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  ~~~

  The last visitor Babatunde had that day was Agbari. He came in and sat timidly, all the brash arrogance of the last time Babatunde had visited him at the police station was gone.

  Babatunde gave him a calm look but said nothing for a while. Then Babatunde grinned and invited him to move close. He said he wanted to know why Agbari wanted to be called by that name. ‘Agbari’ as a name meant someone who was a confidence trickster.

  “I understand from your mother that you were named Olusanmi…I am a bit puzzled. I understand too that the name Agbari was initially meant as someone who was brilliant as you are said to be quite clever, at school. So how did you become so brain lazy as to make the name sound like a curse now. Thank heavens you are not using Olusanmi as that would have been a sentencing of your fate.”

  Agbari stared in shock at Babatunde.

  “I sent for you, because I want to talk to you. I am a bit puzzled that you want to follow in the footsteps of Spatako.”

  Agbari bristled but sat back in stunned shock when he heard the deep growl that came from Babatunde. His hair stood on end and his eyes widened in fear.

  “I have learned that you are getting involved in practices that tends to bring this town into disrepute. I have summoned you to personally give you my warning. Pick one of the items over on that table. The sword determines that you intend to live on the edge with us in this town or the bowl of water will denote the peace we desire—choose now!” Babatunde barked in a very low voice that was spine chilling.

  There was silence from Agbari, and he sweated suddenly, and dropped flat on his stomach. Babamogba walked in draped in the clothes of the inner Ifa circle. He gave the prostrating Agbari a calm impersonal look and offered him the calabash of cool water to drink. Agbari drank the liquid and grew calm.

  Babatunde nodded at Babamogba asking him to proceed with the questioning.

  It was a long evening for everyone.

  ~~~

  It looked like it was going to be a long day for Ife too as she came to the clinic and was surprised to find a long line of women and children waiting to see a doctor. She raised her eyebrows asking what was wrong, and the head nurse explained that some of the female staff had learned that she worked at the State House clinic and had shifted interest there. Ife laughed and beckoned for the first patient to come forward. She became very busy after that, so busy that she ignored her calls until she saw a sweating PA panting in front of her. She asked him if he needed medical attention too, but he shook his head saying they had an emergency too as one of the guests visiting the First Lady needed urgent medical attention.

  Ife told the head nurse to hold the fort as she made her way back to the main building. She found a middle-aged woman being fanned by anxious staff as the First Lady paced the floor.

  “Do you think we should send for an ambulance to take her to the specialist hospital?” were the first words that came from the harried First Lady.

  Ife applauded the First Lady’s caring instinct, so she replied in a comforting voice that she would examine the lady first. On close examination, she suspected that the woman was close to have a burst appendix so the lady was rushed to the hospital and surgery immediately.

  Ife was very tired hours later when she had settled the woman into a private ward ordered by the First Lady for the woman. She was surprised to find an official was still on standby to take her to her palace if she felt like travelling. She called Lion and explained the situation and said she would be home early afternoon the next day. The official driver took her to a guesthouse within the State House grounds.

  She checked in, had a shower and reviewed her day. She was actually dozing off when she heard the screams. It seemed to be coming from the chalet next to hers. A young woman’s scream of agony abruptly cut off. She was instantly wide awake, waiting to be summoned to help whoever was in such pain. Ife heard footsteps running and thought someone was coming to alert her and quickly got dressed, her medical bag ready to help.

  She opened her door, and saw no one. That was puzzling. She beckoned to a security officer and enquired if the lady had been taken to the hospital, explaining that she had heard someone screaming. The officer gave her a strange look and said, he had heard nothing.

  He said there was nobody in the next chalet when Ife tried to explain further, offering to take her there to see for herself. Ife was mystified. She had distinctly heard the screams. She sighed and said she must have imagined things. Ife went back to the guest room but did not sleep for the rest of the night. She reviewed the time she heard the screams and tried to determine if it was just one scream. There had been screams of someone being tortured or beaten; no words but screams. She knew for sure now and wondered also about the running footsteps. So why was the security insisting that there was nobody in the next chalet.

  ~~~

  The next morning a basket of fruit was delivered to her doorstep, courtesy of a grateful First Lady who said she would look forward to having her over for breakfast.

  The memory of the screaming woman came to her and she accepted the invitation as the First Lady was generous with the gift, and she wanted to know if Mrs. Governor would tell her about the screams.

  At breakfast the First Lady was all smiles and thanked Ife graciously for the prompt way she had treated the woman.

  “Now you know why I needed a female personal physician. Iyaloja would never have felt comfortable allowing a male doctor to touch her the way you did and she looked in so much pain,” the First Lady said.

  Ife nodded understanding and wondered if she could ask about the screams she heard the previous night. She need not have worried for the woman brought the subject up herself. “I understand that you were disturbed from a well-earned rest by Iyabo’s screaming last night.”

  “The officer said nobody lived in the chalet,” Ife murmured.

