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Chapters One and Two
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PART ONE
CHAPTER ONE
Getting up from siesta, I felt like I had been on my back
for two weeks. Indeed, it was owing to the Saturday all-night party I attended.
I had dined and wined like I had never done before. I went into the bathroom,
had a nice shower, and prepared myself for the journey back to Rigabiu - a
small town of about two hundred kilometres from Kano, the centre of industrial
and commercial activities in the northern part of Nigeria. Whenever I came back
from Rigabiu to my lovely Linda to spend the weekend with her, I hated going
back to that locality. It had none of the city's pulchritude and western or
modern frolicsomeness that I had been used to while I was a secondary school
student in Lagos, and for all my close to seven years sojourn in Britain.
Moreover, to leave Linda for five days in a week was to me, like eternity.
Rigabiu is the headquarters of a local government. Our company was carrying on
a construction project in this area, – the construction of a road that would
link Hadejia to Kano, bypassing Rigabiu. Consequently, after the day’s job, we
always pass the night at Rigabiu. We still had about three
more weeks before we moved to another location where we
could pass the nights if things went on as planned. I was about to call Linda
to give me some food when as if she knew what I have been contemplating, she
appeared and said, ‘’Bala, I think you will like to have something?’’ Truly, I
needed food more than anything else. I was just recovering from the adverse
effect of drinks. I had taken too much drink. Therefore, I needed a nice meal
before my peregrination to Rigabiu that was now a weekly ritual. This was my
routine and was bound to remain that way for the rest of my one-year national
service. After I had eaten, I dressed up and was about to leave. In fact, Linda
and I had all along been staying together for about three years and it was only
in recent months that circumstance had compelled us to stay with each other for
only two days in a week. And two months gone, it remained only ten months which
were not much although to me, it seemed like perpetuity before I would be done
with my service year so we could live together once more and to part no more
with my lovely Linda. We had planned to have our wedding not long after I might
have finished my national service. We were unmarried and we were great lovers.
Between us, we had a baby girl from the relationship. She was two years old.
Each time I was leaving for my station, Linda would hug and
cling to me, and kiss me several times. I would feel her heartbeats like the
hammer of a blacksmith doing justice to stubborn steel. ‘Darling, how I wish you were never posted to
that construction firm for your primary assignment. Without you, life is too
boring in Kano,’ she murmured. After reassuring her, I would tell her that
there was no sacrifice that was too much for one’s nation. I would grope for
words to explain that this would only be for one year, after which we would be
able to stay together as before till death did us part. Watching me as I packed
a few things into my bag, she started playing with my beards and planted a kiss
on my right cheek. Whenever she did this to me, I always felt on top of the
Himalayas. Linda was gorgeous and very beautiful. She was the type of woman
every man would like to introduce as his wife. I admired her long legs, good
set of teeth that glittered like diamonds. Her silky hair reminded me of Amina
who was my secondary school mate. Amina was the first girl with whom I had
fallen in love. Those were my secondary school days when every one admired my
spirit of sportsmanship. She was the daughter of one of the most efficacious
political cum intellectual elites in the country who was then a commissioner
and who had many a time represented Nigeria and led Nigerian delegations to
international deliberations. He was unreserved in his
faithfulness and service to the nation, and would never condone any act that
violated the entrusted commitment to the society from any of his comrades or
political associates. And it is an effulgent aristocratic brilliance indeed! It
was during the inter-house sports, which was a yearly event in our school. I
represented my schoolhouse in four events: relay race, hundred-meter dash,
high-jump and slow- cycle race. I came second in the first three events but
came first in the cycle race. It was only when I finished the cycle race that I
realized that Amina and I have been silent lovers. The slow cycle race was the
toughest of all the events that I had participated in. It lasted for thirty
minutes and the fellow who came second lost his balance a few minutes before
the race ended. Excellence in the sport required concentration, energy, and a
good bicycle. Each participant was confined to a track about two feet wide. The
winner could be the last participant to reach the tape if he is the only one
that never went beyond the two-foot wide sidelines of the track and never
touched the earth with either of his feet until the end of the race. Going by
the rules, the contestant who kept all the rules, even if he arrived the tape
last, would be declared winner. I actually beat my former record which stood at
twenty two minutes, forty seconds.
