We were not stopped nor the notion of frisking us hadn’t crossed their minds, instead the armed commandos directed the way till the door of the legislature. The influential man with me didn’t consider it necessary; he gave an understood holler and from behind the door the legislator’s soft voice came. He shook my hand and said the influential figure with me was a well-respected person. I did have a fair idea, but had never attached that importance, since to me he was just an old friend. In his soft-spoken voice he talked about the recent security arrangements, and then he went on to talk about ministerial portfolios and some upcoming foreign trips. The men whom he had been courting before we had arrived stood up and the eldest-looking among them asked with a brimming smile, ‘ So, can it be considered done?” He said they should start with the walls, and then the cheque would be signed. The men lingered and pressed on,” what about the chief engineer?” They didn’t have to worry, he himself would go and slam his head his against the man’s desk. A peal of laughter filled the place.
My friend lamented about the manner in which the Public Work Department was delaying his nephew’s cheque, said the nephew wasn’t rich and he could be blamed for not having done anything to get the minister signed the cheque. The legislator said the minister had been busy with the Chief Minister, but he had the number of the minister in question. When he called the minister was with his convoys on his way to his constituency to distribute free blankets, then the phone changed hands. My friend rebuked the man in their understood friendly tone; he said he would sign it right away and he could have it the following day. Tea came, and the bellboy bowed and asked if anything more could be done. Yes, his escorts had to take us to the Telecommunication Department Office so that the security posts there wouldn’t bother us with nonsensical queries.
Before we left the legislator told me about his son in Europe and the daughter pursuing medical studies in the States. I said, “ it must be expensve!” He said it was, but he wanted his children to get the best. How many individuals in this rotting state could afford that? In front of the telecommunication building we parked our car in the area reserved for VIPs. The security personnel manning the gate stood up to attention and behind us they exchanged warm words with the personnel escorting us. We didn’t take the cracked-steps set against the spat-on walls, we were in a lift, which took us up straight to the Director’s office. Since the commandos were left downstairs, the clean-shaven secretary chewing kwa (betel nut) stood up and demanded our identities, but my friend could be quite arrogant when he was confronted by a little man like him: he gave the man a shove and pushed opened the door and there, inside, was the bearded, burly man in tweed jacket and corduroy pants belted below the imminent belly, which kept on rubbing against the edge of the fine desk.
Set against one side of the beautifully-painted wall was a sofa and a clean tea-table bearing some china cups. Three men in large, thick jackets sat there with their legs crossed and their hands placed on the laps; they had been paying attention to the bearded, burly man. They were his men and had come to ask for his favour, but my friend was a much important person; his friends were the ministers and the legislator and any unwanted incident could jeopardize his position in the department. So the men stood up spoke fast and the bearded- bulry man waved his hands and at the same time smiled suggesting they were in fovourable term with him.
To be continued.....
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