Sealed (everyone has a story) Read online

SEALED

  (Everyone has a story)

  BY

  Sunday Eyitayo Michael

  Copyright 2013 Sunday Eyitayo Michael

  BELIEVE IN YOUR TALENT.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “It is important to make the right choices in life, however in many critical situations; it is never enough to choose. You also have to be chosen.” She paused as she gazed through the audience. I wondered why she gazed; she could see no one because the whole place was dark except for the spotlight she was beneath. Her gaze stopped at my direction then she threw a broad smile.”It seems she sees anyway” I thought, but she didn’t need to display all those dramatic expressions, it was certain chief Tayo will win the prize, everyone knew that; they knew so far he was nominated, he wins.

  I turned around to feed my eyes, to see a little more of the attendees and nominees or rather, those who came to celebrate chief Tayo. Aha! Alhaji Karimi is also here; the co-founder of ‘Happy Life’, one of the largest orphanage homes in sub-Saharan Africa. He is really trying, I must commend him for that but he is not so much of a threat anyway, Chief Tayo is the sole owner of the largest orphanage and charity homes in Africa, it was really named on critical thoughts, ‘The Intimidation Co-operation For Orphans’; it keeps up to its name. I turned to see a few more people, but due to the darkness, I could only see the people close enough to be seen: a few Russians, Polish, South Africans, Brazilians… it seems all 195 member states were represented. H’m, is that not Col. Isaac, the soldier man who has led five peace-keeping missions to different countries? I bent forward a bit to get a clearer view. He is; the bullet scratch close to his bulgy eyes says it. Ignoring his presence, I wanted to focus, he was not worth my attention, and even he too knew that, he knew that Chief Tayo is far better than he could be. If I could remember vividly, twice, he came to me to apply as my personal chief security. I couldn’t give him that chance, I have heard of several rumors of his escapades; how his bosses’ wife carries his children. Also from the ‘bush radios’, I heard that the bullet scratch close to those eyes were not gotten from a peacekeeping mission as was believed by many but rather from an impotent boss who didn’t realize he couldn’t impregnate a woman until he discovered his four kids were not his but the scoundrel’s. I couldn’t risk mine and besides he is certainly no match too, Chief Tayo has financially sponsored twelve peace-keeping missions.

  I sat to focus when I noticed Gov. Tandu, unable to resist the impulse, I burst out in laughter. It caught a little attention due to the absolute quietness so I immediately adjusted and apologized. Could Gov. Tandu be thinking at all? Did he realize this was a peace prize? Who could have nominated him? The longest period his state was ever at peace during his reign was just one month and a week. No politician had ever caught so much attention because of their evil the way he did, I do not know if he could actually beat that again since he is still on seat, but no one could see that coming anytime soon not even the so called optimists. It was obvious he rigged his way into power; so perhaps, he thinks he could rig this one too.

  “…. The key question in this kind of matching is: who gets what?” she continued in her melodious tone. “Beautiful! Beautiful!” I thought; do these organizations organize a beauty contest before selecting a host? A belle she was indeed; tall, long curly dark hairs, beautiful straight legs and a no doubt figure-8 structure, no wonder the men were so concentrated. My eyes slowly followed her features from her feet and just as it was about to cross over her knee, Bisola tapped me and sternly looked in my eyes. She didn’t have to speak, I could read the words in her eyes, but she spoke, “focus on what you ought to focus on” she said in a low livid tune, I couldn’t respond, perhaps I could, but just don’t know what to say so I just held her hand tightly and looked away. Bisola is an epitome of beauty, the belle in her town when I married her, each morning when I wake up to look into those beautiful eyes, I get a renewed freshness within me, a reason to want to live for another day. For once, I never regretted the day I walked her down the aisle except for the fact that her eyes consistently follow mine, which still does not make me regret. I always hoped that one day she would get tired, but she does not, and I do not see that happening anytime soon either.

  Sometimes things do not work out the way we plan, but often times it is for a better option that’s coming our way. When Lydia jilted me because I had no money, I was sober for weeks, rather just a few hours, thinking I could get none like her ever, but that prepared me for a better piece, Bisola, a beauty even Lydia can’t compare. Now, even she regrets she jilted me, the last time I heard from her; she could not afford three square meals, so pathetic. I need not talk about her much anyway, she aren’t worth it.