Therefore, when at the end of the race my foot touched the
earth, it was a thunderous cheer that greeted me from the spectators. All the
students from my schoolhouse came to congratulate me and share the moment with
me and the house in particular. Students from my schoolhouse shook hands with
me and when it was Amina’s turn, she gave me a firm kiss on the cheek. ‘You are
great Bala,” she intoned. ‘’I knew you
would make it and give the house a good representation for I have always
watched you during practice with keen interest, she added as she offered me
some glucose drink to take as it was glaring to everybody that I was exhausted.
Since then, Amina and I became an appetizing two-of-a-kind in the school. We
did things in common and those who did not know us well believed us to be
twins. Every one in the school acknowledged Amina’s beauty, her gaiety, poise,
and chocolate complexion as a rare combination. When she spoke the English
language, one needed no telling that she had a foreign orientation. She had
finished her elementary school in England. The blue blood that runs in her
veins had made her burglar-proof from many prying eyes in the school. The only
unhappy and apprehensive moment for me in the school was when her father
withdrew her to continue her education in the United States of America. I soon
got over it since I was preparing for
my final examination and would in a few months say good-bye
to secondary school life. I have often wondered what would have become of us if
her father had allowed her to remain in Nigeria. Perhaps we would have become
something more to each other or perhaps we would have broken up. Secondary
school love was not something as binding as the kind of relationship that had developed
with Linda across the years. Linda was everything I would have wanted in a
woman. I was perfectly satisfied with what I had in Linda. Eventually, I left
the room and bid my lovely Linda goodbye. When I boarded the taxi-cab, she
stood still and would not move until the cab was out of her sight. I reached
Rigabiu at about seven in the evening. What time it was did not matter to me
since I knew there was nothing to occupy me but to be in bed for the rest of
the night. As I was about leaving the motor park, I ran into Bello. Bello was
the field engineer in the company where I served and I was directly responsible
to him. Bello had gained a good reputation from the management owing to his
diligence, faithfulness and hardwork. Moreover, there was never a time he had
betrayed the confidence reposed on him. He had just completed his sixth year in
the company at the time I was posted there. I was posted to the company for my
one-year national service from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
secretariat in Kano.
CHAPTER TWO
Bello was a good boss and a nice friend, too. Whenever I
made a mistake, he never failed to invite me into his office to give me the
best advice. On one such occasion, he told tell me to keep-in with my
subordinates at work, and not be too critical of them whenever they made little
mistakes. It made them lose confidence in themselves and definitely inhibited
their ability to achieve their utmost potentials. He would also advise me not
to fail to let them realize the problems their stand-offish attitude would be
to the company. I had wished that people like Bello were in high- offices in
Nigeria and the country would have been in an enviable position in the comity
of nations of the world. Linda had told me on several occasions that it was necessary
to take my daughter Rashidat home to her mother so that she could receive
proper care. This argument sounded convincing and, hardly could there have been
any disagreement. While I will be away at Rigabiu, Linda would resume duty by
7a.m and would not be back from work until after 5 p.m. Our major trouble was
how to look after Rashidat while her mother was away at work. To solve the
problem, we took her to Linda’s mother in Abeokuta. That was how
our only daughter came to be in the care of my mother-
in-law. I was grateful for this. Bello offered to take me home and as we drove
in his car, he asked me if I was going straight home or would like to have some
snacks with him in his house. I knew that even if I went home, I had nothing to
do except sleep. Therefore, I agreed to go with him to his house. There we met
two of his friends, enmeshed in a discussion about Nigeria’s laconic political
economy. Since independence, the learned
Chief has been in the fore-front of the fight against neo-colonialism in Africa
and particularly in Nigeria. He had warned us against these economic recessions
that are now bedevilling us. In fact, most if not all the Chief’s concepts were
logically comprehensive, but were unfortunately presented to the people who,
most of the time were logically apprehensive of his concepts’’, said Danmeraya.
To back up his argument, he had been gesticulating during the discussion and
regretfully shook his head clearly disapproving of the indiscipline and lack of
patriotism being brazenly displayed by the elite of the society as well as the
apathy of the generality of the masses. ‘’Dan, so you people are still on that
subject,’’ asked Bello. All right, let’s have some fruit juice’’, said Bello as
he went in and brought out some drinks for us. Remembering he still had some
roasted chicken in the
fridge, he equally went to bring it to go with the juice.
