The Godmother

Episode 36

Luckily, he had not deleted her number. He unblocked it
and called her line. The service provider said the number
was switched off.

D–n! He tried the second number he knew belonged to
her and it was the same result. D–n, d–n! He was still
awaiting Zay’s call. His mind told him not to depend on Zay
this time around. One, she didn’t seem to believe him. Two,
if Alfa Ousmanou was the best she could offer, then that
best was not good enough.
His mind went back to Iye. Somehow, he believed she was
the only one that could come to his assistance at this
crucial stage. He tried her lines again. He could not get
through the first line but was able to get through the
second line. Thank God, thank God!
‘Hello, is that you Iye?’ he asked as soon as somebody
picked the call.

‘Who is this?’
‘This is Tope on the line. Iye,good afternoon.’

‘Good afternoon.’
‘Thank God I can finally speak to you. Iye, please I want to
apologize for going against you. Believe me, I’m sincerely
sorry.’

There was a long pause. ‘It’s okay,’ she finally said. ‘You’re
forgiven.’

He broke into a relieved smile. ‘Oh, Iye, thank you so much.
Thank you so much. My God will bless you.’
That’s alright. Just get to know that in the new life, there
will be no room for such misconduct. But for now, you’re
forgiven.’

‘New life? What new life are you talking about?’ he asked,
his panic returning fast.

‘I thought you said you love me.’
‘Of course, I do,’ he returned quickly.
‘Good. We’ll soon be together. Just two days to go, and
we’ll be together.’

‘What exactly are you talking about?’
‘Don’t worry. You’ll soon understand. Tope will die, yet
live.’

‘This is crazy. I thought you said you’ve forgiven me.’

‘I’ve forgiven you. That’s why I’m going to be living with
you.’

‘This is crazy, crazy. You’re making me crazy.’

‘There’s nothing to be crazy about. Just like you dreamt,
you’ll go through transition, and then you’ll be with me.’
She cut the line.

Tope could not believe his eyes.
He became even more distressed. Things appeared to be
working against him. First, the Alfa had traveled out of
Nigeria. Secondly, Iye was
insisting that he must go through transition. Was it not
death he was staring at so?

Why were things working so oddly against him? When his
wife returned from the church, she was quick to notice his
distress.

‘Darling, what’s the matter?’ she asked.
He shook his head. ‘Nothing.’ He could simply not bring
himself to telling her. What help could she possibly offer,
he asked himself.

About two p.m., Zaynab finally called him. ‘There’s another
alfa at Gwagwalada,’ she said. ‘I was told he was very good
too.’

‘Good. I’ll soon be in your house. You need to take me
there.’

He lied to his wife that he wanted to see the senior
Minister to give him some reports.
‘Can’t that wait till tomorrow?’ she asked. ‘Today is
Sunday. Surely, the report could wait till tomorrow.’

‘No, it cannot. Let me go and give him right now. I’ll be
back soon.’

His driver took him to Zay’s house, and from there, they
drove to Gwagwalada where they asked for directions to
the alfa’s house. He was an
elderly man with grey beard. He listened to Tope as he
recounted his dreams of Iye.
The bearded one was silent for a long moment, just staring
at the floor as if he was communing with it. Finally, he
spoke out. ‘You are indeed in a
grave situation as you have two more days to live. Is there
no way you can contact this lady?’
Tope’s heart sank. That confirmation was like hearing a
death sentence pronounced on him. He shook his head
morosely. ‘I have contacted her.
She insisted that I would go through transition and then I
would be with her. ’

The old man nodded. ‘She’s waiting for you to come and join
her where she’s is. For that to happen, you will first die.

Your soul will take another body and you’ll be with her.’

Tope shivered in fright while Zaynab became panic-
stricken.

‘May Allah forbid,’ Zaynab interjected. She realized that she
was shaking as she had come to the bitter realization that
the dream was indeed not
ordinary.

The old man was silent again. ‘The only way you could avert
the doom that awaits you is to sit on a special mat I will
prepare for you. You will take the mat home. From the early
morning of the third day, you must sit on the mat till
midnight. You must not go anywhere and must not do
anything other than sit on the mat. For no reason must you
stand up from the mat until after mid-night. That is the
solution.’

Tope looked a bit relieved. ‘I will do it,’ he said. ‘Anything
you ask me to do, I will do.’

The alfa nodded. ‘But you have to go now and come back in
some hours’ time for the special mat. As for payments, give
me any amount you
think you can use to redeem your life.’

It was Tope’s turn to nod. ‘Don’t worry, baba. When I come
back to get the mat, I’ll bring you more than enough
money. But for now, take this.’
From his small bag, he brought two hundred thousand naira
out and handed it to the old one.

They left the place. ‘So, indeed, that lady is as powerful as
this,’ Zaynab said wonderingly as they were going back
home.

‘I told you,’ Tope said.
Some hours later, he was back in the house of the old man.

The orderly helped him to carry a small Ghana-must-go
sack that contained bales of
money.

‘This is for you,’ he told the man. ‘I can assure that after all
this storm, I will surprise you with more money.’

The old man’s eyes glistened when he saw the money. He
nodded approvingly.

‘Don’t worry. You will live. Even as you sit on the mat, I will
be here praying unceasingly for you.’ He handed a small
mat to him. ‘Here’s the mat.

On the day that would be the last day, early in the morning
before sun rises, sit on the mat. You’re not to stand up or
do anything other than sit
on the mat.’

‘Thank you, baba. Thank you very much.’
He collected the mat and went back home a happy man.

He had decided that he would simply tell his aides and
others working for him that he would be in spiritual
isolation that day, in case anyone
asked for him. He also decided to open up to Rita.

‘My life is in danger, but don’t worry. I will overcome.
Tomorrow morning, I will not be going to work. I will be in
the guest room praying on this
special mat. Nobody is to disturb and distract me. I will be
in that room till twelve midnight. That is the situation of
things. Have no fears.’

Rita tried to appear calm, but she was obviously alarmed.
‘I hope all is well. I hope all will be well.’ She rattled on. ‘If
there’s any way I can help. I know a man that can …’

‘It’s okay, it’s okay,’ he said and tried what looked like an
assuring smile. ‘I can handle it. Don’t you worry.’

‘Are you sure, my darling?’ she still wanted to know.

‘Of course. Don’t worry.’
By five a.m., he was in the guest room with the mat,
torchlight, his phone and a bottle of water. He calculated
that he would be sitting for
nothing less than twenty-two hours. Twenty-two solid
hours! It was not going to be easy but he must stay alive.