The Sweet Taboo - Episode 2

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The woman tried a smile again, but it looked more like a grimace.  'I have come to make a request and I will be so glad if you can grant it.'

   The pastor's eyes became wide-opened. 'What request could that be?'

   There was silence for some moments. The music seeping in from the auditorium had ceased . The choir must have finished their rehearsals. In the office, the only sound that could be heard was coming from the electronic standing fan.

   The woman cleared her throat again. 'It's about my husband.'

   Pastor Olufemi was patient. 'What about him?'

   The woman stared as if she was unsure about how to start.

   He had to prompt her. 'What about your husband?'

   She sighed. 'I caught him sleeping with our fourteen years old daughter.'

    Raymond caught his breath. 'Is ...is that so?'

   Her nod was emphatic. 'Yes, it is so, pastor. I've caught them twice already. Each time I caught them, he would say it's the work of the devil. He would promise it would not happen again.  I feel so sad about it. Is there anything you can do about it? Can you pray to God to make him stop this madness?'

   It was his turn to sigh

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. He thought for some seconds. 'The first thing I want you to know, madam, is that there is nothing our God cannot do. Nothing is too big for Him to do. On my part, I can intercede on your behalf that God should intervene and change the situation. I'm not promising anything but I know there's nothing God cannot do.'

   To his surprise, the woman went on her knees.

   'Pastor, if through you my husband will stop this evil, then I will forever be grateful.'

   'Madam, please don't knee down for me. I'm not the one to do it.' He was vehement. 'It's God that will do it.'

   'I know it's God that will do it, but my mind keeps telling me to come and meet you. Please, help me to stop this shame. Tell God to stop this infamous act.'

   Raymond nodded. 'The Lord will take away any shame from you and your family.  The good Lord that sees the heart will take sorrow from your life. Your children will grow up to be responsible and be good models in Jesus mighty name.'

   'Amen.' Her response was fervent. 'Amen and Amen.' She stood up. 'I really appreciate your response, pastor. God will continue to bless you. More anointing for you, in Jesus name.'

   'Amen. Thank you, madam. I will continue to pray for your family over this matter. I'm sure God will intervene.'

   'Thanks, sir, once again for your time. I will collect your phone number from your secretary and be calling you. I will also be coming around to see you.'

   'You'll always be welcome, madam.'

   The woman dipped her hand inside her handbag. 'I have this little thing for you.'

   The hand held a white envelope. She extended it to him.

   'For me?' He took the envelope from her and put it on the table. 'Thank you for your gesture. God bless.'

   She curtsied. 'Please, I want the prayers  to be very hot. I believe God will answer the prayers through you.'

   She curtsied again and left. Raymond sat for some time in silence. Who could have known that a very powerful man like Edward Meshaga would get involved in such immoral thing? And with his own daughter!

   Raymond shrugged. It was nothing new. He had heard about such an aberration several times before - from the poor to the affluent.  Some human beings would always throw decency to the dogs.

 

Ayo was in a very delighted mood. After leaving his office, he went to his office cubicle to get some papers. He whistled to himself. If what he had been told jelled, then he would soon be saying farewell to the office and the present job, at least for now. The prospects of the new task thrilled him.

   Many journalists angled to get a better or a political job.  Although working for I-News was very rewarding, compared with the working conditions of other print media outfits, Ayo would not mind moving up the ladder to a much higher level. In Nigeria, the competition was really stiff and better opportunities came sparingly. Now that he had the opportunity -  a case which could be once in a life time - he would not allow the opportunity to slip by, even if Idowu wanted him to swear before a shrine!

   He decided he would not tell any colleague or associate yet about the new job that awaited him.  He soon left his office. As he drove home, his mind refused to stop ruminating over his conversation with Idowu. The new job meant he would relocate from Lagos to the Nigeria's capital city, Abuja. While Abuja was the administrative capital, Lagos remained the commercial nerve center of the nation.

   He thought of calling Ore and asking her to meet him at the Venusia Hotel, but decided against it. It was already few minutes to eight in the evening and he didn't really want to get home to his family late. No, he would go home early and be a good family man tonight. He stopped at the Lacosa stores to buy some drinks. He had not got the job yet, but he was already in the mood for celebrations.

   It was few minutes after eight when he got home. Their three-bedroom apartment was one of the four flats in the one-storey building. His two children were watching movies on the television while his wife was in the kitchen.

   'Hello, children.'

   'Daddy, welcome,' they chorused. He patted them on the head, put the nylon containing what he just bought on the center table and went to the cooking room to meet his wife.

   'Hi, darling.' He went over to her and gave her a peck.

   She was pleasantly surprised to see him. 'You're early today.'

   He smiled. 'Yes, it happens like that once in a while.' He sniffed the air. 'So, what're you cooking?'

   'Our favorite.' By that, she meant fried rice, fried plantation and fried chicken. He had earlier taken rice but wouldn't mind taking it again.

