THE DICTATOR
Episode 1: Left to Die
Let me out! I did nothing wrong! Oyande screamed at the top of his voice while shaking the iron bars that kept him in a confined space. His incessant yelling and pleas of innocence had become a trait attached to him as to anyone who had stayed long enough in *kirikiri.Abeg let me out..please i swear..I'll give you all the information..just let me out, he said after a while with a final note of despair. He retreated to a corner of his dark cell before briefly glancing at the small bowl of *akamu the warden had slid through the door opening earlier in the day. Lunch and dinner never came that day. It was a weekend and most of the cooks and officers went to town to have some fun and visit their families.You are tired right? Now you hungry and find food for belly! the soldier said through his cell door opening startling him a bit from his solitude. Save some for tomorrow!! he echoed as he walked down the hall.
It was two years by his calculation since he was captured. There had been a massive crack down on the media since the coup. Activist and people who seemed to pose a threat to the government where hunted and gunned down. Better to be alive and captured than dead and free.. he reasoned. He missed his wife, Sumatra. She smuggled food, drugs and letters to him. The country was not safe.He urged her to take the kids and leave. Its been over a year since he last received a letter or food basket. He believed she was somewhere safe with their kids. His cell neighbours had long been in jail. Some criminals, killers, rapist and a few scholars he wondered what brought them here. Political prisoners he nicknamed them.
All but one inmate seemed friendly. He was rumored to be a military general who opposed the ruling military fraction,was captured eventually and thrown into this hellhole. No one could tell when exactly he was imprisoned but some long serving inmates argued they came to meet him here. His cell seemed quiet different from others as it had a radio which blared like a wake up alarm every morning when he listened to news and late at night. It had cooking utensils as scented aromas occasionally filled the corridors and cells while we heard him chatting with a woman who I guess was the chef. It made my belly lust for homemade food but I wondered why he was granted such privileges. Not to talk of the occasional late night visit by men with big flowing robes that swept through the corridors and leaving behind scents that lingered even after their departure. I sensed something was amiss as visits by these influential men increased greatly. Sometimes we could hear them laughing in mumbled baritones but we couldn't tell what amused them. We were all in the dark as regard their affairs. The soldiers cared less so far they brought with them bundles of cash which they distributed greedily amongst themselves. Things seemed to run as usual for months until a particular morning. The general could be heard laughing aloud from his cell. Could he have gained freedom.. I pondered. I heared movements along the corridors and stamping boots with some soldiers giving rapt commands. Might be another coup.. I said quietly to myself. The general continued with his laughter for a while as inmates rained curses for having their rest interrupted by the commotion. He sounded very happy today but what made the soldiers so nervous and proactive?
It was well passed our prayer time now but we weren't released.The other inmates i knew where wide awake but no one dared to make sound except for the laughing general who seemed to have calmed a bit. It seemed the whole yard was empty. I strained my ears to make out any sound of marching boots or commanding voices. Nothing...
To be continued...
*kirikiri- short form for Kirikiri Maximum Prison
*Akamu- Corn starch meal
Picture source: google