Silhouette of Conscience

By Dare Lasisi

On one warm Tuesday afternoon when the clock ticked exactly 2.35pm, Madam Ladito had just returned from Abuja, the beautiful capital city of Nigeria with joy dancing in her deep heart and ready to share the good news among her friends and business associates in Lagos.The driver met her at Lagos airport and quickly drove her to her palatial mansion in Magodo Estate in Lagos metropolis.

She was beaming with a smile as if she had just won a lottery and the driver broke protocol by politely asking about the outcome of her business trip to Abuja.Madam Ladito is wealthy enough to live in Lekki which the coastal area of Lagos exclusively reserved for the rich class but she was discouraged by the regular ocean surge problem in those areas and vowed not to invest in any water-logged areas or any land prone to massive flooding.

“Madam,welcome back to Lagos.I hope everything went smoothly in Abuja?’The driver greeted Madam Ladito as he was dragging her luggage on the cemented airport floor to the car park where Madam’s BMW X5 was parked.Some of the airport workers who recognised Madam Ladito had earlier assisted her with her luggage collection before the arrival of the driver.

Madam, popularly dubbed as the ‘smooth operator’ in many social circles discreetly dropped an undisclosed amount of money as tips for one of the airport workers to be shared with others.
When they reached the airport car park,an unknown person had already blocked the narrow pathway which made it impossible for their BMW car to pass through and they spent roughly half an hour waiting for the car owner to arrive.It was a taxi driver scheduled to pick another Nigerian who had just arrived from New York city.
As they were both looking sideways at the car park,the tall taxi driver arrived at last with his Nigerian New Yorker and apologised for the delays caused.

Madam Ladito and the driver accepted his unreserved apology and quickly drove away without any further interaction.
Madam Ladito is a good-looking dark-skinned Nigerian woman in her early 50s,but she appears to be in her late 30s due to her elegant towering figure which is a cynosure of many eyes.
She wore a long blue gown,with grey shoes,orange headscarf firmly tied to cover sizeable section of her head while her two mobile phones were resting inside her red handbag.

“Glory be to God,I got the government contract at last but no easy road to success in this life.It pays to know people at the top in Nigeria or anywhere in the world.So glad I was able to meet some influential politicians in Abuja.I need to settle down for work as from next week.I am likely to travel to London next week for other business transactions and personal shoppings.”

They spent about thirty minutes to get out of the airport road due to traffic gridlock.But suddenly,Madam’s phone vibrated in her handbag and it was a phone call from one of the Nigerian lawmakers who facilitated the recently awarded multi-million naira contract.
The driver could not hear the exact words from the other line but he noticed the contagious smile on Madam’s face from the car’s inner mirror.

“I am just arriving in Lagos.I am so grateful for all your support.I will call you when I reach my house.We shall discuss further steps during the week.”
“So,when are we likely to see you again in Abuja at least you got the contract awarded at last?”,the lawmaker asked.
“I am not sure for now but I will tell you details along the week.I need to settle down to plan my projects.Nothing to worry about.”Madam Ladito replied.
Madam Ladito told the driver to slow down a bit for her to drop some money and take-away roasted meat for the two uniformed security men stationed at
Magodo Estate main-entrance.

“I bought some take-away Suya in Wuse market in Abuja this morning.I wish to give some of them to our gatemen.please slow down or park the car completely.”
“No problem Madam,let me park well at the back of this yellow car.”, the driver stated.They grabbed the food package like trained goal-keepers and expressed appreciation for her usual kind gesture.
The driver then finally reached their final destination,Madam Ladito’s luxurious seven-bedroom apartment.It is a bungalow built within the same compound.
The main gate was painted brown,remotely-controlled from the inside,electrified barbed wires on top of the high-walled fence.Madam Ladito is also planning to build another duplex within the area from the proceeds of her Abuja contract.The building is also fitted with 24hours CCTV cameras.It is a mini-paradise for Madam Ladito.
Madam Ladito’s gateman quickly opened the gate when he peeped through the perforated blocks to see who was coming.When the driver eventually parked the car,Madam Ladito just waved to the driver to acknowledge his greetings and went straight to her bedroom,she took out a bottled water from the bedroom fridge and later jumped on her bed to rest her body.She was so tired after the Abuja trip.

Madam Ladito informed her gateman and driver not to open the gate for any visitors because she needed to sleep very well for the whole day.When her housemaid knocked her bedroom door to ask about her food.She only told her to check back later.
“Victory at last.I won this contract.I am for ever grateful to these Abuja lawmakers who really assisted me after waiting for so long.”Madam was soliloquising.

