she said and we both sat on the mat.

# ITUTU KILOMIN THE STORY ISLAND

# CHAPTER FOUR

"A long time ago; almost a century after the final departure of the great god of western Nigeria, Oduduwa, I was merely ten years old then." I started "Born on an awesome island which existed in the mid Pacific Ocean, It was the perfect definition of a land flowing with milk and honey, a land that had never seen or known darkness, sadness, invasion or unfavorable environmental conditions. Unlike most other islands, Itutu Kilomin does not sit on the waters of the ocean, it sits in it; shielded at it borders by a fifteen feet height of fresh water. It land never ceased being green and not once have it inhabitants lacked what to eat or drink; each morning, a new kind of water moves around the island so that we can enjoy varieties of taste even in our drinks. Our land was so beautiful that when the sun shines, it reflects it image on the skies and when seen by men of normal lands they will think the gods are showing them a part of paradise; where the ancestors rested after death. Admired by both spirits and sea animals yet Itutu Kilomin still remained a humble and peaceful land.

There was a common similarity amongst the aged people in the community; incomplete body parts or knife cuts forming symbols on their skins, seems more like cuts from a blunt knife. Baba Agba's symbol like four other of his colleagues was a half cut left ear. According to him, years ago they lived in the land of Itumokuru, a land on lands and amongst lands, a land that flourished in wealth and strength. Then Oduduwa was in flesh and he defended them from all invaders who wanted to take them out of the land as slaves and some others who wanted to take over the lands and wealth of the Itumokuru's people. Nevertheless, the land was in peace, everyone feared the people because of the presence of Oduduwa, no one even dared to come close, except friends of the land. Oduduwa could tell when a foe was close to the boarders of the land and before they even reach the boarders, he would have conquered them; even when Alexander the great wanted to take over the lands, Oduduwa defeated him. The way Baba Agba explains his magnificent nature and structure, I wished I did saw him, his explanations seems so much like exaggerations to me because I had seen no one like that on Itutu Kilomin island; shoulders of brass, a little more than ten feet tall, chest made from rocks and large, broad and strong arms. That peace continued until Oduduwa's after departure from his people, it was as though he had betrayed them. The other towns had being waiting for such an opportunity for a long time and he knew that, he also knew they were ready to wait longer if need be, they had even set a two hundred century plan for other generations to see and focus on that same goal. but now it have been given to them on a platter, sooner than they had expected. Fifteen great towns came together and conquered the land, displaced them and made them all live and sleep like and with sheep at riverbanks. When Baba Agba reaches this part of the story, I notice his wrinkled hands shiver and his aging, close to blind eyes, teary. It made me understood how much he had suffered during this period, as I looked at him I felt as though blue ice from the ocean's deepest part had been placed on my teeth and fire ran through my blood. He would then continue after succeeding in masking up all those emotions that to make the matters worse. As they lay by the banks one night, some foreign invaders came in, on large wooden, fearless animals that could float on the river; the young ones were called boats or canoes whereas the aged, big ones were called ships, he heard that from the foreigners. They took them all, gave each of them different marks to differentiate who had which, that was when Baba Agba got his left ear split into two unequal halves with a blunt blade as he would say.

For months they moved hungrily and sluggishly on the river, which led to the sea and then to the pacific. Hundreds on hundreds died due to starvation and were all fed to the sea animals. I then noticed a little smile on Baba Agba's face which later broaden from ear to ear; I knew just like every other story he tells, this one too would have a happy ending. 'then one morning I cried out to Oduduwa, I knew he would hear me, I knew if those large ears couldn't hear voices miles away, then they should have been long cut off' he would say and we both laughed at it.

'But Baba, how large was his ears?' I asked.

'Check the village's drum by the market square, it was shaped and measured exactly like his ears' he replied and the next day I would go to the market to measure my ear size with that of the drum, I also see other kids doing same, certainly their fathers must have told them about the story too. When I go close to the drum, it was bigger than my entire body and every moment I tried to imagine someone with such kind of ear, I just burst out uncontrollably into laughter. It became a usual insult amidst the children to fellow children like them who had relatively larger ears. 'Look at your large ears like that of Oduduwa' they would yell at me whenever I did something wrong or if someone is trying to pick on me.

'And that was when Oduduwa came to our rescue. He capsized the animals and gathered his children in this land he had created for us. A land where man can't see and even the spirits and animals that admire can't conquer' Baba Agba would say in satisfaction with his face filled with smiles then he would roll his agbada sleeves over his shoulder and pause all of a sudden remembering the real happy ending he didn't add initially.

'Wait!' he shouted even if I was going nowhere but sat there still watching him.

'But when he dropped us here, there were no wives; all our wives had died during those months of torture on the sea except Nkiru which wasn't even from Itumokuru, she came from the east. She was among the outcasts who were lucky to have been saved by Oduduwa because they were also taken as slaves,' He continued as he sighed heavily 'all men rushed for her. We all wanted to have her as our wife but Oduduwa saw the impossibility in it, we could share anything else, but not a woman, so on one fateful day he took her away from us.' He said.

'En-hem, so how all the other wives did come about?' I asked even if I knew, he had told me the story repeatedly, but bringing out those dramatic acts made it seem more interesting to listen to no matter how many times it has been heard.

'On another fateful day, he brought her to the centre of the island and divided her into several women. One wife to one man, all with equal beauty, except the woman that came out of her heart and that woman he gave to me because I was the one who called out his name. He said it showed I had faith in him and then he promised me that from her womb and my seed will we produce a child that had one of his qualities, and he really kept to his promise, I can see clearly the quality he promised.' He said smiling, his wrinkled face stretched a bit and he look a little younger as he looked at my ear. I adjusted a bit, I felt uncomfortable about it but I could do nothing but smile at the old man's actions and I wondered why love or a princess must always be the happy conclusions to most stories.

Story time was over, but that was actually just an appetizer, the main story time occurs tomorrow at the centre of the island. It was like a tradition at Itutu Kilomin to tell stories to children, most especially under the moonlight. But on the fourth full moon, full sun of every year; on full moon, full sun, the sun and moon are at their fullest and they both merge above Itutu Kilomin, then we all gather at the centre and the aged men tell stories of their past life before Oduduwa merged them all at Itutu Kilomin. Two years ago, Baba Agba told his, I wonder whose turn it is going to be this time; could it be Ijemili, the old man with one and half legs? Alternatively, could it be Kukuru, the dwarf? Anyway whosoever it's going to be, I believe it's going to be as exciting as ever, I thought as Mama called us for dinner, it was a rare act for her to call us to dinner, we were always first at the food hut waiting to be served, the aroma drives us there as it did to all others. Mama was no doubt the best cook, whenever she cooks, just the aroma draws in visitors from all over the island. As peace lovers, mama decided that she would be the island cook since some other husbands refused eating their wife's meal after tasting hers. They all agreed to it, the other women assisted her too and all men came together to built a large food hut; larger than anybody's hut on the whole island and anytime mama cooks, we all come together to eat. Usually on other meetings, the Oduduwa's eardrum is played and everyone gathers but during meal times no drum is beaten, the aroma flogs everyone there.

I held Baba Agba's walking stick and placed his hands on my shoulder so I could serve as his support, in shock, he turned to my direction and smiled at me, I knew he would love it, I think all old men do. I had never done that to him before but after last year's story time when Chidimaku told a story of how he became the heir to his father's throne then because he dedicated himself to be his father's walking stick, ever since, I had been seeking such an opportunity. Something that could push a father to make his youngest son the heir to his throne, and then I believe that thing must be so important to him. Baba Agba's grip on my shoulder was strong, I never knew it was that strong by mere looking at it; no spot was left unwrinkled and his fat weak veins stood out, as he pressed me down to stand on his feet, I felt a sharp pain ran through my left shoulder.

In less than two minutes, we were at the food hut already, it was built very close to our hut; it was made that close so that Mama could get there easily and quickly when she needed to. Mama stood at the hut entrance welcoming in those who came to eat; everyone usually came, even the sick, aged or new born never skipped a meal. Even as a child, I could tell mama's beauty out stood anyone else on that island. Whether facially or bodily, that sometimes I wonder how good the woman Nkiru must have been that her heart produced such beauty; her black face shone, she had long curly thickly black hair, and had lots of flesh were it was required; full lips, a very slim waist which made her posterior and bosom prominent. Anyone that passed by greeted her warmly; men, women and children; she had stolen all of their hearts, as the proverb would say 'the road to a man's stomach also leads to his heart.' beside the food she cooks alone, her beauty could steal hearts. As we walked in, everyone were not looking as happy as they used to, though there was still smiles, cheers but you could certainly tell it wasn't the usual atmosphere, we walked down to an empty raffia mat and I supported Baba Agba to sit on it. Later mama came to join us on the mat.

'What is happening, why is the place not as ecstatic as it used to be?' Baba Agba asked mama, I did not even know he noticed, his almost blind eyes could still see but anyway I guess because joy is more to feelings than sight.

'Bisola mistakenly added too much salt water to the soup' she said nonchalantly as she cut out a small morsel from the pounded cassava, rubbed down in the soup and swallowed, and my eye followed it down her throat. She paused a bit when she noticed we were not eating.

'Why aren't you both eating, oko mi, omo mi?' she asked as she pushed the calabashes closer to us even if initially it was close enough.

'We will eat; we are just resting a bit after the walk.' Baba Agba replied.

'The food is still sweet oh, just a little salty'

'I know it would certainly be sweet, it couldn't be any less' Baba Agba said and mama smiled shyly as she bent her head and continued eating and we joined her

# CHAPTER FIVE

As expected, we woke up seeing the full moon, full sun the next morning, we were all excited, Oduduwa has granted us our request again; he always did, so far someone asked. All through that day was filled with works and preparations against the evening's story time. As usual mama and a few other women went to food hut to make some drinks and itikpa; a crispy, long, thin snack; everyone except the toothless aged men and the new born that hadn't grown a tooth enjoys it; during the story time they just sit back, listen, watch and gulp in the drink excessively. We the young ones ran little errands for our mothers, sweep the island centre and arranged all the mats around the rocky stage where the story teller sits; it was high enough so that he could be seen and heard by all the islanders.

I always wished I could grow fast and become a man quickly. The only time men work in Itutu Kilomin is when the community is being over populated. Only then, will they all come together and build more huts and that happens once in a decade. I saw it happen once since I was born and that was when I was just seven years; when mama became the island cook, on other days, men just sit at home, tell the children stories and when it was time for meals they walk to the food hut to eat and at night they give our mothers the keys to the doors of more inhabitants. Those days even include the story time when Itutu Kilomin was busiest. As I and mama walked out of our hut, Baba Agba was still asleep, snoring loudly, the good thing was that the sound couldn't leave the three walls of his room; his room was triangularly shaped. When Oduduwa made him stop snoring then, he got angry saying that was the major joy of his sleep so Oduduwa decided to give it back to him but created an invisible shield around his room so that the sound would not leave his room, which settled the dispute that wanted to arise between him and our neighbors.

After I had helped mama fetch salt water, pluck some onion bulbs and washed a few calabashes, I ran to join the rest kids at the island centre, we all worked happily and that helped us finish our work in time so we had enough time to play.

After a few hours of hide and seek, we began to hear a group a dancers heading towards our direction, we knew the hour had come, excitedly we all ran back to our various huts to clean up and change our goat skin cloth; the one we wore initially had become so dusty. Baba Agba would say 'on full moon, full sun, make sure you wear your best goat skin.' I ran fastest because I wanted to sit in front when we came back. I wanted to see the dancing competition, I loved to see how the young girls swayed their waist from side to side, I knew someday I will pick a wife from amongst the descendants of great mother Nkiru and I wanted to be as lucky as my father, Baba Agba.

I could not have known I would put myself into such trouble when I offered Baba Agba my shoulder for support, if I knew I would certainly not have done it.

'Where have you being Tayo?' Baba Agba screamed immediately I ran into the house. I knew there was trouble; when he calls me omo mi, he is happy but whenever he screams Tayo, certainly I would pluck out my eyelashes.

'After helping mama, I went to join the rest children at the island centre to clear it.' I replied. 'Then after which you?' he screamed again but this time in a less harsh tone. I could not place how best I would tell him I was playing after we were through even though I knew that he knew that I was playing. Moreover, I certainly could not tell him any other thing that was not the truth because Oduduwa would strike me dead immediately. Just last year, three children were struck dead in front of their parent immediately after they had lied, ever since, parents hate to ask their children anything that would make them even by mistake lie and even the children were scared to be struck too.

'Err... err...' I stammered, I immediately noticed Baba Agba's hand were shaking, it was always shaking but this time it shook in fear, he was afraid that I would lie and that I would be struck by water if I did. Immediately, he forced himself to move a bit forward and held my hands tightly.

'Do not speak my child, I certainly will not lose you, not now, until you are old and ripe to live with our ancestors up and above in paradise' Baba Agba said in a low shivery tone. It was well believed among our people that any man that dies below the ripe age of seventy-two years will not join the ancestors in paradise, but rather will come back to earth as either stones or animals until they are ripe.

'Have you forgotten I threw my stick away?' he asked despite the fact that he knew that I was not there when he threw it; I didn't even know he did. That was an indirect lie, but I guess Oduduwa pardoned him. Perhaps, because he was aged and might have forgotten if I was there when he threw it away.

'No.... I mean, yes.... I don't know when you threw it away' I stammered in shock, as I did not know what to think about at that moment. Could he now walk well without being propped by the stick? I hoped so because I did not want to think he threw it so that I can be his walking stick. 'So you see why you ought to be around me always. What if I wanted to go to the waste centre to excrete, is that how you would be playing about and leave me here all to myself?' 'No Baba' I replied in a low but rather sad tone. I knew he won't be able to placed why I am sad now, I needed to make it clear to him because he might think am just sober about my actions not knowing it's because I didn't want to be his propping boy.

'But Baba, I will get you a new and stronger stick tomorrow.'

'Sticks are too rigid, I needed something flexible. Our people will say 'a man who have tasted palm wine won't call a man who have drunken palm wine to stupor a drunkard because he too have tasted of its sweetness'. Besides, now you have come of age, help your aged father, after all, how many years do I have left to live?' he said. Forgetting that he had told me twice during story time that Oduduwa has promised he would live up to one hundred years and he was just eighty years then, I could certainly not be a propping boy for twenty years. But I knew trying to make him understand that will only make me late to the island centre for story time and possibly at the end he won't understand which will make two losses on my path, so I decided to do the right thing.

'Baba, I can see you are dressed already, let me quickly change my goatskin and clean up so that we can both go' I said as I rushed to my room and all the way I imagined how I would grow my first goatee as a prop boy.

I held Baba Agba's stool as we 'snailishly' walked to the island centre. Many of those that ran passed us bowed to greet and they went ahead of us. I couldn't reply the greetings that were directed to me, because I kept counting the number of people that ran past us; I counted so that I would know how far back I would sit, all I just hoped for at that moment was that I will at least see the dance, even if it was the last move.

As expected, the whole mats were almost filled up except for the mats at the back; it was so far behind that even if I stood I would not see the dancers. Sadly, I moved Baba Agba beneath the full mango tree; that was a place reserved for the aged men, the shades of the mango tree was so big that a little more than forty aged men could find shelter beneath it. I dropped Baba Agba's stool on the floor and bent him a little to sit.

'Now where will you sit?' he asked as he turned around looking at different mats. My eyes followed his too round the rock.

'Look at one at the front' he said as he pointed at the front row close to the rock 'just one person is sitting on it... oh its Jemimah; the daughter of Mr. Hassan. Go and join her there' he paused and dipped his hands into his crocodile skin bag to bring out kola nuts. Baba Agba still had teeth unlike other men of his age group; even though they had turned thick brown because of the kola nuts, he chewed excessively.

'What are you still waiting for; do you want to lose that space too?' he said without looking at me as he broke the kola into two halves.

'No Baba' I replied and I rushed down to sit on the mat with Jemimah. Jemimah was nine years then, but unlike other of her age groups who struggled to join the dance team; she just sits back shyly and watches. She had long glaring eye lashes like that of a cat and her beauty if liquefied and kept in a bowl and given to someone to drink, no matter how strong he is he would have reached stupor before he reaches the first one fourth of the bowl. Her beauty was excessive just like mama's own, but she was a bit less beautiful than mama was. Baba said her father was a northern outcast when they were on land; he was the son of the great queen Amina of Zazzau. Baba Agba had told me of her heroic stories and I admired her heart, I was sure that if it was her heart that was used to create mama, it would certainly not be a woman, but a man, a very strong man. Baba Agba then will jokingly say that Olodumare, the great god supreme had given all her generations' bravery and strength to her that is why Jemimah is so shy and that's why once, a rat drove Mr. Hassan from his hut.

'Happy full moon, full sun' I said to Jemimah immediately I sat down, she used her slender black fingers to cover her eyes in shyness as she turned away and slowly replied. 'Same to you', I could see her mouth opened as she smiled when she replied. Her little white teeth shone and the two front teeth had a tiny beautiful distance apart. My eyes walked slowly down from her full red lips down to her just developing bosom; which was tied around loosely with sheepskin and to her bare, flat black stomach with a little protruded belly button, I smiled. Like a flash, I remembered when Baba Agba had warned me that Oduduwa blinds the eyes that look lustfully at a woman who was not his wife. I turned around immediately and swallowed the saliva that revolved around my mouth.

'So whose story would you like to hear today?' I asked, I wanted to bring up a conversation so that the hot air between us could cool down at least a bit, I knew it wouldn't last long, but I would try so hard to make her talk.

