Hello everyone, this is my first story here in over 7 years. I am not a professional writer but I just wanted to tell a story. Please pardon my English blunders. I hope you all enjoy this story of mine and I hope it helps you relax during this Lock down.

Radical, dusty and rusty. This was the near perfect description for any stranger who visited the city of Aduna for the first time. The city being a very ancient one whose history dates back to the 1600s was not only the commercial hub of the Eastern region but also the educational and political centre of the Eastern region of the country and today was a big day for her. Mohammed knew today was the perfect day for him and his colleagues at the agency to get solid evidence against their principal enemy. He slowly removed her hands from his chest and looked at the wall clock sitting on the floor with its back resting on the wall. It was time for fajr and the prayer call was already blasting through the loud speakers of the mosque near him. If he had to leave, it had to be now, before she wakes up. He hurriedly rushed into the bathroom to perform his ablution.
It was dawn already inside the senior staff quarters of the University of Aduna and in one of the many houses carefully built for the top echelon of the university, three bearded men sat down on the floor in what happened to be a living room that had been converted to a prayer ground. The room had no furniture in it except the picture of a woman in hijab hanging on the wall and a Persian carpet. Do you think he will make it here today Ishaq? the old man with the white goatee asked. Yes he will, he personally reassured me on the phone sir, Ishaq replied. The old man nodded his head in agreement looking at his wristwatch, he said ‘Idris we have barely 4 hours before his arrival, please make sure everything is in place, we must not disappoint the high commission’. Insha Allah Shiekh, everything is in order and I have spoken with Professor Abdulahi this morning. He promised us a warm reception’ Idris replied giving the old man some hope that the University community was going to be present today at the 30th Annual symposium of the Islamic Guild of Soudania. This was the first time in 8 years that the city of Aduna was hosting the symposium and Shiehk Abanah was the chairman of the planning committee. Islamic minds and scholars would be coming from all over the republic to the city and Shiekh Abanah wanted to give the very best this time to the people that will be attending. He was a man who always wanted the best in anything life could offer yet he was very simple. A professor of Islamic studies at the University of Aduna, Sheikh Abanah had taught in the university for over 20 years. He grew up in the city of Aduna and had lived all his life there. Many would see him as s very conservative muslim scholar but also very learned. He was one of the first persons in Aduna who advocated for the compulsory education of the girl child. He championed the cause and made sure it was passed into law. Yet he also fought against lawmakers in Aduna who wanted to place a ban on the use of the hijab by female muslim students. He had earned the respect of many other muslim scholars and this was evident in the number of well-wishers he received when he lost his wife 3 years ago to cancer. During his 67th birthday celebration in his home, the regional government sent him a new Toyota SUV which he rejected to the surprise of many.

Last year in the Southern City of Mushun where the symposium held, he had promised the high commission that Aduna was going to put up a better performance than what the present organizers had did. He had promised them that he was going to make one of the most revered Islamic scholar in the country speak in the symposium. Soudania had many great Islamic minds but almost all of them where under the payroll of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The Ministry was responsible for regulating all religious affairs both Christian and Islamic. Soudania was a big country in east Africa roughly divided between Christians in the north and west of the country and muslims in the south and east of the country. Shiekh Abanah was tired of the government censoring everything they had to say or preach and the symposium in city of Mushun was nothing but a propaganda from the government which validated his point. He believed that the guild should be free from government interference and should be allowed to operate on its own. This was not the case when the guest speaker Mr. Khatun Bedallah gave a speech that was nothing but a government propaganda. Everything he said was about supporting the government of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and President Sulieman Deboh.
Remember last year the sheikh said facing Idris when Bedallah said the government would be funding the next symposium, I strongly rejected the idea before the high commission, if I had agreed to that, I do not think the Shiekh would have agreed to be part of this year’s symposium. Idris looked at Ishaq in surprise and said, but Sir, we thought you did. You told the Organizing committee that the funds came from the government. The Sheikh smiled and said, well I had to lie. Taking a deep breath, Ishaq said, I do not wish to question you sir, but if the funds did not come from the government, where did it come from and I presume the government also sent funds to the high commission, where did that fund go to? The old man gave a wide smile and replied, well as for the government fund I believe it should be in the account of the Guild and I do not know anything about it, but the funding for this symposium came from an anonymous source that even I do not know but only Allah does. The two young men looked at each other in silence and placed their face down. Today he continued, will be a revival for our people, today will be a day the people will truly hear the word of Allah from an undiluted source and the government would know that yes, the guild can exist without her support.



