The men in front of him looked on with
sullen faces; it looked like a death had
“Mr. President, we need to move on this
as soon as possible. The price of oil is
not getting better anytime soon. If we
don’t move fast, Libya takes the lead.”
The petroleum minister announced. He
was a short and slender man who spoke
with a lot more force than his stature
suggested was possible. He was the
latest to deliver gloomy news to the
sitting cabinet.
“Thank you Professor Otabor.” President
Lange said, trying hard to muster a
smile. “We will discuss this next week, it
is too late into the meeting to begin a
discussion on petroleum. Let’s close this
meeting now, we’ll pick it up from here
later.”
President Lange moved through the
closing parts of the meeting like he was
on a trance. He had been president for
less than four months but the strain of
the office was already showing on him.
Like many predicted, petroleum could no
longer sustain the nation. Despite advice
and sometimes threats from political
bigwigs not to, he had put only
technocrats rather than politicians in his
cabinet. He was doing the best he could
but the people wanted results faster than
he was delivering them. The opposition
was cruel and even though he had not
been president for long, they had already
declared him a failure.
He stood, left the table and walked to the
window. Looking out the window had
become a favourite pastime for him.
Windows represented a way of escape, an
opportunity to get away from the
restrictions of the room.
He turned away from the window and
looked at his wristwatch. It was a few
minutes to seven.
He sighed and sat. He was going to see
Bola at nine. She was his one weakness,
but she was also the one person who
could help him forget all the stress of the
office.
He picked his phone and dialed her
number, she picked at first ring.
“Good evening, Mr. President.” Her husky
voice came over the phone.
“Good evening to you too, Mrs.
President.”
“Mrs. President? She is in the
presidential villa. I’m just Bola, a humble
citizen of Nigeria.” She said with a slight
chuckle.
He paused for a few seconds, then shook
the thoughts of his wife off his mind.
“I just finished a meeting with the
ministers and you know how that always
ends.”
“Yes dear, I know. We will do something
about that when you get here by nine;
you’re still coming, right?”
“Yes I am. I was wondering if I could
come earlier, maybe come now?”
“Now? Come on Jim She said laughing.
“You are not getting into my house one
minute before nine.”
“Is that a challenge? I have a whole army
at my command you know.”
“I will wait for them.”
“Bola…”
“I’ll still be here by nine. I’ll be waiting,
okay bye.” She said and ended the call.
He sighed and set the phone on the
table. On the table was a picture of his
wife and children. He looked away from
the picture as an overwhelming sense of
guilt swept over him. He loved his wife,
he knew he did but Bola was different.
She was not better than his wife, just
different.
She had been his girlfriend for three
years when he was in the University.
After graduation he travelled to the
United Kingdom for his Master degree
and the relationship had not survived the
distance. It certainly was not helped by
his new Indian girlfriend. He lost contact
with Bola, came back to Nigeria, met his
wife and married her.
He had been a faithful husband, even
after he became a popular politician-until
he met Bola again at an event in Spain.
His wife had not gone on the trip with
him and he had spent time with Bola
catching up. He was just trying to be a
friend to her, but three months after their
renewed friendship and two weeks after
he entered the presidential race, he
started sleeping with her.
He was not proud of the affair and he
knew that it would be the end of him.
He stood, walked to his refrigerator and
took out a bottle of water. He turned on
the TV and sat on a couch. He rarely
watched the TV, he preferred to read
newspapers, they had a tendency to be
more candid.
“Doctors are still confused about this, it
is nothing like they have seen.” The lady
on the TV was saying. “The patients have
been isolated and are being monitored
carefully, the cause of this sickness is yet
to be determined and it is not known if it
is transmittable.”
President Lange sat closer to the edge of
his seat as the camera zoomed on some
of the patients. The camera did not pick
up the faces of the patients but he had a
feeling he would be hearing more about
whatever the sickness was.
His phone rang, it was his wife. He knew
why she called; she wanted to know when
he would be home. He put off the TV and
shook his head. He would have to lie to
her, again.
***
Eric walked across the room and sat at
the head of the table. All attention was
on him and rightly so, he was their boss.
After the success of his first movie,
investors were lined up for the next.
Money had not been his reason for
making European but the money had
come in, a lot of it. Investing in his
movie was a no-brainer, European was
not luck, and everybody knew it. With the
money had come a lot of responsibility
and with the responsibilities came a lot
of meetings.
“Good morning ladies and gentlemen.
Shall we begin?” Eric said and looked at
Pearl, his assistant.
Eric tried his best to listen but all the
talk about figures and projections did not
interest him. His accountants and
lawyers were in the room to make sure he
could afford to not listen. He looked out
through the window and jumped back in
his chair.
“Are you okay sir?” Pearl asked. Eric
looked up and saw all eyes on him.
“Yes, I am. I might have to step out for a
few minutes but please continue.” He
said and stood.
He looked through the window again and
there he was; the odd-looking man he
had seen in the parking lot the previous
day was standing in the hallway.
He hurried out of the conference room,
and towards the place the man had been
standing. The man had been standing
still with eyes fixed on him. He slowed
his walk, no other person seemed to
notice the man, they all walked past him.
