WHAT HAPPENED AT PU25B: FINAL EPISODE
‘Mr Viper, why don’t you stop your boys and let’s talk about this?’ Zannu says half-mindedly, backpedalling against the goons who are brandishing their weapons menacingly.
A piece of projectile narrowly misses Zannu’s head. He retreats faster.
An aged man steps forward from the cluster of party agents gathered to one side.
‘Nobody dey follow you drag am, Viper. No carry fight enter dis thing.’
‘No put mouth o, Mpolo! All of una dey there when that small girl dey tell me nonsense.’
The half-eyed man stops in his retreat. ‘Wait wait, Viper. Mek I tell you something. See ehn, I use twenty years fight for this country. After my family don suffer sotey, all my friends and brothers die for warfront, na im we discover say awa ogas dem just dey use us fight for their own gain. Today, dem still dey send awa young people go die for senseless war. You want mek your children dey part?’
‘Wetin concern me concern children? You sabi how much I don spend for here today?’
Another man speaks up. ‘Guyman, forget that levels! I do dis your work sotey, dem promise me better slot for guvment. Slot I no see, shishi I no see…’
Viper tuts in irritation. ‘Una dey waste my time.’
He waves his hand. His boys charge.
*
Aziza thanks the two young men who helped her barricade the entrances with desks and chairs. Policarp sits in a corner, chewing on his lower lip.
‘See,’ He says, ‘I tell my cousin say mek he ep us escape. Im don dey wait for outside.’
JJ looks up from stacking a sheave of papers in a box. ‘The results nko?’
‘You still dey look result. E be like you nor know wetin dey happen for outside.’
JJ glares at him. ‘So everything we worked for… down the drain, just like that? Those who voted in good conscience, who are now fighting for their votes?’ She sighs. ‘I just pray it doesn’t get any messier than this.’
Policarp tuts and turns to Aziza. ‘You go follow me?’
Aziza scoffs.
‘You put us in this spot in the first place. You should be working hard to get us out of it instead of blabbing about some cousin.’
She points to a sturdy bench. Policarp eyes the bench resignedly, then takes it over to barricade the main door. In the distance under the almond tree, the Mercedes bus arrives.
*
At about the same time, four policemen emerge from behind the metal shed, followed by Madam Curry. The chief surreptitiously pockets a wad of notes as he and his men march towards the surging conflict.
The young man pockets his camera on sighting the officers. Madam Curry beckons to him but he hesitates as one of the officers cast him a menacing glance.
When Madam Curry reaches his side, she asks, ‘Did you video them live?’
He shakes his head. ‘Didn’t upload yet. Poor network.’
‘Good. I managed to convince them. Now, they want you to broadcast them live in action. Can you do that?’
The young man begins to protest.
Madam Curry smiles. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll deal with them later.’
The young man nods. He whips out his phone and begins to film.
*
As Madam Curry’s entourage approaches, Viper’s boys charge in, and an uproar ensues. Fists are exchanged and weapons slash. In a moment, a half dozen persons lay wounded.
Zannu puts his judo skills to good use but is overwhelmed momentarily and knocked unconscious. It is at this point that the police fires warning shots into the air. The clash quells momentarily as the young man with the camera films shakily from a safe distance.
From the Toyota Highlander in the distance, the elder statesman looks on grimly. He gestures to his chauffeur. The car starts and zooms off in a cloud of dust.
*
The police manage to bring the clash under control, and the wounded are tended to by Madam Curry and her team. The security personnel insist that the votes be counted in the presence of everyone. So, with bated breath, the parties watch as the votes are counted. Viper fumes in the background as his party vote is counted.
‘993, 994, 995 … Party YYY has nine hundred and ninety-five votes…’ JJ announces.
A few minutes later. ‘473, 474, 475… party BCN has a total of four hundred and seventy-five votes…’
‘994, 995, 996… party TUV has a total of nine hundred and ninety six votes.’ JJ declares and a roar of triumph goes up.
Viper bites his lips and looks around for the highlander. When he can’t find it, he stamps off the clearing in exasperation, his boys at his tail.
*
Amidst the celebrations, Zannu surges through the jubilant crowd to the voting room, a wet hanky to his jaw. Two policemen wave him to a stop at the door. JJ waves okay to them, and Zannu approaches.
‘My god! Are you okay? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!’
Zannu smirks. ‘Says she who put her life on the line.’
JJ shrugs.
‘I don’t think Viper took the loss well.’ Zannu says after a moment of silence.
JJ shrugs again. ‘I don’t know too. His party fought but the people won. That’s the ideal. TUV—’
‘Yeah. TUV is the people’s choice, they won by one vote… blah blah blah. Gosh! I’m talking about your safety here!’
‘Well, the police promised to escort us safely. So…’ She wrings her hands.
Zannu sighs. ‘Well, I’ll talk to Madam Curry. Perhaps she can arrange some extra escort for you.’
‘That’d be great.’ Pause ‘We owe you, Mr Zannu. This country owes you. Thank you very much.’
‘Owe me? Nah. Like I said earlier, I could die for what I consider precious. And besides, if you hadn’t started it—’
Aziza clears her throat noisily. JJ looks at her and nods.
‘Gotta go, yes?’ Zannu asks. JJ nods.
‘Yeah. But tell me this last thing though.’ She asks. ‘Who’d you vote for?’
Zannu smirks. ‘TUV. Curious eh?’
*
The skyline is a deep red as Aziza and JJ pack the election materials into boxes.
‘Where’s Policarp and why isn’t he helping?’ Aziza whines. ‘God knows I’m fagged out.’
JJ stifles a laughter. ‘You didn’t hear? Viper wasn’t the only one he double-crossed?’
Aziza stops short, mouth agape.
*
At the far edge of the compound, Policarp casts furtive glances over his shoulders before slinging his bag over the fence and scaling it. As he lands on the other side, four goons materialise from the brush and close in on him.
He yelps and flees, leaving his bag behind.
*
JJ sets her bag on the sleeping mat. She dials a number on her phone, a hand absently clutching the inhaler. The line connects and the babble of a toddler is heard.
JJ says softly to herself, ‘We did it darling.’
THE END.