'Perhaps, Kukuru's story' she said with her fingers still over her eyes, I noticed her smiles fading away; she was certainly feeling uncomfortable with the conversation but I wasn't going to quit anytime soon.

'And why do you want to listen to his, Ijemili has one and half legs, don't you think he will have more stories to tell?' I asked.

'I hate scary stories; I won't be able to sleep at night?' she replied, this time she had dropped her hands from her face and placed it on her thigh. It was far easier than I thought to make her get free with me, perhaps she was just shy to start up a conversation with people but when the conversation is started she goes ahead freely.

'How do you know his story will be scary?'

'What could have made his legs one and half will certainly be scary.' She replied as she shivered a bit; I believe it was because thoughts ran through her head how it happened. 'Don't you remember Katuma's story?' she asked after she had recovered from the brief shiver.

'No, when did he say his story?' I asked.

'Four years ago, I was just five then. Katuma lose just his thumb, but when he said the story of how he lose it, I couldn't sleep for ten days on a row, I even went to father for comfort at night but even he couldn't sleep after listening to the story. If it's Ijemili that will tell his story, I will close my ears all through' she poured out like a drum that have been long reserved with water and is once given an opportunity to pour out. She felt so free with me; I never even knew she could whisper.

'Wait; am I really talking to you?' she asked after a long pause.

'Of course you are' I replied in a low tone. Immediately she bent her head and began to weep, I got scared, what could I have done wrong? On the other hand, was she among the 'select', has the voice of Oduduwa earmarked her? I thought as I raised her head a bit.

'What is wrong with that?' I asked, confused.

'This is the first time I have been so free with anyone, I feel joy rushing through my lungs now that I know I can do it, I have longed for this moment since when I started talking or rather, when I was old enough to talk.' She said. I was feeling like a hero already and I smiled at her, but sometimes the feeling of being a hero when you are not could do nothing less but succeeding in landing you just into trouble.

'Perhaps because you are so pretty' I said as I used my palm to wipe the tears that rolled down her cheek.

'Now you are making me shy again' she said as she tried to cover her eyes with her palm again, that was when I noticed her cheek was so soft, far softer than Baba Agba sagging pot belly and my palm refused to leave her cheek like it have been attached there with the gluey fluid from an oak tree.

Almost immediately, I thought about removing my palm from her cheek I felt something like a small little stone hit my head. I turned to see what was that just to discover it was a tiny piece of kola nut, I had no doubt it was Baba Agba; he couldn't waste more than that to get someone attention, and getting someone's attention with a piece of Kola certainly means trouble, Kola nuts were worth more than gold and pawpaw to him. I turned to look in his direction when I noticed the event had long being paused and all eyes were focused on Jemimah and me. Immediately I tapped Jemimah so that she too could see the world around her, we had been out of this world, deep in our conversation that I even forgot to watch the dance. She was certainly not the only one that did something new that day in her life; that was my first time of ever being in a conversation and forgetting the world around me. She turned around and stared at a few eyes that looked, what I expected at that moment was that she would bend her face and weep or run out of that place at that time, but she did not, she just smiled and turned back around, she had conquered her fears. Joy filled my heart, but when I remembered Baba Agba would 'kill' me when we got home, the joy gradually faded away. Perhaps, letting him 'kill' me there at that time would be better. I stood up immediately and began to walk towards his direction but then I saw him smile and gave me a thumb up and the whole crowd clapped and cheered. Only then did I feel like a real hero and I walked back to the raffia mat to sit, but this time closer to Jemimah, close enough to feel the warmth of her thighs.

The voice of Oduduwa, Parukutu, danced forward. Ever since Oduduwa had created the island and wives for his people, he never again appeared in person, but rather he spoke through Parukutu, who was over one hundred and twenty years old. Parukutu had the strength and agility of a twenty years old man, even his voice was deep and young unlike other shaky old men, who weren't even as old as he was. Anytime he wants to deliver a message from Oduduwa, he wears his kalimo; a rare skin combination, he pounded together the skin of hippopotamus, tiger and rabbits and the cap he wears were made from elephant's tusk and whale's teeth. When he danced around, the tiny calabashes tied around his waist hit themselves to make rare melodious sounds, depending on the message he wanted to deliver; whenever he wanted to deliver a bad message, the calabash clashes are vigorous but the common sounds were the soft ones. He climbed the top of the rock and after a little dance; he paused, lifted his hands up to the sky and recited some incantations. Immediately, stars fell from the skies into the ocean and his eyes burned like the sun and the stars and water now guarded the boarders of Itutu Kilomin, it was a rare act so we all bowed.

'This day is going to be a special day' he started in a thunderous voice, which cooled down to normal towards the end of the sentence.

'I shall make one thousand years one day and a thousand days one year' he said and I wondered what he meant, immediately I tried to relate it to cashew nuts and a cashew tree, it's just like saying the cashew nuts will now be the tree and one thousand trees will hang on one nut. Oduduwa is excessively powerful.

'Wow!' the whole congregation exclaimed, I was not the only shocked person there.

'Both Ijemili and Kukuru will tell their stories' he continued, and on impulse, Jemimah and I turned to stare at each other, I guess now she was bold enough to listen.

'And after which I, Oduduwa will tell my own story' he said and the whole congregation exclaimed again, this time louder, everyone was in shock.

'Are you surprised? You needn't be, everyone has a story and I just like you all creations of the great god supreme and my father, Olodumare, I have a story too. but since the best is reserved for the last, so I will speak last' he said and he danced around the rock and then he floated on the air down to the big round calabash, where he sat. Normally, Ijemili and Kukuru would have walked up the rock immediately he came down, but just like everyone else, they were still in shock.

After about twenty minutes, we had recovered but Ijemili and Kukuru would not still climb the rock, they were both scared, Oduduwa had never revealed himself in that form, normally Parukutu would have gotten the message at the shrine then he would come physically to tell us.

'Why are you afraid?' Oduduwa through Parukutu thundered. 'I am with you and for you, so do not be afraid.' He said and as he spoke, Ijemili and Kukuru were both lifted up from the ground and floated on the air to the top of the rock, everyone bowed again.

'All hail Oduduwa the great god of Itutu Kilomin' someone shouted from amongst the crowd. 'We hail, we hail' we all replied. Immediately the women stood up and went around sharing the milky kunu and other drinks depending on whatsoever one anyone desired to take, and itikpa was passed around. The drinks were more than enough and perhaps because the women spent so much time making the drinks, they did not make much itikpa, so Jemimah and I decided to share a bowl; it was from that moment our hearts began to bond. Mama was the one that went up to serve the story tellers with two bowls of itikpa and a large calabash of kunu." I paused and looked at my wristwatch. "Oh, it's 9pm already" I said in a low tune.

I was tired already but Jessinta's eyes still shone as she smiled listening to me and besides we had to go to church the next day so I had to stop at that moment.

"It's time to sleep"

"That means you will tell me the rest part of the story tomorrow dad"

"I will my baby" I replied and we both went into the house. Michael and Bisola were still watching the television in the sitting room when we entered, we joined them and after five minutes, we all went to sleep.

# CHAPTER SIX

It was a bright Sunday morning, as usual, I went to the window, church was till 8am, so I had all the time I needed. I sat and watched the azure sky, how it moved to form images in the sky, it reminded me of my childhood, the only thing that gave me joy then was watching the skies, I could imagine Mama and Baba watching me from above. So each morning, I will wake up to curse the skies because Mama and Baba were in there, I curse them for putting me through all those torments; I got great satisfaction doing that, because I believed my curses will make them suffer where they are too. I moved my gaze from the sky, I could see all houses two hundred kilometers close, mine was the tallest, biggest and most eye catching; even though politicians, despite all those stolen money, surrounded me they weren't richer than I am. I could see a few cars passing down the tarred quiet road; those were catholic's I believe, they were the ones who go to church 6am for the morning mass, I imagined how some of them who hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before will continuously yawn till the mass was over.

Bisola turned around the bed for a while and finally woke up, the morning sun reflection that came through the window settled on her face when she sat at the edge of the bed, she looked so much like the goddesses; she fit exactly into the picture of the described Sango's second wife. I stood there as I watched her and smiled, the only thing more beautiful than my house in that state was Bisola, I never ceased to be amazed by her beauty.

"Oh, honey, you are awake, good morning" she said as though she was whispering, I could only pick two words from her sentence 'awake' and 'morning' but I knew it was her usual morning statement she uttered whenever she finds me awake; most times she do.

"I will go and take my bath now. Have you taken yours?" she asked, I knew she wanted to suggest we bath together, but Sunday wasn't just the right day for that.

"I have taken my bath" I said unconvincingly. I didn't have any intentions to take my bath that morning; I could wash my face and go to church, after all, I was used to it; from when I was a kid, I normally do that and besides, then I didn't have enough money to buy sprays, perfumes, roll on, and other deodorants, but now I have more than enough for that.

"You lie, honey" she said smiling and pointing suspiciously at me.

"But this is Sunday morning honey; we are going to church and for thanks giving this shouldn't be one of those days" she said as she dragged me behind her to the bathroom, at this point, I couldn't say no any further.

We majestically walked into the church as usual, late so that our entrance would draw some attentions; even if we didn't, we still drew attentions, but we wanted a more visual effect; an effect that won't just be felt alone, but seen too. Almost the whole congregation turned to look. Michael and Jessinta walked in front as me and their mother followed behind. The choir sang aloud the normal 'everybody sings halleluiah, Jehovah Jireh has done me well...'as they danced energetically, they were the only ones dancing. Even the pastors just moved their bodies and the congregation clapped to the rhythm; they were all rich men, big men rather, the people who started the church were no longer there aside me and a few others; the few others were the cleaners, securities, gardeners and others whose presence where rarely noticed. The church started years back, two decades or more, then when I was nothing; when the only ones who knew me were my friends and fellow poverty-stricken individuals. I worked as a mason, building tomato shops for market women and stands for mai suya. Then pastor Timothy, Fred and their other colleagues came down to Lagos with 'the message', I helped in building the first church we used; we used woods to construct, that was my biggest contract then, I was so happy. Then the members usually sit on mats and during rainy seasons when the floors are wet, they were made to stand. That was a long time ago, now things have changed.

We walked to our seat, left end of the third row. It was reserved, everyone knew us with that position, even when we were not around, no one sat there. I wouldn't have known if not one Sunday after our return from Paris on a two weeks holiday that pastor Fred came to us in his usual black long coat and his Igbo accent to tell us our seat was empty throughout the day, that also reminds me of another convention; the whole church was filled up, some men and women even stood, but our seat was left empty. The praises were soon over and pastor timothy came forward to preach; an old man, who could hardly walk a mile without resting, he couldn't stand to preach, he would faint. Once he tried it and the next Sunday he was still at the hospital, ever since, he continued using his usual chair, he sat to preach but stood only when he needed to do a few unnecessary demonstrations.

"God has done it again in our midst" he started in his low shaky voice, I knew where he was he was heading; he knew if he impressed me on stage, I would impress him backstage.

"One of our very own has brought to us the prize for peace," he said. I could feel the eyes of people all watching me, even those in front turned back to look, some of them there were also nominated, and I could perceive their angry breaths.

"That is the pay for being so committed to God's work" he continued, he too could feel the hot tensed air he awakened with that statement.

"Am not saying you all are not committed, but we are awarded according to the quality of our works," he said to ease the tension. He preached for over thirty minutes; it was all about me, at first, I enjoyed it, but soon, I started to feel uncomfortable with it. It got boring, everyone wanted to leave, even I, but no one wanted to leave first.

Finally, he finished; I could now breathe good air. Offerings and tithes were collected; as usual the choir sang as the ushers passed the baskets; perhaps, that's the next thing I would do for the church; get them something to collect offering with, this basket is so similar, even cheaper to the one hanged on the wall of my bathroom to drop a few waste. It was time to do the thanksgiving proper. It was usually Pastor Fred's duty to call those who wanted to give thanks but this time pastor timothy decided to play that role.

"The bible says 'to him who is grateful, more is given.' if you know you have something to thank God for today why not walk to the altar with your thanksgiving offering" he paused. As he noticed no reaction from the congregation; no one attempting to move, all looking as though tied in their expensive agbada, he continued, "even your life is worth being grateful for, it's not easy, go check the hospital, do you want to be like those who can't even move? Yet some of them still give thanks" the crowd suddenly starts to move forward, I could notice the smile on his face, he have mastered the act. I wasn't good with my words in persuading people, if not I would be a pastor by now, many others have turned it into business, it is actually lucrative, and now you can't even tell who the real ones are, because the fakes tend to have sweeter and more persuasive tongue.

My acolytes knew what to do; as soon as I stood up, they all ran out to gather up the yam tubers, bags of rice, goats and others and Ali handed me the car key. Bisola and the kids stood up too, I could see the pastors' smile again as we walked down to the altar. Every other person just dropped their thanksgiving offering and danced back to their seats, or rather, walked to their seats moving their bodies a bit. But this was chief Tayo, certainly not anybody or everybody else, and he deserved a kingly thanksgiving, I ensured I was the last person to reach the altar to give my own thanksgiving; without request, I was offered the microphone, I knew I had to say something, but I will make it short and simple.

"I thank God for this opportunity, for once more am being able to give to the church as a show of appreciation. I don't need to say it all; you all know what happened, though it didn't come as a shock to me but I will have to give God his." I smiled and continued as I drew out the car keys from my pocket "this key is for the car parked beside the church toilet, am giving it and these others as a show of appreciation to God and his church." Just like I expected, the congregation gave the usual 'big-manly' clap, pah pah and stopped. People can be so funny, I thought, these men were rich enough to buy cars for the church, but they didn't, chief Tayo did and they don't seem excited at all, except for the pastors, who am sure soon after the service will ask me for fuel funds. We walked to our seats as the choir sang along. Immediately the choir began to sing 'shakara for Satan' Bisola started going into ecstasy, dancing and dancing, I knew she wanted to send a message with that act, she always did, she wasn't really as gentle as I thought.

Service ended few minutes later, people came from all corners of the church congratulating me, I was getting tired of the 'congrats' already, but I knew it will soon come to an end; even though they are Yoruba's, they are humans too, they will surely get tired. I knew the pastor will like to see me, I went to the pastors' arena, and with the little time, I had to wait for all pastor to finish.... Only God knows what, I saw Bisola talking to her friends; her gestures showed she was trying to mimic her own self during the award. From the moment she danced in front, I knew it is because she had new stories; she usually told it well anyway. Jessinta and Michael were also talking to friends and a few more people came around me.

The pastors were soon through with their meeting, though this was shorter than usual. They all came out, shook hands with me and I was left alone with pastor timothy who prayed for me, as usual, I gave him some money and fuel funds inclusive and he followed me to my car.

"I will visit you soon," he said as he waved us goodbye; soon. I thought, what could be sooner than his usual twice a week visit. I knew as he added the word soon, I would expect him today or tomorrow morning.

"Honey, you can't imagine how happy I was in church today when all the women were just screaming oya chief" she said smiling as she adjusted her gel`e; life could change so quickly, I thought, even I wouldn't have imagined that one day a woman will be this proud of me. Yes, I was handsome, but a pocket less man is nothing, no one could be proud of him.

"H'm" was all I said, I did not have words to reply her, I was feeling too proud already for her to continue increasing my ego, I would burst. "Baby, today you are going to do the cooking, it's been years since you did that last, I want to taste your fingers once more." "You deserve it honey," she said smiling; wow! So all these years I did not deserve a food cooked by my own wife, I thought as she continued, "I will cook fried rice for you, the kind you have never tasted."

"Do you want to go to Jupiter to bring the ingredients?" I said.

"If I can, I certainly will" she replied. All we talked about throughout until we got home was food. Immediately we got home, she prayed and changed into a casual dress; usually my two years old shirts and a wrapper. She went to the kitchen, told all the house cleaners to leave, and in about an hour, she was done. Throughout when she cooked, our nose were not at rest, we were thrilled by the aroma; I missed this for years, even the so called maids who claimed they have attended three or more catering schools couldn't have cooked half this one. The kids and I were already at the dining table even before anyone called us and Bisola brought out the large flask from the kitchen, as I wondered how she retained those skills, I have married a perfect wife, what else could be better?

Bisola did the prayer this time and I rushed to take my first spoon, I could not find words to describe the meal, but it was something I had never tasted before. Immediately I tried to swallow the first spoon, I threw it out.

"Salt!" I screamed, "The salt is excessive, did you pour the whole container into the food?" I noticed her sudden changed reaction, and she rushed to taste the food; she had not tasted it initially. None of us could eat the food, not even the cook, Bisola. We could have eaten something else, the house helps would have done that in a few minute, but we just went to our rooms in disappointments.

Bisola didn't talk throughout the evening even during dinner; when she was asked something that demanded an answer, she just replied in a word and few gestures to elaborate. She didn't even join us in the sitting room that night when we all usually come together as a family to spend happy hours. I could see the shame in her eyes as she lay to sleep; I knew she would have a nightmare; it happens anytime she sleeps with such low spirit, but it was a good thing she would have a nightmare that night because anytime she does, she holds me so tight as though I would protect her.

I walked out of the room; I knew Jessinta would be waiting for me at the garden for stories so I walked there and just as I expected, she was waiting for me.

"Baby, you stayed here all alone in the cold?" I asked.

"Yes dad, I was waiting for you to come and continue the story. How come you took so long?"

"That's not the problem right now, go and get a blanket to cover yourself before I tell you any story"

"Alright dad, but I hope this is not one of your tricks so as not to tell me stories tonight?" "I will tell you the story, just do what I asked," I said and she ran into the house. In less than two minutes, she arrived already, all fully covered up in the blanket except for her face and ears.