‘‘You see, this is why I always advise you to keep a poultry,’’ interjected
Dan. ‘’That is for you agro-economists.’’ Bello replied. ‘‘Do not mind him with
all his troubles’’ said Osuji who had been quiet since we entered the room. Dan
was a teacher in a high school while Osuji, a Police Inspector, an Italian
trained criminologist. As we continued with the drinks, Bello asked me if I
would like to go with him and Mr. Lambert on a hunting expedition. ‘’When is
that?’’ I asked. ‘’Wednesday, because it is a public holiday,’’ he reminded me.
‘‘Have you been going on hunting games here?’’ I queried. ‘‘Oh yes, and one of
the local hunters always accompany us any time we go,’’ answered Bello. ‘‘Is he
coming on Wednesday?’’ I inquired and Bello answered in the affirmative. ‘’ I
think that will be beautiful since I would not need to rush to Kano and rush
back only for a day’s holiday’’ I said. ‘‘Can you handle a gun?’’ asked Osuji.
‘‘No’’, I answered. ‘‘Then Bello can teach you how to handle one because I went
on a hunting game with them once and I can attest to the fact that he is a good
shooter; he is an
expert,’’ he said. ‘‘That will be lovely and actually worth
experiencing,’’ I replied. ‘’ Gentlemen, I think I will now have to go; it is
already 10.00pm’’, said Danmeraya. When the appointed day came for the hunting
expedition, we were a team of four: Bello, Lambert, Dogo, and I. ‘’Bala, Dogo
is coming with us for the first time because Shehu who normally accompanies us
is unavoidably absent owing to some ceremony taking place in his family,’’
informed Bello. The idea of hunting was not one that appealed to me much but
somehow, there was the strong pull to experience this for myself. There seemed
to me two immediate benefits of the adventure. One, I would be able to take my
mind off Linda for a while, if I ever could, and while away the time before my
next trip to Kano. Second, I would have something really exciting to tell her
about when I got back there. Whichever was the stronger reason did not matter
to me. I just wanted to go. Because I had something to look forward to in
Rigabiu, for the first time, time seemed to fly. Almost too soon, Wednesday was
upon us. I did the best I could to hide both my anticipation and my dread. I
was not sure I was doing much of a job but no one seemed to notice or comment
on what they noticed.
On Wednesday morning, we set out in Lambert’s
car. Lambert drove. Soon we left the city behind and headed
into the woods. I was very tense. Lambert showed his dexterity, driving
delicately in the woods. When we were about eight kilometres into the bush, we
parked the jeep under the shade of a tree and we started roaming the savannah
woods in search of game. Not long after we started moving about when Lambert
set the ball rolling. The bang of his gun startled me and I jumped in fright.
‘‘Let us go and fetch it’’ he said. ‘‘Fetch what?’’ I asked. ‘‘Oh, I have
killed it,’’ he replied, ‘’It is an antelope.’’ Lambert confirmed. Dogo was the
first to follow the pathway and closely coming behind him were Bello and
Lambert. I was behind them. The enthusiasm that I had earlier showed started to
wane. I developed some sensation or rather some tingling that made me feel like
being sandwiched between Bello and Lambert. I looked here and there to be sure
I was not being stalked by any wild animal particularly a hyena. The savannah
is notorious for carnivorous animals and definitely, no novice would pray to
have an encounter with such an animal as a hyena. They were reputed to be in
large numbers in these woods. With the exception of myself, the team was
adequately equipped with skill and weaponry. This
made me personally uncomfortable, and I was torn
between exhilaration and regret. But I
believed somehow that the excitement overweighed the fear. Each of them went a
different way and I did not know whom to follow out of the three sharpshooters.
