The second son

chapter three

The Fly boys were all over the Flyeralarm in Wurzburg Germany for their 60 minutes training just before the grand finale match against Brazil. They were all looking splendid in the out fit chosen by the football committee back home. Instead of the usual variations of navy blue and white, the Fly boys had appeared in plain navy blue and they looked good. they had looked good in all their past games, winning, even going on to become the only African country still in the world cup. Reporters swarmed asking questions, taking photos and videos.

The entire world cup had been an experience, with the Fly boys playing with a determination and calculated skill that made the whole world watch out for them. Singers back home rose up in support with theme songs and anthems, celebrities encouraged and when the only other African country still in the world cup lost to Argentina in the quarter finals, tipping the Fly boys to carry the world cup, the entire Africa stood behind them. Before then, Africa had been divided in support between the other African team and the Fly boys but with only the Fly boys left, the entire Africa and almost the rest of the world hoped to watch. the Fly boys make history.

      A hush fell on the stadium as the coach, Mabenna walked in. "Gather round boys" but he didn't even need to say that, they had already spotted him and started coming closer. "who is the winner of today's match?" He asked quietly, too quietly for any pep talk and the players wondered how to respond. "I asked, who is the winner of the 2022 world cup tournament?"

      "The Fly boys !" some players shouted with vigor, while others remained quiet, still believing the question to be a trick question.

     " Wrong." Mabenna said simply "There is no winner yet because the match hasn't been played. So today, the winner goes to the best team. We have been promised the most Fair referees in FIFA, the whole world is watching, you can be rest assured that the team that plays best would win." He paused and looked at his team, at the first eleven and the substitution. He had a great team and he could almost literarily feel the tension. The victory was not won, not yet but he could feel history being made. Achawa the keeper with a great number of saves during the world cup including a wonderful angle 90 that every one had feared would put him out in injury but he miraculously kept the ball and remained free from any injury, O. Faith the wonderful defender, his midfielders Tim Ohefheti, Haye Power and Denise Mma. The amazing center forward, Praise. Jaachi the wonder striker with a hat trick and an impressive five goals already in the tournament. They would make history. "Up until now, there has been no victory." He continued. "Don't rest on laurels you don't have. Almost is not a win, history would forget. History would forget how hard you've worked, how well you've played, Jaachi's hat trick, Omena's wonderful assists. History would forget Achawa's saves, the dribbling skills of Praise. History may choose to remember that this is first African country to get to the world cup finals but history would make light of it. Almost is never a win. Forget the little victories you think you might have gained in the tournament, today we make history. Today we come home with the world cup. Let's train." The reporters were sent out as the players started drilling.

      All through the 60 minutes practice and the 45 minutes given to the Fly boys to get used to the stadium, Jaachi was having an out of body experience. He followed instructions, Made shots for the post, passes and even scored a goal, but everything was like on auto. It was as if another person had taken over his body and acted and thought for him, while he tried desperately to get his head into the game as it kept wondering down memory lane. He remembered his first football, his father had bought that for him, it was as they had just returned from a Chelsea- Arsenal match which they had gone to watch live at the Stamford bridge. Chelsea, their club had won and so his happy Father had bought him the ball. That was back when his Father had still been a football fan, when he was still Mr. Iloruku Mashi, before he became the king. Jaachi remembered how ecstatic his father had been when he made the under seventeen world cup team back in 2009. Scouters for the Hendosia football Federation had attended the finals of the tournament for all secondary schools in his state. Oblivious to the important people who had come to watch him, and how crucial the match was to his career Jaachi had been in his element. For all he cared, he was playing for his father, his hero. His school won the game and his sports master introduced him to the scouters who promised to get back to him.

       Jaachi brought his mind back to the present in time to trap the ball that was about to go past him, he didn't even know who passed the ball. He took aim and shot the ball right into the post, beating his 52 yard goal which was his best goal so far. "Brilliant!" He heard the coach say before he zoned off again.