Madam Ladito slept for about four hours and when she woke up to answer the call of nature.She checked her mobile phone and saw twenty-two missed calls from several people. She carefully selected the people to call back among the missed calls while she intentionally ignored others.
One of the calls which really baffled Madam Ladito was the ten missed calls from her ‘spiritual consultant’ codenamed as ‘Baba Igbo-Ora’.This 72-year old man was a childhood friend to Madam Ladito’s father.Baba Igbo-Ora is like a father-figure to Madam Ladito after the death of her father in a ghastly motor accident twenty years ago on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
“Why did Baba Igbo-Ora give me ten missed calls?I hope no danger ahead.I got the Abuja contract at last.I need to call him as urgent as possible.”
Madam Ladito called her driver to buy her N5,000 Etisalat phone credit in order to call Baba Igbo-Ora since she ran out of phone credit.
The driver arrived after barely twenty minutes with N5,000 Etisalat phone credit, five N1,000 phone vouchers.He used the car keys to assist Madam Ladito to scratch the vouchers.
He loaded the whole five thousand naira into to Madam Ladito’s Samsung galaxy phone.
“Have you finished loading the cards?” Madam Ladito asked her driver.
“Not yet Madam,let me load the last one please.”
“Please hurry up,I need to call Baba Igbo-Ora as urgent as possible to know why he gave me ten missed calls.”
As the driver was loading the phone,he made a mistake in the last number and had to re-load all over again.Madam Ladito saw him as he was nervous with her phone.She was really upset as if to punch him in the face.Madam Ladito is a woman with a short temper.She suddenly snapped and screamed at her driver.
“Common!You this slow-coach man!please give me my phone.I will load the remaining N1000 voucher later.Let me use the loaded N4000 credit to speak with Baba Igbo-Ora.”
The driver gave the phone to Madam Ladito and she waved to him to walk away.He calmly walked away from her sight to avoid further trouble.
Madam Ladito dialled Baba’s phone number 0803 34**.The phone rang for few seconds and later cut off due to poor network.She tried once again,same sad story.
As she was trying to dial Baba’s other mobile phone numbers,Baba Igbo-Ora himself called her. Madam Ladito instantly picked the much-awaited call.

“Baba,please drop the call.Don’t waste your phone credit.I will call you back immediately.I hope no problem?” Madam Ladito stated.

“Hello Baba Igbo-Ora.I just came back from Abuja.Everything went so well.I was awarded the contract at last.So grateful for your spiritual guidance .My late father,your good friend must be dancing in his grave right now.I hope no problem at all for your ten missed calls.I was so tired after my Abuja trip.”

From the other end of the phone,Baba Igbo-Ora coughed due to his minor sickness and responded to Madam Ladito’s message:

“I called you to prevent the impending crisis.It is true that you were awarded the Abuja contract out of ten applicants but we need to avert sudden revocation of the contract.To get to the top in life is not an easy task.You don’t know the heart of your fellow competitors and business partners.I saw something terrible when I contacted the oracle last night which I must explain to you soon.We need to prevent some calamities.”

Madam Ladito was very apprehensive to hear the message from Baba Igbo-Ora.Beads of sweat travelled down her cheeks despite the revolving ceiling fan and air-conditioner inside her bedroom .Baba Igbo-Ora tried to calm her down over the phone.

“Nothing to worry about my daughter.We only need to appease the gods as urgent as possible and you just have to listen to simple instructions to avoid more troubles.”
As if Madam Ladito’s heart would suddenly jump out of her bosom.She boldly asked Baba to go straight to the point and stop beating around the bush.Madam Ladito is a flamboyant woman blessed with a short temper.She could not hide her displeasure when Baba Igbo-Ora was foot-dragging to let the cat out of the bag.

“Baba,please tell me the next step to take.I do not wish to experience any problem over this Abuja contract.” Madam Ladito declared.
“Listen carefully,apart from the sacrifices to appease the gods.You will need to plant two coconuts within your compound.One must be planted near your front gate while the other at the back of your bedroom.Your favourite domestic worker must supply them with clean water on a regular basis.Don’t allow any harm to come near these coconuts. You must never taste from them when they finally grow to full maturity.”

Madam Ladito listened with undivided attention as she was also thinking of whom to assign the task among her three domestic workers.When she asked about the aftermath effect of using her favourite worker to plant the coconuts.Baba Igbo-Ora said he would explain later in the week but nothing to stress about.He waved her question aside.

“Baba, how much to be paid for the sacrifices?I am ready to pay any amount to keep my business going.I am also targetting another big offer in Abuja.I will tell you later.”Madam Ladito asked.
“I am not charging you any amount for now but pay any amount of money from your deep heart,the gods would gladly accept it.I am for your success in life.” Baba Igbo-Ora replied.
“Baba,I am ready to pay N250,000 into your bank account latest by 11.am tomorrow to cover the necessary expenses.Where would I get the coconuts to plant?”

“Don’t worry about the coconuts to be planted.I will take care of that from the N250,000.Once again,no harm must come near the coconuts as they are germinating.Nobody knows the source of water in the coconut.Nobody shall ever know your secrets in life.It is a natural laws sanctioned by the unseen forces.For now,always keep your mouth sealed.Don’t travel abroad for now.”
Madam Ladito heaved a sigh of relief when Baba concluded his message.The joy in her heart radiated over the phone as Baba’s words sank deeper into her mind.

