Gordon State was a land flowing with milk and honey. It was the hub of all manners of activities – legal, illegal, mind-blowing, mind-blogging, and heart-breaking. It was the commercial centre of Uguru. It attracted drug addicts, drug pushers, louts, gangsters, human traffickers, kidnappers, armed robbers, assassins, fraudsters, money-changers, scarlet ladies and what have you.
Many citizens of Uguru described it as a land full of bright opportunities for all, irrespective of their status, race or nationality. It was the state that fed the whole of Uguru as it also had industries and companies owned by local and foreign investors. Therefore, many graduates of Uguru university usually ran there from their respective villages and towns for a better life.
Many of them got there only to be estranged. Some got what they never bargained for, as others went in a sheep and turned a wolf overnight. Some went there a child and came back adults, others went there innocent, coming back guilty with their hands full of blood. That was if they ever had the chance to return. Some returned home full of resources, abundance of wealth. You would never go to Gordon State and remain the same, whether for good or otherwise. No one could explain how this state was structured like that.
In this “scar city” was a lady found. Her father was one of the big wheels in town, a politician of repute who won the hearts of the poor and down-trodden. He was noted for his agenda for the poor, making life better for them in Gordon State before he lost a battle to the grim-reaper.
He was given a state burial but he had made his marks as a businessman before venturing into politics, purely to change the narrative to prove people wrong that not all politicians were corrupt. Some had a good heart and were ready to sacrifice their pleasure and wealth in the cause of the poor. He melted the hearts of millions of people. Many graduates benefitted a great deal from his people-oriented policies. Many families would remember him for providing their children with free education, from elementary to tertiary institutions. He made loan facilities available to all and sundry. He improved a great deal the welfare of the people. Health issues were not taken lightly. Security was another thing he tackled with zeal and zest. At least, during his tenure as the governor of Gordon State, insecurity and criminal activities were reduced to the barest minimum. Criminals were on their guard and always on the run as police never stopped combing their hideouts with a view to arresting them and rehabilitating them to become good citizens who would be a blessing rather than a burden to the state and the entire country. Great Sir Williams was an administrator per-excellence.
One would have expected his successors to build on his legacies but unfortunately, they rubbished them, set their own selfish policies to line their own pockets, to eat all and clean mouths. They were not ermines like Sir Williams but pigs and wolves. Their lives could be compared to the stripes on a zebra. Their lethal appetite was a thing of concern for the masses and well-meaning elite of Uguru.
They were not in any way different from a giraffe whose eyes are always up in the sky. The State suffered a big blow in the hands of these patriots in reverse order. Patriots who could best be described as a pelican. They saw nothing wrong in what they did. It would not be unjust or unfair to state that they had ruined the entire State. Insecurity had come to stay again in Gordon State and criminals did their biddings with gay abadon.
The poor and the innocent suffered a great deal. The rich were not left out as they were not safe and secure in their homes. Even the one and only daughter of Sir Williams was not spared. She was left with a lot of wealth, fleet of cars, companies, landed property, gold, diamond, money, connection in high places and many benefits. She had suffered blows in the hands of wolves in sheep-clothing. She had been hoodwinked times without number. Yes, Mary had suffered heart breaks, gone through trauma and would have gone insane. Thank goodness she was still alive. She was just recuperating from a smarting pain, from the agony and psychological torture of loneliness, desertion and betrayal from a man in whom she had put her trust.
She could best be described as naïve. She was always in the comfort of her father and never had the opportunity to live with others to learn the ways of her world. The only time she left the comfort of her father’s estate was when she went to study in the United States of America. She was overprotected there too as her mother’s relatives overpampered her.
Her mother was a White American who loved Sir Williams very much. They were named twins by people because they treated each other like an egg. Whatever Sir Williams said was what you would hear from his wife but unfortunately, cancer took her life. She battled with the wolf for several years before giving in. Life was difficult for Sir Williams after his wife’s demise. He wondered if any woman could fill the vacuum left in his heart by his beloved wife. He, therefore, promised his daughter that he would take care of her and would not give his heart to any other woman, that the memory of her wife would linger in his heart forever. Yes, would be like the fresh foliage in the sun after rain. That gesture was good for Mary for a while but both parents were not alive and there was no one to guide her as she was surrounded by sycophants and praise singers who could not tell her the truth.
She had been used and dumped, trampled upon like rags, treated like trash, abused like drugs so many times that she had lost count. One wonders what or who would heal her wounded heart and let her know what love truly was.
One fateful evening, she was taking a stroll in a park. Mary had informed her servants to let her be. All her past adventures began to play in her mind. She could recollect vividly how Bob promised her heaven and earth.
“Bob, would you trade my love for anything else?”
“No! why would I want to do that in the first place?”
“Really?”
