When We Made Men
CHAPTER 10
The Show
The saturday nights talk show called “Yoruba Ro’nu” had barely started when the tall brown skinned secretary of Alhaji Oyebode Kosoko aka Pemberton arrived in an average chauffeur driven Rolls Royce Limousine in front of the large steel gates that guarded Chief Gbolabo’s private residence in Ikeja.. The name of the chauffeur was Ekpe, her escort for the night. It isn’t normal to find secretaries riding in limousines much less a Rolls Royce Limousine, which is reserved for the extremely classy but Avery had insisted to Ekpe that she was taking Alhaji’s Rolls Royce and Alhaji had told him to simply obey the secretary no matter what she demanded. The car wasn’t the latest, it was made 2013 but it was surely a classy choice. The security aide of Chief Gbolabo had insisted on letting chief know who had come to see him but the lady in the car declined to give her name. She had simply wound up and called Chief Gbolabo who simply stormed out of his mansion to address his aides’ arrant foolishness. The large gates swung wide open as the chauffeur drove the vehicle to the end of the driveway. The tall lady simply stepped out into the cool night with the dew dropping gently almost as rain droplets and slow wind blowing the cloud over the round and full moon and adding a heightened mystery to all the blackness and dark sensuality of her attire and looks. She was dressed in a long black tweed overcoat and hat which gave her the sophisticated look of a been-to, not that it mattered much to Gbolabo, he had simply given her his number and she had called, that showed she was still a woman. The extra look was probably to make her get extra money for the show. She even showed up in a limousine.
An expensive whore.
It reminded Gbolabo of his ‘Abuja days’ and he smiled shyly as he showed the lady into his living room. The TV was on as Gbolabo had been watching Yoruba Ro’nu before storming out of the house. He sat down to finish the show with his guest, listening attentively to every detail on the late night show as he poured himself and his guest a glass of wine.
Obviously, you’re not a political animal like Pemberton and I, he said smiling. It’s not normal that you chose not to be with him at this hour.
I am simply his employee and I deserve to live my own life outside his office. It’s past ten on a Saturday.
At this, Gbolabo simply smiled, so you don’t know about or involve yourself in his politics.
Of course, I know some of his plans, being his secretary but his ultimate ambitions remain with him. I’m more aware of his businesses and family than his politics.
Anyway, I hear he will be running for the presidency under the flagship of my party.
Yes, I thought he already told you that in the meeting today.
Yes, Gbolabo said suddenly realizing his errors. He had gone to the meeting disguised and given his number to his enemy’s secretary just for a few minutes pleasure.
It was clear to him now that the lady had recognized him even while the meeting was on and had still accepted his number without showing a hint of the recognition. He however, kept his composure and simply said “I never thought you’d come but I guessed you weren’t interested in our politics being a pretty lady”.
I guess Pemberton will take some time before making his intentions public. At this point he heard his name mentioned on the TV and shifted his attention quickly enough to hear Alhaji Kosoko say “I think it’s clear enough that I’m interested in the progress of our new and fledgling nation, we must not end up with the plagues Nigeria suffered from and this presidency issue is so……”.
The host interrupts, excuse my impatience but we have known you to be a liberal person as regards the presidency of yorubaland, you’ve not been interested in a presidential system. Gbolabo adjusts his white flowing agbada and says the truth is that I am interested in it; I’m as interested in the presidency as much as Gbolabo is interested in it and……. The host interrupts again, are you saying you will contest for the presidency? That’s exactly what I’m saying now. We can’t sit back and watch this country to be governed by uneducated liars like Nigeria allowed it then, a university dropout stumbles into politics and tells us lies about having the scientific cure to all the diseases of the world, even American doctors can’t make such a claim and our ignorant people have followed him because he owns a chemist, so enlightened people like us have to step in and save the situation before it gets out of hand.
In other words, you are saying the PA’s candidate, Chief Gbolabo’s main claims are all lies and ….. Yes, that is what I’m saying, if he had these things, as a scientist, knowledge is a resource you don’t hoard, rather there are patents given to you that tells the world you are the custodian of that particular secret so I challenge everybody to ask Gbolabo to substantiate this claims that won him a seat in the Nigerian senate but died as soon as he became senator. At this point, the audience on TV shouts and gives Alhaji Kosoko a wild round of applause. The host tries to calm the cheering crowd with no success. Alhaji Kosoko steps in by simply raising his hands to restore order. As the cheering subsides, Alhaji Kosoko shouts again, Yoruba se kini? The cheering crowd responds, ‘‘Yoruba Ro’nu’’.
Avery sits calmly on the edge of her chair watching Chief Gbolabo turn pale with the half-filled glass still in his hand. He was obviously stunned at the wild support Kosoko seemed to have gotten in just a few minutes after announcing his intention to run for the presidency. He turned to look at the lady and asked for the first time. What’s your name, please?
Kate. She lied.
Yes, Kate. I bet you knew he’d be making this announcement today. I’ll really require your friendship beyond tonight. In this world of politics, it’s important to be informed on all sides if you know what I mean. I’ll reward you well, cash, kind or both.
I have a bond of loyalty to my boss which is not easy to break so you must really have the muscle to break it. Gbolabo stood up and walked towards the alluring lady and snapped off the first button on her overcoat with his index finger and thumb. ‘‘I have the strength and muscle to break off this button and every other bond that stands in my way’’ he said smiling at the lady who sat partially exposed before him.
She smiled back and without warning, she stood up to look straight in the face of Chief Gbolabo, they were exactly the same height 5ft 7in. and she allowed him to give her a full kiss on her lips. Then she slipped off his hands which were already straying and looked straight in his eyes. I’ll help you but you know what they say about an angry lady and a rattlesnake. Don’t double cross me, it’s what you politicians do but I won’t stand it, not once.
What’s your price?
Just 20 million in cash weekly.
And as you please in kind.
That’s fair. You’re really a good lady but the cash part is too……..
Avery interrupted, “I don’t haggle, it’s deal or no deal, my employer pays me enough to be able to afford that car”.
Deal. Gbolabo was holding her again and giving another round of kisses. You’re amazing but there’ll be no shows tonight because I’ve got to quickly respond to Pemberton’s tirade and dis media people will come calling very soon, dem no dey ever sleep.
As Avery readjusted her overcoat on the way out, she congratulated herself on how well her plans had worked out. The man didn’t even have time to ask her name not to talk of demanding she took her clothes off and she was also fifty thousand dollars richer in just two empty hours of dry kisses and liquor.
Quite generous.
She also had a piece of paper she found on the table in the sitting room. It discussed some scientific theories about a genetic research and Chief Gbolabo had probably been studying it before she came in. It could be what Alhaji Kosoko was looking for and she had slipped it inside her overcoat while Gbolabo was engrossed in the television programme. It was a win-win situation and she couldn’t help feeling sorry for men. They were such half-wits.
Gbolabo, on the other hand was much satisfied at how fortune had simply turned his small error into a great political advantage. He need not s
neak around Pemberton again. There was an informant right in his opponents’ inner circle. It was a matter of time before he got access to the man’s most secret shady deals and indiscretions. Meanwhile, he needed to get his men to comb out the whole city of Ibadan and bring out Agbabiaka’s research associates, family and Agbabiaka himself.