Rosemary33:
I am blushing o o o, let me dance shaku shaku small

Dance zanku join but I dey envy your creativity ma'am...

CHAPTER 12

“She wan make you stay with am for this fine house? Chai! Your luck don shine oh!”

Mmesommachi sucked all the juice from the orange she was licking at one draw, she had not seen good fruits since they came into the tent, and had jumped on Mariam when she had offered the oranges to her, almost decapitating the poor woman’s arm.

“I am scared still…” Ukwuoma said, her eyes watching Ogugua like a hawk

“Watin? Why you dey fear?” Mmesomachi looked at her sharply

“My friend I have lost the taste of comfort, this looks like a dream that may turn to a nightmare, what if we get used to it and…and…”

“Mtcheeeewwww” Mmesomachi gave her friend a sting look and resumed her battle with the orange. She turned the orange inside out and chews the roughage like a camel,

“I no no the English way you dey speak, watin I know be say… your God don answer you, if you like make you come back follow us dey suffer” she spat out few orange seeds and continued;

“Me sef, I don fix myself somewhere o, I don follow those women way dey cook for us, at least me and my children don sure say we go dey chop better food for here” she smiled with pride

“You mean am? Ah ah my friend, that one good o…” Ukwuoma commented
“Yes na, I been tell that my yeye husband say me go make am for this place, make him no dey do shakara with army man bread and sardine for me, now him don see am…” she laughed throatily

“Eeehhh!...”

“I don start sef, na yesterday I start, na so the yeye man come back two nights ago, dey look me like rat way them pour hot water, I hear say the army woman don dey follow that fine bobo way dey for the other Tent, so my husband man no get were him dey sleep again, I no even answer am”

Okechukwu had come back in the night, it was said that he had been busy running errands for his Military mistress only to come back to her house that same evening to be welcomed with the loud moaning of his mistress and the naked butt of the young man humping her like his life depended on it.

He had wanted to shout but had swallowed his anger at the sight of the gun that hung on the wall. He had stood there watching and taking in the entire scene like a child whose cookies were taken, and threatened with ‘Koboko’ if he said ‘pim’. He had walked out of the one Room apartment and had sat on the corridor like a subdued wife waiting for her Man to call her back, but the two has remained inside the room till night came upon him like a wicked witch, and his military mistress’s laughter trailed him down to where his wife await his return with mockery.

“I know say him no fit hold body, dat him prick way dey drop oil every time, so I torture am well well last night, as the children don sleep na so I carry my big bom-bom position am for him from, they shake am as I lai dan, make him come touch na (Laughs) for this morning as we go cook come back, na so I carry food give my children and we chop am clean mouth for him front, the man just dey swallow spit till him mouth dry” Mmesomachi continued her story

Ukwuoma laughed as she wondered how easy it was for Mmesomachi to talk about sex so freely without feeling about it, like her Grandmother
would call the female private part “Otu” while her mother would say “ihe ijiri buru nwanyi (what made you a woman)” and would even look away while saying it.

She had always laughed within her whenever her mother struggled to use a more sinless word instead of calling ‘vagina’ even when she was already in the university.

The two women chatted about everything and everyone in the Tent, like Jonah who stole some banana from military plantation and was stripped naked and flogged openly, his wife who eat the bananas with him couldn’t watch and ran away in shame, the mother lost a child and had kept every other person awake with loud wailing till the child walked in with a chunk of meat after two days. The new Tent supervisor who would always use big grammer, ‘Shit men’ and ‘fucking idiots’ to address them.

“the governor wife go come for here tomorrow, them they clean all the nyama-nyama way dey for all the tent, they repair the old canopy them, even the toilet side sef…hmmm… this people eh, them wan show the governor wife say them they do well…” Mmesomachi added with a shrug

“Na so na… I go come make I hear watin the governor wife wan talk… ehem… please my friend, I get one girl way I been wan know how she dey, she na small girl way her breast just dey comat small, she dark…”

“She get open teeth?” Mmesomachi asked

“Yes, she get small brother way dey always follow am”

“Ehe… she bin come look for you that day way you comot o, she dey worried,but she no gree tell me why she dey fine you… I tell am say you no dey…”

“I need to see her, she must be in trouble and is looking for me” Ukwuoka said with worries written on her face

“watin happen? Why she go be in trouble?”