       The day news came that he had made the under 17 world cup team, Jaachi wondered if things could not be more perfect. As if aware of how great that day was going to be, his mother had made his favourite meal, rice and fara sauce, a traditional meal made of brown rice cooked and served with fara -  barbecued meat with lots of pepper, shredded and cooked in a pepper sauce. The messenger had arrived with his call up letter while the whole family was still eating so that Jaachi's joy knew no bounds, he could enjoy his favourite food at the same time he heard the best news of his life. His father had been ecstatic. "Father are you watching this now, are you keeping up with this world cup or are  you too busy making sure you remain king and you're son after you."Jaachi sighed aloud as he crashed into another of his team mates. " Whats wrong with you Jaachi! Get your head in the game!" He mentally chided himself as the coach called them off the pitch.

     " What's wrong with you Jaachi!" Mabenna asked as soon as they were off the pitch and heading to their dressing room. "You have been very absent minded. The most important game in the history of football and you are absent minded?"

       "I'm sorry Coach, it won't happen again." Jaachi replied lamely.

      " I'm afraid you'll have to do better than just being sorry. You'll have to tell me what's been bothering you or sit this game out...... Yes!" He answered Jaachi's incredulous expression. "You don't have an automatic slot in every game, I need to be sure the players I put on the field is in the teams best interest and I don't think it would be in the teams best interest to put an absent minded player on the field." They had walked up to their dressing room and the coach sat on a random seat and motioned for Jaachi to find a place to sit. When he did, Mabenna asked again " what's the problem Jaachi?"

      Jaachi looked sheepish "You'll think I was being childish." The coach merely raised a brow. "I guess I just wish my father were here, I wish he gave a f**k about his son winning the world cup, I wish things didn't have to change, I wish East and West Hendosia stayed as one." Jaachi blurted out. " There's probably no one that would watch the match back home..... Except my girlfriend Lola. My brother has never really liked football, more of a baseball fan, and anyway we aren't that close. My mom... Well my mom mostly watches just for the sake of it, but my father....... It's like the Mmiri tribe gained a king and I lost a Dad." Jaachi finished, actually feeling light after letting such a weight off his chest.

     " Well you were right, it is childish." The coach said softly. " But think about it, would your father ever take you seriously again if you don't break new ground in your football career? Think about it. Child hood was good but you're a Man now and you need to start carving out your own part in life otherwise you'll be left with neither this nor that, just memories! So for the last time, get your head in the game, let's carry this cup."

                                                                                                   ***

      Jaachi finally had his head in the game, finally had his act together. He liked to believe that, yet later, when he went over it again and again, either he did have his head in the game or over the years, he must have convinced himself that he had. The Team had rested and we're filling out for the actual game when the coach hurried up to him. "I'm sorry Jaachi, urgent from home."He said handing Jaachi a cell phone with his hand on the reciever, it was one of the few times Jaachi remembered he was a prince, any other player would have been required to take the call later. Jaachi hurried off the pitch, wondering how he was supposed to get back into the pitch, they would start playing the national anthems of both teams anytime soon. "Hello" he said into the phone. The voice that spoke was one he didn't recognize and his life was never the same again.

                                                                                                    ***

Nmaka was restless. She just couldn't place it. She was alone in the house, her mother had finally taken her much deserved vacation and was currently touring the world. She was happy for her mother, so why was she feeling so restless. After giving up on a T.V program half way through for the third time, she decided to call her mother. Her mother answered immediately.  " Hi Mom" Nmaka laughed when her mother asked if she was already missed.  " Yes sure I miss you..... But! Don't hop on the next plane and start coming back home. I'm serious Mom. I don't want to see you in this house until at least two weeks."  She sensed her mother still needed more persuasion.  " Look Mom enjoy okay, you deserve it and make sure you do something crazy like fall in love or something." She laughed when her mother chided her.   "What? Dad's been dead since I was a toddler, c'mon ! Have a life."  She laughed "bye Mom ! I love you ......and I trust your judgement." She added just incase her mother decided to take her up on the offer and fall in love. After hanging up, she decided to make an early dinner. Cooking for just yourself meant you were allowed to be adventurous and break some rules of cooking. It also meant you had no one to part you on the back of you did a nice job. She missed Nikku. That was it, she missed Nikku. That was why she hadn't felt better after talking to her mother. It wasn't her mother's voice she craved to hear, it was her lovers. They had both decided not to speak with each other on the phone till he got back, and she now wondered why she had agreed to such an idea. Sighing softly, she brought out her grandmother's cookery book and decided to bake a chocolate cake. She had just brought out a measure of flour when the door bell rang.  Even though she knew it could not be Nikku, her heart still skipped a beat.  