Maybe the man was not really there.
Maybe he was just hallucinating, like he
did when he saw his hand disappear. But
that had been so real to him, he could
not believe that was an hallucination.
There was only one way to find out if he
was hallucinating. He walked faster
towards the man.
“Eric?” He heard a voice call behind him.
He walked on, ignoring the voice.
“Eric, are you alright?” It was Pearl. He
stopped and turned around.
“I’ll be in in two minutes, I just need to
deal with something.” He said and turned
back to face the man.
He was gone!
Eric looked around, the man was nowhere
in sight. He could not have gone so far
so soon, maybe he was imagining things
after all.
He turned back and followed Pearl into
the meeting room. The man had looked
so real, he could not believe that he had
imagined it all. With the imagined
disappearing hand, he obviously was
losing his mind.
“I’m sorry for the delay, ladies and
gentlemen. Can we continue please?” He
said as he sat.
“Yes sir, before we continue I think you
should know that Morayo Adebisi is
having another surgery.” One of the men
seated, a lawyer, said.
“I thought the last one was successful.”
Eric replied, raising his brows. Morayo
Adebisi was an actress who had been
injured on the set of European. She had
been cut from the movie and regrettably
had received no official compensation.
“We thought so too.” The lawyer
answered.
“I don’t pay you to think so, you should
have found out for sure. We need to do
something for her. I want you to get right
on that immediately after this meeting.”
Eric said.
“Yes sir. More importantly, there are few
a foreign investors who are looking to
partner with us for GENESIS.”
“Okay, who are they and what do they
want apart from the money?”
“How do you mean sir?” One of the
accountants asked surprised.
“You know perfectly what I mean…” Eric
started and stopped.
He gasped and jumped up. The old man
was standing at the other end of the
table. He had come in without opening
the door.
“What’s happening Eric?” He heard a
whisper beside him, it was Pearl
Eric looked around, all eyes were on him.
The old man stood still at the end of the
table, his eyes on Eric like he was the
only one in the room. If it was a
hallucination, it was too strong. He had
to find out.
“Can you all leave the room for a few
minutes, please?” Eric said. “I need some
time alone.”
“Eric?” Pearl looked at him, worry clearly
written on her face.
“I’m fine Pearl and I promise I’ll see you
in thirty minutes. I need to be alone for
now, okay?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am.” Eric said and tried his best
to smile.
Eric watched Pearl out of the room all
the while keeping his eye on the strange
man that was invading his mind. He left
his chair as soon as the door closed
behind Pearl. He walked towards the
man, he had not moved. The closer he
got to him the more he felt like the man
was real, like he was a person he had
met before.
“Before you think you are mad, I want
you to know I am real.” The man spoke
and left his standing position for the
first time. While Eric contemplated his
reply, the man continued. “No other
human can see me, because I do not
walk in their realm.”
Eric shook his head, he definitely was
going mad. “If you do not walk in the
realm of humans, how come I can see
you?”
“You can because you can see into this
realm, you are not human.”
“I am not human?” Eric asked with a
smile. “What am I then? A dog?”
“On the contrary, you are a god.”
“A god?” Eric said and burst out in
laughter. “I don’t know what this is or
why my mind is playing such vivid
games on me but this is ridiculous.”
“You mock, but for every night you have
slept wondering who you are, for every
day you have looked upon yourself in
confusion, I beg you to listen to me.” The
Strange man pleaded.
“What are you going to tell me now? I
am Hercules, son of Zeus, half-man and
half-god? Or am I Zeus himself? Or wait,
I am Thor?”
“You mock again but as I must deliver
the message of Edumare, I will pardon
you and not leave, not yet. Those names
you mentioned are all fabrications,
adaptations, ridiculous imaginations of
the narrow human mind.”
“I can’t believe I’m having an argument
with something my own mind
fabricated.” Eric said, shaking his head.
“Now, I must and I will deliver my
message.”
“Go on please, what other insane thing
do you have to say? Whoever you are.”
“There is trouble coming, prepare yourself
or this world where you now belong will
be lost.”
Eric wanted to laugh but he could not.
The words came in a certain way that
made him afraid. How could something
produced by his own mind scare him so
much?
“Who are you? Why are you here?” He
asked, more interested in what the man
had to say now.
“I am Orunmila, Priest of Edumare. I am
here to make you know and accept who
you are. It looks like it will be tougher
than I expected.”
“Orunmila…I have heard that name before
somewhere in a story. But it’s all myth, a
fairy tale.”
“Your enemies are almost here, prepare!”
The man said.
Just as he finished talking there was a
knock on the door. Eric looked at the
door and Pearl walked in.
“Who were you talking to?” She asked.
Eric looked back at where the man stood,
he was gone!
He looked back at Pearl and said.
“Whoever or whatever I was talking to, I
hope he doesn’t come back.”
***
Anne looked out through the window as
the car moved along. The road was
surprisingly free; there were very few cars
on her lane. She hated driving because of
the heavy traffic that was the norm on
her route to work, so she always had
Damola drive her. She had been hoping
for heavy traffic that morning, she had a
lot on her mind.