"So where did I stopped last night?" I asked.

"When you and Jemimah shared a bowl of itikpa" she replied happily.

"How come you remembered, were you thinking of it all day?"

"I never forget a line of your stories dad"

"Okay then I will continue from there but just give me two minutes to think of it" I said and I sat to think of what to say, I knew she just wanted to listen to something from dad's mouth, so I certainly will tell her something. It did not take me seconds to have thought of it, so I just started immediately.

# WAZABI AND THE PEOPLE OF OPUSEKE

# CHAPTER SEVEN

"Ijemili gulped in a large quantity of kunu, cleared his throat and immediately started telling his story.

'A long time ago' he started and I wondered why all stories told by the aged had to start with a long time ago. He adjusted a bit and took another sip from the calabash. He was an old man who loves to eat so much but never adds a pound of weight, which makes everyone wonder where the food he eats goes. 'Unlike every other aged member of Itutu Kilomin that have lived in a land before this, that was rosy, fertile and filled with all the good things of life until something came up, mine was different, it was neither rosy nor fertile, good things were far from its borders' he continued. He paused a bit as he shook his head in soberness, Jemimah tapped me a bit and I held her hand tightly.

'I was born and bred in a desert far away; far from both life, water and anything that even thought of breathing, but we weren't too far, we had neighbors too, friendly neighbors that visited us daily; death and thirst. That place was called Opuseke, a place where the only things that lived was my community and a few animals; they belonged to the community too. Am sure none of you knows what it feels like to live in a desert that why you all still make fun of me when I consume food in excess, am just covering for the time past when I had nothing to eat.' He paused, carried a large number of itikpa from the bowl, and swallowed, everyone laughed at it and he continued in a louder tone this time. 'She was named Opuseke because that was where life ends. There, we don't burry our dead, we use them to create life for those of us that would soon die that's if we see their bodies; we eat them so that we could live a few more days or months, we usually don't think of years, if we didn't eat them, the waiting vultures would. Life seemed so much of a misery to us that each morning we wait for our own time to leave the sufferings of Opuseke, we knew it was soon, no time was ever sooner than we expected. Not even when it is a day old child or a child that had died of starvation in its mother's womb but all that didn't discourage us; we remained peace lovers and hardworking people. Every morning Baba and I would pick up our hoes and travel Far East where the lands were a little less unfertile than ours. It was a very hard ground, so we had to work so hard that soon even the blister got tired of our palms, despite our struggles, our plants won't still have mercy on us. They could still not break out through the ground when they were growing, we had to go there each morning to soften the ground surface, there was no time we walked down the road that we wouldn't walk past a dead animal or human or even a dead waiting vulture that died waiting for food.

We usually go to the farm every day, but there was always one day in a year we do leave out, the winds day, on that day the winds blows at their fullest, pouring down dust and sands, displacing straw huts and burying so many living dead alive; we were all living dead. However, on this year's winds day we couldn't just stay indoors, we would die of starvation if we did. Mama was already shivering, we knew it was a hunger that couldn't last till the next day so we hurriedly ran to the farm, before we left I overheard Baba telling Mama to be strong that they had to take care of the children together and tears rushed down my eyes, I wished that one day the suffering would end, I wanted to call on a supreme being, someone who had powers to stop all that from happening, but I knew none, Baba had never told me of any since I was born neither have I heard from anybody too.

I wasn't the first child of Baba so I wondered why I always had to be the one to follow him to the farm and besides, then I was just seven years old and Segun my elder brother was fifteen but all day Baba keeps telling me it's for a reason. Mama had seven children, I was the third to the last born, but also the youngest surviving. I can still vividly remember when we had to eat Matthew, he was just ten days old and he died, three days after he was named Matthew. We reach the farm, harvested a surviving maize stem but on our way home, the winds began. I could hear Baba whispering some words and he held my hand tightly and told me 'we can do it, we can pass the wind', I was scared when the wind blew towards us but all we did was lay flat on the ground and it flogged past us, we lived, I rejoiced, my thin body tried to make a move when I noticed a number of lacerations on Baba's skin, he had used himself as a shield to protect me, as I saw it I wept bitterly, even as a young child, I believed me and Baba should almost weigh same so I wondered why he did that. The wind had scattered the paths, the heaps of sands we used to locate our huts were flattened; they had been blown away by the wind. 'Baba how will we find our way back home?' I asked.

'We will just walk, we will get home, I assure you' he replied in a low tone, I wondered why he kept being positive at even the most negative things. I had expected that he would react to the pain he felt on his side but he didn't, he just walked normally, straighter than he always did like the wind had straightened his aging waist but it left marks there as a pay for the favor it did.

For hours we walked but yet couldn't still find a single hut, we never got tired. If it were to be just any other day, we would certainly have rested for the night, but this was a different day, Mama's life was at stake so we kept walking, as we walked down a path, I noticed a large structure at a distance, I had never seen it before or anything that looked like it.

'Look at that, Baba' I screamed pointing at the structure that was afar.

'The great protector!' Baba exclaimed.

'What is the great protector?' I asked but Baba did not reply, I could tell he was really thinking about something and I suspected it could be because of that structure we saw.

Soon after, we found our way home and we were able to make Mama live after she ate from the stem. When I was sure mama was well enough, well enough to live one more day, I ran to my hut which was very close to a large heap of smooth sand. I lay down thinking of the structure I saw and why Baba called it the great protector, we have a protector and we lived so miserably, I thought, what if we didn't, that means certainly, I wouldn't have been born, Opuseke would have been long gone before my time and perhaps that would have been better. As I lay there in thought, I felt a thin hand tapped my bony bare thighs, I could tell it was Baba. 'It's about the structure right?' I asked. I knew Baba only tapped me out of sleep when he wanted to tell me something of importance and that structure seemed important. That only important thing had happened that day. I turned around and when I saw his eye, I knew he hadn't slept his eyes shone, perhaps he was thinking about 'the great protector' that's why he hadn't slept.

'Baba, you didn't sleep, what's wrong?' I asked shaking his shoulder violently, but he still wouldn't reply, he shook his head in thought for a while and I wondered if that was why he woke me up, to make me see him shake his head.

'My son' he finally whispered after a heavy sigh. 'I will tell you all about it, all about this land and the great protector but you have to listen closely' he said and he pulled me up from the ground and took me outside, under the freezing cold of the night. Our temperatures were extreme, during the day, the sun scorches heavily and at nights the cold is extreme that if someone stays too long beneath, he could freeze to death. So I wondered why Baba brought me outside, did he want us to die of cold and not starvation, if we did then the rest family would follow because no one will feed them.

'Years ago' he started as we sat beneath a heap of sand. 'Several years before you were born, this land was not like this, it flourished in wealth, it was very fertile, our men were strong, we defeated enemies in battle, we conquered cities, towns and even nations with our army, I was the commanding officer then, the next to the Obazu. Our numbers were not in hundreds as it is now; we were in hundreds of thousands. We were peaceful people no matter our strength, we only fought with those who wanted to fight with us and make peace with those who also wanted to.' He paused and he gazed into my eyes, I was cold and shivering.

'Be strong my son' he said.

'I will be, I have a few questions to ask Baba, what happened to the land and who is the great protector?' I asked.

'I haven't finished yet or rather, I just started. All that were possible because of the presence of the great protector, sent to us by Amadioha to keep his people, the great protector was an eagle, a very large eagle, and it was so large that when it spreads its wings, it covers the whole land of Opuseke. When the sun burnt heavily, it just spreads his wing over the lands to shield us from the heat. When the night was cold, it does the same to keep us warm. Though we had never had rain but it goes to get water from seas for the land, it waters it for us and keeps the rest in a reservoir so we can drink when we were thirsty, it was so much that each compound had a reserve pond of water. It work didn't stop there, it also helped us during wars, it was our transport means to the war field, we just climb on its back and off we go and when the war got too tough, it helps us fight by swallowing up our enemies, it never made a mistake in swallowing its own people.' He paused again and shook his head.

'But we had a high priest then, Wazabi, he was so strong that he could bring the skies down to earth and replace the skies with the lands. Rumors went around that he was a messenger of Esuri, the greatest spirit enemy to Amadioha, because of the strength of his charms but he still helped the people the people of Opuseke, even the Obazu goes to him for counsel on how to rule the people. I too go there to get strategies and charms of protection for wars.

That was how we lived until one day, we waited for the great protector to bring us water, but it didn't, the sun came at its fullest and we expected that the great protector will come and shield us, yet it didn't, night came and the cold of the night swept through each hut. It was as if the enemies heard that our strength, the great protector had gone so they attacked us unexpectedly like cowards; we were also cowards. We were supposed to be ready for war at all times knowing we had enemies but we weren't but you wouldn't blame us, we hadn't recovered from the shock that the great protector will abandon us. The enemies burnt down our huts, killed so many of our warriors and took some others as slaves, we cried out loud for the protector to come to our rescue, yet it didn't. We knew then that something had happened to it, but nobody knew what it was. Nights after mornings came, but yet there were neither results nor hopes of seeing the great protector any longer until one day, the Obazu called Wazabi to help consult the gods why they had taken away the great protector from us.

'I took it' Wazabi replied to the surprise of everyone, they were all shocked why he would do such a thing to the people, when he knew that was what kept us all alive.

'You scoundrel, you have betrayed us, do you want us to all die?' the Obazu screamed, I had never seen such fear in his eyes before; he was always looking fearless before then.

'If I hadn't, the whole land would be wiped out in a day or in an hour. Amadioha is angry with the villagers and has sworn to destroy them with what he had used to keep them, the great protector.' Wazabi replied as he shook his stick of power.

'Why would Amadioha be angry with his people, you lair, leave our land in peace' the Obazu screamed and we all bowed.

'I was at the paradise meeting two days ago. He said that you all were now full of yourselves; you think you live by your power. You no longer give him the worship he deserves so he had decided that under the claws of the eagle shall you all be crushed. that's why I decided to make the eagle a mould at the outskirt of the town until you all correct your ways, only then will Amadioha anger be decreased and he will spare you all then I can release the eagle'

'Leave our land you wicked messenger of Esuri, we don't need you here' Obazu cried and ever since, no one had ever seen or heard from Wazabi. That night the Obazu died and all Villagers believed Wazabi killed him because the Obazu exiled him. Normally, I was to be the next Obazu, but I refused, so did everyone else who could be the Obazu, since then our land remained without a leader, every man was to himself, but we were still peaceful, because we all awaited death like we still do now.' Baba paused for some time, only then did I notice my eyes was full with tears and I wondered why Wazabi will do to the people such evil, isn't there anyone who could stop him, anyone that had more potent charms than his? I thought loudly and Baba just whipped my tears with his palm, he was also weeping.

'Go and sleep, my son, I believe soon, everything will be all right, perhaps, that why you are still alive so that you can make that happen.' Baba said as he pulled me up once again and took me to my hut that was when I realized I had been in the cold for a while and I began to shiver in my hut. Soon, Baba left my hut and went to his, I heard a little sound outside, he was talking to Mama, I could hear the breeze blowing but I slept off.

The next morning when I woke up, I felt something had happened around me. I could see the sun clearly and I was halfway covered in the sands, I raised my head and discovered my hut was not above my me anymore, in shock I quickly stood up and looked around me, I was the only partly living thing there and I wondered if I was even living. Where was Baba, Mama and my siblings' huts? I asked myself. I ran around digging down in sands, asking a few other surviving people if they had seen my parents or the huts, I didn't want to believe that they were buried alive but nobody answered me, they were looking for theirs also. After searching for three days, I knew it was hopeless, I knew they had been buried alive by the winds so I wept and wept for weeks cursing Wazabi. I didn't eat so I could die of starvation too and join my family where they were, but death refused to take me, soon I gave up trying to kill myself and I went to look for the spot where me and Baba had seen that structure, far east at the village's outskirt. I walked sluggishly there for days, I was tired, hungry and exhausted; I had always felt that way since I was born.

I got very close to it and discovered that truly, it was not just a mere structure, it was a statue of an eagle that lay on the floor. It was truly the great protector Baba had talked about, it was so large that it took me four more days to walk around it until I saw a small hut at one edge of the statue. Dark smoke came out from its roof and windows and I wondered who could have been living so far away from every other person and build his hut beside the statue. or perhaps it was the Wazabi, the evil medicine man that had put our village to ruin and had caused the winds to kill my family, I thought and I swore if he was the one I would make him pay for what he did. I picked up a large stone and tip toed into the hut, I saw no one yet I saw the spoon in the big pot stirring, I was afraid and wanted to run out of the hut when a big hand held my shoulder. 'Please don't hurt me' I screamed. 'I promise I will never come here again.'

'No son' a voice thundered from behind me.

'Am not your son, my father died a few days back'

'I know that, but you are just like a son to me, your father was my very good friend'

'No he wasn't, he told me you are an evil man hours before he died, hours before you killed him'

'I know he did, but am not who they all think I am' he said and he turned me around. He was an old man too, as old as Baba was before he died, but this man was different from all other of the villagers, aside the multiple charms he tied around his neck and waist, you could tell he was very fat unlike the villagers, which means he had food in excess.

'So who are you?' I asked with my face down after I took a glimpse of his aged wicked face.

'I am Wazabi, a good medicine semi man; yes I am both man and spirit, a semi man who tries to use his charms and powers to protect people instead of hurting them. What I did, I did for the good of the people, if I hadn't, the community will no longer exist for a long time now, and you wouldn't even have been born. Ever since, I had been preparing a charm to recover the eagle back to life just in case Amadioha have decided to have mercy on his people. I suffered a lot just because I wanted to save the people, aside being banned from Opuseke, I was also banned from all paradise meetings, so now I can't tell what they have discussed, I can't even tell if Amadioha's wrath has been lifted from his people, I just do things now on probability. But now I require your help' he said, he paused a bit so that I could agree to it, but I couldn't respond because I wondered what kind of help I could offer to such great medicine man.

'I can see you are still afraid of me, I would have killed you long ago if I wanted to but I don't kill, instead I try to make people live, to give life to those who needed it, after all you are just men, you all deserve a second chance for errors you made.' He paused again and stared straight into my eyes after lifting my head up.

'Would you help me?' he asked in a calm voice.

'What is it that I could do to help such great medicine man? It would be a privilege' I said and he smiled at my response.

'You will stay with me for three days'

'But why? I have to run down to my village and besides am scared, I can't stay here one more minute'

'Of what benefit will it be to you if you go back to the village and await your own death? Won't it be better if you stay here with me for just three days and see if we could save the land and bring a better life than this?'

'It would, but...'

'Then go for the better option and forget about the 'but', here is my plan, I will bring the eagle back to life, if it's still angry, it would come straight to me to kill me and after wards it would go to the rest villagers. However, know that you will be next after me so you have to act fast, very fast. I will be through with the charms that you will use to make it go back to being a statue in the next three days. You will make sure it touch a part of its body when it comes after me and also make sure it doesn't touch you, it is very potent, more potent than even the initial one I used on it so you have to be careful too.' He said, only then was I fully convinced that he loved humanity and I pitied him for the rejections he had faced from even the people he had wanted to save from death.

'I will do as you say' I said in a sober tone and he rubbed my head with his palm, it was full of flesh so it was very soft unlike Baba's own and other villagers.

Three days came by and each day before then, I wished it wouldn't come. I was afraid, fear had taken my soul, but besides fear, I loved the amount of food he offered each day, I ate five times daily, such had never happened all my life, normally, its only on lucky days we eat once a day, other days we don't eat at all, so I never wanted the day to come so that all that food won't be taken away from me. That morning, after we had taken our bath; the first time I ever took a bath since I was born was in his hut. I wondered where he usually gets both the water and food from, we ate and later that day, he told me the charm was ready, the fear struck me harder and I wished I never came there.

'Conquer your fears my son that is the only way you can make things work on earth and in paradise' he said. That gave me courage once more he took me to the back of his house and gave me a large calabash, that contained a mixture of different mashed leaves and other things I didn't know.

'Hold it well, don't let it fall' he shouted, that was the first time he ever shouted at me since I entered his hut and I knew why he did, he had worked on this charm for years, pouring it away will be wasted efforts. I held to the pot tightly.

'Once you discover its actions are not friendly, pour it on it. I will be on the other side of the eagle so that it will take a long time after he had chased after me to find you. Be strong and courageous.' He said and then disappeared from my presence, I moved back a bit and watched the eagle so that I would know when it moved, but it didn't. I waited and waited and after a long while, when I was already tired and almost going back into the hut, I heard a loud cry and immediately, it broke out of the mould. There in front of me, I beheld a large eagle, the great protector, it moved a bit and then flapped it wings, which blew me a distance, but I still held onto the calabash ensuring no drop fell. Soon it began to run in violence, running away from me and I heard a cry from afar, which screamed 'Now!' I knew it was Wazabi's voice but I stood still, still marvel by its mightiness. After a few minutes, it turned to my direction, running towards me, It didn't take him seconds to reach me because he was so large but the voice of Wazabi kept echoing 'Be courageous', I closed my eyes and threw the calabash at the eagle. The whole place was quiet, I didn't hear even the sounds of the air that passed by my ears, I thought I was dead already but after a few minutes I began to hear cracks. Immediately, I opened my eyes and above me I saw the statue I had just seen a while ago, but this time it was not stable, it was cracking and breaking down. I started running, but I wasn't fast enough or perhaps because it was too big, it's head fell on my left knee with its large sharp beak and my leg fell out. I sat there in pains and I watched how each part of it formed powders and was placed above one another to form a mountain and to my surprise the clouds turned black and water fell heavily from the skies, which were the first time I saw that happen since I was born. I was glad at least that Amadioha had decided to have mercy on his people but I was so sad I lost my family and my leg.