Cc: Divepen1
Obinnau

Mohammed had a lot on his mind as he drove along the dusty Mile 8 road which led to the University. Zainab had told him last night that she was pregnant, and she would be relocating to the coastal city of Karneni in the Northern region. The same city where his wife and his family lives. He had tried talking her out of it, but she refused and said she had already secured a job there. I want to be closer to you my love she said with her eyes fixed on his and you cannot stop me this time. You do not love her, yet you live with her. I make you happy, but she makes you sad. You said it yourself Mohammed, I want my child to grow up closer to his father she continued reminding him of all the promises he made to her 2 years ago. Zainab was the daughter of a wealthy businessman in Aduna but she was a cast away. She had refused to be married to another man who she considered uneducated and unworthy of her. For that reason, her father disowned her when she was 17. She had to study hard so she could secure the government scholarship opened for women in the sciences. The Eastern Regional government had set up different scholarship programs to encourage more women in the sciences and Zainab was lucky to be one of the beneficiaries that year before the present government scrapped it. It was during her final year in the school of Medicine that she met Mohammed. He first saw her at the Staff Union Supermarket where he had gone to buy some groceries for his commandant. It was his first time in Aduna and if it wasn’t for the research project that brought him and his commandant there, he wouldn’t have met her. He quickly fell in love with her and made her his mistress. His regular flight to Aduna raised suspicion at his home but he debunked anything close to having an affair outside his matrimonial home before his wife. If she found out that he was cheating, she could take him to court and ask for a divorce. It was also against the Northern regional governments law for a man to marry more than one wife. He had taught about ending the relationship with her, but he was scared she was going to kill herself. The last time he tried something like that, she slit her own wrist and he came to meet her in the pool of her own blood after they had a brief argument. He had to take her to the hospital where she was treated. Ever since then, he never raised up the issue.
Now that she was pregnant, it even made things worse and he knew it, she would never do anything to hurt the baby inside of her. He had made up his mind that he was going to work his transfer to Aduna once and for all and maybe if he told her, she was going to change her mind and not relocate to Karneni. It was the perfect idea he said to himself, he was still thinking about how to let her know immediately he gets home when his phone rang. He took it from his breast pocket with his left hand and quickly answered the call. Hello Barakah, where are you, I have been calling you all night and your number wasn’t connecting. Listen, I will be waiting for you at the car park in front of the university auditorium and I expect you to be there before the whole thing starts. If not Bingo, you will have yourself to blame and he ended the call. What kind of agent is this he said to himself as he approached the University gate, I wonder how people like this got into the agency? Bingo as Barakah was popularly called in the agency was a rookie assigned by the agency in Aduna to help Mohammed with the case that had brought him from Karneni. Bingo was a dark skinned, 6ft tall man in his early thirties. He was a Bashaga by tribe, but he had lived all his life in the capital city of Aduna.
The Bashagas were a nomadic tribe scattered all over eastern Soudania. Their dark skin and height were one of their main feature all over the country. One would expect that most Bashagas would be in the army because of their height, but that was not the case. This nomadic tribe preferred to be secluded from the everyday life of large cities and remain isolated in the mountains of the east where they mainly dwelt, but this was not the case of Barakah. His parents had moved from the eastern mountains during the second civil war to the capital Aduna in search of greener pastures. It was in Aduna they gave birth to him. He got the name Bingo during his interview at the agency when he was asked what the name of the present head of the agency was and He said Joseph Bingo instead of Bango. Ever since then, his superiors called him Bingo and the name spread all over the agency in Aduna.