“I don’t know but I am so worried about her, something fit done happen to her…”

“I no understand why you go dey break your head for another person matter for here, she be your daughter abi your pikin? You never even care for yourself and this one here finish, na em you want carry another person join body”

“My friend… you no go understand, e get as that girl matter be…”

“Okay o, make you go fine her now, me I no go fit carry anybody come for here, make this woman way they helep you come vex say you dey carry plenty people come her house”

The two women were silence for a while, both consumed in her own thought, the old clock on the wall broke into their thoughts as it stroke eleven in the morning, Ukwuoma observed a wall gecko moved fast to grab a cockroach.

“This boy…” Mmesoma said

“Which boy?” Ukwuoma asked

Mmesomachi pushed her head forward towards Ogugua;

“Him…your Son”

“Hmm?”

“Watin happen to him papa?”

Ukwuoma was taken by surprise, she wasn’t expecting that question from Mmesomachi, she knew a time would come when she would be forced to tell her story to someone, but not now, not like this, not when the wounds are still fresh,

“Him Papa na Hausa?” Mmesomachi asked again

“Why you ask?”

“Him resemble them, you no look am well? This pikin no resemble you at all, him resemble Hausa boy…”

Ukwuoma looked away from Mmesomachi and rested her eyes on her son Ogugua, what she saw scared her, as the boy looked back at her, she realized…

*
Today would have been the boy’s birthday, his son Umaru would have been four years today, but he had lost him with his young wife on the day of the major attack.

“A small price to pay for Allah’s command” Imam Husayn thought

He rose from his bed, walked towards the backyard and splashed water on his face from his kettle;

“As-salamu alaikum” his first wife, Hajiah Khadija greeted him with a bow,

“Wa-Alaikum s-Salam” he responded to her with a wave of hand

Khadija has been with him for twenty six years now, she came into his house when she was twelve, and she had given him four beautiful girls, who were studying in London.

He washed his hands, feet, arms and legs, gaggled with water and spat it out before walking back into his room to perform the ‘Maghrib’

He chose to stay at home today, probably in remembrance of the Son he lost.

“He would have been a strong one, I would have raised him to take over when I am gone” a sudden agony enveloped him

Fatima, his young wife had been a stubborn woman who knew nothing about values and laws. She had made friends with loud women, and had challenged him with her education.

He thought he could tame her but realized when it was too late that she was wild and dangerous especially to the sect.

“They are human’s ‘mijina’ Allah did not command us to take lives!” she had said to him when she caught him making that call for his boys go ahead with the riot.

He had slapped her face when she had threatened to go to the police, and had ordered her to be locked up till he was satisfied, but when he heard that she had escaped, he had ordered Yusuf to find her and kill her.

Not that he was scared of her threat, but she was beginning to sound like his own mother;

“Husayn, Allah loves those who love one another” his mother would say to him

And his father the late Imam would always quote the Quran;

“You will not enter paradise until you have faith;
And you will complete your faith till you love one another.”
Tirmidhi 2688

“Baba was a weak man, he would have taken this state and make men tremble before him” he muttered angrily

He spread his mat, stood on it and raised his open hands to his shoulder level

“Allahu Akbar” he proclaimed before crossing his right arms on the chest.

He couldn’t concentrate and he knew why; his son’s picture that hung on the wall caught his eyes, he held the boys gaze as it looked at him.

Khadijah his wife, had told him to remove the picture from his room as it would always make him bitter, but he had chosen to leave it,

Yusuf had returned to him with the news of his wife’s death, but his son was nowhere to be found.

“I didn’t kill her myself”

He had assigned someone else to track the woman with the baby and kill her, and didn’t remember to instruct the person to grab the boy and bring him to the mosque as instructed by the Imam.

He didn’t mourn his son properly, he was busy giving instructions and assigning responsibility, but today he was consumed with grief and had refused to eat anything.