As I crawled away from the village, I mistakenly stepped on a growing grass, I turned around and like a dream, just like the place Baba described to me few nights back, I saw trees and the whole land was green with grasses. I smiled and kept heading away from the village, perhaps that was the reason why Amadioha had kept me until that day. I was glad at least that I did something for my people, something they will never forget, I felt like a hero but that was when I realized that nobody could have known who did it, it happened at the village outskirt, far from eyes, I still felt good, but I didn't want to go back to the village, I wanted to go somewhere far away where I would start a new life.

I crawled days after days until I got to a riverbank and like every other aged man here, the foreigners took me. I thought that was going to be the end of me and I wished I had stayed in my village and not bothered about trying to create a new life for myself but after months and years of suffering, Oduduwa decided to give my story a happy ending, being here in Itutu Kilomin is my happy ending.' Ijemili finally ended, the whole congregation stood up and gave a loud applause and he bowed and came down from the rock with the bowl of itikpa in his hand.

'I told you it wasn't going to be scary, it even turned out to be very motivational to me, I learnt courage and not thinking too little of myself because of my age, he was just a kid when he did this.' I said to Jemimah and she smiled at me.

'So did I' she replied 'I don't know why am feeling this strange' she continued, initially, I thought it was just me who had felt that way until she spoke, but the feeling felt good that was why I was quiet.

'I feel strange too, but it feels good'

'Yes it does, it's like tickling all around me' she replied and we smiled and held hands." I paused a bit and Jessinta just sat smiling.

"That's where I will stop for today, I will continue tomorrow," I said.

"And that's no problem the greatest story teller, Mr. Daddy" she said and we both went into the house.

As soon as I reached the room, I switched off the lights, kissed Bisola's forehead, smiled and lay beside her. I didn't sleep quickly; I waited and waited for the nightmare to happen, but it didn't seem it would happen anytime soon so I slept off without even knowing when I did.

# CHAPTER EIGHT

As Ali drove me to my office, I wondered why no nightmare came that night or perhaps she didn't even sleep, maybe she just lay there thinking of the tragedy; yes! Tragedy, it was a real tragedy. Bisola is really growing now but what could have made her cooked the meal that way? What was she thinking of to have poured such amount of salt into a food that raised so much appetite even before it landed?

"....and oga, you know say..." Ali said. I did not even realize he was talking to me until the word oga struck my ears.

"Were you talking to me?" I asked.

"Ah! Oga, so me is not putting ears, since wey I am listen" he said, I nodded my head in disappointment, five years of English training is useless to someone with a permanently blocked head to learning.

"I am the one doing the listening not you" I said to him in correction.

"Aha! Oga, na so I talk am walahi, it's I is listening kowe" he replied happily. I gave up. "So Ali, what were you saying?" I said, trying not to waste more efforts teaching him what he would never learn.

"Err, oga, even me I forget oh" he said biting his fingers.

"Focus on what you are driving, my friend" I lividly screamed at him and he trembled on the stirring. I loved my life, I wouldn't let one riff raff kill me; if he trembled too long, my corpse might be shown on the headlines tomorrow; so I had to reduce the fear in him. "En-hem, Ali, when did you say you will bring your wife?" I said.

"Ah! Oga, knife? Me is not killer walahi" he said, I knew he has started his usual foolishness, so to cut the drama short, I decided to speak the little Hausa I knew, "mata" I said.

"Haba oga, ba mata o" he said smiling. I needn't talk to him anymore; he is calm now and so can drive smoothly.

We drove to my multi billion naira headquarter in Lekki; where every Monday morning, a representative from each of my companies, foundations, institutions and several others in Africa comes to with their reports for me to go through. As we reached the front of the headquarter, staffs were all arranged in front of the building like nursery school children matching to their classes. Why do they keep doing this? Even I who collected the prize have almost forgotten I did collect one, but everywhere I go, I kept getting reminded; whether church, work or even on the streets. I guess this one will be better off anyway, when I won the Nobel peace prize, each passing day for successive three months, I felt like I had just won it a day before. So in two weeks am sure this one will be over, I just have to cope till then. As soon as we parked, two staffs ran to open my door; I came down from the car, expecting to see smiling faces, dancing worker, singing staffs or at least joyous people to say ' chief Tayo, congratulation', but none, it was an entirely different atmosphere. Ndoka was the first to open his mouth to even say 'good morning sir', what kind of workers I employed here in my home country. The workers in South Africa are far better. Alternatively, has something gone wrong with them? Did someone sprayed a sadistic gas in my company while I was away?; actually I didn't know if anything like sadistic gas existed, but if laughing gas is in existence, I see no reason aside partiality why sadistic gas shouldn't exist or rather, be made.

"What's going on here?" I said as I walked amidst them, but there was no reply for minutes, the whole atmosphere was tensed and sad as though they were mourning someone; if they were mourning, am certain it would be more than just someone who has died, even a president's death don't cause such kinds of atmosphere.

"Am I not speaking to humans or did I employ animals? If I did, let me know so that I will know how to dispose you all," I said as I ran out of patience. Finally, Ndoka spoke "chief sir..."

"How many times do I have to tell you to just say chief and drop your full stop? Must you add the sir?"

"Am sorry sir..."

"Am sorry chief sounds more pleasing to my ears."

"Am sorry chief" he said tiredly.

"That's better now, even you, how do you feel about it?" I said and continued without awaiting his response, "So what's the problem with you all?" I said. Ndoka paused, crossed his hands over his chest and breathed heavily; my heart was pounding already, what could have happened? I looked around, the workers seemed complete, even the representatives that joined them looked complete, and so what is happening.

"Sir, we all came to work this morning just to realize that the security surveillance room is burnt down, along with documents, the computers and even the servers were destroyed, and and......" he said in a very low sad tone; a tone that was soaked in tears.

"And what?" I screamed.

"And Matthias was found burnt dead inside. A few traces of cocaine were also found around the scene."

"My God! So what's happening now?"

"The police men are inside, investigating the scene; they said this place will have to be closed for a week or two for proper investigation"

"Did they realize its chief Tayo's building they want to close down for a week?" I said angrily.

"Sir, everyone knows who have this building" he replied.

"Don't worry I will settle this, you all stay here."

"Where are they?" I said as I walked towards the building entrance, but just then, the police were coming out.

"Good morning sir" the IGP said as he smiled and walked towards me in his unequal legs and I remembered when I told Jessinta of Ijemili one and half legs. It was good news to know that he was in charge of the investigation; I knew the building would be opened the next day, this is Nigeria and anything happens. "Mr. IGP, good morning, long time no see" I said, "You have been very scarce since you were appointed IGP, is that how stressful the work is?"

"Sir, it's really stressful, today you will hear of bomb in this state, another day you will hear of gunmen, kidnap, and several other crimes. Crime rates are just excessive in this country these days" he said as he nodded his head in pity. I knew him so well; he need not do all those acts to me; he was also a criminal, except if people who collect bribes are not.

"So what happened in my building?" I asked and as though he had being waiting for this question, he started immediately.

"Tragic sir, really tragic. Your security surveillance room got burnt, leaving one of your workers dead and we suspect a foul play. It happened at night, and the dead worker as heard from a few staffs of yours wasn't supposed to be anywhere around the building at that time, so we suggest we should lock this place up for a week or so as we commence our investigation." He paused and took at deep breathe like someone who had run a marathon.

"The locking down isn't necessary, you people can continue your investigations with the building still functioning" I said.

"But sir...."

"Mr. IGP, calm down; this is the power house of all my companies all around Africa, do you know how much I will lose, even Nigeria at large will lose if this building is locked for just an hour? Am certain even Mr. President will not be happy with you if it gets to his ears that you did such, and things like this surely gets to his ears"

"But sir, my profession requires that I...."

"That you do what? Okay, let's make a deal, before leaving drop your account number with Ndoka and I, chief Tayo will surprise you before the end of today"

"Ah! Sir, I am not that kind of....." he was quiet for a moment in thought, turned around and now with a lower tone and a smile, he said "but sir, you were suppose to reduce your voice."

"Am certain nobody heard, this is my arena, I know how far even the sounds can travel" I confidently told him.

"Sir, are you sure? They are looking at us quite suspiciously"

"Do you doubt me?"

"No sir, but hope you realize this job is a rather expensive one and requires some expensive... you should know what I mean, I don't need to elaborate"

"I know what you mean, you should know am more than capable to handle that task," I said and we both laughed at the whole thing. He made to leave and as though he had just remembered something, he turned back and said "but sir, opening the building today will look utmost wrong, perhaps you have to wait till tomorrow or next to open it and again sir, it seems someone was in the building this morning"

"How do you know that?"

"Sir, I am an inspector, the inspector general for that matter and I can't be in that position without years and years of practice. We noticed the body was moved and when your workers were asked this morning, they said none of them even knew that someone died until we confirmed it" he said, I wanted him to away, matters were settled between us already. These Nigerian police talk too much of their abilities, but their abilities never cross the boarders of just speech, I thought as I walked towards my staffs, acting as though I thought he had finished talking already, he wanted to continue but I started off immediately loudly.

"We had a great loss amidst us just this morning; a damage that will forever go unrepaired, the loss of our very own" I paused and stood quite sober for a while, look at their own sober faces too so as to be induced to soberness, to look like a boss that really cared. Not that I don't care, but I don't just know how to look sober, nothing moves me anymore. Baba died when I was five and I heard mama died immediately after she gave birth to me. At five I had to burry Baba with my own hands and the help of a few other poor people, I used three days to dig where he was going to be buried, wrapped in wrapper; he was thrown into the hole and covered, no ceremony, no cows were killed, cow? Not even a lizard was killed, except for the organisms we must have displaced while digging. He was poor, no friends; after all a pocket less man lives on his own on earth.

"Matthias, indeed a great worker, forever will be remembered in this company, for his honesty and veracity, rest in peace. Let's have a minute silence in respect for his departed soul," I said and kept quiet, everyone else was quiet so they just remained quiet and bowed their heads. Time was going; I was certain it was approaching three minute, no one made moves to break the silence so I finally did.

"And may his gentle soul rest in peace" I said in a low sober tone and they all answered amen.

"Today is off, there will be no work, but as from tomorrow you all will return to your normal duties. Those who came from other parts of Africa with reports lodge in my hotel for free for this one night, I will make that known to the manager, or is the supervisor here?"

"Yes sir" a loud harsh voice said from amongst the workers, I could not tell who did; they all looked like they haven't spoken.

"Who just answered?" I said sternly.

"I did" a short dark man with bowed legs said as he walked from behind, I haven't seen him before, I was sure about that, even if I didn't know all my workers, I could remember their faces and besides this man had unique features that can't easily be forgotten.

"And who are you?" I asked.

"I am Mr. Nkpoto, the current supervisor of happy life hotel"

"Who employed you and were you credentials forwarded here before you resumed duty?"

"Yes sir"

"Then how come you haven't come here before, I have never seen you."

"I do sir, perhaps you don't just notice"

"You will be noticed anywhere, anyway tell the manager I said these ones are coming over to spend one free night at the hotel, okay?" without waiting for his reply, or perhaps he replied and I didn't just hear, I turned to Ndoka "write a note for him to take there" I said.

"And you, I will come over to that place to confirm your authenticity or Ndoka, follow them and confirm"

"Okay sir" he replied as they all went away. They went slowly and sadly towards their cars. He deserved it; he deserved the sorrowfulness they displayed even if I knew some others were there like me there who just did it because others were, most of them looked so fake, but am certain I wasn't looking fake, I am a good actor.

I waited until they all left then I walked to my car with thoughts just flowing through my brain, thoughts of how much I have lost that day; I needed Forbes to rate me among top ten multi-billionaires in Africa, am not asking for much I just want to leave that number fifteen to a one digit. I thought of why my workers refused to say at least congratulation, not even Ndoka, the one who wrote the speech for me. It seems they don't watch the news but at least they listen to radios or if not they would also have heard it from the general 'bush radios'- rumors. I know just what to do, as from next week, am going to run a current affairs test to all my workers, anyone who doesn't pass doesn't deserve his position and hence will either be demoted or have his or her salary cut down by a reasonable amount and most certainly, question fifteen will be 'who is the winner of this year's UNESCO peace prize?' anyone who fails that automatically gets fired. Ali was already in the car when I came, the escorts too were at their normal positions; the ones that walked with me ran to their various assigned vehicles and we went home.

Bisola mood has changed, she no longer acted like the sadistic person she did act like a night before, I didn't know if she had continued the mood that morning but that wasn't my concern, the most important thing here is that she is fine now.

"Oh my husband, I am so sorry, I heard what happened on the news," she said as she ran to hug me. I didn't even notice the press presence there, or could it be that they have gone before I even arrived, no, they came after I have gone; because there is no doubt that if I was there and they were there also, they would all rush to me.

"Its business my love, we don't expect perfection, things like this happens once a while" I replied immediately she release me from the safety of her hands. "honey, I am hungry, I couldn't eat breakfast this morning as I was rushing to work" I said, I could notice the shock on her face, she knew I don't rush to work; most bosses don't, only employees do so as to keep their jobs.

"Let me toast bread for you, do you want it with egg or what?" she said, I knew she seek just an opportunity to make up for what she did a day before, I had to give her that chance.

"I would prefer the egg honey," I replied even if the family doctor had warn that egg was not too healthy for a man of my age, but should be served to Michael and Jessinta for their growth instead but I love eggs. Children shouldn't be the only ones enjoying it, after all when I was a child, I didn't have the opportunity to eat eggs so am making up for those starved past times. We both went to the kitchen; yes, I knew men of my caliber don't, except those so attached to their wives like I am, that possibly wouldn't take a mistress outside, even those who made it to the top by being chefs don't. Nevertheless, this was Bisola and I; a very romantic couple I must testify, we usually do that when we first got married, but as time drew forward works of life hindered it. Actually, this time I am not going in there because of the romance or it like, am going in there to monitor the salt level.

We ate, drank and had good times together; times we rarely had due to works and its kind. We sat to watch a Nigerian Yoruba movie; with their usual concept of confessions, herbalist, ifa priest, wickedness and the rest of its kind, yet we never got tired of watching them. It was fun to watch evil people being caught at the end of the day as the adage will say 'ninety-nine days for the thief, one day for the owner,' actually ninety-nine days is more than enough for the thief to enjoy what is not his. The owner just have one day to enjoy his own stuffs; that's if he will really enjoy it; it's just like someone wearing your cloth for years and one day you find out after being naked all those years he had worn it, collect the cloth and wear it, it's actually not nice, who wouldn't prefer to be the thief? Watching justice taking its course no matter how long the wicked person stays in his wicked acts etc was nice to watch not because I was good. Actually I wasn't even watching it because I was happy with justice, no, just wanted to know possible ways an evil person could be caught so that possibly I will know how to escape such situations if found in one. Bisola was the one who introduced me to watching such kinds of movies, rather any kind of movies, where would I have watched one then. Before Baba died, he could not afford three square meals, even if he sold his head at that time, it won't buy a black and white television; I meant the CD's. Initially, I don't even watch movies when I got the money to afford a television set but after Bisola showed me a few that we watched together, I think I even got to love it more than she did perhaps because she was used to it already, her mum was well to do, she even had a car then.

"Its 2:30 already" Bisola said as she stood up from the seat, she doesn't stand up in the middle of a movie, especially a Yoruba movie, so I knew anything this 2:30 was all about was very important to her.

"And what happens 2:30?" I asked.

"The kids, they close by 2:30 at school" she replied.

"Oh!" I said. I don't know when they usually close from school. Most times I don't even know if they went to school or came back. I leave home before they go and come back when they are fully dressed up in house clothes, I don't even know how their school uniform looked like, that was when I started to realize how bad of a father I was, I needed to make this up to them. Going to pick them up in school today wasn't a bad idea on how to make it up to them, at least to show them I love them but works have kept me away. At least they enjoy the benefits of the morning until night hard work, controlling close to fifty companies in Africa was no joke, it required real hard work. And I wasn't really that bad of a father, I make sure we have family happy hours together in the evening and tell Jessinta stories before we all go to bed but today I will surprise them, I will go there to pick them up.

"Let me go and dress up, am sure they must be waiting and that Dogara will never come to remind someone, he knows he always takes me there but he makes sure I come there first" she said as she walked to the room.

"Don't worry about that honey?" I said.

"Worry about what oko mi, hope you don't intend firing him?"

"No, I meant about going to the kids school"

"Would they sleep there?" she said as she kept walking.

"I will go and pick them," I said. She walked a few more meters and paused shocked as though she had just heard what I had said.

"You mean you will go there?" she said, as she turned around coming closer to me this time.

"Of course I will" I replied.

"Hey! Wonders shall never end oh; there will be a heavy down pour of rainfall today oh" she said as she danced around, her usual habit anytime she was excited, she just danced. "This is rainy season honey, if rain falls today again its normal," I said.

"No, it's not normal, today's will be a heavy downpour" she said as she continue to dance in excitement.

"Let me get going dear, there might be no rain today self" I said.

"Watch and see"

"Ali" I screamed ignoring her. In no time Ali rushed inside the house "yes oga", he said. "Pick the car keys, we are going out now" I said to him "oga where is we wenting to?" he asked.

"Just pick it up first," I said and he rushed to pick it up without saying one more word.