   He smiled easily. 'The aroma of this place is so tantalizing.' He stayed with her in the kitchen until she finished the cooking. To Mandy, his wife, he was a perfect husband any lady should pray for. She never had an inkling of any infidelity on his part and always saw him as a model husband.

   It was when they were about to go to bed that he told her about the job offer Idowu discussed with him. He told her he would accept the job and was only waiting for the message from the Minister. However, he didn't mention the aspect of taking a personal oath of allegiance.

   'That means there will be relocation to Abuja?'

   'Definitely. Abuja is where all government ministries have their headquarters.'

   Mandy  changed into a nightwear. 'So, what happens to us - the children and I?'

   Ayo had not thought about that. His wife worked in Lagos as a teacher in a highbrow secondary school. Would he have to move all his family members to Abuja? If he should do that, it would mean that she would lose the job and start job-hunting again. That would not be an easy thing to do as Nigeria had a bustling labor market.

   He chuckled. 'I've not even thought of that at all.' He noticed that his wife did not really display enthusiasm about the new 'job'.

   'Anyway, we'll see how things turn out to be.' He shrugged it off. He decided that whether his family would follow him or not, he would take the government 'job'.

   The following morning which was a Sunday, Ayo found his mind going to the 'Abuja affair' even as he and members of his family prepared for church service. In the church, his mind was going off and on. He barely made much meaning from the preaching of the pastor.

   When it was four o'clock, he told his wife he wanted to tidy up some work in the office.

   'I might come back late. Don't you worry if I am late.'

   Mandy looked a bit anxiously. 'You're  not starting the new work tomorrow, are you?'

   He grinned. 'Of course, no. All the same, I really should start putting some things in order now. The new job may start sooner than I expect.' He gave her a peck and left the house. He drove to the office and did some work until it was some minutes to nine when he left for Idowu's house.

   He entered the man's luxurious sitting-room few minutes to ten. He was asked to wait for his host. Few minutes after, Alfred Idowu came down to meet him.

   'The honorable Special Assistant!'  Idowu was full of smile as he greeted him.

   Ayo found the statement jocund. 'Good evening, sir.' The two men shook hands.

   'I can see you were punctual.' Idowu nodded. 'That's good. I hope you'll continue to take every other thing with equal zeal.' He paused to regard Ayo. 'Now, let's not waste time. Please, this way.'

   Ayo followed him upstairs. They went to the last room down the corridor. Idowu brought out a key and gingerly opened the door. He stepped in and gestured Ayo to do the same. As soon as Ayo entered the place, Idowu bolted the door.  What Ayo saw amazed him. The wall was painted red. Even the carpet on the floor was red. There were certain fetish objects hanging from the ceiling. There was something dreadful about the place. It reminded him of some shrines in the homemade movies he had watched.

   But this was certainly not a scene of a movie. It was s scene of stark reality. Involuntarily, Ayo shuddered. The eerie atmosphere was unnerving. So, the highly intelligent and intellectual man could engage in something like this;  something  so fetish and  out of place!

    'Here we are.' Idowu smiled as he watched the surprise on Ayo's face. The latter nodded dumbly.

   Idowu removed an idol from a corner of the room and placed it on a red stool. He held the right side of the idol and instructed Ayo to hold the left side.

   Then, the oath commenced. Ayo vowed allegiance to his benefactor, in joy or in pain. He swore never to betray the man. He added that if he ever went against his words or engage in treachery, woe should betide him.

   The next morning, Ayo was in the office to do some work. Though he had been assured that he would get the new job, he would still diligently carry on with his present job. He went through news reports and did some editing. Then, he updated the on-line version. By few minutes to ten, reporters and news correspondents were filing in the latest news stories. His cell telephone rang. He picked it almost immediately.

   'Hello?'

   'Hello.' It was a mature female voice. 'Is that Mr. Ayo Ariyo?'

   'Yes, please.'

   'Please, hold on for your caller.'

   There were seconds of pause. Ayo wondered who the caller was.

   'Hello?' The guttural voice was unmistakably a man's own. 'Is that Ayo Ariyo?'

   'Yes, sir. Who am I speaking with, please?'

   'I'm Chief, Doctor John Kolly, the Honorable Minister of Communications and IT of Federal Republic of Nigeria.'

   Even across the line, Ayo could perceive arrogance, conceit, and imperiousness.

   'Good morning, sir.'

   'Yeah. My good friend, your oga, must have told you about me, is that not so?'

   'Yes, sir. He has, sir.'

   'Very good. When are you starting the work?'

   'As soon as you want me to, sir. I can start any time you want me to start.'

   'Very good.' There was a long pause. 'You're to start tomorrow morning. By nine in the morning, be in my office here in Abuja.'

   'Yes ... yes, sir.'

   The Minister disconnected the line. Ayo whistled to himself.

   'Wow!' He stood up from his seat. Things were moving faster than he had envisaged. He would have to go to Mr. Idowu's office to intimate the boss of the latest development. He picked up his phone and moved towards the glass door of the cubicle office. Before he got to it, Kola, the assistant editor who worked with him came inside.

