The Angel And The Fugitive – Chapter Six Part A

THE ANGEL AND THE FUGITIVE – CHAPTER SIX PART A

© Reginald Obetta

Party members of Freedom Party, journalists and the general press gathered at the party’s head office in the secretariat, for the outcome of the primaries. This came after a brief meeting at the Apex house concerning the bomb blast that killed thirty nine government officials and citizens, injuring sixty-seven others. The meeting was attended by security experts, several government officials and security Chiefs. After its closure, the press surrounded the incoming persons with questions about the outcome which they declined. The primaries was a contest between the President, Mr Ajuwa Williams and his vice, Bello Salaudeen, who recently had a fallout with the former on how things were to be run. Mr Bello was one of those that no longer believed Ajuwa Williams presidential ambitions and resolved to take up the mantle by contesting in the primaries, which was against the ideas and party principles of its members. The Members and party chairman himself tried talking Mr Bello out of his “insanity”, in order to prevent chaos and scandalous rumours which was beginning to spread like wildfire among the populace, that the party was unstable, as fiddle as a feather, lacked the audacity and capabilities to deal with the pending problems lingering. Mr Bello refuted, had a firm resolution and opposed whatever his party members said about adopting Mr Ajuwa Williams as the consensus candidate, though, gradually, he began to have certain individuals in support of his motion. This was the catastrophic mastermind of Alhaji Saheed which was beginning to take a shape.

“It has come to our notice that the winner of the party’s primaries is out, undisputedly, Ajuwa Williams has been declared the eventual winner of the contested primaries”, came the voice of the party’s secretary, Mrs Virginia, who announced to the crowd.

“That’s impossible and ridiculous. How can a man who has solely disappointed the people, betrayed his own party and rubbished the party’s manifestos and campaign promises win? It’s absurd and this, has been rigged just to favour him”, Mr Bello rose in an uproar in his black kaftan.

“Don’t talk gibberish here, his mandate was clear and therefore, deserved to emerge victorious”, the party’s chairman rose to Ajuwa’s defense.

“It’s nonsense, we are failing, the party is failing, don’t you hear what the people are saying? We can’t lose the next election and we will if we adopt Ajuwa Williams as party candidate”, another member stated.

“What the people are saying is only heard by you because you all have been bribed into thinking so, the people still on believe in Ajuwa’s administration to continue to deliver”.

“What? Is that how you insult your party’s fellows? By thinking what is not? How sure are you, you all haven’t been bribed by the president himself “, accused, Mr Ogwu, a top official in the board of trustees.

“I take exception for that blatant rude remarks, do you think am as dirty as you? I have a clean record of nabbing corrupt officials and that will include any one in this room if found guilty “,argued Ajuwa Williams, still obsessed by the impudent comments. Members of the board of trustees were thrown into bewilderment about the outcome, members took sides and finally, an important resolved decision was reached, Ajuwa became the presidential aspirant, Mr Bello left with his supporters in rage and threatened to join the opposition party, which he did when the decision went against him. Mr Bello immediately, placed a call to Alhaji Saheed to inform him everything went according to plan. He had given the FPN, reason to defect.

*******

Campus was tranquil, perhaps, the cool morning, devoid of harsh sun rays had its effect on it. The day looked promising, even more for Tafa who will partake in the upcoming semester exams, after paying up his outstanding fees, the money he apparently took from Rogers. The news about the death that clouded his family was all behind him for good, inexplicable happenings that threw him off balance was all gone. The thoughts of living as an orphan, his depleted world, his sorrow being made him realize that nature, had no regard for anyone in particular, the rich and the poor, good and evil are all affected in one way or the other but the latter, seemed to get the better of it. He stood under a deciduous tree, observing the scenery when certain questions about nature, it’s pure existence and It’s Ruler revolved in his mind, does the Supreme Being, the Creator existed? And if it was, does He still exist? Does he acknowledge the suffering of His ardent followers or are they mere fantasies to delude people into believing nature was brought into being by The Supreme Being and thus, controls it? They were all rhetorical questions or perhaps, questions he chose not to answer in his occupied mind but carefully wandered in them. His life was an example, a fact and answer to all his questions, the suffering of man has no bounds, it could only get more worse. Nature is bad to the good and good to the bad. What he wanted now was to live a new life of enjoyment, no pain. After his resolution and conviction, he left for his room.

Rogers was now fully awake, he hadn’t slept in the previous night because of the meeting he had with his friends, thereafter, he left for an all night party with them.

“Wow, finally, you are awake, was thinking you were never going to”

“What says the time? ”

“it’s 12 noon.”

“Oh my world, I just missed something”

“What is that? ”

“Oh never mind .it’s nothing to worry about”, he leapt to a sitting position on his bed.

“So, you have been on that position for how long?, “referring to Tafa’s beckoning on the door.

“Not quite long, I just came inside when I saw you were already up”

“Oh, nice”. Rogers still had a squeamish look on his face, got up to wash his face in the bathroom, after, he examined it and returned to a sitting position on his bed. Tafa looked serious and also sat on his bed.

“I was thinking of when am going to meet your friends, I mean become a full member.”

“Oh yes, we talked about it yesterday, you will be present in our regular Saturday initiation ritual meeting today, you will become a full member this night”

“Oh, that’s alright. I will be ready then. Why are you smiling? ” Tafa noticed Rogers smiling at him.

“Am happy you have realized that life it’s too short to lavish. You have a purpose ”

“I want to live my life now, a carefree life. My belief diminished the moment I saw the last members of my family traded under a building. I was stupid and unreasonable then and now, I want to make it up to myself, live a worthy life”

“You made the right choice. I see the hunger to succeed, to excel in you, you couldn’t have achieved those without you being released from the thralldom of your obsolete beliefs”. Tafa smiled at him and left. Rogers wandered in his thoughts, destiny had brought Tafa to his call, the killing of his siblings in the blast, the death of his siblings was no mistake after all, he has been released from the imprisonment of his obsolete beliefs just like what Ruff had told them, it was all, but a trigger that will lure him to them. It was what they ever wanted, with Tafa joining them, Al-hida group will be stronger, more ruthless operations will be carried out, perfection will be achieved. It was one happy day for both of them and regretted scolding his friends the other day for the blast.

Tafa never went through the rigorous process of initiation like the others passed through during their time. Why and wherefore was only known to Ruff and therefore, Tafa bypassed the norms of the practice. After the initial round, which was drinking of an animal’s blood, he was handed over, a handmade silver necklace to wear as a sign of membership, next was a crest and then, he took an oath of belonging only to them,

“We live together, we die together, perfection in unison, no flinty feelings, love is only for the weak, non-existent among the strong, we are gods among others, one family, we live for each other, die for each other, we believe in ourselves, in what we do, may we be protected by our own faith, until death, Al-hida Al-hida”.

Ruff gave a brief speech and closed with a remainder of the consequences of betrayal amongst them, death was the price to be paid. Tafa was ready for this and showed no form of trembling whatsoever, he conceited to this, this was his new family, to live with and to think of. That was his new self discovery, he would hold onto for a long time.

 

ALL EPISODES

4 Comments

  1. Hi Oscar, the updates are close to 2000 words or more and it’s A and B. They are not short at all. Thanks for reading

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