We drove out of the compound in my Hennessey venom, most times I don't permit Ali to drive me in it, I let more experienced drivers do that; that car alone could buy about three politicians houses on my street, yes! It's my street, it was named after me, I was the most influential person that lives there. Today was a different day, I wanted to my children to be proud that their father had come to pick them up.

"Do you know the kids school?" I asked Ali just to ask even if I suppose he should know.

"Ah! Oga, me no sabi that road oh, me never ever go there for my life" he said, I was shocked.

"You mean you don't know their school?" I screamed.

"Oga walahi, it's only you me is carry to work, is Dogara is carry Madame to pikin school" he replied.

"Okay, reverse the car and go and call Dogara for me" I said and he complied immediately without any complaints like he normally does.

Dogara was soon in the car driving, it looked strange actually, because Dogara never drove me since he came into my house. It's being over ten years since he started working for me, Dogara was learned, a university graduate. He was lucky to even have a job, there are no jobs in Nigeria again. Even though it was a third class degree am sure his pay was far better than several other first class graduates; no one who worked for chief Tayo was ever broke, no matter how insignificant their role was, and that is because I am a very generous man. We didn't talk to each other throughout the ride like me and Ali usually does, we weren't close to each other. Soon afterwards, we arrived at the school premises; the whole place was empty except for the gatekeepers, the security and a few other teachers who were about leaving. No one there was on school uniform. Where could my kids be? Could they have being kidnapped? Because it seems kidnapping too aside being a pastor has become one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria, two teachers ran to me when they saw it was I who came down from the car.

"Good day sir" they both said smiling as they rubbed their palms against each other like a girl who just got into her husband's house and is still shy when being talked to.

"En-hen, how are you?" I said without even looking at their faces, I knew all those nice gestures they portrayed was because they wanted tokens from me, tokens that might never enter into their hands or rather will be removed from their bank accounts to bail themselves if my kids were not found.

"You came for your kids' sir?" they asked and I wondered what else I would come there to do, perhaps, buy the school? Alternatively, rent teachers?

"Of course yes" I replied.

"Okay sir, they are at the waiting venue sir" he said pointing through a passage way and suddenly dropped his hands and smiled the second one just stood there smiling all through "but we can take you there sir" he continued. I wondered what they took me for, a dumb person or what? We could see the signboard over the hall clearly written 'waiting venue' they just wanted that token.

"Don't worry, we can reach there on our own," I said as I smiled but such people don't give up.

"Ah! No sir, you won't come to our school and we put you through all these stress, don't worry we will go and get them" they said as they ran to through the passageway to the hall. These were certainly 'die hard', how sure am I that my kids were in the right school are these teachers paid well at all? I thought loudly.

"Yes sir, I think they pay them well, I think Madame usually pays about one million naira per head" Dogara replied, I never knew he would finally speak, I was almost thinking he was dumb.

"Okay, so why then do they act like die hard?" I asked him.

"No sir, that's not how they do act. You are an important personality in this nation, anyone who sees you any other place aside the television screen would act likewise"

He said as my head felt heavier. Why do I have to keep hearing these words repeatedly? No matter how much more I hear it, each time I hear it I just feel cold in my head, as if ice has been dropped on my brain.

"Oh! I see" I replied in a proud tone when I saw the kids running in front of the teachers who tried to maintain the distance too by walking faster. "Daddy, daddy" they screamed as they ran towards us "so it's true?"

"And what takes the place of the 'it's'?" I replied with a smiling face, it was a common thing among us; replying a question with another. Jessinta ran in front of her brother, I knew that if it was their mother that came; Michael enthusiasm would have being more. None of them replied until Jessinta jumped to hug me.

"The 'it's' is you coming to pick us from school today daddy, it's rare, you never did that. What have we done to deserve such great honor by our very own father, the great chief" Jessinta said as we all laughed to it.

"Don't worry kids, I will be doing this more frequently now, okay?" I said and they moved back, imitated their mum's favorite dance a bit and then burst out into laughter.

"Your mum must hear this," I said laughing, these were the happiest faces I have seen so far on my kids.

"Haba daddy, please don't tell mummy, she has promised to take us to dancing school if we imitated her dance steps again," they both said as though they had rehearsed.

"Okay I won't tell your mummy if you don't also tell her where I will take you people to," I said in a low tone. They both brought their fist forward and I brought my too and we all hit it together and shouted 'deal'. They jumped into the car and as I turned to enter too, I noticed the two teachers still stood there smiling.

"You have kids?" I asked them.

"No sir, we don't, we are not married yet" they said.

"Then you certainly won't understand, this is father to children chemistry" I said as I counted out a few notes and gave it to them.

"Thank you sir" they said as they collected the money and bent a bit in respect and they waved as we drove off.

"So kids where would you want to go to right now before we go home?" I asked as the car moved down the empty tarred road.

"Honey bite" Jessinta shouted in excitement "no lets go to president chicken" Michael protested and soon they both began to argue, I needed to settle this dispute between them, they never agree on anything; probably because we the parents shared them amongst ourselves with favoritism.

"Its okay" I yelled at them "nobody fights in front of daddy"

"Sorry daddy" they both said in sober voices and heads down. I certainly won't let the happy moment we were sharing get ruined; I needed to let the fun continue.

"So now daddy will be the king Solomon," I said in a calm voice, I immediately saw a quick change in reaction from the kids as they began to shout "king Solomon let justice be done"

"Justice will certainly be done; King Solomon is incorruptible and receives no bribes, so none of you is permitted to bribe me with a smile" I said as I drew their noses immediately they both began to smile more and more, that was the trick they needed to be happy, and I had the medicine to making them happy. I placed my hands on my face as though in thought and said quite audibly "if King Solomon was here, what will he do?"

"He would split the baby," Jessinta shouted immediately. "No he won't" Michael protested again.

"I am the king Solomon here, so I am the one to decide what to do. I will split the baby, so we will go to both honey bite and president chicken" I said.

"Yes!" they both shouted, the genius, King Solomon, delivered justice once more. That was when we noticed Dogara had parked beside the road.

"Why are you parked?" I asked Dogara.

"Sir, I was waiting for you to decide where I will go" he said.

"But now you know, so you can move" I said. It's good to be a boss, even without verbal orders, you are obeyed.

We reached home around about 5:30pm, the kids held the few other items we had bought for their mum but on reaching home we couldn't find her. Where could she have gone? I thought, she never mentioned she was going anywhere to me. I picked out my phone to call her when I saw about thirty two missed calls of which twenty were from her. Immediately I called her but she was already at the school looking for us, perhaps thinking I was looking for the kids who might have gotten missing, we actually wanted to surprise her but when she came back so tired, it no longer looked necessary nor did it look right so we just explained it all.

We were all tired, this made one more night that we couldn't eat dinner nor have our family happy hours before we went to bed. The first was three years back or there about, that day we were all chatting on the dining table waiting for Nkechi to serve dinner when all of a sudden Jessinta slumped; it never happened since she was born so we all got scared and immediately rushed her to the hospital. She was then given a few drugs; the doctors confirmed that it happened because she hadn't eaten since morning. When she was asked why, she said because she didn't like the meal. for God sake cornflakes, she said she was tired of it already, it made me remember when I was just a little boy, on days we were lucky enough, I mean when Baba got a few notes from his labor, we would drink garri twice that day with sugar and at times fried groundnuts are added, it felt like Christmas day to us, so you could imagine what a day that didn't feel like Christmas looked like. I have stayed without food for days countless number of times and not once have I felt dizzy about it not to talk of slumping, Baba would just bury me, he won't sell his head to pay any hospital bills, am certain it won't even cover for just drugs. That day as soon as we took her home we were so tired so we just slept off, Michael was already sleeping before we arrived; he merely knew what was happening; he was just two years old then.

We all went to bed, I was so tired that I couldn't go to tell the kids goodnight or tell Jessinta stories. I was barely sleeping when I heard whispers, it was the kids, they came to tell daddy goodnight; they do that when they wait in their room for long without seeing me. All I could hear was 'sleeping'. I could tell they didn't want to disturb me, soon they both left. It rained heavily that night and I wondered if truly the skies too were surprised, I went to pick my kids up from school.

It really was a rare day, perhaps it was a good thing Matthias died; I had quality time to spend with my family. Am not being heartless, am just trying to be an optimist; seeing the good side to everything, that includes the good side to Matthias' death, after all we all will die; this might just be his time. And perhaps there still lie other good sides to his death, other good sides that we might not know.

# CHAPTER NINE

As expected, it was yet another very stressful day at work, going through all the files and reports the representatives had brought from the different companies and institutions across the continent; I would have employed someone to do this job, but in Nigeria, in short the world at large, no one can be trusted. You can keep someone in charge and he will divert most of your money to build his own companies until yours is all dried up then the criminal runs away. You get the blame for mismanagement. Besides, a food cooked by you taste best because you know just the taste you want.

It was time for company thirty-five to come and present its reports to me and the rest board of directors. I was so tired, I needed rest at that moment, but procrastination was just not the right thing to do at this moment because I had to do a two-day job in one day. Being a rich man isn't as easy as many would think. Most poor men are found sleeping by 9pm or 10pm but rich men rarely have time to, except if they are tired of acquiring more wealth, which was impossible. There is that insatiable desire in us that want us to do more and more so as to acquire more and besides even spending sleepless nights to acquire more, you also have to preserve the one at hand. I had studied life and discovered it's only the poor ones that are satisfied with their current situation. H'm poverty, then all Baba's goal was to get what to put into his mouth for that day. He never thought of how to build his own house, even his N20 house rent, its until he is reminded before he goes to work for it, he was satisfied with his situation until he died, poverty did killed him. He died of cold, a rich man would have bought a blanket and go to the hospital to get drugs, but Baba when drugs was mention to him as an option he would ask whether he would sell his head to get one.

"Next!" Ndoka shouted. I had made him the chief director among my board of directors. Ndoka is one man that has found favor in my sight since the day he came into my company to apply for the position of a clerk. He was quite honest, a quiet and reserved person who knows a lot about how to keep secrets, he had full grown mustache which he refused to shave; like the adage will say ' a man with mustache has something hidden in his nose, because of him I believed the adage.

"Company's name" he asked the representative that just entered.

"Paragon hotel and suites, Johannesburg, south Africa" the representative, replied in a loud, sharp and fast tone.

"So in naira, what is the total profit of the last week?" I asked. I was only concerned about the profits, anytime the profit decreases I make sure I go there to confirm the problems. Even though I know in businesses, we don't always make profits, sometimes losses too are experienced but I make sure every loss is properly investigated.

"Except I calculate sir, the values here are in rand" he said.

"Calculate and make it fast, we don't have the whole day" I said as he immediately pulled out a pen from the file he came along with and started calculating, it took him about two minutes to complete his calculation, he stopped and took in a deep breath. "How much is it?" I asked again.

"3.2 million naira sir" he replied.

"Good, good, so is there any problem the company is currently facing?"

"None I could find out about before I left," he said "profit was much this week because of the UNESCO awards" he continued. I knew he was trying to cover for the future stolen money, so that next week when he comes with a far lesser profit, he would be able to justify himself.

The day moved slowly and I kept praying it would just end. Companies after companies came and it was time for the forty-seventh company; the last one, or rather, the second to the last I usually call it the last because the real last one is the only with the board of directors not more than one man which I named 'the company'. Soon we finished at the office, I was so happy with myself but there was one more company left, the biggest of them all although with the smallest structure but generates the largest profit. The meeting for that company usually holds in the company itself, it had just seventy workers but one unique feature that made it defer from the others; only the workers, its customers and the owner knows that the company exist. Could I make it there today? I thought. Its 6:30pm already, I will go there tomorrow instead. I walked out of the building to my car and went straight home; I couldn't buy any usual 'goodies' for the kids. What I needed at that moment was a cool shower, a good food and then sleep.

On reaching home, I met everyone seated in the sitting room, happily watching a soap opera, as I walked in, they all knelt down to greet me meanwhile Jessinta and Michael came over to hug me and Bisola followed behind.

"Daddy welcome, how was work?" they said

"Work was fine, my children but really stressful"

"That's always your excuse when you didn't buy any 'goodies' for us" Jessinta said in a low sad tone.

"Honey, it's not like that"

"Okay you said so, did you bring any 'goodies'?"

"Err... err" I stammered. "You see," she quickly yelled.

"Leave your daddy alone, can't you see he is tired, he needs to rest" Bisola told Jessinta. As soon as Jessinta left me, Bisola came to take her place, folded her hand around my waist and dropped a soft kiss on my cheek. It almost seemed like a mother and daughter competition to me, fighting for the love of their dear husband and father.

"But mummy you just said he needed to rest" Jessinta said smiling shyly.

"Yes I did and this is where he gets rest, in my arms. When you get your own husband go and give him his own rest," she said jokingly and we all laughed. It was indeed my place of rest; I never got tired of such cuddles from Bisola, when her soft plump bosoms press against my chest, even if I was angry that cools me down almost forever.

"Honey, some politicians came looking for you today, I think it's... about five of them" she said as she release herself. Even if I wished, she never left me I was still addled by the fact that those politicians came to look for me. What is it that they need this time?

"Which politicians?" I asked her.

"Err... Senator... they dropped a number that you should call so that you can tell them when you would be free so they would come. Where could I have dropped it?" she said as she walked towards the dining table.

"You brought the message so you will call them to give them my reply. Tell them to come 8am tomorrow morning and tell them that's the only time I could spare so they should come quickly" I said and walked down to my room then the bathroom to take my bath forgetting that dinner was a general meal we all ate dinner at the same time except when we travel. I showered for less than three minutes and I felt fresh, wore a casual cloth and went to the dining just to realize they were all waiting for me to come and eat. I apologized and then we ate and cheered.

As usual, at 7:30pm, Jessinta was at the garden waiting for me to come and tell her stories, though I felt s little bit feverish but I had to keep my words. Immediately I reached I started off.

# KARIMALIKI

# AND THE CATS' INVASION

# CHAPTER TEN

"Normally, that would have been the end of the story time for that year, but Oduduwa had said that both Ijemili and Kukuru will both tell their stories after which he would tell his'. No one felt bored or even attempted to stand up to leave when Ijemili finished telling his story; it was as though years passed by and even our feelings were controlled magically. Kukuru cleared his throat and started out loudly as he patted his pet, which he usually called his brother, a rat. Like all other storytellers, he started with 'a long time ago.' 'I was born in a place called Karimaliki, but unlike all of you, I wasn't born a man, I was born as a rat' Kukuru said and the whole crowd was amazed.

'Wow!' we all exclaimed. We knew that this would be a different story from the ones we had ever listened to. 'No wonder he is this short, no man born of a woman can ever be this short' a voice whispered from behind me. 'No wonder he calls that rat his brother, perhaps it's truly his brother when he was a rat' another said and the whole crowd became a little noisy because of the whispers from everyone.

'I know you all will be shocked that is why I had told no one before now' he continued and there was a sudden silence, everyone was eager to listen.

'My mother died immediately after she gave birth to me. I was her thirtieth child, so I had no problem growing up because of my elder brothers and sisters; I had eighteen brothers and eleven sisters. Kakaso, my immediate elder brother is the one I hold' he said and he rubbed Kakaso's furs and it squeaked.

'My clan was the strongest of all, very hardworking and that no doubt made us the richest clan of rats that ever existed before our time. I, just like all other of my brothers was a warrior, we fought for our land day and night against invaders; there was always an invader every day, whereas our sisters stay at home and cook the meals.

However, we were stronger than all other rat clans were, but we couldn't stand our natural superior enemies, the cats' clan, far north, twelve tunnels away from our clan. At first, when we were attacked, we were ready for war, we fought with our blood and might yet we could kill just three of the fifteen that came. Later we discovered the three we killed were female kittens who came to watch their fathers in wars, though we were ashamed of ourselves but that didn't discourage us, we still fought harder until we discovered it did us no good, we were only getting wasted in the stomachs of the fat, raged, overfed cats. So we all surrendered to them and they gave us conditions before they could keep us alive. Every year after their first invasion into our clan, we paid tributes to them, even our god, Ratzo Kuli couldn't save us from the cats; he too was a slave to the cats' god. Bags of cereals, milk and two slaves were sent to them as tributes, which were the conditions we were given so that we all could stay alive. Although, it wasn't a big deal sending the two slaves each year, we even felt they were being fair with that request, we could send over a hundred each year and still remain moderately populated and they knew that, but sending our brothers and as slaves was the problem. At first, the clan head selected two volunteer females to just give birth for the purpose of sending them on slavery, but it later got out of hand everyone was tired, no one wanted to work harder any more just to give all his efforts to the cats.

One night, we had a meeting, we all came sad, this wasn't the Karimaliki rats we knew, and we were known as happy rats. Usually when we come for meetings, families bring drinks and they are shared amongst everyone but this time, no one even brought water for himself not to talk of for another person. We were all angry but I was angriest, ten of my brothers were killed during war and one three of my sisters have died as a result of being volunteers to giving birth to slaves for the cats' clan. Moreover, worst of all, we heard they weren't slaves there, they were food, their clan head eats two rats on every year end.

'So what do we do now?' our clan head asked after everyone had poured out their grief.

'We can do nothing' a voice shouted 'we either continues succumb or all die, they made that clear when they came here and isn't it so obvious we can't overpower them?'

'This is not the Karimaliki I knew' another stood to say. 'The Karimaliki I knew were known for strength and courage, they were known as people who happily deal with their fears, I don't see that Karimaliki now' he said and sat down back, I sat beside him and I saw his tail wagging like a rat that had just won a battle.

