AMACon 3: Oikos - Home

Stranger - Chapter Four

Turns out Baste wasn't any different from the other kids of his age. Give him a few fruits and a little space to get comfy and he is ready to spill the beans. And she didn't even have to break a sweat.

Walking down the road under the blazing sun, clutching his hand as he munches on dried berries, he was just about to begin when both suddenly stopped in their tracks. For in the middle of the road, a group of people were huddled around the Chief of their area. Both of them look at each other and as if a silent agreement had passed between them, they go near them

'Please, remain calm. Everything is going to be alright,' but apparently no one was interested in listening as shouts continued to erupt amongst the crowd. She holds onto Baste more tightly, only to notice his shirt sleeve rolled all the way down.

'We need something more than just empty promises. What are you actually doing to stop Bossing's minions?' cries an elderly man. He was being supported by a teenage girl, probably his daughter.

'My dear Sir..' began the Chief. 'We are using every means to end them. I have just received a call. Some rebels have been captured, most probably responsible for blowing up the recent check post. I have given orders to interrogate them immediately and if found guilty, they will be executed first thing next morning.'

'But you have hung countless of their kind already. Yet they keep on springing up,' complained another citizen, this time a young lad around 30.

Clearly the chief was having a hard time. He kept on wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

'I assure you my fellow citizens. These rascals will soon become extinct. That is why I'm here to ask for your support and allegiance to the government.'

Disappointed murmurs come from the crowd upon hearing his 'request'. She notices a woman stepping forward. Her face is lined with signs of grief and distress.

'We've already living under complete lockdown and curfew. Our brothers and fathers have already sacrificed their lives for this country. What else do you want from us?' her voice communicating the horrors she's been subjected to.

'Information. I need information,', the Chief says without a moment of hesitation and instantly she felt herself going alert. Even Baste had his eyes all focused on him. She felt he would be reporting everything to Bossing as soon as reaches their camp.

The Chief continued to talk. 'If you have any information regarding their whereabouts or of their sympathizers, report it immediately to us. We have our intelligence agencies working day and night but your help would be of great assistance to us. The more information we collect, the more chance of eliminating them quickly.'

'In exchange of what?', snorted someone from the crowd. She couldn't see who it was.

'Change my fellow countrymen. Development. Jobs. Education. Prosperity. Bring in any rebel alive or dead and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. The sooner we annihilate them, the sooner we begin our journey on becoming a developed country and join the ranks of our neighboring countries.'

She was genuinely taken aback. He was asking them to become his eyes in return for empty promises. Openly bribing them with no shame at all. Promising them Heavens so they will greedily do his dirty work.

'But Chief why can't you just declare a fully fledged war on these rebels. Why continue playing hide and seek?' she found herself asking.

A knowing smile appears on his face when he notices where the question came from.

'Well ....Miss... Apparently you may not know but we still haven't recovered from our last bloodshed. We cannot afford another at this time.'

'Why don't you just simply say that you don't have the nation's support? You came to power through the use of the army and have yet to strengthen your hold on the country,' she replied in her matter of fact tone. She hated how everyone dealt with her like she didn't know anything. Just cause she was an outsider doesn't mean she would remain in denial. She has been living here for more than two months for God's sake. Why wouldn't she be updated with what was happening in the country?