“No, Mary! Who would fill my heart with love and joy the way you do? Don’t you know my life is empty, dull and drab without you? I am naked without you. Once you are taken out of my life, I am dead. You are to me what blood is to humans. You are to me what breath is to life. My baby, trust me, I will never leave you for any reason. Others may have disappointed you, ripped your heart open, but I can’t and will never do that. Just trust me, remember, if we have no trust, we have nothing!”
“I believe you, Bob. I know you truly love me. I just sometimes ask these questions so as to be rest assured that I’m not in the wrong ship again. I’m afraid of another shipwreck.”
“Come of it, Mary, I can’t disappoint you. You are my last bus stop!”
Bob hugged her warmly and kissed her. After two weeks, she went to the former’s house to pay him a surprise visit but she was dazed. It was as if she was dreaming, as Bob was in the arms of another angel - one of his numerous angels.
She broke down right there but the heartless man did not care. All he could say was“Take a hike, loser!” The woman with him called Mary names. Leaving there, she fainted and was rushed to a specialist hospital. She recalled other encounters with men in which case she would have gone insane. She came back to her senses when she saw a dog close to her. It was a feral dog. The dog bit her and she cried for help. Nobody was available except for a man, a gentle looking man who came to her rescue. The latter rushed her to a nearby hospital where she received medical attention. The man footed the bills and even drove Mary home. He sometimes called at Mary’s house to say “Hello!”
The repeated visits and hellos presented in low, soft tones struck a chord of intense feeling for the strange man in Mary’s heart. Before, it was a drop, then a flow and later a mighty ocean in which she swam in her dreams. Sometimes, she saw herself in the warm embrace of the stranger – alone in the meadow, in a park or garden. She could not recollect the number of days she heard, “I love you!” said to her by the stranger in her sleep.
The man on his part could not but think of Mary. She saw in her life what no other lady possessed. She was the desire of well-meaning men. Mary was blessed with huge frontal undulations and breath-taking contours which caught men’s steady gaze and made them get carried away even in the company of their lovers. Mary was rich and laced with fine character - a quality now as rare as hen’s teeth among twenty-first century ladies. She loved without looking back. She was not after a man’s physique or status. Once the man was good or appeared to have good character, she fell in love for him.
The stranger, however, appeared nervous, not knowing how to present his manifesto to Mary. One day, he summoned courage and walked up to Mary and said,
“Mary, I love you! I can’t hold it any more. I can’t control myself, my feelings. I dream of you every now and then. I see in you the exact picture of my wife, a suitable companion cut out for me and me alone. The woman with which I can summit my Everest and reach out to the world. I see in you a true love that would put an end to my long search for an angel. I have found my own bone, my soul mate, the only salt of my life. Mary, would you please marry me?”
“No! I can’t marry you! You are not in any way different from one of the so-called gentlemen out there, who should be perfectly described as wolves. Get out of here, opportunist!”
Daniel refused to go out. He began to shed tears – bitter tears – for being turned down by a lady he claimed he truly loved. No lady had ever turned him down, considering his physique. He was tall, fair and handsome. He was every woman’s dream. Many women found him irresistible.
Two security guards came around and dragged him outside the estate, leaving him shouting and begging in vain for Mary’s love. Meanwhile, Mary was weeping profusely in her room. She wondered if Daniel meant all that he had said.
“Did he mean those words, or was just saying them with his tongue in his cheek? Is he way different from Bob and the rest of the men I have had encounter with? Is he the right man that had been kept away from me all this while? Maybe, he is an opportunist or a gold digger? He might not in any way be different from my ex-boyfriends. He may even be worse than any of them.” She burst into tears again, fuming and having hatred for all men except his beloved father who had gone the way of his ancestors. She went to bed that evening, forgetting to take her dinner. She had another dream and saw Daniel kneeling down in the mud for her with rose flowers in his hands. She insulted him and ran away, leaving the poor man to weep and wallow in the mud. She couldn’t help it. She looked back, returned and lifted his hands. They embraced each other with cloying sentimentality and began to tread their way home afterwards. She woke up and smiled, saying, “Finally, I’m going to say yes to him today.” She opened her window only to see the man in question at the entrance to her estate. Then, she sent for him and said “Yes” to the delight of Daniel and to the chagrin of her servants. Were they jealous that she had found the bone of her bones and the flesh of her flesh?
Their relationship was like a mustard seed. It began to grow stronger and stronger day after day to the envy of all and sundry. As Daniel was going uphill, giving joy to the heart of Mary, the lives of the latter’s servants were going downhill as she didn’t have time for them as before. She even forgot to pay their salaries as she had been overwhelmed with Daniel’s love. In most cases, they went out together for days to have their fill of love in a five-star hotel or other deluxe ones. Mary thought she was daydreaming as she found Daniel cute, loving, gentle and sacrificial.