'The question is what do we do?' the clan head asked again, this time with emphasis. 'I haven't forgotten the threats neither have I forgotten who we were, if I had, I would have either asked who we were or what were the threats'

'Then let's prepare better and then attack, but this time unexpectedly' I shouted.

'That is the way of cowards, it's like killing an ant while it sleeps' the first voice shouted again. 'These are not ants we are attacking; we attack cats, relatively giants to us' I said. 'We want to fight with giants, then let us act like giants, if not in body, then in mind' he replied, that was when I knew he wasn't totally a pessimist.

'That's true. We train to fight better, since we are dealing with a bigger opponent and our minds will we strengthen to be like giants, tomorrow, we shall begin' the clan head said.

That night I slept smiling, it had been long I did that, my mind was for once at rest that soon, it will all be over. I slept and expected I will have sweet sleep with honey dreams, but it was a nightmare. I dreamt the whole town was invaded again, killing thousands and leaving several others hole-less, I woke up breathing heavily with my whole hairs wet in sweat, I looked around me, I knew something had happened, I went close and I discovered all other of my family members had being killed except me and Kakaso, I wept and wept for nights. Others too were killed; the cats had invaded our land in the middle of the night and did those havocs. They were cowards, they couldn't attack when we were ready, why was it the night we had a meeting? Alternatively, could it be that they have a spy among us? I thought as I ran to the clan head's hole.

'My home have been set apart, it have been made ruins' I cried as I hit heavily on him.

'Even mine' he said soberly and I turned just to discover he was weeping on his murdered wife before I got in.

'I am sorry head, but we need to do something for ourselves since Ratzo kuli can't help us' I said and he nodded.

'I will take you somewhere, far away, there we will find a solution, this time we won't wait till another day; it might just be too late, we begin now' he said and he took his bag and I followed behind him.

For days, we walked until we got to a hut, it was painted black and we hopped in unnoticed to the human herbalist family who sat there drinking liquefied herbs.

'This charm here will make us change to dogs if we drink it, though it won't last long but we would have defeated them by then' he said in a proud tone and we both went outside and drank all of it. The transformation didn't take much time, but we couldn't be big dogs, we were small dogs but a little bigger than the cats. Immediately we ran down to the cats' clan, I could see fear in their eyes as we ran in, I had never seen fear in anyone's eye like that, they all ran except the scared warriors who stood to fight.

'How do you feel being dealt with by your superiors?' We yelled as we fought tirelessly and killed several of them, but as time went on, we got weak and had to run away to save our lives and to keep to time so that we wouldn't change back to rats there. We felt a little bit fulfilled, but we wanted to do more. The next day, we ran back to the hut but we couldn't find that charm, we had swallowed all the day before, we were sad, we felt we had failed but on our way out, we found another charm on the floor similar to the previous but a little bigger.

'What is this one used for?' I asked the clan head.

'I don't know, that which I know, I showed you' he replied.

'Let's try it'

'Some charms here are to kill or to inflict with madness or sicknesses

'Why would someone want to kill himself of inflict himself with madness or sickness?' I asked 'Nobody does evil to himself, humans are very wicked they come here to collect these charms to kill or inflict people who had offended them or someone they owe or are even just jealous of them'

'And what of the dog charms?' I asked.

'They also change their enemies to animals, wait... this could be the retransformation charm' he said and we both swallowed it, immediately we changed to humans but we were short because we were initially rats. We went back to the cats' clan and made them pay for all they had done for us in time past. We were going back to spread the good news but we knew they would all run to their holes when they saw us coming, we waited there for days so we could transform back, but we didn't. After some time we decided to go back like that, perhaps if we explained to them, they would understand. On our way going I saw Kakaso running towards us, but when he saw us, he tried to hide, after a long explanation, he believed us.

'So why are you running and where are you running to?' we asked him.

'Giant invaders, they are neither cats nor dogs, they are just like you, but far bigger' he said in trembling voices. We had just conquered a clan, what else would you expect? We were over confident, we were sure we were going to conquer the new giant invaders. But on reaching there, it was a different story, we were caught and tied and that was how I came to the land of Itutu Kilomin. The clans, head was among the hundreds that was thrown in the sea on our way coming, he too died.' Kukuru stopped and he used his palm to wipe his tears, and he came down from the rock soberly.

My whole body still felt strange and I turned to Jemimah who was rubbing her palms together to produce heat.

'Nice story' I said and she nodded with a smile.

'Do you still experience that strange feeling?' she asked.

'Yes, a little bit even more than before.'

'So do I.'" I stopped. Though her smiles were not as broad as it used to be, but she still smiled, perhaps to just make me happy, I could tell she didn't enjoy the story. I could have created something better but because I was tired, I just talked.

# CHAPTER ELEVEN

I could hear noises from the sitting room right from my room; it was rare because the sitting room was so far from my room. Whom could those be that can't talk low but shout even to this extent? Even when the loudspeakers were turned on to its highest volume, I could hardly pick the words when am in my room. However, these ones were so audible, or, could it be those politicians? But this is just past seven; I thought I told Bisola to tell them 8am. I knew they seek a sponsor for their forth-coming elections. I just hope there would be a special place in hell for them if not it will be very unfair and partial. After they have stolen all the money from the state they still squander it, if not just imagine some are still in office, you have seen no effects of their presence but when elections period comes they still don't have money to do the camouflage campaign. Yea camouflage and they know why it is called camouflage. I walked down the stairs because the mini elevator got spoilt three days before we left Nigeria for South Africa.

"Chief Chief" they all greeted in their big and flowing agbada, and they continuously rolled the sleeves over their shoulders as if they have timed intervals. That is what most big men in Nigeria do, that's the major way they usually show that 'owo ti de'-money have arrived. I didn't wear a smiling face so that it won't look as though it's when I was asked for money that I will change my facial expressions.

"Good morning" I replied as I went to sit at the chair opposite them. they were looking very excited that morning, this is not the way they usually look when they come to ask for money, they are usually sober so that you will have mercy on them, saying 'do you want to fate of this country lie in the hands of thieves and people who will ruin it, ruin what our forefathers worked for endlessly with their lives?' whereas they are the real thieves.

"What have I done to deserve this kind of visit?" I said.

"Everything chief, everything"

"Which includes... oh I am sorry... Nkechi!" I shouted when I remembered at least visitors suppose to be served no matter their reasons for coming.

"Yes sir," she said as she came to the sitting room in her blue and white uniform that was sown to cover her plump wrinkled body. When she first came into the house, she usually ties a wrapper just a bit over her sleeping breast, it wasn't good for the maid of an important person to go about almost naked, if it were a young girl, it would have being better, but this was an old woman, so we sew uniforms for all of them.

"Get drinks for my visitors," I said to Nkechi.

"What type of drinks sir?" she asked.

"Ask the people that will drink it, not me"

"We will take red wine," they chorused as if they had being waiting for me to ask. These were not real Nigerians; real Nigerians would have said 'no thank you sir' even if they don't mean it, until they are persuaded. Anyway, I can't blame them, they know this is chief Tayo, if they had said 'no don't worry' I would have told Nkechi to leave us perhaps they have experienced that from me before that the reason they did what they did.

"Okay then, serve them red wines," I said to Nkechi who was leaving already then all of a sudden she stopped and turned to me. What could it be again, another question? She was fond of asking too much question to be sure, of what she is bringing, but it was good, when she first came to the house, she could run just one errand thrice or more because she brought the wrong thing.

"What type of red wine, sir?" She asked, her questions were frustrating me already, I needed to go to 'the company' and her questions were elongating the meeting.

"Just bring any," I said to her angrily.

"Haba chief, we are not anyhow, or are we?" senator Femi said as he turned to his other fellow politicians.

"No, we are not" they replied smiling.

"Okay, so which red wine do you want?" I asked the politicians in a low tone, they knew I was getting impatient with them.

"Give us cold Barolo" senator Femi said. "Let my own be a little bit warm, I have catarrh" senator Joseph added. They all had their different problem, I had never seen where Barolo was taken warm, how will it taste? Moreover, I wondered why he wouldn't have catarrh; the people who have died due to the roads they didn't repair may be after their lives. "Okay, do as they say Nkechi" I said and this time she left finally to bring the drinks. "En-hem, as I was saying; what have I done to deserve such visit?" I asked the politicians when their potbellies caught my attention. And who said my belly was very big? Now I have seen something bigger. These people eat a lot of money, money not worked for, that's how it is squandered.

"We have a lot to discuss with you chief" senator Femi said, he was their spokesperson, the rest were mostly quiet during the conversation.

"Did you just say a lot? I have but limited time to spend with you, I have an appointment I have to catch up with by 10am this morning and the time is..." I said as I turned to look at the clock. "Oh 8:30, but I still have to bath, dress and do other arrangements before I go."

"Chief, I just said a lot but we will cut it short," he said in a faint smile.

"Please do"

"Okay we..." he started but was interrupted by Nkechi who walked in with the wines in a big white tray that contained several glass cups too, exactly their number.

"Here are the drinks," she said as she dropped them on a table in front of them and left the sitting room, possibly to continue kitchen works.

"Thank you very much," they said in a low tone to Nkechi so as not to interrupt the discussion any further.

"We heard a rumor that you belong to no party chief" senator Femi said.

"Yes, that's right" I said. I just hoped they don't want to call me to join in their party again, the last time it was PDP, the time before ANPP, now DOPP they can't get me, I have rejected the offer from bigger parties, and I can't reject those ones just to settle for less, I wasn't less.

"That's not so good chief, you ought to be in one, people in your caliber are there too, like Mr. Dan now belongs to PDP" he said thinking that would make me change my mind concerning not joining them, telling me of Mr. Dan, Africans richest man. He doesn't know I hate to be compared with my calibers; I love to outstand no matter what I have to do.

"Am not into politics business, I just believe anyone who is meant to rule will rule" I said.

"You believe that too?" he said laughing "tell me; why do you think Mr. Dan joined politics?" he continued. In addition, I wondered why this people can't say a sentence and not mention Mr. Dan, if they continued I would be tempted to leave them.

"Because he was interested in politics, what else could have made him join?" I answered casually.

"No chief, far from it. Aren't you in this country at all? He joined for its benefits"

"What kind of benefits will be in politics?" I asked as though I don't know that money is stolen, but actually am getting tempted to join for the money, I needed to be richer, possibly richer than the Mr. Dan.

"A lot, very many benefits chief" he continued "for instance for members like you who have so many companies, we can cancel all your import duties when our party is in power and you will get much more money. It is good business I must confess," he said smiling. Would I fall for this? Actually, being there will give me so much influence and possibly, when 'the company' is doing one or two exports or import, the influence will make it easier and that means more money. However, if I say yes now, won't it sound too soon? And what if I try to act hard-to-get and they just leave? So many women that do that never got a husband until they go advanced in age. It would be honorable to say a yes now than leave them to start going then call them back.

"Is that so?" I said in a low tone as though I was still contemplating meanwhile within me my mind was made up.

"Very so chief, in short we have a great offer for you immediately you accept" senator Femi said. This was getting bigger and bigger for me, only a fool will throw away such offer.

"And what is the offer?" I asked.

"We are meant to close our mouth till you accept the first proposal," he said as they all dramatically used their two fingers to clip their lips together. We all laughed at it, it made me remember childhood when if Baba Agba flogs me and when am screaming he tells me to hold my lips and mention no more word.

"Okay it's accepted, now tell me what is the big offer?" I said. I noticed the happiness on their faces, they never bothered to even try to hide it because it will be no use, They would not be able to; chief Tayo who has rejected other parties' request finally accepts DOPP, h'm... nice headlines.

"This calls for celebration chief, do you what this means to us? You have elevated the party" they said as they stood up rolling their agbada as usual and then attempted to dance as I wondered if I was the only one who don't love to dance at every slightest jubilee or perhaps, cause of joy.

"No no no... that would certainly not be now, when I come to your office for official acceptance then we can celebrate... remember I told you I had somewhere to go?" I said. Going to 'the company' was very important to me. It was my major source of fund every other were camouflages, 'The Company' was the first company I opened after working under wasabi for seven years.

"Okay then we will reserve the best things for the last, but anyway the chairman has told us that if you agree to this offer you will be the flag bearer for our party for the governorship elections in Lagos state."

"Are you seriously joking or what?" I said. I knew for certain how much I will gain, I knew the state's budget and one more thing I knew how to calculate well was how much was used from the budget for the work itself and I also knew the pockets it entered just that I didn't know how many lips were sealed with notes. But on a second thought, money I get from this, how will I declare it as part of my assets? Everyone knows how much the governors are paid, anyway, that's not a problem; they will only see what I let them see, after all that's what all politicians do.

"Since am not seriously joking I guess I will say am 'what' that's the only other option left" he said as he laughed, his crooked laugh filled the air, but now I didn't mind, initially it irritated me, but now I want to listen to it over and over again because I will be the governor.

"But isn't there any rules of any kind that prevent new comers from being flag bearers" I asked. What I hated the most in life was rising my hopes about something just to see it crumble to my face.

"Chief, this is Nigeria and anything happens here" senator Femi replied. I wasn't a novice in this country; I knew many things could happen but the word 'any' sounds so much like exaggeration.

"That is no problem; we will discuss that better when I come to your office, just bare it in mind that chief Tayo has accepted the request" I said. They all stood up and I escorted them to the gate. I called Ali to give them each one bottle of their favorite, the Italian Barolo red wine.

"Thank you so much chief.... Or rather, governor" senator Femi said as we all laughed to it.

"Wait first let me become the governor; it's still Mr. Shola's time to reign" I said as I bade them goodbye and they all drove off in their flashy imported cars. I know all cars that were imported, because I have being to almost all the car dealers in Nigeria.

# CHAPTER TWELVE

I went to 'the company' in disguise and also in a car, nobody knows me with, no one will follow me if they don't know I am the one; actually I learnt that from a movie too. 'The company' looked empty as usual. A small building, it had the design of the first two bedroom flat I built when I first started making money; an aluminum hip roofing and the structure was painted orange and milk color, yea it seems quite feminine but that was because it was the house I married Bisola into, I wanted to impress her. Then I was already feeling like a big man; but now to me people who live in such kind of houses are still infected with the disease 'poverty'.

I walked through the door, the building was fenced round and high with electric barb wires around it. I couldn't be seen from outside; normal passer bys will think it is just a house where a man with several daughters lives; when a man has more than two female daughters he increases the height of his fence and place barb wires.

"Is any one in?" I whispered as I walked through the passageway for a while I got no reply, I was used to that kind of atmosphere, they wanted to be sure who was coming in. soon afterwards, Daniel came out.

"Baba oh" he screamed as he stood on his toes and saluted, Daniel was one man like all other workers that his looks change with his dressing, he doesn't look like someone forced to wear a cloth. When he wears suit, he looks really official, on agbada, he looks so much like a big man and on dirty clothes he looks like a road side mechanic and knows so well how to change his facial expression to how you want him to look. His parents were not poor, but he was one of those spoilt kids who hate to go to school. He dropped out and ever since his parents were angry with him, his allowances were cut short so I gave him this great offer now he doesn't even live with them, he has built his own house, he doesn't even need a certificate anymore. According to him, he told me he was an aficionado of music but his parent will never just let him do that they wanted a doctor out of him and he couldn't just cope. Seeing he couldn't cope, with lines and lines of carry-over, he decided to live like a bad boy, not because he wanted to, but he needed something to cover the shame on his face, the mockeries from his mates and the insults from his parent.

"How are you?" I said in a low voice because of the echoes the sounds produced because the room was empty.

"Am fine oh Baba," he said, as he dusts down the dust from his dirty attire.

"How many times will I tell you to stop calling me Baba, you make me feel like a local old man or an herbalist with that" I said " I would prefer Chief then a full stop." Baba was what I call my father, yea, he was local and the way I could remember him, he looked old, even if Baba Agba said he died at thirty-six. Baba Agba, also another old local man, the one I stayed with after Baba died, I was suppose to stay at his place then for him to take care of me since Baba died but when I reached there the reverse was the case, I fed him and took care of him. Again, Itumokuru, the old, near to death medicine man who helps us sanctify our products so that those who will confiscate them won't see them was called Baba.

"Okay Chief" he said smiling.

"Now how does that sound in your own mouth?" I asked.

"Baba that one is boring oh let us leave Chief one side now, I like to call you Baba, it sounds even more than a chief to me, it is like reverencing a superior" he said. I knew this boy, so I just had to let go of that issue, I certainly won't want to spend my whole day here, it might start raising suspicions. I also learnt that from a movie I watched sometime ago; to try to look available at all times in public places. If not it will raise small suspicions of where I went to and certainly suspicions leads to investigations by those who want to see me fall no matter how little it may sound and which might also lead to an arrest. but this is Nigeria, I could bribe my way through but my kids finding out might affect their future and diminish my respect in their face.

"Okay, where are the rest of them?" I asked.

"Baba, some are asleep in the room while the rest went to buy drinks" he replied.

"So that means no one is working?" I asked or have business gone down here at my major source too.

"We worked all night packaging all our products for distribution, now we are through what's left now is flying out with them to the respective countries"

"That's impressive" I said as I smiled nodding my head in joy, my boys have been hardworking since day one. Perhaps I am just getting repaid for the total allegiance I pledged to wasabi, I just hope one day I won't be back stabbed too anyway am way smarter than they all think they are, wait, wasn't that what wasabi thought when I was working under him? No, he was too dull to think I would betray him, it came as a shock to him he was ready for nothing. Our people will say then that when you kill a bird when it's not concentrating or perching on a food then you are a coward, but will you stay in front of a lion with a knife to attack? No, you have to go from behind. Daniel paused a bit then turned to me.