      " Good evening?" She frawned at the stranger at the door.

      " Good evening Ma'am." He answered with an air of formality she just couldn't place.  " This would be  for you." He said handing her an envelope, then she saw the pity in his eyes.

        Curious, she shut the door behind him and then opened the letter. She was first in shock then she gave a heart wrenching scream. Her life would never be the same again.

                                                                                               ***

Lola was arguing with her Father again while the T.V blared the West Hendosia-Brazil match which Lola had already lost interest in, once she found out Jaachi wasn't playing. The arguments had gotten more frequent after her elder sister's wedding and the house was becoming unbearable. She wondered how her Father had gone from doting father to best friend and then nagging father so quickly. Her elder sister had always been the buffer, eager- to - please Shola who had always played the peace maker. Offering her self up as the scape goat at times by accepting blame for  'crimes' Lola committed. Other times, she was playing host, even in her own home. Coming up with fun things for the family to do to fill up free time and hopefully avert more rancour. Now sweet Shola with the wide smile and cute dimples, perfect Shola who knew how to keep house,  could cook and was wife material, humble Shola who didn't let her father's position and wealth get into her head was married and Lola was left to face her father alone.

         " Why can't you be more like your sister, Lola. "  her father continued in that tiresome voice of his, like a weary father who was trying in vain to make his not- so- bright daughter see reason.   " Look at your sister, she - "

         " Look at her! Yes look at her! " Lola burst out, frustrated. " Shola is married and living her life, yet I can't get out of her shadow. I'm sorry Dad. I'm sorry I dropped out of uni, I was just not ment to be a medical doctor - I don't want to be one! It's okay if we can't be friends again...... I mean, that would only make me miss mom more." The tears she felt blinding her momentarily were not a come on, even though she was delibrately playing the mom card to get her father's pity. She had used the death of her Mom which happened two years ago to  win arguments and most times indulgences from her father. " But Daddy.... I .. I'm me I only wish you'll get to know the real me, you might love her."

        " It okay Angel." Her Dad softened already. "It's okay." He gathered her in his arms, sighing inwardly. He hadn't won the argument, again. Lola had turned down yet another job offer from  another one of his colleagues. He told himself he would keep trying. He wasn't a quiter but it was beginning to look like Lola had settled for being just a billionaire's daughter. As for her boyfriend the prince, East Hendosia was still not taken seriously globally and so an alliance with the so called royal family was a joke. " What do you say to watching the telly with your old man mmmh? " He asked lifting up her chin. " Let's watch T.V like the old times. You could even bring a DVD of that your crown prince in action." 

        " Dad !" Lola swatted him. " He's not a crown prince, he's just the second son." Hard feelings forgotten, she changed the channel away from sports it was half time and still 0-0. She was glad she hadn't acted on the impulse she had gotten earlier and flown to the stadium at Germany to watch the match only to see Jaachi not play. She wondered what the matter could be expecialy since he hadn't sustained any injury that would have been an excuse for sitting out a match. Lola changed to a news channel.

         "The world mourns  with East Hendosia while everyone wonders, will this be the end of the secession?" A news caster was saying.  "Authorities are still investigating the crash of the royal private jet that killed the King and crown Prince of East Hendosia." 

