The Hyena Code — the story begins

PROLOGUE

February 2019

A mobile phone started ringing. A slim, well-manicured hand removed it out of a red handbag and picked up the call. “Bawo ni aburo (how are you my junior)?”

“Hello egbon, se wa (senior one, hope you good)?”

“I dey kampe. Kilon sele (I’m good, what’s up)?”

“Three months from now, one of the senatorial seats will be vacant.”

“Hmm, am I under consideration?”

“Yes. But low in the pecking order.”

“Who are my contenders?”

“Three, all male.”

“Any of them know yet?”

“No. You are the first that I called. What’s your play?””

“Give it a month before you call them.”

“All of them?”

“No. Just one. I will let you know who.”

“Anything else?”

“Stay in the loop.”

“Okay egbon.”

“We fear no one…”

“We dare everyone…”

The call ends.

________________________________________________________________

THE GENESIS

First Friday of December, 2004. Law Firm in Lagos Island, Nigeria.

Yemi, a ten-year-old boy in a white and green school uniform was standing by the window and looking outside. The uncoordinated symphony of horn-blaring vehicles and roadside traders hawking their wares filtered through the open window. The door into the office creaked open and the room was enveloped with the aroma of akara and fried yam. There were two men and two women in the small room, intermittently typing on the desktop computer on their desk. The desks were cluttered with varying sizes of files. The women’s desks were beside each other, opposite the men. There was a beeping printing and photocopying machine at one end of the office, directly opposite the exit door and adjacent to the desks. There were different sizes of cabinets lined against the wall.

Yemi turned and watched as the office cleaner dropped the wrapped akara and fried yam on the table of the man seated close to the door. His tummy rumbled. The cleaner then turned and exited the room. The man lifted the meal and said, “oya o my people, e don land o.”

Yemi flinched slightly and covered his ears as chairs scraped the tiled floor when the second man and one of the women got up to partake in the meal. Yemi looked at his mother who was still seated at her desk. “Mummy, it’s still raining. Since morning till now. And there is plenty traffic.”

Bidemi, his 28-year-old mother wearing a faded black skirt suit, paused what she was typing and turned to look at him. She smiled and he smiled back.

Yemi glanced at his mother’s colleagues as they ate and looked back at her.

She shook her head slightly. “We will soon be going home darling. Are you through with your homework?”

The boy nodded and turned to stare out of the window.

“So what did you say you want to become in your essay?”

“A pilot.”

Bidemi smiled. “You don’t want to be a doctor again?”

Yemi shook his head. “I don’t like seeing blood.”

Bidemi glanced at the red wall clock on the blue wall. The time was 8.30 pm. She got up and went to the beeping printer. She gathered the paper, arranged them, and exited the office. Moments later, she returned and arranged the files on her table in a cabinet behind her.

The intercom phone on her table started ringing. She ignored it and stuffed some files into a big bag. She logged out of the computer and picked up her bags — a handbag and the big bag with files inside.

Bidemi calls out to Yemi, “Oya, let’s go.”

He picked up his school bag and ran to meet her. She held his hands and they both moved towards the exit door. As they got to it, the door opened and Chidi, a tall, middle-aged man in a black suit entered. He stopped in front of them and stared at Bidemi.

“You are running off without waiting to do the necessary corrections,” he scolded.

Bidemi looked up at him and frowned. “Sir, it’s way past closing time, and I have sent the soft copy to your email.”.

There was a hush in the office as the other staff paused what they were doing to focus on them.

Chidi smiled wickedly. “Why did you send the soft copy to me? You want me to do your work for you? Is that not what I pay you for?”

“Then I will do it tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday. Does the office open on Saturdays? I’m traveling to Abuja first thing tomorrow. So wait and do the corrections. I want it back tonight. Besides, what’s the rush? Nobody is waiting for you at home. Abi you don get husband wey we no know?”

Tears welled up in Bidemi’s eyes. She blinked rapidly and bit her tongue to avoid shouting, “ode ni yin sir (you are a fool).”

Chidi started to turn away. Then he noticed the small boy looking up at him. “How are you, Yemi?”

Chidi asked, “How are you, Yemi?”

“Fine sir.”

Chidi poked his hands in his pocket, brought out a N500 note, and stretched it to the boy. “Take and use it to buy biscuits for yourself.”

Yemi stole a glance at his mother’s expressionless face, then he shrugged and collected the money. “Thank you, sir.”

Chidi turned and left the room.

To be continued

Signed

Olumide Holloway (King Olulu)