"En-hem Baba, we have one new guy that have come to join us" he said. Another new guy? I thought, when the new people are getting too much don't it means trouble? Jesus had just twelve disciples and there was still a Judas amidst them, now if this is added there would be about seventy one workers here, if out of twelve one Judas arose, what of out of seventy one?

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He is inside"

"Hope you have done all the investigations on him?" I asked. This is a risky business; some people might just come there just to find out what's going on in here, thirteen of such has been killed over the years, yea just thirteen of those who feel they could threaten me, that little brat Matthias was the thirteenth. However, the boys I sent to do Matthias jobs weren't good enough. I told them to do it clean and unsuspicious but instead, it was done in my company. Perhaps they thought they were brilliant, doing it in the company he worked at and burning the room down might look like an accident, but am certain this will raise a lot of suspicions but it's easy to clear off. The EFCC chairman, Mr. Richards my friend, I knew how well to set him up if he tries to go into my case, I know of all his escapades, how he killed the former chairman and paid several people to recommend him, I have my proves and IGP, h'm that one is so easy just collect his account number. "Ah! Baba this one it's me that is bringing him oh, I fully recommend him he knows the job too well" he replied. I paused and gave out a sigh, Daniel recommending someone was rare, he was the one who always condemn the new ones no matter how others are for the person then I knew this one would really be good.

"Call him for me," I said. I have not finished speaking when he came outside from the room he stayed in; he had being eavesdropping. The boy he brought seemed very much of a criminal to me, he was tall with rough beards and fierce looking, flashing eyeballs; I had seen these appearance somewhere, it looked faintly familiar, I couldn't even place where I had seen his face.

"Where did I know you from?" I asked him.

"Baba, no be me you see oh, nobody dey see my face... but e fit be me... Maybe I con rob for your house once or twice or kai... even if I con rob for your house, you can't fit see my face, am always fully covered," he said in a high-pitched voice. This man must be a talkative, which wasn't certainly part of the qualities of these workers; I will ensure I watch him closely before he lands me into gbese. Nevertheless, on a second thought, maybe he is just trying to impress me after all that was the first time we were meeting.

"So what are your qualifications in this... I don't even know your name," I said.

"Baba my name is osekere a.k.a master duper of the oyingbos"

"What kind of name is that and where are you from?"

"ebute meta, awon original Lagosians by birth and by life and for life" he paused and saluted as though paying respect to his people. That seemed impressive, I knew of a few people who came from that part of the state, they were very good, secretive, skillful and wise.

"So what are your qualifications?" I asked that to be sure he was not one of those charlatans. or rather, they make others believe what they are not because as for me when a bad egg enters I perceive the smell immediately no matter how he tries to mask it up with a perfume.

"Ah, Baba that one is small thing but before I start naming them let me start by this." He said then he paused for a while took a deep breath and walk around a bit, I wondered what he was up to but I was alert up in my brain so that if he wanted to try something funny, I would get him. Suddenly he stopped walking and dipped his hands into his pocket, he wasn't that smart, immediately, almost with the speed of light, that's an exaggeration, yea I know but I was very fast, faster than he was, I pulled a gun out of my pocket and pointed it at him.

"Kneel down there, so you are a police... ehn... how many others did you come with now, tell me now?" I screamed at him, he felt a little shocked, I had being in that position before, when you think you are smart just to find out the person you were trying to outsmart whom to you looked dull and unwise was way smarter the you.

"Err... err sir, how will I be a police, I hate all of them that wears that black black cloth like mourners and parole the street collecting twenty naira from people" he said in a shaky voice.

"Then what are you trying to remove from your pocket?" I asked as I pointed the gun closely to his head so that he won't attempt to make any moves.

"It's your phone sir"

"My phone? Let me see it" I said and he removed my phone from his pocket. It was shocking; I immediately searched my pockets and found nothing. How did he do it? When did he come close? Were the questions that jogged inside my head. I had been with me why I did not even notice when he come close not to talk of carrying it. It looked impressive to me; I tucked my gun back into my pocket.

"How did you do that I asked?" I asked.

"I make you believe what I want you to believe. All those drama I acted, shouting Baba was just to draw your attention away from yourself then I struck when am fully sure you are no longer with you" he said in a calm and fluent English and I wondered if it wasn't the same person I was just speaking to right now. He seemed entirely different just by changing the way he spoke, at first I thought he was a total illiterate but now he seem like a graduate.

"Wow, that's impressive. You are taken, as soon as Itumokuru arrives you will do all the rest rights and your protection charms will be given unto you. You might be smart but sometimes you make mistakes, the protection charm corrects those mistakes," I said and he jumped back to his feet, returned to his barbaric acts, and screamed.

"Ah me? Baba oh, thanks you so much," he said then he lay on the floor like a real Yoruba man shows respect. I will certainly like this man, he will be a fool to me, I like those workers I can toss and toss just like the way I do to Ndoka.

"You will also take the oath of allegiance with Itumokuru. Not because I don't trust you or any of them who have taken the oath but we are humans living in flesh, sometimes the flesh tells us to betray but when this oath is taken it suppress the flesh in such situations" I said without even a break, when I was through I took a deep breath.

"Baba that one is small thing, even my father is a Babalawo, his father was one too in short we are the family of babalawo when I get to seventy too I will be a babalawo." He said confidently and he smiled happily. I recited some incantations and he began to cry. "Ah Baba please don't curse me, my father is not a Babalawo I don't even know him, my mother was raped by some armed robbers even she don't know my father" he said. I began to laugh, he was a drama, a funny one, am sure if Wole Soyinka had known him he would have given him the role of the character Lakunle in his play 'the lion and the jewel'.

"Am not cursing you, it's just a mere panegyrics, if you were into babalawo things you would know that" I said as I raised him from the floor where he lay down.

The three of us walked through the passageway to the room, we saw a few workers sleeping the rest were playing cards, I advised them to play cards frequently because it aids their brains to know how to act fast and smartly. The female workers were very pretty; everything I do in that business, I do them with wisdom anyway this is one of those things I learnt from wasabi, may his life jail sentence be more laborious. I selected the pretty ones because they know how well to distract those men searching at airports. I had just seventeen of them of which just thirteen of them are my mistresses, they take weekly turns; this is part of the thing Bisola and every other person don't know I do, to her I would never look at another woman, but a big man remains a big man, we sometimes need something to keep the body and soul active, we needed variety of tastes.

"Baba is around" Daniel screamed and they all left what they were doing and bowed a bit to show respect. However, it happens everywhere but I am usually happier when it is done here.

"Who is the newly appointed cashier among you?" I asked and waited for a while nobody raised up his or her hands to signify.

"So this company has no cashier? Do you people want to land me into gbese?" I screamed.

"Baba, we were waiting for you to come and assign one, but Funke is the one we kept in charge of the money for the last mission" Daniel replied. Funke have never being my mistress even once, so it was a good thing she was kept in charge, the other ladies who had taken turns in being my mistress will mishandle the money because they feel they were very close to me, seeing things the rest haven't seen.

"Okay then, since you all trust her that much to keep her in charge, from henceforth she will be the cashier" everyone there clapped but I knew they weren't all happy, that's just how success is, not everyone is happy when you are succeeding.

"So how much was made last week?" I asked.

"N500 million and a little plus in front" she said smiling and I wondered if after five years of her working under me she don't know how much I love money, I love to listen to every detail down to the pluses.

"Is that a precise value?" I asked in a harsh tone before the next time she will call values she will subtract the pluses.

"Sorry sir, its five hundred million three hundred and twenty seven thousand naira" she said in a shaky voice.

"Was it in Nigeria all the goods were sold?" I asked.

"No sir, most were even sold in....."

"You can keep the explanations to yourself. If they were not all sold in Nigeria then am sure the monies were changed at the bank"

"Yes sir"

"Then, why wasn't the kobo included?"

"But sir, in today's Nigeria, kobo is not val....."

"To Nigeria not to me, okay?"

"Yes sir" she replied in a trembling voice and I smiled to the effect my actions have caused. I wanted to make a show to make her realize I don't joke with any single penny of mine and just one act and it worked so well, I would make a good actor, Nollywood might be my next target.

"Open the shelves I want to see the packaged goods," I told one of the boys who was seated at one end of the wall. Immediately he stood up and pushed the wood across the wall. Anyone who just entered the room for the first time or even forever without being told would think it's just an empty room awaiting a tenant but to those who knew it well knows where the products are hidden. As soon as the woods were pushed open to reveal the drugs, I noticed osekere swallowed saliva. H'm he must be a drug addict, I just hope he doesn't take all my drugs when he is told to go and do supplies I will deal with him if my money is not complete, but he is so smart, I will give him a closer look.

"Okay, nicely packaged. Close it up; Itumokuru will be here any minute soon" I said and he closed it immediately, my boys were hardworking anyway there is a saying that says the students are influenced by their masters; I am so hardworking they learnt it from me.

We waited there for quite a while, those who went to buy drinks had returned, yet Itumokuru didn't come. We were getting frustrated, I called him just a night before and he told me he will come quickly, by his quickly I thought I would even meet him there when I arrive but that's not the case I had to even wait for him. We all tried calling his phone but it was switched off, he always switched it off when he is in the shrine, he says it keeps him away from disturbances from his clients. Yea clients, they are so many, the first time I was at his shrine, I saw pastor Oscar, one of the world's most famous pastors but he didn't know I saw him there if not am certain he will send killers to take my life so that I won't expose his secrets. I went to the back to ease myself of urine when he walked outside giving Itumokuru some notes, when I asked Itumokuru he told me pastor Oscar was one of his most faithful clients, sacrificing more than thirty two heads since he had started attending to him, he gives him rings, handkerchiefs and water, the so called holy water to use in his church. At least if not for anything, I was glad I wasn't the only famous person that had something sealed and I was glad since Itumokuru's charms were as potent as making pastor Oscar that famous, then it would help me achieve my own goals too.

Itumokuru later arrived at about 3:30pm, I knew that Bisola would have gone to the headquarters to look for me; she usually does that as every good wife would. But today would just be another day that I had to lie to her. if I knew I would spend this long here I would have called Ndoka to tell him to tell my wife that I just went out but she will want to wait and waiting too was risky but what was worse was if she was told I hadn't come to the office throughout that day where would I tell her I went to? Wish she knew about 'the company' too, but it wouldn't be good. To her I looked like the best man in the world with just a few faults. I have overhead her said that a number of times either when she and Nkechi are together in the kitchen or when she talked to her friends, telling her would reduce the level of respect she had for me, I guess I just have to conceal it from her till perhaps when we are about to die at old age, that's if we reach. Itumokuru pleaded with us for a while telling us his usual stories that he wanted the charms to be very potent. "My son, am so sorry, you know most times we just aren't satisfied with the potency of the charms. If we try it on a goat and it works, we won't stop there, we will migrate to elephants, to humans and then to spirits" he always said. It was becoming an ad nauseam already, at first it seemed interesting to me how a human; no matter how much he hated to be called a human, he said he was a spirit, animal and human, will test the potency of a charm on spirits or even animals. it seemed strange truly but now we were tired of hearing that over and over again. Itumokuru was an old man, but when he walked on the streets, he usually dressed like a young man, on a face cap and jean trousers if you didn't look closely you won't realize you are talking to an old man who is approaching his eighties because he doesn't even walk like one.

"Open it up so that I can sprinkle the charms" he said as he used a banana leaf to mix the liquid in the calabash. Daniel immediately opened it for him and he sprinkled the white liquid with the banana leaves he attached together and whispered some incantations as he sprinkled.

"That's all for today" he said as he walked down through the passageway of a sudden he paused and turned around to look at osekere, that was when I remembered that osekere was to do all the requires rights and allegiance and be given his own charm for protection.

"Is this a new guy? I have never seen his face here" he said, Itumokuru still gets me wondering, he was an old man but he had an active brain that even sometimes make me believe if truly he is a mixed breed of man, animals and spirits.

"He is new here" I replied

"Have he done all the required rights he have to do with me?" he said sternly as though vexed. These medicine men are usually very suspicious just in case you have started visiting another medicine man, he would think the rights have been done on osekere by another medicine man.

"He just came in today" I replied "we wanted to tell you since but your late coming had made us gotten so acquainted with him that we even think he has being here with us for long" I continued.

"Okay then, if that is the case let me begin the rights on him," he said and he told osekere to kneel down. He did the usual rights on his head: breaking an egg in front of him, telling him to bend a bit as though he wants to lick the egg liquid, then rolls a calabash over him, scatter chicken's feather on his head and finally gave him kola nuts to chew and other kola nuts he will chew when he is going a mission. That was for protection, it was time for allegiance, I put my hands first on his own then Itumokuru's own followed, and then the rest of them made sure they had contact with one person who had contact with him. Prayers were made on his head and right at that moment, he swore allegiance to the entire family. Itumokuru later left when he was through with everything and I sat and wondered what kind of a herbalist he was, he doesn't live in the bush like all other fellow herbalist, he lives in a bungalow. He don't only travel overseas just in spiritual forms he also travels in planes, drives big cars and do enjoyable things like any other rich man would. Nobody will ever know he is an herbalist or a medicine man unless told, even when he or she is told they would not believe.

# 

# CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I walked down to my car when all was done and settled; when I had made sure, the money was split among the workers according to experience, which includes numbers of year. I thought of how it would be like to be the governor of this great state. I would even move around the state one day to see the state and people I will soon rule before am officially announced as the flag bearer of DOPP for the governorship elections, I know certainly that spirits will drop when they hear am the one running, because just like anything else I will win this one, rigging is not required because am so popular, many will believe I will do a lot of work because even before going into power I have being doing great things for the people, but if the situation warrants rigging then I guess there is nothing else we would do but to rig, I just have to become the governor no matter what. Though, then I had never thought of it before, all I thought of was going into more and more business possibly even build an airline, but now that the idea has been put into my head I feel a strong desire within me to do just that, it's very easy and very lucrative. Bisola had never liked anything politics because she believed it was violent, it really is anyway especially in this part of the world but even the bible says, '... only the violent takes it by force'. If am requires to go violent to take this by force, then I certainly would not minding what Bisola would say, she would definitely not even know all the violent means I will use, that would certainly be kept sealed from her and the rest of the world just like everything else I do.

Things change too quickly, I thought as I sat in my car, wind up the tinted glass so I won't be seen, then I put on the car's air conditioner. It just seemed like yesterday to me when I struggled so bad with life, that certainly what happens when you are born with no spoon in your mouth, you certainly don't know your future, but in my case perhaps I did but things changed so easily. Born by a lazy man, who didn't know why he was even on earth, he could hardly put food in his mouth without biting his finger because the food was never enough but yet he went out to pick a wife, a wife whose father faced the same problems of my father. According to him, he said he struggled for two years to work so he could buy a chicken as bribe price for Mama's family. on the other hand, I guess they too were very happy, because if they were as poor as we were, a chicken would certainly be a life time opportunity, they couldn't reject that after then my father never tasted chicken again till he died, he never even tasted chicken, garri- cassava flour was his favorite, rather the only food he could afford. And I wondered 'what if garri never existed, would he live till when he did?' I guess not. I suffered more after he had died, at five years old, I had to start taking care of myself and certainly someone else who was suppose to be the one taking care of me, Baba Agba, his father, a very lazy poor old man just like his son, or rather the son was just like his father. Though I wondered why he lived so long, perhaps the son had just the laziness and poverty quality of his father but not the strength.

There was one thing Baba Agba never ceased to say 'honesty' and ever since, till I found out what honesty means I hated it so much, if Baba Agba who claimed to love honesty this much and still remained so poor, then I guess to be rich, that's just what I needed to hate. I love to tell stories then and I had a good way of catching an audience with my stories, he usually flatters me that I could even entertain animals and that if I could settle on that I would be known by the whole world. "You could be like Soyinka or Achebe," he would say in his old quack but melodious voice, he could sing, why didn't he go into music too? Alternatively, did he and he become this poor by doing it? Then certainly, I won't do what he says. My life will certainly not end like his; a nobody. If he worked one, I would work ten, if he hated rice then I would love rice and if he loved beans then I would hate beans. Everything I did soon began to work for me, I became a mason, building shops for different poor people then working tirelessly from morning until night until I met a savior, wasabi who introduced me into cocaine dealings. At first, he started that he wanted to take me abroad and I was so excited, me a commoner would go abroad. At least, I had something I could boast about that my father and his father didn't do, I don't know if anyone has done that before in their generations, possibly the ones taken away for slave trade, but I also heard the lazy ones weren't taken because they usually die on the sea. When he told me all I would do, I agreed, charms were given to me and when it was time to do the oath of allegiance, trust me I was smart, would I risk going dumb when I knew certainly I would betray him one day? No, so I didn't swallow the kola nut of allegiance. When I betrayed him he laughed and told me I would go dumb because I had sworn the oath, I didn't take him serious because I knew what I did, and I watched him walk into jail.

The sun was going down already so I drove home, as usual met Bisola outside, waiting for me on situations like this when she doesn't know where I have gone.

"Where have you being honey? I have searched all over for you, dialed your number but it wasn't going through. You got me really worried," she said in a romantically worried tone. I needed to just like to her, if not she won't be satisfied, but I haven't thought of what I would tell her unlike other days when before I come I sit for about ten minutes to fix words together, she believes almost everything that comes out of my mouth, what I just needed to do was speak.

"Err... err" I stammered words refused to come into my head at that moment and I wondered why I hadn't spared a little time from thinking about my past to just think of what to tell her. I waited for a while and words still refuse to come, but just what I needed at this time she did.

"Don't tell me it's that DOPP office you went to again?" she said, she had just given me something to tell her.

