PART 13
“I AM PRESIDENT MAMUD”
©️Opeyemi O. Akintunde
Mamud felt his world was crashing. Isire was the only friend he had aside his mother.
He couldn’t afford to break down before Sowak. He moved from Isire’s door and went back to his room where he broke down in tears..
“ God of Minatu my mother, this wasn’t what she told me was going to happen in my tenure…She told everyone, you created me to change Nirato, but I haven’t spent my first 6 months before this shaking…”
His phone rang and hurriedly he went for it hoping it would be Isire…
“ Venosa!” Mamud saw the caller ID. It was his Vice that was calling.
“ Hello Venosa! Good evening!”
“Your excellency, Good Evening sir!”
“ Yes Venosa, What is it?”
“ A group of secondary school girls who went on excursion were kidnapped by the Anti- independence group! A total of 18 girls were abducted including 3 female teachers”
Mamud just went numb…
“ Hello Sir! Are you there?” Venosa said
“ I am here but I don’t know what to do right now! Let me call you back in a bit!”
“ Sir, are you okay?” Venosa asked as that was the first time in the 6 months of their tenure that President Mamud would sound defeated…
Immediately, Mamud ended the call, Venosa looked at his wife…
“ Something is wrong with the President!“
“ What?”
“ I don’t know, he just sounded off!”
“ Maybe He is just in a bad mood, call him in the morning!”
“ No, let me go see him right away!” Venosa said
“ It’s past 8pm… Whatever is wrong with him can’t kill him before morning. Your going there this night won’t make much difference!” Venosa’s wife said
***********
Mamud sat on the floor of his room, hoping someone will be by his side. He had been calling Isire for over an hour but she kept declining his call…
His Siblings and Mother were all in the FIFTH STATE ! He had no one to lean on…
“ Ashkian!” The name dropped in his heart…
“ Yes! Ashkian saved me from death today! I must have misjudged him earlier” Mamud thought amidst his tears.
***********
Ashkian was probably the most troubled person in all of Nirato.
“ Who took the dead girl’s body?” was the question ringing in his head.
As a way of covering his tracks, he had told Agnos and his boys to leave Nirato and go lay low in Iskelon.
His phone rang!
“ President Mamud!” That was the last person in the world he needed to speak to, but he had no choice…
“ Hello Mr President!”
“ Professor Ashkian!, I need a friend!” Mamud broke down in tears…
Ashkian stood up immediately. He liked what he was hearing over the phone. The voice of a vulnerable President.
“ Have you heard about the 18 kidnapped secondary school students?” Mamud said but Ashkian had not heard about it as he had been neck deep in covering his tracks about Sebrena’s death and disappearance.
As he listened on, he got a new idea…
“ Mr president are you sure it’s not the same person who sponsored the kidnap of those girls that sponsored the kidnap of your daughter?”
“ Really?… What do they want?”
“ Obviously, they don’t want or like your tenure, but this is the time to be bold and fearless… From my political experience, they want you to resign.!”
“ Resign?”
“ Yes, what they have done is simple. They want you to choose between your daughter, the missing girls and your throne.”
Mamud was speechless, he didn’t get the full picture but if what Ashkian was saying was close to the truth, then he was in for big trouble…
“ I will choose my child and those 18 girls over my tenure as a president!” Mamud said
“ No, you can’t do that, Leadership is about sacrifice…Mr President, can you trust me to be your true friend and Special Adviser. I am ready to walk this road with you, if you will let me…” Ashkian said
Mamud knew he had no other choice, he needed a Counsellor and Ashkian seem like the best.
*************
Isire sat in the hotel room Hidoko had rented for her in a secluded secret hotel he owned. Minaya was asleep. She had been asking about her sister.
Hidoko had said he would see her later in the evening.
She kept watching the T.V hoping there would be an announcement by Mamud about Sebrena. Only the 18 kidnapped girls were reported…
Knock knock!
Hidoko was around.
Isire opened the door and jumped on Hidoko for a warm embrace. For the first time in years, she didn’t feel irritated at Hidoko’s touch rather she felt secure…
“ Isire, I assure you I will do everything in my power to make sure Mamud returns your child. I promise you!” Hidoko said looking into Isire’s eye.
Her eyes had never stopped pulling him to her.
“Mamud, Not only will I get back Isire’s child, I will get back the office of the President from you and Marry your wife!” Hidoko said silently as Isire laid her head on his chest.
**********
Minatu couldn’t sleep. She was an early sleeper as she loved to wake up in the midnight to pray for her children. Everyday, as early as 7:30pm she was already asleep, but that night seem different. It was 8:15pm and she kept turning on the bed.
“Could it still be about Mamud?” She thought silently.
To be continued
