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 abat
e?
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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