         Lola was horrified, thinking for a moment that it was Jaachi on the plane with his father, then it all came back. It couldn't be Jaachi. Jaachi was in Germany. It was The King and Prince Nikku. She was hysterical, relived. She started laughing and crying at the same time, too greatful that Jaachi was alive to even consider the implications of what she had just heard. She wasn't to know how this was going to affect Jaachi and life with him as she knew it.

                                                                                                   ***

         Earlier that day, at 7 am, Ochia Iloruku, his two  pilots,  personal assistant and the Prince, Nikku had boarded the royal private jet, all enthusiastic about the invitation by the British Prime minister, to discuss political matters in East Hendosia. Hopefully, that was going to be the beginning of international recognition.

        " You seem awfully quiet father?" Nikku asked his smiling father.

         " I'm thinking." TheOchia said. " If things work out as planned, we should be applying to join the UN soon."

         It was Nikku's turn to be silent. "Do you think our constitution is considered suitable?" He asked after a while. "I mean, there are a lot of loop holes.... If you'll permit me to call it that." 

         " My problem is not the constitution right now Son." Iloruku answered. " This meeting in its self would probably not come to much, Britain is behind the West, don't be mistaken."  

         Nikku was confused.

         " Once news of our meeting with the prime minister comes out, the Eastern world would want to come in. It's still a struggle of ideologies out there and we would need all the allies we can get.  So concerning the constitution, the ELOF left the ideology of this country undefined when drafting the constitution for a reason......." 

          Six hours and two naps later, Nikku was feeling disoriented. Something wrong was happening, the jet going down in a very fast spiral, throwing things about. His father was sitting awkwardly, drumming on the window sill with his fingers and actually praying.  " What's wrong with the plane Father." Nikku asked  then raising his voice, he asked through the intercom. "What's wrong with the plane Captain?" His father's personal assistant had already started wailing something about being too young to die.

          In the c**k pit, the Captain  was trying in vain to control the plane, he didn't even bother to answer the prince, he had more to worry about than being rude. Earlier he had noticed the oil pressure on the first engine drop to zero. While planning for an emergency landing, the indicator for the second engine also dropped to zero. The entire flight crew were shocked, horrified beyond words. Chances of both engines failing on a plane were like zero to none. Still trying to glide the plane and crash land, they lost what the captain was sure was the vertical stabilizer.

            7 year old Thomas had been told by his mother to stay home and be a good boy while she bought vegetables from the nearest grocery store. Thomas was not angry, just resigned. When he learnt he had to skip school for a few days because of his summer elegy that was acting up, he literally thanked God for his elegy. Now, he wasn't so sure. First he missed his school mates, he missed his siblings and coupled with the fact there was really no fun thing in his house for a kid alone to do, his parents were never really there. It was easy to take it for granted, going to school and then coming home to meet your mother but if you stayed at home all day, you'll actually notice even mother's went to work. Back from work, his mother had given him the be - a - good - boy instruction before going off to buy groceries, now feeling extremely bored, Thomas was about to watch Trolls for the third time that day when he heard the airplane sound, like his backyard was an airport. When the sound got too loud to ignore, he came out to the back of the house to investigate, in time to watch the East Hendosia royal jet crash into his backyard. He called 999.

          D.S Denise Spoilsworth had been sent down from the station to 'look into' the phone call from a kid who no doubt should be in school by that time of the day. 'plane crash indeed! ' He mused. He too had heard the aircraft, but what was the probability that the aircraft crashed - zero to none. That was probably just a kid playing truant. He was going to start by asking what the kid was doing away from school. He walked up to the house on the address given to him, a cute little house, complete with a perfectly groomed lawn and all that. A little boy of about eight opened up even before he knocked. " A plane crashed in my back yard." The little boy announced.

      "Well the idea was that you were going to let me see it." The DS replied. He had only been told to check out the boys claims, he had not been told what to do if there was an actual crash. " Where are your parents?" He remembered to ask, not thinking it wise to enter a home when no adult was around.

