PART 17
“ I AM PRESIDENT MAMUD!”
©️Opeyemi O. Akintunde
Professor Ashkian was not in the mood to pick President Mamud’s call. For the past weeks, he was always at his beck and call. He was not used to being the errand guy. He wondered what he wanted him to do for him at 10pm.
“ Hello, Sir!”
“ Ashkian, I need your help, I just killed one of my Staff and I need you to bury the story…”
“ What?” Ashkian told himself he probably didn’t hear Mamud correctly…
“ You heard me the first time and I don’t intend repeating myself. Get down to the Presidential quarters immediately.” Mamud said and hung up…
Ashkian paced the room over ten times. In all his months of scheming his way to Mamud, he never thought of him capable of killing someone… Or was this a ploy? or Had Mamud found him out and was just using this to bring him to the presidential quarters…?
Ashkian stayed for another ten minutes before deciding to go to Mamud. After deciding to give it a benefit of doubt, He went with his son, Bereto.
On their way, Bereto kept asking what they were going to do at the Presidential Quarters at that time of the night…
Ashkian had two reasons for taking Bereto with him.
***************
Yenewa had gotten to her calm place.
Praying for a wicked Leader was not what she would be hypocritical about. She reached out for her MP3 Audio Bible. She was about listening to the book of Psalms. She was looking for a place that spoke about praying against evildoers. She wanted to rain curses on Mamud!
She suddenly heard Jeremiah 29 in her spirit… As she scanned through by pressing the buttons, she spoke loudly to God…
“ God, I cannot pray for Mamud, he is a wicked man, can you imagine the 7pm news update tonight. The reporter said Mamud has said he isn’t going to look for the 18 girls, but rather watch till when the Anti- independence rebel group gets tired. That Kind of Man is heartless… Father, maybe I should relocate to Iskelon or Binowa. That way I won’t be bothered about Mamud. You have given me what I have always wanted; a child. With Holey, I can go start a new life. I don’t need a husband. Just Holey and I, we will make a great Fam…”
The Rich Masculine voice of the reader of the Audio Bible interrupted her….
“Jeremiah Chapter 29…..
This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests….”
Yenewa kept on listening but From Verse 5 She was arrested, she instantly knew God was speaking to her….
“5 Build houses and settle down (here); plant gardens and eat what they produce.
6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.
Then Verse 7 nailed her….
7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Yenewa felt the tears pouring down…
Yenewa knew God was serious about her interceding for President Mamud and the country because there lies her prosperity…
Vs 11 further broke her down…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God was saying to his people even when they were In a land they did not like, He was telling them, He knew what they were going through but regardless He wanted them to know he had a great future for them….
Was praying for President Mamud going to do her any good?
***********
Ashkian knocked at Mamud’s door.
“ Come in, the door isn’t locked!” Mamud said not caring that his aide who had been at the door for over 35 minutes would see Sowak’s dead body.
Ashkian walked in with caution, with Bereto walking closely behind him. Bereto was excited he would see Mamud face to face, but he stopped in his tracks the moment he and his father saw Sowak’s body.
“ Who is he?” Mamud asked referring to Bereto.
“ My one and only trusted Son!”
“ Ok! Ashkian… she came in to seduce me and I got mad, I got so mad!” Mamud said…
“It’s Ok …..Mr President!” Ashkian was trying to think fast on what to do and how to salvage the situation… This situation was a treasure for him…
“She was trying to take advantage of your wife’s absence. Too many gold-diggers around. I know how to handle this! Go to sleep, You have a country to lead tomorrow, let us do your dirty job for you!” Ashkian said with a hidden smile
**************
Bereto watched in silence as he stood dumb. He and his father were digging a grave in their compound to bury the girl…
“ Can you give me a hand here!”
Ashkian said but Bereto didn’t move…
“ I know what you are thinking, but that shows you, no one is a saint and because politics is a dirty game, those who play it must be ready to get their hands dirty. It is time to get your hands dirty son!” Ashkian said as he placed the dirty spade in Bereto’s hand indicating he should continue with the digging…
Bereto took the spade and with tears of disappointment pouring out of his eyes, he dug deep into the ground which felt like he was digging at his own heart. All he kept saying in his heart was …
“ Mamud, I thought you were God’s answer to Nirato’s prayers, but I didn’t know you were just like the very ones who destroyed Nirato.”
*****************
Mamud couldn’t stay at the presidential quarters. He decided to take a walk out of the quarters, he just wanted out. He told his aide not to go with him. He kept walking and walking for hours.
Hours later, he found himself beside the stream. It was 2am in the morning.
He found a stone and sat there….
“ Who is that!” Yenewa said
Mamud jumped back in fear.
“ Is that Sowak’s ghost?” Mamud thought silently because he couldn’t reason which Lady could be out there around 2am all by herself…
Fear gripped his heart and He moved away…
“ Running away or running from something… You can’t run forever…!” Yenewa said
To be continued