There was a knock on his door;

“Who is that?” he asked

“Ishmila”

“Ku shigo (come in)”

Husayn left his praying Mat to meet nephew.

“The Governor’s wife is coming to the Barracks tomorrow” Ishmila said

“Then it will be the perfect moment to try one of the bombs that was brought in this morning”

The young man with the military Uniform looked at him with bit confusion;

“I thought we are supposed to call off the riot, the senator and his people had fulfilled their promise”

“They are done with us, but we are not done with them. This is not a riot my young man, it is a course, a Jihad, our duties to force people to live according to our Allah” Husayn massaged his beards and sat down

“But the military base? There are lots of people taking refuge their…”

Imam Husayn observed the officer for a while, tilting his head to the left;

“Your heart is very weak young man… give the bomb to Yusuf, he knows what to do, I have already briefed him”

“Allahu Akbar”

“Allahu Akbar”

Husayn watched him leave and smiled to himself. Uhammad al-Baqir, his mentor in Pakistan would be proud of him, soon he would subject Nigeria to it knee.

*
Yusuf lay awake gazing at the ceiling. For the first in his close relationship with his Uncle, the Imam, he had fear grip him.

What was required of him was too much for him to do, was Allah testing him like his uncle said, or was it his uncle putting his faithfulness to test;

“Allah needs her and you can not reject Allah’s request” his uncle had said

How he had wanted to fight the man, how he wanted to look him in the eyes and tell him to go to hell, but the Imam had a way of intimidating him.

“She is the vessel Yusuf, that was why Allah brought her to you as a wife, tomorrow at 11 am, she would carry the bomb into the IDP camp and perform her duty to Allah, our men are on ground to give her safe entry” his uncle had said

“Shouldn’t Allah chose another person, please Uncle, chose another person…I love Fatima…”

“Love is for the weak, and besides, ‘Jannah’ awaits her, and you too for this great sacrifice…don’t forget that”

He couldn’t argue further, his Uncle wasn’t expecting him to do so, so he left his uncle’s house with the burden of his wife’s death, her body blew in pieces.

He had made love to Fatima that night like a beast, that would be the last time he would have her before she would be gone.

He had cried as they made love, he didn’t know how much he loved her till now

“Mijina, you are crying” Fatima had asked him as he bathed her young breast with his tears

“eh…” he couldn’t explain further

She had hold him and had run her fingers on his head, he knew she was happy, they had not had sex like that before, he had not giving her the luxury of lying with him this longer after sex.

He sat up from his bed and contemplated running away that night with Fatima,

“That would be Useless” he shook his head.

His uncle knew he may contemplate that and had set two other men to watch him. He wouldn’t go far before they would be caught.

Your writing skills is really amazing. keep it up!!!!
Please mention me on your next update.

xaviercasmir:
Your writing skills is really amazing. keep it up!!!!
Please mention me on your next update.

Sure will, thank you so much, you are making me blush too much o

I'm loving as this story is unfolding. Waiting for the next update like #Kilode. Keep it up Rosy.

Rosemary biko you're the real deal, imagine the way you're unfolding the story, every update draw you closer and closer to the story.

Making me understand the reason y the north is the way it is

Just my opinion

No hate speech

Ukwouma, Ukwouma, what did you realize?

Thanks for the update

Tanx so much for the update, keep up with the good work and pls give us more

thanks rossy, we appreciate ur hardwork here

queenitee:
Ukwouma, Ukwouma, what did you realize?

we will find out tomorrow

Reflex01:
Tanx so much for the update, keep up with the good work and pls give us more

I will not disappoint you. Tomorrow will bring forth another episode

germaphobe:
thanks rossy, we appreciate ur hardwork here

you are the real G for reading. Thank you so much for believing in me.

Smith06:
Rosemary biko you're the real deal, imagine the way you're unfolding the story, every update draw you closer and closer to the story.

