Garin Mazugal

Chapter 10.

Alhaji Iro paced aimlessly, lazily conveying himself from one end of his room to another.His head was bowed, the appearance of a man who lost an investment after exacerbating energy on it.His hands were locked behind, dictating the pace of his breathe. He twitched his finger,as if to transfer the pain he felt in his heart to the orphaned little finger. His face was embroidered with fabrics made of sorrow and regret. This wasn't a happy Iro.

  "Can you imagine, Barau? Can you?"

Barau stood behind. Alhaji was on his feet so he wouldn't dare sit. He knew too well the destruction that comes with Alhaji being in this mood. Nobody survives, nobody escapes. He stood with the meekness of a sheep,humility of poor man and the fear of a 3 year old. His body shook vigorously like a leaf during harmattan. He was sitting down at home when Alhaji quickly summoned his attention. As to what, he didn't know. Here he was being made scapegoat for something he knew nothing about but who was he to talk?

" Imagine that Dan Iska! That one that called himself Ishaq! Can you imagine ?"

  "Alhaji I don't know what......."

"Imagine! Despite all the warnings!"

  "Alhaji what did he do?"

"That man is still going about soliciting for money to fund his wedding to Hauwa. The girl I want to marry after the elections!"

  "But Alhaji,you just married Hajia Rumai"

"And so...?"

  "A yi hakuri (Apologies) Alhaji..I was just thinking that..."

"Barau,keep your thoughts to yourself."

  " Na yi shuru ( I'm quiet)".

"Meanwhile, call Mai Naira and Sabi'u.We need to discuss. I don't like their attitude to the elections. Its too cold for my liking"

  "An gama ( It's done).

Mal Barau walked out and the sheepish face quickly changed to that of disgust.

" What has the wedding or Mal Ishaq's obsession with Hauwa got to do with me? It's incredible how power makes people stupid"

He thought to himself and let out a loud hiss.

"Meanwhile,let's go call these old men to meeting. Who knows what the discussion will be on. We might have our pockets filled if Alhaji Sabi'u is in the mood. Who knows!"
A wry smile appearing all over.

They all sat on a mat,a knowing silence permeating peacefully. They were all astounded by the demeanor of Alhaji Iro who summoned the meeting. He hasn't talked for God-knows-how-long. Everyone sat,tired of this waste of time but wary of stirring the hornets nest.

"You're welcome to this meeting"

"Thank you Alhaji " chirped  Mal.Barau. It had to be him. None would have replied anyways. Being the youngest made him the scapegoat in everything. He had to answer to save Alhaji Iro's combustible ego.

" I called this meeting to inform you of the death of Hajia Talle. She died hours ago "

   " Innalilahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un. May Allah forgive her "

Mal Barau said.

'Who is she? " Sabiu asked?

  " She is...or was a founding member of the party. We are all her political children. " Barau replied.

"That is sad. Alhaji Iro,what might have caused her death?"

"I don't know. They said it was murder. She was poisoned or so. A lot of things have been said so I don't know what to believe .."

"Aren't we supposed to find out? At least she was a party member before she died. That is the least we can do for her" Alhaji Sabi'u posited.

  " Whatever the case" Mai Naira chipped in " I'm glad she is dead. She was always trying to bully us into following her ideologies. Her death evokes no emotions in me. The only good thing about her that is that we now have the party to ourselves. We can run it the way we danm please. We'll easily scheme out Yaro and do whatever thing we like. Even if she hadn't died,we'll have looked for a way to silence her or wasn't that the plan,Alhaji Iro?"

The question caught him unawares. He just quickly mumbled a "Yes" to save his face. What confused all those present was the plan Mai Naira talked on. No one knew of such plans. Or was Alhaji Iro behind her death? Is Mai Naira an accomplice? Is this meeting a farce, a smokescreen organised by Alhaji to hide his involvement in her death? They all asked themselves these questions silently. Nobody talked. They all stared at each other, trying to pry into each other's soul,trying to bully each other's brains into submission, thus,rendering vital information motherless. Thus, the vicious cycle of mutual suspicion was birthed.

The news of Hajia Talle's death spread like wild fire. The calculated withdrawal of MIL didn't help douse the tension;it added stoke to the fire. It was incredible to the hearings of ordinary citizens. The Hajia Talle they knew wasnt a troublemaker. She wasn't garrulous. What could have warranted this treatment she is getting from MIL?

  Abuh adjusted his coat as the screams of his admirers wittled down. It was a coat of transgenerational relevance, a relic of sort,an agemate with most treasures in musuems scattered across the globe. It was old with confusion being the name of it's color. It was like a fight between the fading color and the ever increasing dye used in recoloring it. Abuh knows how to hop on trends to feed his family, what he calls them,juicy inside stories of what really transpired.He was their ear to the ground, their news goto, and their mentor. Hajia Talle's death wasn't an exception.

"Hajiya Talle was a good person.If not that she signed contract with the Jews...." Abuh didn't complete his sentence before breaking into theatrical tears too good to belie. It was for optics,a strengthening sweetener for what was to come.

" I know who killed her! " he avowed. "We're not going to rest till we get justice!!"

"Yes!"

"Wallahi"

"Haka!"

"They will know that the youths don't take injustice. We'll fight them !"

  "Allah kara ma lafiya ya Abuh! (May your days be long O Abuh!)"

" And as for the MIL,its because Hajiya didn't give them part of the money Yahudawa(Jews) gifted her. That's the answer to all the "why's" we've been asking. They call themselves MIL.It ought to have been MIA...Matsiyata(Paupers) In Action "

Ululations greeted his recent submission. Abuh sometimes surpasses even himself. He sits sometimes to ask himself how he comes up with lies so good that they're easily believed. How he has control of multitudes of youths who rever him and see him as their alpha and omega. He couldn't pin an answer to that. He just concluded with a "Baiwa ne (A blessing)". Then he stood up,smiling,walking gracefully like the door of heavens have been opened for his exploitation,whistling in reckless abandon, swimming in waters of delusional self-importance,screaming " Shege ni!!"