Mohammed drove in and parked his white Toyota hilux at the car park not too far from the University gate. The Auditorium was just some meters away. He adjusted the rear mirror and looked at his face and there was a smirk on it. He took a deep breath and looked outside the window to see if anyone was starring at him. He opened his pigeonhole and brought out his gun and tucked it into his kaftan trousers. He looked around again and opened the door coming down slowly. This idiot did not even iron this Kaftan well, he said to himself looking at the kaftan robe he wore. Incompetent people everywhere he muttered again. He walked towards the back of the vehicle looking at the tires as if they were deflated. Then he slowly moved towards a big Cashew tree at the car park so he could sit down and wait for Bingo who was going to show up anytime soon. The Vice chancellor of the University had declared a lecture free day because of the Symposium and muslim students all over the campus and from other places where already trooping into the Auditorium to get their seats for the lecture. Mohammed saw this and was a bit worried, he knew he had to be inside the auditorium at least so he could get a video evidence which the agency needed badly. From where he sat down at the car park, he could see a local security unit checking people into the auditorium and he looked at his rolex wristwatch on his left hand and he sighed. It was already 8:00am and the symposium would be starting any moment from now, he wondered what could be holding Bingo up this time.
Aha…Salam aleikum Sheikh Abanah greeted a chubby man wearing a green kaftan with warm smiles, Waliekum Salam he replied returning the smile as they walked towards each other inside the auditorium. I thought you wouldn’t make it Abanah said as they shook hands, Mustapha laughed out loud, you know if I miss it today, then I know I will never get another chance in 5 years’ time from now. You are very sure he will be here right Mustapha asked? Yes, he will, I am very sure he will Abanah replied. See, he continued pointing towards the crowd of people already seated inside the auditorium, they all came for him and I can assure you that he is aware of their presence and he will not let us down Insha Allah. Mustapha nodded his head in accordance, I hope he does make it prof. Well, come let me take you to your seat on the high table Abanah said holding his hand as they climbed the podium to the seats reserved for special guests.
Old man can you please move this vehicle faster or do you want me to drive it one of the passengers inside the bus shouted, oga you are very slow sha another lady said from behind. If I miss this meeting I am going for, you will pay me my money next time I see you at the park. Madam the driver replied, it is not my fault, you can see for yourself we are stuck here in traffic now, this is rush hour period and there is nothing I can do or do you want me to carry the bus on my head and walk down to Kishinga. Hello, sir a young man who appeared disturbed said over the phone, sir I am stuck here in traffic, I couldn’t get a taxi to take me to the University, I had to take a bus going to Kishinga, but I will be there very soon sir, the voice on the phone kept yelling and any moment from now Bingo was going to loose control. Not at his superior but at anybody inside the bus. Immediately he hung up, he looked at the driver from where he was sitting at the back and said, Mr. Driver, please move this vehicle or else I will shoot you, everyone was a bit surprised because all through the journey from Central Station, Bingo had never said a word to anyone inside the bus. The driver adjusted his rear-view mirror so he could see the passenger who just threatened him, but Bingo didn’t care, he was looking outside the window this time.
What if he doesn’t come again this time he thought, Oh Allah, please do not disappoint me this time. The Sheikh was a very difficult man to see or find. This was the 8th time the agency had been given a hint that he would be giving a speech at an event and he failed to show up. The last time the agency came close to getting a strong evidence against him was here in Aduna 4 years ago when the Sultan celebrated his 30th anniversary on the throne. As a member of the royal family, one expected that he would be there at the event to give another fiery speech like the one he gave 11 years ago which almost led to another civil war in the country. Though he was present, when it was time for the revered sheikh to give his speech, he was no where to be found. The agency lost him also as they couldn’t tell where he went or when he left Aduna. Everyone on that case lost their jobs in Aduna and there was a massive shake up in the country’s capital. The agency wanted to prevent what happened 11 years ago from happening again in the country and no other place was better fit for igniting that fire than Aduna with its radical element. Bingo remembered 11 years ago how army tanks rolled into the streets of Aduna shooting live bullets into protesting crowds. It was a horrible sight to behold. There was a massive crackdown on the opposition nationwide and the main opposition figure was arrested, and he was never seen again. An insurgent group quickly rose up and fought with the army for 6 months before they were suppressed, and their activities confined only to a remote area beyond the eastern mountains from where they carried out series of attacks against security personnels. Rumors had it that, the Soudania Liberation Front (SLF) which fought the army was an offshoot of the main opposition party the Soudania Republican Party (SRP) which had been banned from participating in any elections or politics in the country. Some quarters in the agency believed that the Sheikh even though had never associated with any political movement publicly in the country was a member of the main Opposition party. It was his speech just after the election in June that year that sparked a protest here in Aduna. He had called for the Electoral body of the country to be sincere and recount the votes which had declared President Sulieman Deboh of the ruling NDP winner of the Presidential election. He called for the Chairman of the Electoral commission to resign and for the Chief Judge who was his cousin to resign also. This was what many die-hard supporters of the Opposition leader Chief Ibrahim Ahmadu needed to hear, and they took to the streets. Many of the protesters were religious zealots and they came out in their large numbers protesting against the government. At first, the protest was peaceful until the Riot police shot a lady who later died in the hospital the next day. This caused public outcry all over the country and Aduna became a war front. Many people came out destroying police vehicles and public buildings including that of the ruling party. The President had no other choice than to declare a state of emergency and the army came out of their barracks.