I am humbled, thank you for your words, they are inspirations to me

cuteguy14911:
I'm loving as this story is unfolding. Waiting for the next update like #Kilode. Keep it up Rosy.

no wahala, next episode will land tomorrow

Rosemary33:
I am humbled, thank you for your words, they are inspirations to me

May God continue to Enrich you in knowledge and wisdom

CHAPTER 13

“I killed him”

The little girl said amidst sobs, she sniffed in the mucus that would have run down her nose and covered her face with her hands.

“Ife, what happened? How…when? I don’t understand…? Ukwuoma asked, she was scared for the little girl

She had come looking for the little girl immediately she was done with her cleaning at the hospital. Mariam had offered her the job and she had agreed, with that she could earn her stay with the old woman, and equally afford to take care of her son with the little allowance of one thousand naira.

“He threatened to kill Abraham if I don’t come to him, he said ugly things to me, I didn’t know what to do…”

Ifeoluwa was her name; she was reluctant to grant Ukwuoma the luxury of knowing her name and Ukwuoma knew better than to ask. She
finally knew her name the night they sat together and shared their woes.

She chose to call her ‘Ife’ because of her University roommate, Ifechukwu, plain, masculine tall Ifechukwu with a male voice, who had no dates in school, not that she never wanted to but she was never beautiful enough to be asked out for a date.

The only day he roommate was ever invited to a birthday party; she was overjoyed and had spent her money buying new cloth and jewelries. Ukwuoma had wished there was a way she would have talked her roommate out of going, but the poor girl was over the moon.

She had come back from the party sad and depressed and never wore that cloth and jewelries again.

“How did you know that he is dead?” Ukwuoma asked

“I don’t know…I guess he is, he didn’t even make any sound, he didn’t come after me, I went back to check on him and saw him…saw him…lifeless, he has not come looking for me here since then too…”

“This is serious, if he really is dead, his colleagues, may want to know who killed him…” ukwuoma said almost whispering

“That means I am in trouble! Hei God o… I was saving myself and my brother, I didn’t want him around us anymore, I didn’t mean to kill anybody…” Ife cried

“That is if they trace it to you, but as it is I don’t think anybody will suspect you, just pretend this didn’t happen please… so you won’t give yourself out” Ukwuoma held Ife by the shoulder tenderly

“Okay…okay I will try, I am just afraid…”

“I know, but you will be fine, God knows you didn’t mean to kill him”

Ifeoluwa nodded in agreement,

“Meanwhile, I am talking to my neighbor, the woman you spoke to in my tent, to see how you could be of help to them; you could get enough food for yourself and your brother, while you occupy yourself with the work”

“Thank you Aunty, I… I really don’t know what I would have done without you here” Ife wipes her nose with the back of her right hand

“I am doing what I will equally do to a daughter…so how is Abraham doing?” Ukwuoma asked, withdrawing her attention from the girl to observe their surrounding, she saw the two children, Abraham and Ogugua walking playfully towards the Banana plantation.

She wanted to call them back; she had never allowed Ogugua out of her sight for few minutes;

“He knows his way around now, they will come back.” reading her mind, Ifeoluwa assured her.

Her eyes didn’t leave the children, though she was talking with Ife and exchanging pleasantries with other settlers;

“They said the governor’s wife is coming today” Ife changed the topic

“She will be here any moment” Ukwuoma said with her eyes still on the children playing under one of the banana trees

Her eyes shifted from the children to a man standing few feet away from them, she watched him keenly, his looked like someone she had met before but couldn’t remember where or when.

He had his eyes on Ogugua and he had the look of one who was trying to recall a memory.

Then he moved towards the children, she watched him still. He lifted Oguga from the ground; the boy kicked and threw his little fists on the big man’s chest as a form of resistance.

Ukwuoma rose from where she sat her wrapper fell off from her body revealing her flimsy gown, she ran towards the stranger, and grabbed the boy from him.

The stranger offered no tussle but had the look of shock and realization on his face.

The blast of siren from afar prevented the Man from saying or doing anything further, as he pulled out a telephone, said something she didn’t comprehend while he had his eyes on her and hurried off.