   Kola was all smiles. 'Congratulations, Mr. Ayo Ariyo.'

   Ayo was surprised.

   'Yes, Mr. Idowu called me to his office some minutes ago. He told me you'll soon be on your way to Abuja for a political appointment. You're to handover to me. Aren't you lucky?'

   'So, you know already?' The surprise was still on Ayo's face.

   'Yes, I know.' Kola shook his hand. 'Congratulations, brother. I'm happy for you.'

   'Thank you.' Ayo felt elated. Who would not?

   Things appeared to move very fast the rest of that day. After he was through with the handover, he went to Idowu's office to thank the man for all he had done. His secretary said he had gone out for an engagement. Ayo then called his number.

   'Good day, sir. I want to thank you sir for everything. I've already handed over to Kola. I want to go home now and prepare myself for the trip to Abuja. I really thank you, sir.'

   Idowu laughed over the line. 'Don't mention. You just don't forget our deal.'

   'I'll never forget, sir. Thank you, sir.'

   Next, he called his wife. 'Darling, I've got a call from the Minister I told you about I told you about. He says I'm to resume in Abuja tomorrow morning.' He felt he should demonstrate his surprise at the urgency. 'Can you imagine that? The Minister wants me to resume work tomorrow morning by nine. That means I'll have to take an evening flight to Abuja today.'

   'Congratulations, darling.' Mandy tried to sound excited.  'Where are you now?'

   'I'm on my way home. I'll need to pack some things.'

   'Of course. I'll take permission to close early so that we'll see before you depart.'

   'Yeah, that will be alright. See you then.'

 

Pastor Raymond Olufemi was in his office reading the Holy Bible. He was writing a book titled The Resilience of a Nation. As usual, there would be copious Bible verses to drive home his points. There was a tap on his door. Titi, his P.A came.

   'Sorry to disturb you, sir, but there are two men who want to see you.'

   Raymond looked up slowly from his reading. 'This is not the scheduled time I should receive visitors, my dear lady.'

   Titi grinned apologetically. 'I know, sir. They said they're from Bureau of State Security and it's urgent that they must see you.'

   Raymond became alert. The Bureau of State Security (BoSS) was the government agency for internal security, just like what the FBI was to the U.S.A.  He knew that for the agents to be around, it must be for exigent reasons.

   'Alright. Tell them to come in'

   Titi nodded and left the office. Soon, two men in dark suits entered the office.

   Raymond offered them his handshake and pointed at chairs for them.

   'I'm Jimmie,' the taller man said. He brought his ID card and briefly showed Raymond. 'My colleague is Dada.'

   Raymond nodded. 'You're welcome. How may I help you?'

   Jimmie cleared his throat. 'Pastor, we have come to clarify some issues. In your sermon yesterday, you said any government that does not satisfy its citizens must be ready to face the wrath of God. Can you please shed more light on this?'

   Raymond smiled briefly. He was not surprised that the government had sent security operatives after him as a result of the fiery sermon he gave during the last Sunday service.  It was not the first time operatives of BoSS would be his guests. He wondered why government should become jittery over what was meant to be message of advice.

   'Well, gentleman, I hope you really got the main messages of the sermon. It was to charge government to wake up to its responsibility. Government has the duty of providing basic amenities for her citizens. When leaders are taking oath of office, they are swearing to serve the people. Therefore, any failure to deliver what they had promised to do, would amount to betrayal of the trust reposed in them.

   'God will not be happy with such leaders. God expects human beings to keep to their words. That's why Jesus said let your yes be yes, and your no to be no. He will hold us accountable to our words, actions or inactions. Therefore, I'll say it again that any government that fails to live up to its expectations will face the wrath of God.'

   The two men were silent for some seconds. Dada scratched his chin slightly. 'And don't you think, pastor, that a sermon or a statement like that from you can constitute security threat?'

   Raymond chuckled. 'In what way can it constitute security threat?'

   Jimmie seemed ready to tackle that. 'Sir,  you are a well respected man in the society. You have a lot of followers and authority.

Read " The Sugar Mum " by the same author ( LoveToRead )

. Don't you think your words can instigate people to act after you have undermined the government?'

   Raymond smiled and relaxed on the chair. If these two men think they could ruffle him, they were making a mistake. But he understood them. They were only doing their job.

   'No one is undermining the government.' He lifted the Bible up. 'This is the book of life. It is my duty to preach it and to say things the way they should be said, without fear or favour.'

   Raymond calmly went on to tell them that all he was doing was to urge government to spring into action. If government embarked on good policies, it would be to its advantages. They asked him few more questions and rose up to go.

   'Thank you, sir for your time.' Jimmie adjusted his tie. 'That will be all for now.'

   Raymond stood up too. 'Gentlemen, you're welcome. I pray the good Lord will direct the affairs of our nation such that things will be rosy for both the leaders and the led in Jesus name.'

   Without zeal, the men mumbled Amen and left.