It was not a lot, just one thing; the words
of the odd man.
She was not able to sleep when he left.
What he had told her was plain madness,
foolishness, but somehow a part of her
believed him. She felt ashamed for even
thinking about what the man had said,
there was no way it was true. But what if
it was? She had been so confused she
had actually googled the goddess he
talked about. While she understood it
was all myth, she found herself looking
for similarities between herself and the
goddess. She found many. Wouldn’t you
know if you were a goddess and had
super powers? She shook the thought off
her mind, she had given it enough time,
it was time she moved on from whatever
foolishness the man had planted in her
heart.
“How was your night Damola? I’m sorry I
didn’t ask before, had a lot on my mind.”
She said, trying her best to be cheerful.
“It was fine ma’am.” He answered in his
usual detached manner.
“You know I never asked, do you live
alone or with family?”
“I live alone.”
“Oh really, that’s great.” She said a little
more excitedly than she had hoped to.
What was great about him living alone?
It’ll be great on the day he decides to
take you home. She caught him glance at
her through the rearview mirror. She
looked away and stared through the
window again.
She knew her crush on Damola was
worthless. He respected her as his boss
but he scarcely spared her a glance when
it was not demanded. And she was a
goddess, what business did she have
with mere men? She bit her lip to stop
herself from laughing.
“Are you okay?” His voice caught her off-
guard. He was looking at her through the
rearview mirror again.
“Yeah, I am. Why did you ask?”
“Nothing, it’s just the look you’ve have
had in your eyes since I picked you up
this morning. It looks like something is
wrong.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe in gods and goddesses,
Nigerian mythology?” She asked and held
her breath hoping he would not make fun
of her.
“Yes, I do ma’am.”
“What?!” She exclaimed, eyes wide. “You
do?”
“Yes I do. I don’t mean I worship them,
but I believe they were powerful people
who lived many years ago.”
“Wow, I was not expecting that. I could
not have guessed that about you.”
“There’s a lot you wouldn’t guess about
me.”
“Really? Tell me some of them.” Anne
said, turning in her seat to face him.
“Now? No, not while I’m driving. We can
stop at the Pizza Place right before the
office and I’ll tell you all about myself.”
He said keeping his straight face.
“Are you asking me out?” She said very
excitedly then slapped her palm across
her mouth. She had not meant to voice
the thought. He looked at her through
the rearview mirror and her heart
pounded as she waited for his answer.
He did not reply.
She cursed herself under her breath and
looked away from him. She was so
embarrassed by the way she had jumped
at his innocent offer. He saw she was
having a tough day and was only trying
to help his boss. She really wished she
was a goddess and could make him like
her, she really wished the odd man could
somehow give her some super power,
even if it was for a day.
The car slowed and pulled over. Damola
had stopped the car at the Pizza place.
He was not angry at her question after
all. She sighed as he walked around the
car to open her door. She stepped out of
the car avoiding his gaze, she had never
felt more nervous. She started walking
towards the building without waiting for
him, hoping she could buy the pizza and
leave without having to sit with him.
“Anne.” She heard him call from behind,
she stopped and he walked up to her.
“The answer to your question is yes.”
What did he just say? What question was
he talking about? She stood still as he
walked ahead into the building. Did he
just say he was asking her out?
The smile started from her mouth and
spread all over her face as he bounded
into the building. Who needs to be a
goddess, when Damola just asked you
out?
***
The lines were deeply etched on
Orunmila’s face as he approached the
throne. Things were not going the way he
expected. He had stood by Edumare’s
throne for a whole year watching the
gods live as men. They had not struggled
to find their feet, they easily made a
success in whatever they decided to do.
He was not surprised, they after all were
gods who had the wisdom of centuries.
What bothered him was their ignorance
and they did not even know they were
ignorant. For the whole year, they had all
thrown their lives into their work and
tried their best to ignore their past.
“Orunmila, I can see you are still
worried.” Edumare said as Orunmila
bowed before the throne.
“My Lord, I am worried. Even when
confronted with the truth, they yet deny
who they are.”
“Who they are? They have no memory of
those people. Surely you did not expect
this to be easy.” Edumare answered with
a smile.
“No, but I expected them to be more
reasonable.”
“Then you must reason harder with them,
because soon they must rise from their
slumber and take up their positions. The
enemy is closer than you think and as we
speak his forces take hold on earth.”
“What must I do now?”
“This is a test for you too, my dear priest
as it is for them. If they fail, they perish
with the darkness, if you fail, you carry
their destruction on your conscience.”
“That is a burden I will not be able to
bear, my Lord.” Orunmila said, clasping
his shivering hands together.
“Then you must do what you must to
save them.”
Orunmila walked a few steps away from
the throne and looked into the distance.
The day Edumare had driven Ibilis into
the abyss instead of completing
destroying him, he had known this day
would come.
“You know the future my Lord, surely you
know how this ends.” Orunmila said,
hoping Edumare will ease his worry.
“The future is whatever they choose for it
to be. A green earth or one consumed by
darkness, those are their options and
nobody, not even I can choose for them.”
.
.
.
.
To be continued