She grabbed Abraham while she carried Ogugua, they met Ifeoluwa half way;

“There are dangerous people around here, please don’t let Abraham go far from where you are…”

Ifeoluwa couldn’t understand why the older woman was so agitated at the moment.

*
“You are doing a great work taking care of them”

The governor’s wife feigned relaxed and flashed her teeth for the Journalists to take pictures, as she was being shown around by Lieutenant Ada Nwosu and other officers, with her police entourage trailing behind her like ferocious dogs.
“Thank you your Excellency, God is helping us” Lieutenant Ada grinned sheepishly, squeezing herself close to the governor’s wife to appear in every picture being taken by the Journalists.

She had eyed the truck that brought the food stuffs from her Excellency, and had monitored with greed as the bounties were unloaded from the trucks, stretching her neck to count Bags of rice, gallons groundnut oil, bags of beans, garri, cartons of Indomie and spaghetti.
She was satisfied with the quantity and couldn’t wait for the Governor’s wife to leave before her allies would do their job and keep her share for her. Buyers are already on ground waiting.

“This is my little contribution, I promise to bring more as soon as I can” The governor’s wife said with fake humility while Ada nodded her head with a plastic smile.

“Apart from these food items, I came with cooked food for the people…”

Ada watched as bags of packaged foods were dragged out from another truck, people were asked to queue in other to get their own share of the food. But it didn’t take long before the people came like bees on attack, fighting and tearing each other apart like savages, the women sharing the food left the bags and ran for their lives, while the dwellers descended on the foods like packs of wolves on territorial fight.
Foods where overturned, fights broke out in groups, some people packed more food while some didn’t get at all, children crying and running after their mothers, there were more food on the ground than there was in the stomachs;

“Pigs” the Governor’s wife muttered unconsciously to herself

Lieutenant Ada heard it but pretended not to hear, to her, it was more funny than annoying. Her Excellency just witnessed one of many free for all fights that did go on there, and the look on the woman’s face is worthy of making the front page

“You never see something sef, you think say na to wear high heel, enter AC Jeep, and dey wave hand like Nigerian flag” she replied the woman in her mind.

“Your Excellency, it is time to see the other sides of the camp, I have equally gathered some men and women here so you can speak to them and they will also speak to you…if need be” Ada said

“Yes…yes…” The Governor’s wife couldn’t stand the sight of grown men and women eating dusts as the pick foods from the ground.

*
“She is heading towards you people, position the vessel where she will be able to do the job effectively” Ishmila gave the order and dropped the phone

He looked at Yusuf who was seating at the driver’s side of the car, with his eyes closed. Ishmila pitied the man; he didn’t know why the Imam had chosen his Nephew’s wife to do this job.

He tapped the big man by the shoulder;

“Sun kusa wurin yanzu (they are almost there)” Ishmila watched as Yusuf eased his back from the car seat rest, with his face swollen and his eyes red, he knew the big man has been crying, but he dare not ask questions, he had overheard their heated arguments;

“Why uncle…why should I be the one to kill my wife?” yusuf has asked

He had driven Fatima to the mosque and had handed her over to the Imam who led her inside the inner chamber;

“It will be an honor to you Yusuf, doing the will of Allah earns you more joy and reward…” Husayn had replied

“I don’t want this reward Uncle, I don’t want this glory, Jannah should wait, I want my wife Uncle…”

“Stop speaking blasphemy!” The Iman rebuked him with clinched teeth

“Your life is no longer yours Yusuf, Allah owns us all and takes whoever he chooses, today he has chosen your wife for this mission, who are you to question him?” the Old man bellowed

“Please Uncle; don’t let her die…Dan Allah Kar tura ta mutuwa!”

“Oh ye who believe! Fear Allah as he should be feared and die not except in the state of Islam, Surah Al-imran, 175. Yusuf, your wife is dying for Islam, Allah commands it!” The Imam said

“Then why should I be the one to blow her up?” Yusuf had asked with a subdued voice.

“You are not blowing her up, you are helping her depart from this sinful world into paradise. It is your duty, a way of approaching Allah for your blessings according to Surah Al-maida 35”

Yusuf had not replied again and he knew the old man had won, he always win.