"Yea honey that where I am just coming from, I didn't want to tell you because I know how much you resent politics" I said in a low and as though sad tone.

"That's okay honey, if that's what you want, I won't stop you and besides, I will be the first lady of this state when you win" she said as she walked proudly on her toes bouncing as though trying to imitate a queen. We then went inside the house and the usual routine continued.

Although it was an entirely different day from all others, with too few weird things happening around me, the most that shocked me when I saw Michael waiting outside with Jessinta to listen to my stories.

"Wow you came to listen to my stories today, son?" I asked.

"Yes dad" he replied happily.

"You won't understand it, didn't she tell you that it's a continuous story, I usually continue from where I stopped the night before."

"Oh, she also didn't tell you that I have been interested in your stories since day one. It seems she not so good at telling things that happens in one party to the opposite party, she tells me your stories daily, today I have decided to listen to it from the horse's mouth" he said and that shocked me. He had never acted as though he was interested in the stories I told so I was pleased at his turn up.

"Wow, that's interesting," I said. "So where did I stopped last night?" I asked Jessinta. "You stopped where Kukuru finished telling his stories and you still felt that strange feeling in your body" Michael replied. That shocked me more and I wondered when Jessinta would have told him the story because she went to bed immediately I told her the story and the next morning I guess they went to school and they were certainly not in the same class.

"Wow, okay then I will continue from where I stopped"

# ODUDUWA

# CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"The atmosphere seemed to be changing like water waves, even our feelings were. I turned around and I noticed some other people in the crowd were shivering too, I knew something was happening but I believed it was because of the magical presence of Oduduwa but we still felt life in us; we were ready to listen to more and more stories. Oduduwa floated to the stage and he settled on the air just one foot above the rock, that was when I remembered when Baba Agba tells me that his legs never touches the floor as he is too powerful. We all bowed, someone shouted again 'all hail Oduduwa the great god of Itutu Kilomin'. 'We hail, we hail' we all shouted in response. He folded his legs and bowed too.

'My story will take a different turn from all the stories you have all said or heard' he thundered and I wondered how he intended to do that, but I expected anything, this was Oduduwa and he could do anything we could or could not imagine.

'All other story teller just tells and leaves you to do the imaginations by yourself, that's because they can't go further than that, but since I can I will. I will take you all to the past in your minds and as I speak you will see what I speak.' He said.

'All hail Oduduwa, the great god of Itutu Kilomin' the voice shouted again.

'We hail, we hail' we all responded.

'Let me start immediately so that I won't take too much of your years' he said and we were all surprised, murmurs filled the air and as I turned to look at Jemimah, she looked older, she looked like she was fifteen years old. I rubbed my chin with my palm and to my surprise, I felt tiny hairs there, I didn't know what was going on.

'Did you come here with a moustache?' Jemimah asked.

'I am just ten years old, how will I have grown moustaches?' I said.

'But you have moustache now, are you really ten?' she said.

'Are you really nine?' I asked too.

'How will you hear my story in noise?' Oduduwa thundered and the whole place became that moment.

'Now I can begin. You all should close your eyes as I speak' he said and we all did. As I closed my eyes I found myself in an entirely different place, where the only color I saw was white and my feet was not on the floor, the floor was unstained. I got afraid and immediately, I opened my eyes just to discover I was still at Itutu Kilomin. I guess he would tell us the same story but everyone was closing their eyes and I could see just me in that place I found myself when I closed my eyes. Jemimah opened her eyes too, sweating profusely, she was scared being alone; I thought she had conquered it all, but she hadn't perhaps she still had long lessons to learn about fear.

'What happened?' I asked.

'I found myself in a totally different place alone so I was scared.' She said in a shivering voice so I held her hand and we both closed our eyes, we found ourselves in that same place but this time we were together, just Jemimah and me.

'One billion, three hundred and fifty two years ago, Olodumare, the great god supreme and my father was all alone in this galaxy, though he had powers to do everything he wanted to do but he wasn't still happy, he had lived about twenty billion years like that before then.' Oduduwa voice thundered from a distant but we couldn't see him. We walked a while and we saw a very tall, big being; we were hardly taller than his feet. He shone far brighter than the sun so we just bent down and closed our eyes, the being just walked about like a frustrated being in thought.

'The person you are seeing now is Olodumare, the great god supreme one billion three hundred and fifty two years back' Oduduwa said and stopped. The being continues walking as though nobody was there.

'I have all powers to myself, I have all galaxies to myself, I can do all I want to do when I want to do it and how I want to do it but I don't have a companion just like me, one I can speak to, relate to and do things together with.' Olodumare thundered in a sad tone. 'What can I do to have such kind of companion' he said and he bent down a bit and as he breathes the ground moved. 'Wow, the ground lives even from the air of my breathe, what if I cave something that looks like me and breathe on it, will it live?' he asked himself.

'Bronze, diamonds rocks, stones, sands, and gravel, come to me' he shouted an in a second they were all in his presence. 'Now you all should look at me and add up yourselves to make a structure that looks like me', immediately they did too. 'Wow!' he exclaimed.

'Now form two more in my image' he said and they did as he said.

'I never realized I was this magnificent' he said as he admired the structures. He walked around them for a while and he breathe into them and spoke.

'You are the first to be created, so you shall be called Obatala' he said as he pointed to the first structure, which was now moving, and it bowed.

'Brass made your chest region, you will represent power, so I shall call you Oduduwa' he said to the second and the structure moved too and bowed just like the first.

'Diamond made your face; you will represent beauty and light so I will call you Esu' he said and that one bowed too.

'We lived happily for years, we were all close to each other until Olodumare started to create more and more of his kind, but this time a little smaller. He called them angels and that they will serve us and he appointed one trillion to each one of us and he took three billion trillion that always bow to him every morning.' Oduduwa thundered and the scene changed, the whole place was now filled with big beautiful buildings that floated and we saw the angels, we couldn't count them, they were very many, some flew, some crawled, and some just floated but they were all beautiful the scene looked beautiful.

'No one knew that Esu was jealous of Olodumare's powers and strength and the worship offered to him every morning. Olodumare would have known but he was too busy with his angels or perhaps he knew he didn't just want to care because he knew that Esu had started to become evil and nothing could change him, or perhaps Olodumare could change him but he allowed us be what we wanted to be .' Oduduwa continued and the scene changed again, here we saw Esu fuming in anger and he maltreated his own angels. 'Go now and strengthen yourselves, prepare for battle' Esu shouted to the angels that served him.

'He knew he couldn't win the battle that he will raise against Olodumare yet he still rebelled, he wanted to take Olodumare's position, he was obsessed so that didn't make him think.' Oduduwa continued in a sad voice. The scene changed again; here we saw a war, Esu angels fought against Olodumare's angels and in seconds Esu's angels were thrown down.

'They were all thrown down to earth' Oduduwa said.

'Earth, isn't that where we live?' Jemimah and I shouted immediately.

'Yes they stay on earth but you can't see them.' Oduduwa replied.

The scene changed immediately he finished replying us, here we saw Obatala kneeling in front of Olodumare.

'Go to earth my son and make land of it and create people, more beautiful than Esu, don't force them to do anything, make them free to make their own choices' Olodumare said. 'Carry all you will require to create it and ensure you do all required sacrifices so that you will have strength' Olodumare continued.

'So Obatala created us all?' Jemimah asked. 'Keep watching' Oduduwa replied and the scene changed again, we saw Obatala at the worship house washing himself in different rivers of gold but he skipped two as he was rushing.

'He is supposed to wash himself in all the hundred rivers so that he will be strengthened enough to do the job Olodumare had sent him but he didn't.' Oduduwa continued. And the scene changed. Here we saw obatala with a long chain, a cock, sand and herbs and as he walked down to the edge where he would hook the chain and climb down to earth. Esu came from behind and planted something in him without him knowing and he got so thirsty, that he drank a whole river of palm wine and he got drunk and slept off.

Olodumare watched from above and was disappointed in Obatala, so he called Oduduwa to go and complete the job, which he did. He used the chain as a means of support and climbed down to earth and we climbed down with him.

'I used the sand to make lands, herbs to make the plants and tress then cock to make all humans and animals' Oduduwa said.

'Wait! My powers are fading away, I have used too much of it to take you all to the past. Open you eyes' he screamed and then disappeared. As Jemimah and I opened our eyes, we discovered we looked like thirty years old but one thing shocked us more, the water boundaries began to fall, the stars died down and the whole land was gradually covered in water. I held Jemimah's hand and we ran, crying to call the attention of others but their eyes were all still closed, I ran to Baba Agba's side, but he looked too old, he even looked like a dead man, even Mama looked same, so me and Jemimah ran to a broken tree that had began to float. Jemimah was weeping already, I held her tightly and she closed her eyes. We both sat on the broken tree in fear and the water rose until it was the same height with the main ocean but we still floated on the tree, we were saved but no one else was, so we wept and wept for days that we floated on the sea. All that flowed through my head was the old men who had thought Itutu Kilomin was there happy ending.

When we were tired of weeping, Jemimah told me she would tell me the story of her grandmother that her father had told her, the great queen Amina so that we won't be bored till we reached lands."

I paused, I saw the looks on my children's face, they looked happy and so I was happy with myself too.

"I will continue the story later; it's getting really late," I said and they both shouted, "oh God, why does time have to move so fast?"

"You will still listen to the end kids, don't worry" I said and we all went in to sleep.

# TWO YEARS LATER

# CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Days on days passed by, but time never seem as though it moved to me that when I gazed at the newspaper in the morning seeing 'Happy eighteen months in power our lovely governor' I was shocked. I knew I wasn't a lovely governor, I was just being a good businessman, making profits from all parts of life. I enjoyed myself, as I had never done before. Being the governor made me feel on top of the world that I even began to wonder 'what if I was the president of the USA'. However, I had always felt on top of the world right from day one, but this felt different. I started feeling on top of the world when I earned my first N50, Baba never did. After then, I was also given the first contract on my street to build the first tomato stand as a mason, ever since, I knew I would go places.

I sat on my cushion thinking and smiling 'so this is what that scoundrel, Chief Adeleke would have made me missed' but anyway it was a good thing he died. May his stubborn soul rest in peace, at least that was the gift I could offer him for letting me become governor by dying, if he wish, he could accept my offer.

"Dad, I no longer feel comfortable when I am around you as I used to feel before" Jessinta said from behind me, I didn't even know she was behind me until she spoke and her words cut through me like needle.

"Baby, why did you say that?" I asked as I placed my arm around her.

"You are not just the same father I used to know since you became governor. You no longer tell me stories. Every day for three weeks, I went to the garden waiting for you but you never showed up but each time I tried to give an excuse to myself for you that perhaps you were busy" she said and tears rolled down her eyes like a newly wedded wife that found out her husband had a child with another woman. I had never seen her that emotional before so it touched me more.

"My love for you hasn't diminished a bit; I have just been very busy. Being the governor is not an easy job..." I said as I patted that her twelve-year-old back gently, I noticed it did no good; tears still flowed down her eyes.

"Okay then, I will make it up to you, which eatery do you want to go to?"

"Dad, I eat every day in this house, food is not a problem, I just that father to daughter 'thing' we had then, the stories, the plays etc, I know you remember what I am talking about" she said

"Yea, I know okay let me tell you a story now...."

"I don't want a new story, continue from where you stopped"

"The last time I told you a story was two years back, how on earth will I remember where I stopped?"

"I do... remember I told you I never forget a word of your stories"

"Wow" I said as no other word came out, ashamed of myself.

"You stopped where you and Jemimah floated for months on the broken tree and she wanted telling you the story of her grandmother after she was tired of crying."

"Wow" I said again.

"Yea, dad, wow"

"Okay then...." I stopped for a while trying to remember the story I told her because then I told her anything that came into my head at that time.

"Her grandmother was the queen Amina of Zazzau, have you forgotten that too?" she asked.

"How could I have forgotten, I was taking out a little time to arrange my words"

"But dad, this one just needs modification to fit into your story. Normally, when you modify, you don't take long to start."

"Yea, okay, then as we floated..." grin grin my phone rang. It was Osekere, my new main boy at 'the company', most of the others were arrested including Daniel, since I became governor and he seemed to be the most skillful there available so I made him the head. He never called until there was something that needed my attention urgently, so I had to pick the call.

"Give me a moment dear...." I said to Jessinta, I noticed her smile faded away. "... Hello Osekere"

"Hello sir" he replied in a low unusual tone.

"Hope there is no problem?" I asked.

"Just a little, our suppliers have refused to leave sir, they said until they see you."

"Settle things out with them, you usually do that, don't you?"

"Yes I do, but this time they want to speak to you directly, I don't know why, they seem very angry."

"Okay then, am on my way" I said and cut the call.

"Baby, I promise you I will tell you the story tonight, okay? Just wait at the garden for me," I said to Jessinta but she neither smiled nor replied; she just walked to her room.

I ran into my room and as usual, changed into my unusual dress, a dress I would look unrecognized in. I went to my car and left for 'the company'. The whole place was unusually silent when I entered and I felt as though nothing was just right about the place but I ignored it because I felt it was because of the mood I left Jessinta in.

"Good morning, Mr. Governor" Osekere said as I entered the building. He never called me that, yet I ignored him because he always tries to bring out a drama from everything.

"Where are those men?" I thundered.

"Inside boss" he replied and he walked behind me as I walked hurriedly into the building. When I got in, they were all seated in angry faces.

"What is going on, he have settled you so why the complaints?" I shouted as I saw them without even greeting, as I was annoyed.

"We are supposed to be asking you that, why didn't you tell him to settle us?" One of them replied.

"Osekere, I thought you said you have settled them?"

"Actually, I can't remember saying that... but so far it brought you here, that was all I wanted" Osekere replied. I felt as though I should shoot him down that moment but I forgot my gun as I was rushing.

"I am already getting used to this name Osekere that sometimes when I am even called Micah, I don't realize its me..." I couldn't place what he tried to insinuate but one thing I knew at that moment was that I started to feel a little afraid, I felt it was a set-up, what I had done to Wazabi is now coming back to me.

"I am secret agent Micah, police headquarter, Abuja..." he said and he removed an I.D card from his pocket and my lower mouth fell opened.

"Two years back, I was sent to find out the source of your wealth, after calculating the worth of your companies and relating it to your net worth, we noticed the difference was much and I was sent here. After briefly sending some officers to interrogate your workers, Matthias, the man you killed and burnt in your company told us everything, may his soul rest in peace. How did you know he even told us anything that you killed him two days after he told us? Anyway, that is your problem. I came as a worker here so that I would find out more information and evidences which I did."

"How come you waited this long to do what you want to do?" I asked.

"About nineteen months ago, I wanted to make my arrest but that day I overheard your phone conversation of how you killed Chief Adeleke, then I paused, I knew there were more charges that could be raised against you."

"Then why are you doing it now?"

"I have succeeded in taking all your boys, one after another to jail and there is nothing more in your life to check on aside the billions you stole from the state."

"You fool" one of the wholesalers shouted and he removed a gun from his pocket to shoot Osekere, or rather Micah but was shot from outside, that was when I noticed the whole building had being surrounded by police men and the press.

"Take Me," I said as I walked out of the building, head down with shame and my hands were handcuffed as I was pushed into the van. As the press pushed towards the van, I imagined what the headlines would look like the next day, 'Governor Tayo...etc', I wondered how Bisola would cry and the shame the children will have to face at school and how it would affect their future. Tears rolled down my eyes and like a flash I remembered when Baba Agba would recite to me as he drew my ears.

Sealed, sealed, sealed,

Their hearts were set ablaze for wants,

Full of abhorrence for truth and honesty

Their intents were so evil. Eyes could not gaze

Deceitful looks, charms and fame.

Could it ever get abate?

So, they seal, conceal

So many skeletons in their cupboard

The cat would never leave the bag,

They would jabber

The seam seem so strong

But always, in the end

Things get berserk; seals are broken

The freed cats now whine its tail to their face

Cacophonous mockeries, reddened face with shame

Is always the backwash

'Perhaps, I should have done it right

Seeking truth and honesty

To live, enjoy and for life, have a good name'

are always their last words.

Now so that will also be my last words.

# CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I was behind bars for two weeks with five other prisoners in the same cell, no one expect the press came to see me. I knew Bisola would not come, I didn't even want her to, how will I look at her face to tell her, what would I even tell her?

"Sir, someone is looking for you," the warder said as he opened the cell's door. I was glad that at least he called me 'sir'; at least someone still had respect for me.

"Who is that?" I asked as I came out.

"Why not find out by yourself, drug dealer" He said as he dragged me to the visiting venue.

On reaching there, to my surprise, I saw Jessinta. I dropped my head down, ashamed of myself but she smiled that I wondered if she was too much of a small child to know what was happening.

"Hey dad" she shouted as she ran to hug me, "You didn't keep to your promise again by not telling me that story till the end," she said still smiling.

"I will, but this is certainly not the right place to tell a story," I said with my head still down.

"But dad..." she said, this time I could tell the smiles have left her face because her voice quivered "... why didn't you just become a writer? You tell story so well that every day I wish to listen to it over and over again" I raised my head and I saw tears rolled down her eyes, I couldn't resist it too so I wept.

"Perhaps, you would even become greater than you were if you did." She said and she used her hand to wipe her tears.

"Mum said we would be going to London today to stay there forever but I insisted I will see you before I leave... bye Dad" she said as she hugged me tightly and left, weeping as she ran through the door.

I tried to think but I couldn't, so I just staggered back to my new home, the cell, I knew it was certainly a life-sentence.

****
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