Transition, a short story by Bethel Chisom Philip at Spillwords.com

Transition

Transition

written by: Bethel Chisom Philip

 

And so they began to talk after an awkward introduction.

– ‘Young lady, what is your name? Why did you come uninvited to my hideout, and why insist on seeing me?’ The light and chubby commanding officer asked in a tenor voice with a clear British accent and a Nigerian face.

– ‘Sir, promise to give me immunity and I will tell you everything I know.’

– ‘I hope you are not the bait to get to us. We will crush all assailants.’

– ‘Please, assure me, sirs,’ she pleaded, ‘and I will tell you everything’

– ‘Let’s start with your name.’ He asked quickly.

– ‘I am Mariam Yunusa a native of this village.’

– ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked with a hurrying tone.

– ‘I know you are good people who seek to quench the war between the people and their leaders and scare them away from further attacks. However, the bandits who slyly join the revolt are the source of the attacks, and they clearly hate your uniforms,’ she disclosed.

– ‘And so?’ Lt. Colonel Isaac asked fearlessly.

– ‘And, you are their next target.’ Her eyes darted from one to another for they were 50 armed men.

– ‘Mariam, how did you come about this information?’

She hesitated to speak, ‘It’s because I am the boss’s girlfriend.’ Her answer gave her anxiety.

– ‘But, I promise I don’t consent to their evils, the relationship was forceful.’ She appealed hoping it will plaster the already cracked story wall.

– ‘Alright!’ he brightened with a demeanor that was so corporate.

– ‘Just alright?’ it was vividly clear to all that she was perturbed.

– ‘You should know their base; do you know other routes to their hideouts?’

She slipped the written location into his stretched-out palm.

– ‘Officer Malife!’ He called with an air of authority.

– ‘Yes sir!’ he thundered.

– ‘Set the soldiers on parade and prepare them for victory.’

– ‘Yes sir! Permission to carry on sir.’

– ‘You have it!’

– ‘Soldiers! It’s a warm-up parade, Pre, precision, stand at the tease. With a jump right turn, with a jump left turn and they obeyed.’

‘Mariam, follow me.’

He led the way and she followed.

They entered and sat on the foldable chairs in the hand-made tent full of rifles and the hairs on her body stood at attention.

– ‘Now, tell me all you know about this group of illegally armed men, who and what is their backing?’

‘My bad! Do you need some water? You must be thirsty. He poured some water into a glass and handed it to her. She gulped it down slowly and noiselessly.

For it was better to die under their watch than be slain by murderers, scoundrels, rebels. It was the waving hands before her face that dismissed the reverie.

– ‘Mariam, were you thinking I poisoned your glass?’

– ‘Oh! no sir,’ she lied.

– ‘I need answers to the question I asked earlier.’

– ‘Oh! The question from earlier,’ she pouched her red and rounded lips. ‘Well, they have rifles and suicide bombers amidst them. The top men sponsor them to cause chaos and roll heads.’

– ‘Name them.’ His voice thundered.

Her head bowed, ‘I can’t, you are yet to promise me immunity besides, you can do little or nothing because you work directly under this failed government. They only send you as figure heads to come and die for a cause they created. Do you know how many Commanding Officers the media censored “died in their sleep?” Only the villagers know the truth.’

She looked directly at his face now.
– ‘Do you also want to die? Don’t you have a family or anyone you love?’

And immediately like a flash, in reminiscence, of the memories of his last visit to the US to see his elegant wife and the three healthy boys from his loins made him human.

Death meant leaving his beautiful family behind, his work, the honours, and his soldiers. His eyes darted Northward towards his soldiers who were working as instructed.

– ‘We will all die someday.’ He found his humane tone after the repercussions dawned on him, for it was unofficial to panic before a bloody civilian.

– ‘Now, do you have a plan?’ she asked.

– ‘You are the parcel in our plan. I promise to protect you.’ He said without any emotions again.

– ‘You will take us there before dawn. According to your words, they plan to strike at dawn, it is only wise to launch an attack before they do. Take 10 minutes to stay still while I get the others,’ he took two gallant steps…

– ‘They use charms,’ she blurted out.

He stopped, and inquired, ‘And?’

– ‘Only fire can weaken those charms.’

– ‘The battle, they say is not for the strong but for the feeble with wisdom, and knowledge can lead a battalion to victory.’

It was a victory parade for the time being because, change that hasn’t reached the powers that be, when it starts from the grassroots will remain fruitless, it is like pouring water on deadwood.

Eventually, she was taken to the Infantry Battalion where the Colonel was based, to teach in the Army Day Secondary School. She joined the army 5 years later.

She was his saviour and he was her immunity.

– ‘Hi! Operation Officer Miss Mariam, what is the state of Takum,’ Brigadier General Isaac inquired in a firm tone.

– ‘We are currently handling the riot, and we are safe.’

– ‘If you ever get into trouble, click the panic button and you will be safe.’

– ‘Yes Sir,’ her tone trailed off. It was ironic how she had begun to shout like Officer Malife, above the tone of her voice.

– ‘She hums then sings;’

Oh, mama, mama, can’t you see. (repeat twice).
What the army done to me
Turning boys to men
Girrup, girrup let’s go.

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