“Lokaci ya yi (It is time)” Ishmila said to Yusuf as he got off the phone.

He saw drops of tears fell from Yusuf’s eyes and he muttered something with trembling lips. His hands shook as he felt the button

“Allahu Akbar” Ishmila hailed

“Allahu Akbar” Yusuf muttered amidst choking sob, before he pressed the button.

*
Boom!

The sound deafened her and held her legs on the ground. Then came the screams, the chaos, the ‘tatatatatata!!’ of sands settling on top of the canopies like rain drops, the ‘kakakakakakak’ of guns as the security men tried to make way for Her Excellency to leave.

“Ife! Ife!!” it came as a whisper from her mouth, then her eyes widened and realization settled. She threw Ogugua on her back, held her with her wrapper and ran towards the sounds

“Ife!!!” she called, tears blinding her, while she tried hard to make her way through the confusion.

Then came that smell, the smell of burning flesh, it filled her nostrils tearing down her lungs, choking her, she coughed so hard

“IFEOLUWA!!! IFEOLUWA O!!!”

The smokes became stronger; Ogugua was coughing continuously as if he would spit out his heart at any moment.

*
Meanwhile at the gate, the black Toyota Camry reversed and drove off with speed. Ishmila was on the wheel as Yusuf couldn’t drive, the phone rang;

“It is done” Ishmila said over the phone

“No, she escaped, they drove off” He replied to whoever was at the other end of the phone.

xaviercasmir

Wonderful piece

Hahahaha. Few moments ago I was laughing and now I'm so sad. I'm feeling so hurt right now. This is why I don't like injustice. I feel like metamorphosing into a character and destroying those evil doers.


Thank you anyways. You're doing a great job keep it up!

nawaoh!!

cuteguy14911:
Hahahaha. Few moments ago I was laughing and now I'm so sad. I'm feeling so hurt right now. This is why I don't like injustice. I feel like metamorphosing into a character and destroying those evil doers.


Thank you anyways. You're doing a great job keep it up!

thank you so much.
I understand how you feel really

germaphobe:
nawaoh!!

I know right

Rosemary33:
thank you so much.
I understand how you feel really

It's heartbreaking. Really. I don't do this but.......

*Cries out loudly* *sobs* *sobs* *Walks out of thread*

cuteguy14911:



It's heartbreaking. Really. I don't do this but.......

*Cries out loudly* *sobs* *sobs* *Walks out of thread*

big hugs from me to you

Next episode may make you feel a little better

Hmmmm

Thanks for the update

HAPTER 14

“Ifeoluwa!”

Ukwuoma increased her pace as she saw someone that looked like her, on all fours crawling and scavenging the debris.

“Ife!!”

Ukwuoma started running towards the ruins as military men started pushing the scavengers of flesh and bones away; ‘securing the crime scene’ they call it in the movies

Her eyes caught a woman carrying the head of who was supposed to be her husband;

“Dim ka anyi na nu o…
Ka anyi naba nu banyi biko nu” the woman soliloquized

Two military men were already holding Ifeoluwa, trying to pull her up and drag her out of the debris, but the girl suddenly developed the strength of hundred warriors, she stayed rooted on her fours, shoving anyone that tried to hold her;

“Abraham… Aby… Aby where are you? I think I have your leg where is your head?...” she was picking and dropping things as if she was picking the body parts of her little brother.

The sadness that came upon Ukwuoma grew from her belly, it shoot through her bones and like a rushing air it escaped through her mouth like a sob as she came close to the girl,

“I can sew him together… part by part with mama’s needle and thread…, he would become a boy with no eyes if I don’t find his eyes…” Ifeoluwa dug deeper into the debris, talking incoherently to herself

“Ife! Ifeoluwa stop!!” Ukwuoma held the girl from behind; both fell on the debris and cried bitterly while Ogugua struggled to free himself from his mother’s back

“Madam take her out of here, there is nothing left here for anyone to find”

Some military men helped her to pull the girl up and walked them out of the scene, with her face mired with dirt, her cloths torn and her skin bruised, Ifeoluwa kept looking back and muttering incoherent words to herself.