       "Daddy's at work and my Mommy went to the grocery store down the road. She'll be back soon". Thomas added, the man in front of him did not look like the police men he knew who were always on uniform, he had watched his fair share of movies and was beginning to think opening the door to a stranger, police or not when he was home alone was not such a wise idea after all. " Can I see a badge?" He asked scrounging up his face and trying to look the police man in the eye.

       " Here." Denise showed the kid, feeling stupid. Thinking he had made enough of a fool of himself, he decided to see the backyard, with or without an adult present. "Let's see that backyard of yours." He said to the kid who was only too eager to lead the way. When Denise got to the boy's backyard and saw the crashed jet with East Hendosia's royal insignia, he called Scotland Yard.

       At the Metropolitan Police Service, the commissioner picked up his phone at the first dial. He listened and when he hung up, he placed two calls. One for an ambulance and the other to General Ejiofor of the East Hendosian army.

       Ejiofor was pacing his sitting room, restless, agitated and a bit unsure of himself when his phone rang.He answered immediately and listened to the commissioner at Scotland Yard tell him that his brother, the last remaining one of his immediate family had just been involved in a plane crash. He told himself it was not time to panic, it was time to act. Three calls and thirty minutes later, it was confirmed that there was no survivor of the plane crash and Ejiofor still tried not to loose it. It was impossible to imagine Iloruku dead, to imagine all that quiet strength - just gone and Nikku, vibrant Nikku who if all the people of East Hendosia had their way, would be king after his father.

      The General couldn't mourn, not yet. The deaths of Iloruku and Nikku opened up the Country to the enemy and Ejiofor knew his brother was counting on him now, more than ever. He started to dial Rota's number, to get to her before the press did then thought better of it. He wrote out three letters instead which were to be hand delivered. One to the President of the Enlightened Lovers of the East, the next to the secretary of counties and the last one to Flora Akhil, Nikki's fiancee. He did not write any letter to Rota, he would tell her in person.

       Ejiofor did not trust himself to drive so he allowed a young, eager-to - please ensign drive him. His mind was strangely alert, noticing everything. The ring on the ensign's left hand which was on the steering, a lizard that ran swiftly across the road, a traffic warden at the corner of the road helping young school children cross. It was like by suppressing his emotions, his mind had become clearer, a whole lot of things had just started to make sense. He wilfully brought his mind under control as they pulled up to the official palace.

     Rota let him in herself, she had always insisted she did not need any house staff. According to her, her husband was supposed to feel the difference between his office and his home. "Ejiofor 

! What a pleasant surprise." She was saying, smiling broadly as she stepped asaide to let him in.

     Ejiofor took it all in, her wide smile, she was dressed in pink print trousers and a milky blouse, was probably about to attend one of her many charity events. There was no better way to break it. "The Royal jet crashed". He watched her face go pale. "None survived". He said gently, "Iloruku and Nikku are dead". He watched the shock register on her face, she was shaking her head, silently mouthing the word 'no', then the quaking started. He held her close through the violent quaking and teeth chattering until now she seemed a bit quiet, with spasms still going through her little frame. He led her to a sofa, poured a shot for her, forced it into her hands and then called the ambulance. She had downed the shot in one gulp and was now curled up on the couch, her knees up to her chin, her hands around her legs. Rocking slowly, back and forth, back and forth pushing away reality, the horrible news, refusing to believe. He sat down opposite her to wait for the ambulance, he just could not leave her alone the way she was.

        "We met at uni." She was saying quietly, too quietly she could have been talking to herself. " Hendosia was so messed up then, nobody wanted to school in the country. Finding someone from my country and of my tribe in the university of Cape town was like - it was like coming home. He was always such a solid rock, always so intelligent and dependable and - and".  She gestured, trying in ain to convey the force of  her emotions with her words. " It's impossible to kill Iloruku you see" she said staring out, blinded by her own tears. "And Nikku, he's not dead you see." She broke down. "He's not even married yet, he - he...." She was sobbing uncontrollably, talking non stop. It did not matter that her words were not making any sense, she just had to keep talking or she knew, she would run ma. It was like she just had to figure out that one word to say, and a solution would magically appear. Saying that Iloruku and Nikku were dead was too final, there had to be something she could do, something that could be done.