  I knew everyone was so focused, but the seriousness on their faces has intensified, what is about to happen? I thought as I looked around trying to find out. Aha! Now I know, the big moment is finally here, she is done with her lengthy speech as though we were there for a motivational conference. “ …. In this line, we hereby announce the winner of this year prize for peace and philanthropy” she paused, removed all traces of smiles from her face and stared through the audience. Hosts have a special way of raising people’s blood pressure. I am used to it already, if not perhaps, I would have fallen to her trick as well, although within me I knew I felt a little panicked, but you could see no trace on my face, I looked fully confident. Doctors should have warned these hosts that, intentionally or unintentionally rising people blood pressure is not healthy, but they don’t, Perhaps, because just like every other businessman, they seek customers too, if they warn against high blood pressure, who will come to the hospital for treatment of blood pressure? Once, that was about three years back, during the commonwealth awards, as usual, the host paused to rise the tension amidst the crowd, but it was a terrible tension rise, some nominees needed the award so bad that as soon as she paused, Prof. Timbu had an heart attack. I pity the poor old man, at the end of it all, he was not announced the winner, chief Tayo was.

  “Ah! Ah! My chest” someone screamed from the audience. “Who could this be? Who want to ruin this moment?” I thought loudly. “It is Dr. Ingbian...” Halima replied. “And what is he?”

  “The doctor popularly known as Dr. PhD"

  "Oh, oh, now I know him, the doctor who acts and speaks like the only one with a PhD?” “That’s right sir,” she said.

  “Sometimes, I wonder why people tend to act so weird. Do you know I have a PhD too?” not waiting for her reply, I continued “But I prefer to drop the full stop at chief. Perhaps, that’s his only achievement and ….”

  “With due respect sir, you needn’t speak rudely about my uncle” she stopped me. What! Could he have being her uncle? Why did I never know? I gently turned away and Bisola stared at me in disgust, I never knew she was listening, I certainly would not have said a word if I knew.

  Everything was back to normal; Dr. Ingbian was taken away and just like nothing has happened. The host continued without wasting much time or trying to increase the tension any further, “and the winner is nobody else but…. Chief Tayo”. The light bulbs were turned on and almost immediately, Bisola stood up and danced energetically in ecstasy. Those who didn’t know who chief Tayo was would certainly think she was chief Tayo, but everyone knows chief Tayo and also, everyone knew she is the first lady to that great man. I wondered why she kept dancing more and more each moment another prize was given to me, rather us, because she was always with me and without her I couldn’t have achieved this much success, perhaps I could. This was not new to us or perhaps, because each moment it happens, she has something new to brag about, women!

  Finally, I stood up, the applause was intensified, I pulled out m
y agbada that was stuck beneath my potbelly, I wonder why people insisted it was a potbelly; it looked more to me like a weak large calabash. Then I walked majestically to the stage, even the oba of Benin can’t imitate that, it was outside this world. I didn’t do it because of my hauteur, I wasn’t proud, I did it because I knew there were certain people in the crowd who weren’t really happy, who would happily throw their mugs at me if given the chance, I could even tell their names. However, they should be proud a black man from a developing nation is doing great things. My hand was shook by the executives of the organization, and immediately, the prize was given to me.

  It was time for me to speak, initially; I used to be afraid of speeches, because words will not just come out no matter how hard I tried. Therefore, I discovered just the right trick. throughout last week, I told and continuously reminded Ndoka, my personal assistant to organize a perfect speech for me to memorize, it wouldn’t be manly if I go up there with a piece of paper. I cleared my throat and started immediately so as not to forget a word, “I feel that this award was not made to me as a man, but to my works. What I do, I do not for the appreciations and awards, I do it for the love for humanity, graciously trying to work in God’s line, he gave unto me, and I was left with no choice but to use it for humanity aids. But then most of all, I must say a big thank you to you, the executives of this organization, those who nominated me and those who feel I deserve this award, thank you so much” I bowed a bit and the crowd gave a standing ovation and another thunderous applause. I wondered what a nice speech I must have said, I have not even read through it to know what was written, I just memorized.

  As soon as I walked down the stage, Bisola ran to hug me, she held me so tight that I didn’t have enough space to tell her I needed to breathe, but nevertheless, it was a nice thing that she showed so much love. I could feel her warm, soft skin tightly pressed on me, no wife could be better. But on a second thought, no woman who has a man like me won’t show this much love to her husband because the moment she snaps a finger, over a million other women will want to come and take her place. Just last year, we had a little fight, I wondered how it got to ears, a woman came to me that she has left her husband to be my second wife, that was just one of them and it also by the way.