The camp was in chaos, families were seen carrying pitiable sacks of belongings and headed towards the gate but where not giving access to leave, angry voices raised, protesting their desire to leave.

Mariam was outside when they got back;

“I heard the blast, I was worried when I ran home and didn’t see you”

On seeing the girl with Ukwuoma and the look on their faces, Miriam said no more, she took the girl from her and they walked inside the house.

Ukwuoma took the girl to the bathroom, Ife stood motionless, gazing on the mirror without blinking. As Ukwuoma ran the soap on her, her bruises gave her no pain.

Mariam sedated the girl and dress her wounds;

“Who did she lose?” Miriam asked Ukwuoma

“Her only brother”

Both women were silence for some time; then Mariam stood straight and looked Ukwuoma in the face;

“You… who did you lose?”

Ukwuoma didn’t answer; she looked at the woman and walked toward the window

“The question would have been…what did I see?” Ukwuoma said solemnly

“I saw my children dancing around me without limbs, I saw them…those men drinking blood from my husband skull, I saw…I saw… Abraham with stitches like a patched cloth, I saw…”

When Mariam held her hand, she broke into wailing and embraced the old woman.

*
“Report getting to us now said there has been a bomb explosion at the Internally Displaced People’s camp in the 3rd Armoured Division Barracks, Bassa, Jos.
The report says that the bomb exploded when the State Governor’s wife was on a visit to the Victims of the Jos Crisis who are taking refuge in the Barrack.
Our correspondent reported that the suicide bomber set off the bomb before the military could intercept her, killing more than twelve persons and injuring about ten.
Meanwhile, Her Excellency has been reported safe…”

Imam Husayn switched off his radio and rested his back on his chair;

“Typical of them to report less casualties” he muttered

Ishmila had told him that so far, the military has counted thirty six dead bodies, excluding those blown to pieces.

His phone rang again; he knew he would keep receiving calls from them. They are desperate now, but he has his own plan and has set out his strategies.

“As-salamu alaikum” he greeted

“What is going on? This bombing story, do you know anything about it” the voice from the other end bellowed angrily

“Major Usman, I am as surprised as you when I heard the news” Husayn said piously

“Then talk to your boys, call them, someone is trying to make me look bad! I did my bidding when you approached me, I aided you and your boys during the riot, I delayed my men and gave My Superiors false reports, I deserve better than bombing my own territory!” Major General Usman sounded like a sinking man

“Major please, I am an honorable man and I keep my words, Allah forbids that I repay your kindness with evil” Husayn sounded convincing

“Please Imam, help me ask your boys, fish out who did this, I will try my best to delay actions from my command but please do something, this is a slap on the military”

“I will do all I have to, insha’allah”

The line went dead and another call came through;

“As-salamu alaikum” Husayn greeted pretentiously

“Wa-Alaikum s-Salam” Senator Kazeem replied

“Have you read the papers? The news of the explosion is everywhere” the senator said

“Yes, I don’t know what to say…” Imam Husayn replied

“Sir, did you…did you have a hand in it?” the senator asked, being careful not to offend the Imam

“Don’t insult me senator, I gave you my word the last time you came here and I meant it, I heard about the bombing this morning just like you” Husayn feigned anger

“I am so sorry Sir; I was only worried, because my party paid your boys well to back down. I am so sorry my lord…”

“Only Allah is supreme, I am only his servant” Husayn cut in piously

“True…True sir…thank you sir, meanwhile my party has a gift for you, we will get it across to you so you can cater for your faithfuls” Senator Kazeem said

“Your gifts to Allah will be appreciated senator”

The line went dead and the Imam gave a ghost of a smile.

He would no longer find it difficult to pay for his shipments; with these money gifts coming, he could easily pay for more arms.

He wished he could speak to Yusuf now, but the big man has not called him since the operation, and his line has been off.

“Let me allow him to mourn his wife” he muttered

He had wanted the boy to feel the pain of losing someone dear. After he lost his son, which was Yusuf’s responsibility, his heart has been filled with vengeance.