It was a massacre by the army led by the dreaded General Raban Christopher a three-star general and second civil war hero. General Raban was a staunch ally of President Deboh and he was the perfect person to deal with every form of uprising against the government. After quelling the protests, he quickly moved his troops into the eastern mountains where the SLF was operating from and dealt a heavy blow on them pushing the group beyond the eastern mountains into the dry lands. Barakah remembers the massive destruction that came along with the military’s operation in many communities of his people. The Bashagas were accused of hiding members of the SLF and General Raban dealt heavily with them. It was 11 years ago but this time tensions were already rising again in this unstable region of the country. President Suleiman had in a nationwide broadcast told the country he would be running for his 6th term in office later that year in June. Barakah knew that if the agency didn’t handle the situation this time very quickly, the eastern region could be another war zone and he was determined not to let that happen. The only way for the agency to nip this on the board was to secure strong video evidence of the Sheikh instigating people against the government so that he could be taken to court and imprisoned. After the uprising, the government took the Sheikh to court and lost. It was a national embarrassment and a victory for the followers of the Islamic movement across the country. Hopefully, the sheikh would not only speak, but he would speak against the government like he had done in the past. He looked at his wristwatch, it was already 9:15am and he knew he was late already, but the bus was already approaching the University’s gate. There was a heavy gridlock close to the gate as many vehicles were trying to make their way into the university at the same time. Bingo knew he had to come down from the bus and make his way into the school on foot. He came down from the bus without difficulty as he was sitting very close to the door and walked towards the passenger’s seat at the front and brought out a 10-shilling note and handed it to the driver. The heat from the sun was already getting intense and Barakah was forced to bring out his dark shade from his trousers and put it on. The sound of cars and trucks blasting their horns was everywhere and many drivers were already cursing each other. There was a traffic warden at the front of the university gate trying to control the traffic, but she seemed powerless. Barakah crossed over from the speed lane on the road to the walkway and he hurriedly walked as if some evil spirit was after his soul. He was thirsty and he wanted to buy a bottle of water from one of the boys hawking by the side of the road, but he was such in a hurry he changed his mind. He knew Mohammed was very angry now and he didn’t want to delay him any further. As he walked through the university’s gate, he was trying to think about a reasonable excuse for his late coming aside the traffic which was obvious. The plan was for him to be at the university premises before 8am but now he was already more than two hours behind schedule.

Daum ur story is captivating buh u need to work on your sentences,give spaces as at when needed,ur punctuation marks also need to be looked at.
I guess am the first person to comment,and wit that,u owe me an update.

He saw many people walking towards the auditorium, so he brought out his cell phone and dialed Mohammed’s number, but the number was busy. There were cars everywhere at the car park already and he could hear from the huge speakers outside the auditorium the voice of one of the speakers. The symposium had started already and from the look of things, the hall was already filled up. People were standing outside under trees all over the place listening attentively to the speaker. He was already getting frustrated about what to do next as he couldn’t locate Mohammed when a text message got to his phone. He opened it and it was from Mohammed, what a sigh of relief. He quickly headed straight towards the auditorium with another set of small crowd comprising of heavily bearded men of different ages carrying a banner with an Arabic inscription in it, he couldn’t read Arabic but he just thought to himself that it was one of these radical sect scattered all over the city. Excuse me please, Bingo said as he forced his way through the crowd outside the auditorium. Excuse me, can I come through please as he pushed a middle-aged man aside. Mister please you cannot pass through this point a young boy in a paramilitary uniform said to him, stopping him as he approached the staircase which led the auditoriums main entrance. Are you mad Bingo asked the boy making a stern face, he brought out his ID card from his pocket and showed it to the boy. I am very sorry sir, he said. You can go inside sir, but I am afraid there are no seats available anymore. Get out of my way Bingo thundered, as he quickly moved up the stairs. He closed his ears with both hands as he approached one of the 5 huge speakers placed on the stairs.

silverlinen:
Daum ur story is captivating buh u need to work on your sentences,give spaces as at when needed,ur punctuation marks also need to be looked at.
I guess am the first person to comment,and wit that,u owe me an update.

Thank you very much.
I will work on my punctuations better and the spacing. Thank you