  The awards and all other things that followed were soon over, people came from all over, shaking hands with me, congratulating me, some I could hear, others I couldn’t, different tribes, different people, some others just walked away and as usual the press came over, taking pictures of me, I was used to it, it happens all the time. “Sir, how do you feel being honored for your works once again?” a reporter asked me, several recording devices were all around me, I knew that they were seeking a headline for the news and papers the next day. I would not give them that chance again, when it seemed as though they were all waiting for a blunder from the lips of chief Tayo. The last time I was on an interview with Lookers TV, I was asked how the government’s policies have contributed to my success and I replied “… you know the government could be stupid at times”, literary, I didn’t mean they were stupid, perhaps, because I was just used to the word, but the next morning, the papers had an attracting headline which even attracted me; all news about me attracts me though ‘Chief Tayo says government are stupid’. They didn’t pick the first words or the last which might have expatiated; they just picked out that line, although even I can’t remember it either.

  “Err, err” I stammered, I had to carefully select my words, no mistakes again. Yes! Lugubrious, I think I have heard or seen that word somewhere before, even though I haven’t really cared to find out its meaning, but I can use it, it actually sounds impressive. I smiled and said “from within my heart, I feel so lugubrious about this prize. I can’t find another word to express my joy”. I quickly stared at their facial reactions, there were smiles, except on the faces of those who have never smiled, and then I knew I had impressed them. They won’t have a bad headline about me tomorrow, am sure I would see nothing else but “once again, The Nigerian multi-billionaire and Philanthropist have yet won another prize for his works” or something similar. I held Bisola’s hand proudly as we walked out of the hall with our security guards helping us hold the crowd; we went straight to our parked Hennessey venom and moved for our suite.

  It was a cool evening in Johannesburg and what I needed at that moment was a quiet ride, which I knew I could not have. No man as big as I am would move around without escorts in blowing sirens, it was risky because I was an asset. Bisola and I hardly spoke to ourselves throughout the ride. She is what I would call a perfect wife; she knew when her husband needed to be spoken to and when he needed to be left alone. It took about thirty minutes to get to the hotel’s suite, a rare hotel I built In south Africa, its topnotch, those whose salary were not six figures could only dream of going there, except if they want to starve for years.

  “We will fly back to Nigeria tomorrow morning” I finally said.

  “Won’t you at least give me a little time to shop? How will I leave Johannesburg empty handed”

  “We aren’t going empty handed; we are going with the prize again”

  “And that’s more reason I should shop”

  “No problem then, we will fly by night, tomorrow” I said to cut the argument short, I knew for certain that no matter how long we argued, when she is determined to do such things as shopping, she doesn’t relent.

  Finally, we got to the hotel or rather, my hotel just to meet what I did not want to meet at that moment or any moment soon, even if I knew I would meet it. A host of workers and non-workers were outside to welcome me, lined up, all dressed smartly in white and black cloths; a white shirt and a black trouser or skirt, men in black bow-ties and women with a piece of black clothe around their neck. No matter how much I wanted to just ignore them, pass and go to my room to sleep, I could not. I was just awarded another prize for Peace, shunning them was not peace; I had to prove I was worth it. I forcefully threw a smile as they all sang and danced the Zulu’s way. Although, I couldn’t comprehend a word they said, but it seemed really good to the ears. “Thank you so much; I am so grateful. With what you have just done, you have proven to me that you are the best workers on earth, so for this month, your salaries are increased by ten percent” I said to please them, I really felt honored by their action and their turn out, but mostly, that they should stop so that I could go in.

  “Ah!!!!” they all shouted and immediately started off with another dance, this time more energetic. The sleep began to clear off my eyes gradually; I needed to watch this dance a little more. South Africans are great people, I thought, I would have loved to live here almost forever, but certainly, there is nowhere like home. I stood smiling, watching the dance, my body was already moving to the rhythm when Bisola tapped me, “my Love, am really tired, I need to sleep, you know I have to wake up early tomorrow morning to shop” she said in a low romantic tone. That was when I remembered I needed to sleep too, immediately we walked into the hotel, waving at the dancers.