“I am sorry Uncle, I was taking care of the other operation, I dint know Ahmani didn’t bring the boy until it was too late” Yusuf had pleaded

“You were his uncle Yusuf, you were supposed to secure him for me, I gave you that responsibility and you failed me” The Imam had bellowed angrily

“I am sorry Uncle, I will continue to look for him…”

“He was all I have to take over from me…you let him die out there!” he had accused Yusuf

Sorry was not enough, the boy never came back and so did his thirst for vengeance grow.

He was almost afraid when yusuf had challenged him on the plan to use Fatima as a vessel for the bombing, he thought he has lost grip on the boy, quoting few passages of the Quran had help calm the boy down.

“I thought it would be easy to convince him, which means I have more work to do on him before he would be ready to head the sect” Husayn thought.

*
“What are you doing here” Mallam Kabiru asked

Standing in front of him as he opened the door was his son whom he has not heard from for the past Nine years.

“Baba…I hope I can still call you that” Yusuf looked at his father straight in the face

The old man gave him space to walk into the sitting room, littered with books

“You still read” Yusuf said, his eyes roamed the place and rested on a book on the shelf ‘the Essential Rumi’. He walked towards the shelf, picked the book and flipped through the leaves; his father’s eyes followed him.

“You kept it” he referred to the book

“Was I supposed to throw it away?”

He pulled out a little picture of his mother’s smiling face from the book. It was a gift from his mother when he celebrated his birthday before
she died, he placed the picture carefully inside the book and returned the book back to the shelf.

“Why are you here?” His father asked him again

“I came to see your face” Yusuf answered

He was a broken man, full of grief and pain, but he would not admit before his father how broken he was.

“You have not looked for me all these years, why now?” Mallam Kabiru asked him

“I came to see if you are feeling well, it’s obvious you are doing well for yourself” Yusuf said as he made towards the door

“How is your new wife?” his father halted him with that question

“What?”

“I heard you got married to a new girl… how is she?”

Mallam Kabiru heard about the woman, he also heard about the explosion and her death,

“He made you do it” it was a statement

“I don’t know what you are talking about” Yusuf was uncomfortable with the conversation

“He talked you into blowing up your own wife” The old Man continued

“Allah took her! She was a vessel to Allah!” Yusuf shouted back at his father

“Was that what he told you? Same thing he told your mother and made her die for nothing ‘Allah want your service’ he had said to your mother” Mallam said

“You are lying Baba, lies! You couldn’t save mother when she was caught with guns, you left her to die!”

“Your mother shot herself before I could get to her; he made her swore she would die for Allah instead of exposing him”

“You are weak Baba! Just like Grandfather! Uncle Husayn fights for Allah while you hide like a coward here, reading your books!” Yusuf bellowed

“Allah fights for himself! Husayn fights for his greed and hatred! He is the son of Iblis, Shaitan is his father not Allah!” Mallam Kabiru shouted

The tension between the two men was very hot, Yusuf removed his cap, wiped his head and put back the cap

“Your grandfather was a good man, he was nothing like Husayn” Mallam Kabiru said

“Grandfather couldn’t get followers for Allah with his message of peace and love, he couldn’t control the government, he couldn’t even rule his household” Yusuf said with spite

“Yet you loved him”

“I am loyal to Uncle Husayn and Allah now”

“So why are you here?”

The silence was loud, their heartbeats were audible.

“I found the boy”

His father’s eyes widened in realization

“You found Husayn’s son?” Mallam asked

“Yes…in the camp, he calls another woman ‘Mama’” Yusuf said

“What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t know…I have not figured anything out yet…everything happened so fast I couldn’t even get the boy” Yusuf said

“Does Husayn know about this?”

“No…Not yet”

“That is why you came” It was a statement which took Yusuf time to answer

“Yes…No…part of it”

“Do the right thing son”

As he took a taxi back to his house, he kept wondering what the right thing was.

Thanks for the update

Thanks for the update

Tanks for the update, jah bless