Dolapo opened her eyes slowly as a result of the early morning sun that shone brightly in the room through the window. She stood up and knelt beside her bed to say her morning prayers.
“Good morning Tola.” She said immediately she finished praying and discovered Tola was awake and putting on her nightie. Something she ought to wear to bed.
“Dolapo. How was your night?” She asked.
“It was good and yours?” Dolapo asked.
“Not bad.” Tola replied. Dolapo stood up and walked to the bathroom where she returned a few minutes later with an empty bucket.
“Do you have lectures today?” Tola asked.
“No, have you forgotten about the registration for the seminar? Moreso, remember we all agreed to pay Darasimi a visit.” Dolapo said.
“Yes, yes. That’s true o. I forget things easily these days.” Tola replied smiling. Dolapo unlocked the front door and made to get out.
“Dollyp, please take two buckets with you. I’ll join you downstairs.” Tola pleaded. Dolapo picked a second bucket from behind the door and walked out of the room hoping to get to the tap downstairs before anybody in the compound even though she knew it is impossible. Its either you meet ten people standing with their buckets or you meet twenty buckets with two people watching over them and making changes.
She was quite lucky today because, she met her clique of friends. Tokunbo and her roomates were standing over the tap filling their buckets.
“Good morning girls.” Dolapo greeted. The girls all replied her heartily.
“My night was not bad.” She replied. The girls allowed her to fill her buckets and she took them upstairs smiling. If it were to be other girls in the hostel, she’ll probably be there for one hour without filling her buckets. Those Nursing students will intentionally reduce the rate at which water escape from the tap so that their rather too big buckets will take hours before they are full.
She still can’t figure out why those girls behave like rascals, despite the fact that they offer one of the most respectable courses in the school.
“Oh! you brought them upstairs for me. That’s very nice of you.” Tola said as she opened the door wider and collected the two buckets from her.
“I’ll be the first to take my bath o.” Tola said.
“No problem. Just don’t spend forever in there or I’ll be forced to join you.” Tola took the smaller bucket with water and walked into the bathroom. Dolapo walked to Dayo’s side of the wardrobe and opened it, she picked two packets of noodles and two eggs as she walked to the store turned kitchen. She lit the stove and started cooking.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Janet was busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for her boss. So many thoughts were running through her mind as she got busied with washing the dishes as she played soft music on her phone. She thought of how she will spen her total booty. She’ll get a million and a half from Rahaman’s team and single-handedly she’ll get two million off her prey, Barrister Benson. The thought of getting a whooping sum off her boss seems tempting but she knew she had little chances.
Making calls in the same house while her boss is around will arouse suspicion and she is not ready loose on every end. Now she will go back to school and finish her degree then look for the right man to take her to the alter. Her ringing phone brought her back to the reality. Checking the caller, she discovered it was Benson.
“Do you now have my money?” She asked immediately she picked the call. She listened for a minutes and what seemed to be a smile turned to a frown.
“You’ll hear from me soonest.” She said as she hung up and switched off her phone. She focused on what was cooking and just when she wanted to take the pot off the cooker, she heard as her madam yelled.
“Is this lady awake already?” She asked herself as she walked out of kitchen.
“Frank, do what you have to do now. Pay the eight million naira and get the police afterwards. They should first come to my house and question everybody. I know someone living in this house did the job and I am suspecting my gateman.” Sandra shouted. Janet smiled.
She is ready to pay the eight million naira but slowly her smile was replaced with a frown. “Police questioning everybody? She is not a good liar and so the police will be quick to get her. I must device a plan.” She thought as she returned to the kitchen.
******
Chief Patrick couldn’t sleep all through the night, he sat out the whole night in his study, thinking and making plans of how his enemy could be gotten. Just then he remembered he had a score to settle with Rachel. He is yet to question her. He picked his phone and stood up, ready to storm her room and ask her questions about tampering with his private things in the study then his phone rang. He checked the caller, it was the state governor.
“Your excellency.” Chief Patrick greeted.
“Your grace. Are you set for the rally?” The governor asked.
“Rally? Which rally is that?”
“The party’s campaign rally at the stadium. Also the picking of nomination forms.” The governor replied.
“Oh oh. Now I remember. What time is it?” Chief Patrick asked.
“Ten o’clock but you know as a member of the party’s board of trustees, you need to be at the party secretariat as soon as possible.” The state governor explained.
“I am well aware of that.” Patrick replied. Just then the door opened and Onome peeped in.
“Good morning sir. You have some visitors.” Onome said.
“Who are they?”
“I don’t know them but Alhaji Gulak is there with them.” Onome replied.
“Oh! Gulak and his team. How many are they?” Patrick asked.
“Three.” Onome replied.
“Get them something to refresh with. They just flew in from Abuja.” Chief patrick said and stood up as he walked into his inner chamber.
A few minutes later, Chief Patrick descended the stairs and joined his visitors in the living room.
“Welcome the king.” A young man said standing up as he hailed a smiling Chief Patrick. He exchanged pleasantries with his guest, Chief Gulak, Mr James, a former minister for foriegn affairs and Mrs Olubunmi, a former lawmaker.
“Gulak, how do you do?” Chief Patrick asked.
“I am good. I came here with these two people to make their intentions known to you.” Gulak said.
“Intentions? Lets hear it.”
“Go ahead James.” Gulak said to the young man who couldn’t be over forty yet. James stood up and paid homage to the political leaders and started talking. He ended his rather long speeches by declaring his intention at running for a seat in the senate. While Mrs Olubunmi wants to contest for the governorship election in Ogun state, a state in the south-west.