I was not sure with whom I felt safer – the two sharpshooters carrying rifles
on the one hand, or the lone warrior adept in the use of local weaponry on the
other. The local man said he preferred the bow and arrow because the sound of
the gun scared away the animals. Now that Lambert had shot at an antelope,
there was little hope there would be any game in the vicinity waiting for his
silent arrows. I recalled Osuji saying that Bello was a good shot. I decided to
stay close to Bello. We moved cautiously from one place to the other because
the whole thing needed a vigil disposition. I was beginning to ask why we had
found nothing where the antelope should have been when suddenly Bello beckoned
me to silence. I knew he must have caught a glimpse of a game and I peered in
the direction he had concentrated his attention. I was suddenly able to make
out the outline of a large animal. From its appearance, it resembled a
carnivorous animal and the animal seemed to have caught our scent. I knew from
my reading about animals that most carnivorous animals had a strong sense of
smell. I crouched behind a shrub as Bello took deliberate aim and pulled the
trigger. The animal gave such a
terrifying roar that I almost broke cover and ran away.
Bello quickly called Lambert and Dogo with his whistle. This was hardly
necessary because they had heard the shot and were heading back already. In a few
minutes they joined us. Bello announced that he believed he had shot a leopard.
We all stood waiting and listening, not daring to move in order to perceive any
bizarre movement, especially because there could be another leopard in company
of the one Lambert shot. Predators often hunt in pairs. Besides, we could not
tell the extent of the injury to the animal. However, we had to probe to know
if it was dead, so that we could fetch it. To our amazement, the leopard,
though wounded in the forelegs was very ferocious and we all kept a safe
distance of about fifteen meters. Apart from Lambert, Bello and the archer also
were both ready with a combination of weapons to deal with any danger. Unused
to human presence, the animal, in spite of its injury, roared menacingly,
advancing towards us with all the strength it could muster. Not willing to take
chances, Dogo pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back and in one motion set
it on his bow. Pulling it as far back as it could go, he let fly, hardly taking
aim. I did not see the arrow in flight but did when it struck home between the
eyes of the distressed animal. It fell without a further sound. Its legs
quivered violently. It was so natural to the hunters. To me, there were
emotions that I could not
immediately control. We had just killed a leopard. It could
have been the other way round. All my theories about animal conservation took a
second seat. This was not a game reserve, it was the wild and we were in danger
only a moment ago. We managed to drag the carcass all the way to the jeep. We
were all panting from exhaustion. ‘‘This is my first time of seeing a leopard
at close range since I have been going on hunting expeditions,’’ said Lambert.
This is my third time of engaging a leopard and I will be too happy if one day
I should be able to kill a lion or a tiger,’’ said Bello. ‘’I pray that this
should be my last time I will go hunting. This appears to me the easiest way to
commit suicide’’, I contributed. All of
them burst into a roar of laughter. Nevertheless, that was definitely not going
to divorce me of my personal opinion. I was wondering what would have happened
if that ferocious looking animal had attacked me. As we drove out of the woods,
Dogo told me that there were worse dangers than a leopard attack. He explained
that the snakes were the more terrible predators. They moved around silently
and could turn up just about anywhere. Because they could climb, they could
attack from the air as well. As if these are not enough, they could also spit.
The venom in their saliva could permanently blind a man.
He told us of a bizarre event that had happened on an
expedition with a group of Europeans. They had loaded their kill into their
truck when one of the men was bitten by a snake. As expected, he was terrified because
he did not believe they would make it to any medical help in time enough. The
other man had made to shoot the snake but Dogo had stopped him. He explained
that if the snake was killed there would be no solution to the venom. He had
entered the nearby bush and come out with some shrubs. He gave some to the
stricken man who did not hesitate. After about ten minutes, he called the white
man by his name thrice, said some incantations and blew into the air. He
assured the man that the poison had been neutralised. He told them to hold on
and watch the spot of the biting. Not long after, the same snake that had
bitten the man re-appeared and headed for the spot of the attack where it
immediately fell and died. The European was too shocked for words. Later that
day he said he would never have believed it if anyone recounted such an event
to him back in England. I did not know what to make of the story. I had of
course heard all kinds of voodoo tales but this one was exceptional. Recalling
a snake to pay for its crime! I was only too grateful to be out of the woods.
Besides, I had a tale worth telling when I saw Linda later that week.
Bello actually acknowledged Dogo’s accomplishment as a
hunter and wildlife expert.
When we arrived at our base, the news of our games and the
feat performed by the archer quickly spread and a lot of people, some of them
press men came to interview us for different reasons. There were differing
sentiments some tending towards animal life conservation and others towards the
need for more security against the predators. Most were just curious to see a
predator at close range and they fearfully felt the animal’s skin as if fearful
it would wake up and come after them.
