The second son

Chapter fourteen

When the news came that the Kingdom of Mmiri had been accepted as the 194th member of the United Nations Organization,  Jaachi knew the worst was over and he wanted to celebrate. The entire ELOE, the director of the Cyber Military and that of the Special warfare intelligence, the president of the newly structured legislature and his vice along with all the five star Generals and his mother who was still called the Odoba were all summoned to celebrate a day that would mark the turning point in the history of Mmiri. Jaachi's only regret was that his father hadn't been there to watch this day happen. Toasts  were given, speeches were made and  everyone in general let down their gaurds as they celebrated.

   After the last of his guests had gone, Jaachi walked his mother to the door of her apartment, missed her and Left it was a cool evening and he could not think of anyone he wanted to be with more than he wanted to be with Flora. He was about to take some royal gaurds with him and a helicopter to go and see her when his phone rang. It was Maopa.

   " Jaachi you wouldn't believe what I just found out." She said immediately he picked up, her voice sounded odd like was indecisive about even speaking with him.

   " What is it Maopa?" He asked

  " Well you're going to promise not to do anything rash."

   " I can't make that promise - of cause I wouldn't do anything rash but I don't know what you consider rash. Maopa talk to me, what's wrong.?" She was silent on the other side. " Maopa? What is the problem?"

   " I'm coming over to the palace, and I'm bringing a guy with me." She said finally and hung up leaving Jaachi to wonder what on earth could be going on.

   Five minutes later, Maopa and a lean, tall man were ushered into Jaachi's house.

   " Jaachi this is Mr. Onyiahi Ottoh, he was the engineer in charge of the royal jet." Maopa said, she considered herself to be a very matter of fact person and so she didn't bother to introduce Jaachi

   "Pleased to meet you.". Jaachi said shaking the Man's hand.

   " Well Mr. President, I mean Ochia what she was trying to explain is that I am the one that gives the jet an examination before it is scheduled for take off." He kept quiet as if waiting for something to click in Jaachi's mind.

   Jaachi was trying very hard not to jump into conclusion but a hundred and one thoughts were going through his head.. "Go on, I'm listening."

   " Ms Maopa here said you already know the jet was sabotaged -"

   " Yes, can you spit it out, what is it you want to say ?"

   " The day the Ochia and Prince Nikku were to travel with the plane, I examined it as usual and there was nothing wrong with the jet, then the General came, he asked me to leave that he had a surprise he wanted to keep for your father and that he didn't want me to see, that it was something to do with a family matter, and so I left, as unprofessional as that sounds."

    Jaachi was very pale and his fingers were trembling. When he spoke, he slowly enunciated every word to make sure he was not misunderstood. "Are you telling me that my uncle the General sabotaged his own brother's jet ?" But even as he asked the question, the dots were already connecting in his head.

   " Sir, I did not say the General sabotaged the plane, all I said was that the plane was sabotaged and the General had some time alone to do something to the plane."  The engineer said defensively.

   Jaachi kept quiet for a while taking it all in then he got into a car and headed for the General's house, he did not even bother to take royal gaurds with him. He stopped by at a pharmacy on his way and picked up a portion in a vial. 

   " Ah ! Jaachi !"  The General said as he walked inside. " Is it that you cannot do without me or what?"

   " Ochia Jaachi ." 

   The General was taken aback. " You said what?"

    " Ochia Jaachi. I'm your King, General."  Jaachi roared and the General was silent " just what surprise did you leave for my father in the plane General?"

   The General got up and walked to the window. " So we've finally gotten here. Tell me Ochia Jaachi !" He said with sarcasm.  " When I told you to check for the file on the Jordan bombing, did you think I did not know you would find the one on the plane crash, but I let you do it because it was all part of the plan." 

  " Part of what plan ?"

  The General turned, suddenly furious too. " The plan to free the East, to free the kingdom of Mmiri from the clutches of the west. Iloruku was too weak to make hard decisions, decisions that would have made a difference. He dragged this war on for ten years ! Refusing to draft a constitution refusing every opportunity for progress that came, even that very diplomatic meeting he had scheduled with the British Prime minister, he had already written it off even before he heard the prime minister out. He said the British government was already in support of the West, and so nothing good would come of the meeting and that was how he has been acting. .... and Nikku I don't really know the kind of man he was because he was so busy trying to be his father - "

   " And so you killed them, you did not like the personality of your brother, your only brother, last relation you had and so you killed him and his son."