“Gulak, let me see you in chambers.” Chief Patrick exhaled and said to him. The two elder walked out of the living room.
“Gulak what’s the meaning of this?” Patrick asked.
“I don’t understand.”
“Why will you want these people to get nomination forms?” Chief Patrick asked.
“I thought it was the agreement of the party chieftains. I was denied the chance to contest for presidency because the incubent president wants to run for a second term and I was offered consolation by nominating two candidate who will get automatic tickets to any political post except the presidency and we all know Olubunmi and James are my long time friends.” Gulak explained.
“But we both know James can’t go to the senate. He is from Oyo south and my candidate is supposed to represent Oyo south in the senate come the next election.” Chief Patrick said.
“There is no way I am changing that. You can use your influence and get your candidate a guber ticket so that James can take the senate ticket.” Gulak replied not smiling.
“No way I am doing that. My candidate is going for the senate, let James get guber ticket.” Chief Patrick said angrily.
“There is no way I am doing that. The two of them will pick up their nomination forms today and don’t forget that James is the man of the president.
He was once a minister and so, you and your candidates stand no chance.” Gulak said and walked away.
“We’ll settle this when we get to the party secretariat.” Chief Patrick said to his retreating figure.
Chief Patricck knew Gulak would be his major problem in the party right from the time he decamped to the ruling party with his swarm of supporters. As a three time presidential aspirant, they knew any party that has someone of Gulak’s calibre is very lucky and Gulak himself is a great asset. They treated him like a king until he made his intentions known that he wants to contest for presidency.
Patrick with his power and influence blocked his path at bieng given the presidential ticket. Because he knew if Gulak should run for presidency and win, his dominance will be over. He will be unable to convince him like he does to the incubent president who was naive and young.
“I must do something fast to make sure Gulak fail. The party will turn their backs against him.” He thought as he followed him this time smiling like nothing happened.
*******
Sylvester in company of Ngozi and Charles walked into Clement’s ward each with a flower and a greeting card.
“Good morning Inspector.” Charles said saluting. Clement whose bandage was being changed by a nurse smiled broadly immediately he saw them.
“How are you doing this morning?” Sylvester asked.
“Am good. How about you guys?” Clement asked.
“Aunty Nurse we sight you o. Welldone.” Charles in his ever playful attitude said sitting down on the only available chair in the room. The nurse tidied up his arm, cleaned it and applied a new bandage while she disposed the old one into the waste basket.
“The cleaner will be here to clean this place. She’ll dispose the waste basket.” The nurse said and made to walk out of the room.
“Good morning ma.” She greeted Ngozi smiling. Ngozi smiled in return.
“Aunty nurse, you are good at what you do.” Charles complimented.
“Thank you sir. You are good at what you do too.” The nurse replied smiling.
“Have you seen me in action before? She is falling already.” He asked. The nurse ignored her and said somethings to Ngozi who nodded and smiled.
“Anyways, I am single, not searching but availaible.” Charles said to the Nurse who by this time was shutting the door.
“What did she tell you? You two know yourself somewhere?” Sylvester asked.
“I met her yesterday and she was very polite and friendly.”
“My type of girls.” Charles replied.
“What about your wife?” Clement asked.
“She has no choice. I am the man of the house.” Everyone in the room bursted into laughter except Sylvester who knew the last sentence was meant for him. Even though he was not yet married, but his wife to be has taken up the role of the commander, such that she yell at him at every given opportunity and tosses him around like a houseboy. His colleagues who have witnessed the show have in countless times told her to man up because he is the man of the house. And they knew in every nonsense that Charles says, there is always a sense in them.
“Lets get to the reason why we are here.” Sylvester said changing the topic. The three police officers handed a bunch of flower and a card to Clement in which words of encouragement were expertly written in each card. He knew at once that it was the handiwork of Charles who took his time to learn decoration of paper works and he could design anything with his hands provided he had his ink in place.
They all started gisting and laughing really hard that even Clement forgot his pains. They laughed more harder when the said cleaner arrived to clean the room. Charles wasted no time in telling her how beautiful she was and the girl decided to ignore him because she thought he wanted to make passes at her. Just before she left with the waste, Charles likened her beauty to the dirt she was carrying and immediately he announced his departure. He left with Sylvester while Ngozi waited behind.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Onome has been in the kitchen since 5am and she is still in the kitchen by 7:30am doing every possible chores that exist in the kitchen.
“Good morning Ono.” Rachel greeted as she strolled into the kitchen.
“Rachel, you are awake? Good morning and how was your night?” Onome asked.
“It was good and yours?” Rachel asked as she picked a piece of fried meat from the tray on the kitchen table.
“Great. There is a problem o.” Onome replied.
“What problem?” Rachel asked sitting down on a stool.
“Chief came to me yesterday and demanded to know if I entered his study or touch his things.” Onome replied.
“And what did you tell him?” Rachel asked fearfully. Just yesterday, the fear she has for her father-in-law had trippled and now she is not sure if she can relate with him like she used to before.
“I told him I didn’t enter his study. But I remembered you using his laptop and checking his drawer.” Onome said.
“Shebi you didn’t tell him anything or did you?” Rachel asked.
“No.” Onome replied. Rachel thought for a few seconds.
“Where is he now?”
“He went out with some of his political friends.” Onome replied.
“I’ll be right back. Let me go and take my bath and call my husband.” She said as she left the kitchen with one place in mind. Chief Patrick’s STUDY/LIBRARY.
to be continued