  “I guess he is right as the place is not officially allocated, but sometimes my personal driver is permitted to sleep there and I have had occasions to learn that he brings in the odd girlfriend. I just sacked him and gave him two hours to pack his things and get out of the grounds.”

  “Was he being violent with the lady, Ma’am? That scream was of someone in agony; are you sure the woman is fine?”

  The First Lady threw her head back and laughed. “Surely you were not expecting me to find out about some low class female that ought to know better than to mess around, do you?” There was distaste and anger in the comment but she quickly regained her composure and dismissed the subject as if it was of no consequence.

  Ife said nothing further knowing it was not really in her place to question the First Lady because, after all, that was not in the schedule of her responsibility.

  Ife mentioned the circumstances to Babatunde when she returned in the afternoon to the palace and the rest of the day passed peacefully. The anointed Raingirl replacement came to visit with her mother and Ife took the girl to the grove to meet with Yeye.

  On her way back she decided to pay her mother-in-law a surprise visit. It was a real surprise as the excited woman bustled around attempting to entertain her.

  Her brother-in-law Tope enjoyed himself passing comments his mother’s fussing until Ife had to ask him to keep quiet. She spent a lovely evening with her in-laws and returned to the palace.

  The next morning, she was shocked to find Deji at her office. He said he had gone to the hospital to ask after her only to be informed that she was now the personal physician of the First Lady. Ife gave him a friendly welcome and wondered why he was asking after her. She offered him tea and he grimaced, stating that he was not a tea drinking person.

  The conversation was light and friendly. Ife asked him why he was looking for her and he said he wanted to know if she had ever known the wife of her First Lady’s driver.

  She went cold hearing that and asked why she was supposed to know the driver ‘s wife. Then she remembered the previous conversation with the First Lady and narrowed her eyes as she
asked Deji why he wanted to know.

  Deji scratched his head and said that he was just fishing for a reason to talk to her because she couldn’t possibly have any information.

  Ife wanted to know what information he was seeking and he shrugged. “I am on the crime beat, and the driver’s wife was found on the high way this morning obviously hit by a drunken driver who has made himself scarce. My editor says I can’t submit such a story about the State House. We are to wait for a police press release and I was trying to make a human interest story out of it as it is obviously not a crime story. I hear the First lady has ordered for a search of the driver and visited his home.”

  Ife was chilled because she knew the woman who screamed last night was the same woman whose body had been dumped on the highway and passed off as a hit and run victim. She shivered with the knowledge and knew there was no way she could confirm it.

  “Are you alright? I don’t like the way you are staring at me,” Deji said, bringing Ife out of her thoughts.

  Ife swallowed as she replayed in her mind’s eye Mrs. Omolayo and her words. Lights above, what is going on?

  Ife wanted to believe she was just imagining things. She knew though she was right and that thought depressed her. But how could that be? The driver had been sacked and that afternoon when she made a casual walk towards the guest house she found the maids were taking the curtains down. When she asked what was going on, she was told cheerfully that it was a routine cleaning of the guest chalets so as to be ready for guests at any given time. Ife was loath to ask any question as she didn’t even know what type of question she was going to ask.

  Her unease soon disappeared as she became very busy with the wedding arrangements for Josephine. She asked permission from the First Lady for a few days off as the wedding proper approached. The First Lady was very gracious and gave her the time. A week before the wedding she got a surprise gift from the First Lady. The personal secretary came to her office and with smiles dropped a fat envelope of almost half a million Naira on her table saying it was the First Lady’s contribution towards the reception. Ife strangely felt upset about the money. She had the irrational feeling she was being bought and that bothered her. I am just a bloody staff member for goodness sake and besides she has no particular relationship with Josephine. Ife gazed, transfixed, at the money and the personal secretary stared at her in surprise.

  “Madam, it is your right to take the money. These idiots think of the state as their personal treasury. Make hay while the sun shines is my motto, Madam,” he counseled.

  Ife bit her lip seeing the difficulty of her position. She gave the secretary a smile. “Let me tell you a small story. There was a woman who was invited by accident into a coven of witches. The first time she was dragged to the coven, she feared for her life and was told to play along so she could learn how to escape, but she witnessed the child of the leader being contributed as a meal for them to devour. She kept her portion and hid it inside her leg. So her leg got fatter than the rest of her body for she kept hiding her portion of the human beings killed at the coven. They made her rich, believing she was part of them and she held her peace blaming Olodumare for not striking the witches dead. However one day, it was announced to her that she was to contribute her only child for a particular festival of the witches. Her child had just graduated from the University, done his NYSC successfully and against all expectations gotten a job. This woman was happily looking forward to reap the fruits of her labor so definitely she had no intention to accede to the request of the witches. She appealed to them that sacrificing her child was just not on the cards. The witches laughed and said since she had accepted every potion she had been given, they requested she should return it, she smiled relieved and offered them her leg, stating that her portion of each meal was embedded in her leg. The leader of the witches gave a long chilling laugh and told her that what they had given her was not just a leg, but at different times other parts of the body. They told her to make things fair, while the leg had been fattened by her, they would need all the other body parts.

