One Chance VII
ONE CHANCE
Mayowa Ojo
6/10/20265 min read
Banjo woke up around 4am to the sound of Jummy packing her things into a carry-on bag. Her eyes were red and her nose was anything but dry. He sat at the edge of the bed and watched her pack, neither of them saying anything. There was very little left to be said.
"Are you taking my girls?" he asked.
"Don’t you think it’s safer for them?"
He did not argue even though he wanted to. He knew she was right. He had a lot to sort through and he did not need his daughters in the middle of it all.
After Jummy left about an hour later, Banjo found his way to the TV. He knew it was a bad idea considering all he saw before he went to bed. The reality of how bad it was hit him once he found that the international news stations were running his story. Clips from Dr. Osas’ interview were played over and again. In fact, an OB Van was parked outside what was described as Martin’s house in Dallas.
He shut down the TV and thought through the events that trailed his campaign as a result of NK's influence. He applauded her for her genius in getting him all the attention she did. He admitted that he probably would not have gotten as much face time and empathy from the masses as he did if it were not for her. Something about the email he received last night bothered him. And then it hit him.
He raced to his room, grabbed a shower and went to his office, making phone calls as he drove. He had some measure of clarity once he was able to put sentiments aside. He was seated behind his desk before 7am when the first cleaner showed up. More calls were made and he simply waited for the dots to connect. The first meeting was at 7:45am with his campaign team.
"I would like to appreciate you all for the effort you have put into bringing me this close to the governor’s office. I would not have made it this far. I know you’re all aware of the most recent sabotage to my reputation and most of it is true. No denying it but if you believe I’m the man they described last night then please back down from working for me. But if, in the past year of working on this campaign you have seen a humane side to me then I urge you not to relent especially now. We can still bring this home. We can turn this around in our favour and still come out tops. We can have the last laugh."
He let his speech sink in. He was proud of himself because most of his speeches were usually scripted but this was straight from the heart. In those few seconds, Promise walked in, whispered something in his ear and he smiled.
"I will start by showing how humane I am. There has been a plant in our midst. Working with us yet working against us. It’s taken me a long time to figure it out but last night the final piece fell into place. Toun, please step forward."
While the meeting was conducted, Promise and his team went through the lockers and bags of every member on the team. But for the electronic scanner used they would not have found the secret phone, creatively tucked away in one corner of Toun’s drawer. Before long, the head of IT cracked through and found a few messages to an unsaved number.
"I promise no harm will come to her. In fact, left to me I will like to keep her on so she watches all of us win this election but the timing is too critical for distractions."
Liz eyed her assistant with so much loathing in her eyes. She felt betrayed to say the least. Toun stood conspicuously beside Banjo while he finished his speech with some special mentions and immediately asked Liz to call up his car to the front of the building. Liz bolted out of the room. She was eager to get as far away from her assistant as possible for fear of causing bodily harm to Toun whom she trusted with everything including passwords to Banjo’s email accounts.
******************
Banjo walked into the holding cell where NK was kept. He had a huge grin on his face just to spite her but his head was filled with blood-red hatred for her. Promise walked gallantly beside him with Toun as the trophy that would wipe any smirk off NK’s face.
Liz was back at the office tracing the owner and location of the phone number found on Toun’s phone.
The DPO walked out of his office and joined them, adjusting his belt as the poor thing struggled to hold his trousers over his overbearing tummy. The DPO bragged about how NK was barely touched but treated with enough dignity just like Banjo order. Banjo was not listening. He had his mind on the conversation he rehearsed in his head.
****************
"What do you mean you don’t know what happened to her?" the DPO yelled at the officer on guard. "Did she suddenly develop powers to be able to walk through metal bars?"
"Sir, she was not here when I resumed my shift this morning sir."
"Get me the name of the officer on night duty NOW and inform state security that we have a prisoner on the run."
Banjo felt like the wind was knocked out of him. He wanted to punch someone or something. He wanted to scream. He turned and looked at Toun and wanted so much to strangle her till she begged for air! He clenched his fists and told Promise to follow him.
"While you’re looking for her, keep this one. And this time try not to lose her," he said to the DPO knowing the entire police force would never find NK.
***************
Banjo waited 3 hours just to see Chief. He was summoned and had no choice but to show up. He hated every minute of the ride down there because of how he often felt like a puppy summoned by its owner. More annoying for him was the wait. He absolutely abhorred waiting and Chief knew this but never regarded it.
By the time he left Chief’s office he was demoralized. Chief’s reproach ensured he was filled with self-doubt almost to the point of self-loathing. He was close to sending in his resignation letter and maybe committing suicide but he knew even then his soul would still be troubled if his father in-law had anything to do with it.
When he got home it was dark. He did not bother to turn on the lights as he made for the bar in his living room. The need to have a strong drink was so overwhelming that he wondered how he made it through the day without one. If Liz were not an angel by seizing his phone he was sure he would have lost his marbles at some point. If Promise hadn't insist on driving him he was sure he would have driven off Third Mainland Bridge just to give NK a good ending.
He poured himself a shot and knocked it back, savoring the heat as it burnt the back of his throat on its way down. He almost had a mental image of the golden liquid as it travelled down his digestive system, warming him up on the inside.
"Feels good doesn’t it?" the voice startled him, making him drop the glass in his hand. He cursed as he flipped the light switch.
Before him were Dr. Osas, NK and Jummy.
"As you can see there are three extra glasses on the table. Pour each one of us a shot," NK demanded.
Banjo stared, nonplussed.
"Hurry, we don’t have all evening."