   " Do you think I wanted to, do you think it was an easy decision for me to make but I'm a soldier, I make -"

   " Don't you dare!' Jaachi was no longer shouting but the force in his words had the same effect. " Don't stand there and tell me the reason you murdered your brother and nephew was because you are a soldier, it is not on the army, this is all on you. No wonder you could just sit very calm at that conference and talk about how the deaths of innocent people was some kind of big break -"

   " And didn't everything happen as I predicted?"

   " That's not the point !"

   "What then is ? Sometimes you can sacrifice your pawns, you knights, bishops and even your Queen if you knew it would help you take your opponents king and now, look around you, can't you see that the war is almost over?"

   " So that's what human lives mean to you, a b****y chess game ?"

   " Life is a game of chess, you make your moves and you stand by them. I was the first person that met your mother, did she tell you?  I fell in love with her at first sight but I didn't make my move and Iloruku did and I lost my chance forever but what I did not loose was the love I had for her."

   Jaachi staring at the General in horror, realizing that he had never really known his Uncle.

   "When you carelessly told me to get married to your mom and become Ochia, I was terrified, I thought you had somehow discovered a secret I had his for so long." He laughed.  " No other woman could hold a candle to her, I couldn't imagine myself with any other woman so I stayed single."

   " You killed your brother because you were jealous of him?"

   Ejiofor sighed.  " I don't expect you to understand. So Ochia Jaachi, what are you planning to do get me tried for murder?"

   Jaachi shook his head. " No, the people see you as a hero, as a great soldier that fought to make the sovereign kingdom of Hendosia a reality. They look up to you, they don't deserve to see the real you, to see what a monster you are. It would destroy their faith." He brought out the vial.

  Ejiofor laughed bitterly. " Oh so now you are going to finish me up ehn ?" He shrugged . "I'm a soldier, I've always known I would die one day, maybe a little earlier than some, but you Jaachi,  your life is just starting, do you want that on your conscience ?"

   Jaachi shook his head. " I would have nothing on my conscience because I would not do anything." He grew the vial to his uncle who caught it. " The doctors are going to say you were traumatized after the m******e on July 1st and so you committed suicide. You are going to drink from this vial an hour after I leave and you are going to do it in front of that CCTV over there," he pointed at the wall. "And you're going to do this because you don't want the Odoba Rota to know the monster you really are."  Jaachi finished, silently daring the General to refuse.

   " So you've got it all figured bout huh?"

   Jaachi shrugged. " I learnt from the best ." He said as he left, entering the car and driving straight home.

   The General waited  for one hour after Jaachi had gone then he got infront of the CCTV and emptied the vial into his mouth.

                                                                                      ***

Jaachi was standing with Flora in his house, infront of the TV. The only reason why they were in front of the TV in the first place was because Flora had insisted she wanted to watch the news and so they did. They watched  Awake Africa, CNN, BBC, Arise news and some other local news channels and they all said the same thing, the ten year long war between East Hendosia now the Kingdom of Mmiri and the West Hendosia had finally ended in a treaty between the two nations. Jaachi switched off the television before the reporter could say more.

   " Jaachi !" Flora swatted him, laughing. " I said I wanted to watch - ". She screamed with laughter when he carried her and spurn her around. 

   "It's over, it's over it's finally over, I still can't get over it"

   Two days earlier, after three foreign embassies had been opened in the Kingdom of Mmiri, the International court of justice had invited both Mmiri and Hendosia to settle their dispute and Hendosia had called off the war even before the court date, signing a treaty with the kingdom of Mmiri and entering into diplomatic relations with them.

   Jaachi had come over to Flora's house taking only two Royal gaurds with him and taking with him something of more importance to him. Flora was still laughing, spinning herself around when he got down on one knee, so that when she turned to face him, she was first shocked then a look of pure joy spread over her face. "Yes" she said before he even asked. "Yes I will marry you.

                                                                                    The end .