PART 1
“I AM PRESIDENT MAMUD”
©️Opeyemi O. Akintunde
In a very small settlement precisely called the FIFTH STATE, Mamud was innocently born. He felt his parents were two irresponsible entities. His Father was a Farmer who couldn’t farm to save his own life, yet he had 4 wives. His Mother was a food seller who took care of her immediate family from the daily profits of her food business. Mamud’s family never went hungry because there was always food, but they lacked every other basic thing humans needed.
Mamud felt his parents were irresponsible because, despite being eaten up by poverty, they couldn’t control their desires. He was the 12th surviving child of his parents and definitely not the last….
“ Hey ! Football team! Howdy?” Brino called out to Mamud as he walked towards his Father’s farm with Isire.
“Football team” was the name he was called amongst his peers and seriously it annoyed him…
“ Stop it!” Mamud said without looking towards Brino and Fila.
“ Don’t say a word!” Isire said to Mamud as they walked on
“ That’s what you should say to your Papa and Mama… tell them to STOP IT…We hear your mama is pregnant of Baby Number 15, can’t your mama close her thighs! Isire, don’t you think you will also wear out quickly should you marry Mamud, who knows you may give birth every year… Guess your thigh will be permanently opened!” Fila said laughing.
Mamud had taken enough insults on his mother and since they were about to add Isire to the insult list he felt it was time he silenced Brino and Fila…
“ I need to stop everyone from insulting my mother and today, Fila will be the perfect example of what I will do to people if they insult her again” Mamud reasoned quietly as the Lion in him surfaced…
In Anger, Mamud charged towards Fila.
“ Oh no! this is not going to end well” Isire knew in her heart as she tried to pull Mamud’s shirt, but he was gone as swift as a cheetah…
Brino knew that look on Mamud’s face, it was like a bull was charging towards them…
“Fila, run… this will not end well” Brino said as he took to his heels …
Anger got the best of Mamud and he became a mad fellow…
To cut the Long story short…,
Fila did not live to tell his part of the story.
Mamud punched him so hard, he killed him.
“ Get off him! Mamud get off him! You have killed him, Get off him!” Mamud heard the distant call of Isire. Isire was Mamud’s only friend. Almost everyone in the settlement thought they were dating, but they were not. They were just 15 years old. She was the only one who could speak sense into Mamud’s ears.
Mamud stopped punching as he could hear Isire’s distant continuous unrelenting command, but it was too late!
The Anger left him and he stared into Isire’s weeping face. One look at her and Mamud knew he had done something terribly wrong. Isire was always smiling, but seeing her in tears told Mamud , something was wrong.
He dared looked down at what was causing her tears…
Mamud jumped back at the sight below, Fila had been battered by so much punches, he had vomited so much blood….
“ Mamud, you need to run, get away from here… Brino must have gone to call Hidoko , if he meets you here, you will be killed….” Isire said to Mamud amidst tears…
Mamud was shocked and didn’t know what to do, his legs wouldn’t move… Isire stood up and drew his hands. Mamud could tell he was running but where to , he didn’t know… Isire was his pilot…
They must have run for 15 minutes within the electric perimeter fence that guarded the people of FIFTH STATE from predators, when Isire said…
“ We need to jump over the perimeter fence.” Isire said
“ No, we won’t survive 5 minutes out there” Mamud replied
“There is the big chance of surviving outside the fence than in the Fifth State. Once the governor hears about this, you will be dead!” Isire said
“ No, not without a trial?” Mamud replied
“ You killed someone Mamud!” Isire said raising her voice
“ Out Of Anger, Fila was the one who started it, Brino can testify to that!” Mamud said
“ Brino! you think Brino will speak for you in court…“ Isire asked with disbelief in her voice
“ Isire, what about you?” Mamud said knowing Isire always had his back …
“ Mamud, my father is contesting to be the next Governor of the FIFTH STATE, I can’t be involved in any form of scandal. It could be used against my father…” Mamud’s only trusted friend bailed out on him…
“ I am Finished… Even God has bailed out on me… God how could you have done this? I thought Mother said you told her I will be President some day… but now I am a Killer about to become a fugitive ….” Mamud said as he bent down to pick few stones from the rocky ground of Nirato….
“ Bye to Nirato, Bye to my dreams, and Bye to the woman I thought would be my wife…” Mamud said loudly facing Isire. Isire was shocked but now was not the time to explain how much he loved her…
Mamud gave her a final hug and his bracelet.
“ Isire, You can’t go with me, It’s my mistake and I must pay for it” Mamud jumped over the fence into danger, and like Isire had expected, the soldiers of the FIFTH STATE headed by Hidoko came charging towards them with Brino.
“ Run!” Isire whispered and Mamud did….
To be continued
Written by Opeyemi O.Akintunde