  “You see, she was guilty by association under the laws of creation; birds of the same feathers flock together. She was always free to refuse to come to the coven. She was always free not to accept the portions she had received. She was bound by the judgment that what you sow is what you reap. So the witches ate her alive while she remained conscious of what was happening to her body. An association is free but the consequences of the association is not free. There is no way I am going to be able to afford the consequence of this gift. It might become too expensive for me. Please thank Her Excellency and let her know I am deeply grateful but I possibly cannot accept the gift.”

  Ife felt close to tears as she finished her long reply. The personal secretary hesitatingly asked if he was expected to tell the story of the witch when he returned the money.

  Ife saw greed come into his eyes and knew immediately that he had no intention of returning the money, in fact she read his thoughts and learned what he had planning on saying so she laughed and took the envelope saying she might as well bell the cat herself.

  He didn’t understand but his manner turned surly when he saw he could not pocket the money and he left.

  Ife waited all day at the office of the First Lady so she could personally return the money. The First Lady finally saw her in the evening, and Ife was warily watching for an opening but the First Lady made it easier when she enquired what was on her mind. Ife brought out the money reluctantly from her bag.

  The First Lady’s eyes narrowed and she listened to the halting explanations of Ife, then she threw her head back and gave a very hearty laugh. “Kabiyesi is a very lucky king indeed, my Olori. I have never seen such innocence.”

  Ife wondered what was going on.

  “I can afford that money from my own personal funds. I have not stolen the housekeeping money of the state. Believe me, I know how these weddings go. Igbo marriages are very expensive things, my son married one from the same state. The women will be asked to stay in one area while the negotiations continue in another. Your friend will be grateful for some help from you as practically the whole village will demand one thing or another. The way I heard it, she is just a pharmacist and her parents got her into that trouble. Her ex-boyfriend will be smirking if your friend’s husband does not put him in the shade. This is nothing to what he will be expected to put out for the wedding. Trust me my innocent Olori. It is just a small contribution.”

  Ife felt silly, uncomfortable and didn’t know what she should do. It was a lot of money to her but she felt she didn’t deserve it as she could find no rationale for the gift but the First Lady obviously had not the slightest intention to have her gift returned. It showed a very generous nature of the First Lady and Ife felt affection for the slim imperious woman. She thanked her and returned to the palace.

  Chapter Twelve

  Babatunde studied the Governor as he invited him to be part of the blueprint for the state. He felt something was fishy but he could not place his finger on it. He had heard on the grapevine that the Governor was interested in running for a second term and he suspected it wasn’t intended for the progress of the state but a purely for the success of a second term. Babatunde understood that as a traditional king he had no business being partisan and he had strenuously kept that in mind.

  He made non-committal comments about being part of the progress of the state and assured the Governor that every patriotic citizen was committed to the progress of the state. Then the Governor asked the Commissioner to excuse them. He gave Babatunde a level stare as soon as the Commissioner had left and announced that he needed the traditional help of the Kabiyesi.

  Babatunde kept his gaze level as he asked for a clearer explanation of what he meant.

  “I hear if I make a supplication to your grove, you could find your way to ensuring that the second term bid is a foregone conclusion.”

  Babatunde sighed and shook his head, explaining that the Governor wa
s listening to myths. “We worship the Truth, Your Excellency, that is why we are not allowed to swear or allow masquerades in the town. Our festival is white, if you like you can come to the grove and see things for yourself.”

  The Governor was silent for a while then he commented that he had heard that a prince from the town was planning on raising opposition to his second term bid. He asked that Babatunde should call the prince and talk him out of it as he was willing to make it right for the town. He made promises of ensuring the road were tarred and said he was going to sink a borehole in the next few weeks.

  Babatunde’s eyes narrowed and he said he had no way of enforcing compliance but suggested the Governor could ensure votes if he made the promises he just said factual. Babatunde said it would be a good idea if the Governor set a benchmark of being the Governor who made promises and kept them.

  Babatunde was not ready to antagonize the government and simply thanked the Governor and said he would convey to the residents in his town that the government cared about their welfare.

  The Governor gave him a long stare and smiled. He appreciated the comments and stood up. That signaled that the meeting was over; both men rose to their feet as a young man came in carrying a big plastic bag. The Governor explained that the contents were to take care of the fueling costs of Kabiyesi. Babatunde inclined his head but said nothing.

  The next morning, a black jeep with tinted glass was delivered to the palace courtesy of the government. There was a letter attached indicating that all traditional kings of first and second-class cadre were all supplied with jeeps. The letter explained that it was in keeping with the policies of the state that the traditional institutions should be treated with the respect and dignity of their offices.

  Babatunde read the letter with a sarcastic smile on his lips. The next letter gave him food for thought as it announced that he was being elevated and had been appointed as a chancellor to one of the state universities. Babatunde knew he was being bribed but he wondered what was to be his contribution.