In her opinion, Daniel was a man with a difference. He didn’t have much money to offer her but he spent all he had on her – that was his attention, time and love – which other men Mary had come across never had. Out of curiosity one day, Mary asked her man why he took care of her the way he did and he responded as follows:
“What is food without aroma? What is aroma without food? What is a home without comfort? What is comfort without a home? What is life without love? What is love lacking the spice of life? Mary, what is life without you? Life is nothing without you by my side. I have suffered so much from ladies. Heart-breaks, tears and trauma used to be my companions long before I met you. I have searched for true love in a long time. Because I couldn’t find it in time, I concluded that it no longer existed but I was wrong. You are an epitome of true love, though it is a scarce commodity in this century. Why won’t I value you when I know my life will be hell if I let you go? The path of love isn’t for solitary travellers but for two hearts melt in one. We both shared similar experience. We know what fake love and true love are. Hence, the reason for the feelings and love we shower upon each other. Take it or leave it, there is nothing I can’t do for you, even if it costs my life. I will love you with my blood. I will prove the world wrong that true love, contrary to the opinion they hold, truly exists. Yes, I will prove your ex-lovers a joke as Columbus proved the Spaniards' view a joke because the view they held was that the earth was flat. My heart, be rest assured that someone truly cares for you and that is me. I am your physician and therefore, your healer. I want you to change your perception about men. Men aren’t the same just as women. As we have wolves presenting themselves as sheep, so do we have true sheep living the life of sheep. My love, in the face of beasts, prowling and roaring, cutting through your heart in such a cruel manner, sit still, unruffled and go with ease like the stream. Your ship may be tossed in the direction of Bermuda Triangle, worry not, sleep and snore like a baby for I am always by your side and in your bosom. Honey, I love you more than you can ever imagine!”
“I love you, too! I’m stuck for words. I thought I wasn’t going to find true love. I have been cheated; my heart bruised and shattered like broken china. Your love is bringing back my broken pieces, arranging them and mending my heart. You are the balm to my heart. I wonder what life would be without your love. Daniel, I love you and can’t trade your love for anything else in the whole wide world.” She bawled out her eyes. This time, it was tears of joy.
After returning from one of their outings one day, Mary and Daniel returned home. One of Mary’s three servants offended Daniel. His lover enquired to know what the man’s offence was, but he refused to tell her, insisting that the servant must be fired first. Since Mary always wanted to satisfy him, she sacked the man. Two weeks later, other servants were sacked, leaving only the driver. Who would serve Mary, cook her meals? Daniel volunteered to do everything for her except driving.
True to his words, he used to do almost all things for Mary. He would do the dishes, laundry and prepare their meals. He was a good cook. He never ceased to dazzle Mary with his cooking dexterity. He could prepare local and continental dishes. He could even win laurels for cooking. Mary couldn’t but wonder that kind of man hers was.
“You must be a chef, Daniel!”
“Why did you say that, my love?”
“Why won’t I? You cook better than any other cook I have ever met. Your meals are delicious and my delight. I don’t think I’m as good as you in cooking. If we both enter cooking contest, you will romp home to victory. I love you so much, dear!”
“I love you more, I love you so much, dear!”
“I love you more, my sweet potato!”
Afterwards, they both drank to stupor. By the time Mary woke up, she saw herself tied to an arm chair and began to shout:
“Somebody, help! Daniel, where are you?”
“I’m right here beside you, honey! Nobody will hear you. I have killed your driver. All your servants never offended me but I lied that they did so that you could fire them. You actually did to my delight, honey!”
“But why, honey? I thought we loved each other very much and professed our undying love to each other having spent nice times together. Would you please tell me what is happening here? What is my offence, Daniel? I’m running out of patience!”
“You never offended me. You are only suffering from what you knew nothing of. Besides, I’m a gold digger and notorious gangster. Your father sent police to comb my hideout when he was the governor of this State. The encounter between my boys and the police led to loss of lives of my boys. So, I decided to pay him back in his own coin. In case you don’t know, I sent one of my girls to poison him, which she did. So, you see, your father didn’t die a natural death. Without mincing words, I have transferred all your money into my account and all your gold and diamonds are in this bag. For you, you will go and join your father anytime from now as this building will soon go up in flames. Good bye, honey,” kissing her as he left for the back of the building to set it ablaze.
“Please, Daniel! Forgive me! Let me go! I will will all my property to you! Please, remember how I showed you true love!” She bawled out her eyes and shouted but nobody was in sight to help her as the building was already on fire.
The deed was done again. This time, it was vicious and evil confirming Mary’s words that there was no true love as every man who came her way was always a pretender and wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Daniel was an instrument in the hand of death. He felt pleased, and victorious for avenging the death of his boys. He ran as far as his feet could carry him. He ran from the long arm of the law and vengeance. Yes, he ran in the manner of a cheetah without looking back but could he always run? Could he always wriggle free like an eel from the hands of state machinery of justice? Could he always trample upon others and go scot free? Perhaps he had drunk the potion of immortality and would live forever, always having his way without being trapped in the woven web of karma and consequences of his actions – terrible ones which bleed and cost sons and daughters of our beautiful planet.