       The door bell rang, and Ejiofor opened the doors to the young nurse who had rung. An ambulance was parked outside, and he could see para medicals already wheeling out a stretcher. He explained the situation to the nurse who agreed to stay with the Odoba till she felt better, the ambulance and the rest of the paramedics were sent away. His phone rang and he picked up to hear the secretary of the ELOE inform him of his honorary invitation to be a part of an emergency ELOE meeting that was scheduled to hold that afternoon in lieu of the recent happenings. The General checked his watch, it was half past one and the meeting was by two, he had only thirty minutes to make it to the ELOE headquarters at the Oak of Shobar in time for the meeting. He glanced at the nurse who had gone to sit close to Rota and was mumuring words of comfort to her, stroking her arm gently. He nodded to her when she looked up then called the military helicopter. He was already heading to the gate when the helicopter landed in front of him, he climbed in and then accepted a change of jacket from the young Officer holding one out to him.

                                                                                           ***

Nmaka was crying softly on her best friend's lap, her mother had called as soon as she heard the news to tell her she was coming home on the next available flight.Some how, Nmaka wanted to be alone, and yet to have her family and friends beside her at the same time. The thing was that she actually wanted to stay at home but was afraid of the magnitude of her grieve, scared it would rip her apart if she was left alone to it. She could almost touch it, she reached out blindly, that essence of Nikku, he was there. He was standing right in front of her, only waiting for her to reach out and he would hold her close . He would smile that smile of his like he knew all the secrets of the world and tell her it would be alright. She was deceiving herself, she knew. Nikku was dead, he would never hold her again. She had lost him forever but she was not ready to let go yet. Standing up, she staggered to her balcony, their favourite place in the house. She waved her friends off when they tried to follow her. His scent was gone, the wind had carried it away just as Nikku had been taken away from her, never to be returned. She sank down to the floor, and curled up in a ball taking deep breaths and trying to relax then she smiled as she felt Nikku's arms come around her.

                                                                                               ***

       Jaachi boarded the next flight to Shobar Oaks. After the phone call, he explained the situation to his Coach then he called a taxi that took him to the Munich international airport and he bought a ticket for the next available flight to Shobar. All through, he had been in a barely suppressed rage, trying to use anger to suppress the pain that was threatening to engulf him. Pain was new territory, the sorrow, the guilt, regrets - for all the time lost all the time he should have been spending with his family but instead he had turned his back on them. He had rejected them even as they had refused to accept his football career. Now it was too late, his father was gone forever and the only happy memories Jaachi had left of him were childhood memories. The pain was new indeed and raw, too raw that he preferred to ignore it and hold onto anger instead, anger he could understand. Anger was what he did. He thought about Lola, ever since he cheated on her with a fan and betrayed her trust, their relationship had been strained, he really needed her now more than ever. She was the closest he could get to normalcy in these times of unexpected happenings and he was beginning to wonder just how solid their relationship was.

                                                                                                 *** 

          Lola was silent. After  her initial hysterical outburst, she had strangely been calm and reasonable showing a maturity when her family thought her incapable of it. She had tried to reach Jaachi several times on the phone before but failed and she had an irrational fear that he had actually been on the jet, that he was dead but for some strange reason, the authorities were keeping that away from the public. Her eyes were glued to the T.V, not wanting to iss any vital information but none of the news channels had anything to day about the crash. It seemed the press had nothing apart from the location of the crash, the make of the jet and the hospital that confirmed the king and. Prince dead. West Hendosian newscasters went further to speculate if the new development would cause East Hendosia to surrender but apart from that, the news channels had nothing new to offer concerning the case. After trying ninth time to call Jaachi and hitting voicemail, she knew what to do. She dialed again but this time she was calling a friend of someone she knew, she happened to know people in very low places.