* * * * * * * * * *
Mr. Lambert is already due for his annual leave. We all
worked for the same construction company. Lambert holds a Master’s of Science
(MSc.) degree in Civil Engineering. He
had at one time or the other worked for the company in some overseas countries,
and with over fifteen years experience in the Construction Industry, he was
definitely not a push- over. The following Friday, I left Rigabiu to spend the
weekend in Kano and expectedly Linda was waiting for my arrival. I arrived late
and Linda was already in the kitchen cooking. ‘‘Welcome darling, I am happy to
see you, but you kept me waiting and longing to feel your aura,’’ she
said.
I explained how I missed the regular bus and had to hike on
a truck to get back to Kano. She inquired of my stay in Rigabiu. I really had a
story to tell about my last experience in the bush, and she was happy that none
of us, suffered any mishap. She told me she heard people discussing how some
hunters had killed a leopard in the woods where the local authorities had
assured them was not inhabited by anything more dangerous than the hyena. After
dinner, I narrated everything about the hunting expedition to Linda but she
found it difficult to believe that I was a member of the team. At night, I had
a sound sleep such that by the time I woke up I felt as if I had slept for a
whole week. The next day after breakfast, Linda suggested that we visit the
Kano Zoological Garden to have glimpses of live animals especially predators
the likes of which we encountered in the bush during our hunting expedition in
Rigabiu. The Kano Zoo occupies a wide expanse of land. And it is one of the
most beautiful recreational centres in Kano with irresistible picturesque
surrounding. With many side attractions, the zoo is Mecca to researchers,
conservationists and students of veterinary medicine. However, Linda and I
would only be visiting it for recreation. We left for the zoo after I had
freshened up. At the zoo, we were both captivated by the
deportment of the chimpanzees when we reached their section.
The biggest was the funniest. When teased by the visitors and beckoned at to
come out for a physical combat, he would look at them contemptuously and beckon
them to come in altogether for a dead-man tell- no-tale battle. At times, he
would jump about; beat his chest to frighten away visitors and to show how
powerful he was. But seeing that the demonstration was not impressive enough,
he would pounce on the wire perimeter fence used in confining them. This time,
he would win a bit of the contest since the pouncing was strong enough to
frighten many spectators and make them scamper for safety. But the people won
most of the time. Eventually, each group left him to see other animals, and
some new visitors took over. Some would wave him bye and wish him the best in
his confinement. When we were back at home, I was relaxing while reading a
magazine that carried the story of one of the world’s greatest philosophers of
the century. The magazine was really worth reading, at least for the rather
short story about Plato, the great Greek philosopher. After I had finished
reading the magazine, I went to bed because I could not really say the state of
my health. I was in bed for about one hour and sleep would not come. Somehow, I
was disturbed mentally and I was drained emotionally. ‘’What is wrong Bala?’’
Linda asked.
‘’I just find it difficult to sleep and my body would not
settle down’’, I replied. Immediately, she was out of bed to fetch me some
water and some drugs to take. After I had taken the medicine, I was fast asleep
a few minutes after. In my sleep, I had a terrible dream. In the dream, it
happened that I was about to put on my shirt when, suddenly from nowhere
appeared a falcon that tried to snatch the shirt away from me; but, I would not
let go. I followed it outside and as I was about to jump up to get hold of it,
a leopard struck and caught hold of my leg. I gave a terrible cry while I was
also trying to extricate myself from the hold of the leopard. As if the falcon
knew that she was the source of the calamity that befell me, she dropped the
shirt and immediately, the leopard left me and ran away but not before, he had
done a great damage to my leg. I picked up the shirt and went in. To my
greatest surprise, the shirt was cleaner than as it was when I bought it.
Linda’s call woke me from sleep before I realised that it was all a dream.
Getting out of bed, I went for some water and I wondered at the kind of dream I
had in my sleep. I narrated the dream to Linda and indeed it was the first time
I had such a terrible dream in recent times. Well, I do not really believe in
dreams and this could have been consequential to my taking part in the hunting
expedition. Later on, as I was about to leave for Rigabiu, I told Linda not to
worry herself because
at most, I would be with her the following Friday afternoon.
At the door, she planted a kiss on my cheek and I was glad for this. I was
stroking her at the back of the neck. ‘’Bye’’ she said.
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