“Lest I forget,you need to come and see me before the weekend for other important matters.I cannot reveal everything to you over the phone, the walls get ears and some phone calls are monitored .Anytime,you’re going to Abuja,always inform me a day before your departure.” Baba Igbo-Ora stated.

Madam Ladito quickly phoned her travel agent to re-schedule her trip to London via Dubai.She was ready to pay the extra cost attached.She dialled the number as if calling an emergency number.
“Hello Mr.Jaiyesinmi.I wish to re-schedule my travel plan for another two weeks or so.I will send you details tomorrow.I am sorry for the whole issue.”

There was a pin-drop silence from the other end of the line.She quickly sent a text message to the travel agent and dropped her mobile phone on the glass table as if the gadget was a burden.

This was not the first time of changing her travel plan at the last minute.She did that many times during her emergency trip to Abuja to apply for federal government contracts.
Madam Ladito called her driver to prepare the car for the journey to Igbo-Ora town and the time was 5.45pm.The driver was concerned about the night trip and passionately advised Madam Ladito that they should travel the next day for safety reasons.

“Oga Madam,I would rather suggest we travel tomorrow morning to Igbo-Ora.It is a long journey and apart from pot-holed roads abandoned by successive Nigerian governments.The menace of armed robbers and kidnappers on such highway is enough to send cold shivers down any spine.But if you insist we must travel right now.I have no choice than to follow your command.”

Madam Ladito absorbed all those words into her memory and decided to wait till the next day to see Baba Igbo-Ora.She picked up her phone once again to inform Baba Igbo-Ora of her trip to meet him the following day.
“Baba,by the grace of God,I would visit you tomorrow afternoon at the latest time.Don’t forget those coconuts to be planted in my compound.My driver has just reminded me of the disadvantage of night travel on pot-holed roads.It is better to travel during the day time.Safety first.” Madam Ladito affirmed.

“Nothing to worry about.We just need to see face-to-face as soon as possible to discuss important matters.To get to the top in life is one thing but to remain at the top all the time is another ball game.I hope you’re thinking in my direction now?”
“Life is a complex web of mysteries.I am with you Baba.We shall meet tomorrow.I will call you to tell you of our travel plan.”
“We shall meet.I will prepare all the necessary items before your arrival.Please drive safely my daughter.” Baba Igbo-Ora said.

Madam Ladito finished her telephone conversation with Baba Igbo-Ora and asked one of her domestic workers to quickly prepare her favourite dinner as if she was starving to death.
The girl arrived with fried plantains and fish stew plus orange juice within fifteen minutes.She carefully placed the food on top of the table next to Madam’s bed.
“Be careful with the food.Don’t let the stew spill and stain my bed sheet.” Madam Ladito warned the domestic worker.
“I am very careful Madam.I fried the last plantains in the kitchen for you now.We need to go to market this week to buy more.”
“Let me return from my journey to Igbo-Ora and I will give you and driver the required money to buy more food items for the house.” Madam stated.
The domestic worker left Madam’s bedroom and waved her boss the final good night.She then slightly slammed the door.
Madam Ladito reacted and criticised the domestic worker from the position where she was eating the food.
“I hope you’ll not break my door this night. Wetin dey happen to you sef ?”
The domestic worker apologetically echoed ‘I am sorry Oga Madam’ from the other side of the room and went quietly into her bedroom.
There was a power-cut and the giant-sized automatic generator instantly switched on to light the whole building within few minutes.
Madam Ladito slept like a baby all night as she put her two mobile phones on silence to enjoy her night rest.Few hours after her sleep,she woke up to answer the call of nature.

She staggered out of her bed to quickly empty her bowel.She spent about ten minutes behind closed door and returned to continue the next phase of her rest.

She was troubled in her dream as she suddenly found herself being chased by three elderly masked women.It was a strange environment with birds chirping melodiously. To her amazement, one of the birds appeared from the moon to peck her head as if to welcome her into the strange land.

The feathered creature smartly escaped into a far-distant tree before she could do anything.
Madam Ladito was unable to understand the language spoken in the dream.As she was running helter-skelter in the dream,one of the elderly women momentarily pulled off her mask to reveal her true identity.Madam Ladito tried to master and match her face with any known person.She could not really recognise this old lady.

The elderly woman stopped chasing her but fear still enveloped her entire body as she was only few steps away from this assailant.When the old woman laughed at her,she noticed only three upper teeth in her entire mouth. She decided to dialogue with her weak legs once again and the other two women just appeared from no where and started chasing her.As she was about to be captured near one big tree by one of the masked old ladies,Madam Ladito woke up to reality at roughly 5.30am.She quickly activated her two phones to ringing mode.

She quickly grabbed the holy bible under her pillow to read some verses silently.She was in a confused state due to her nightmare. She went straight to the bathroom to brush her mouth with her favourite imported Colgate toothpaste.

She nearly tripped over in the bathroom due to the leaking pipes. She tip-toed to enter the bathroom as if remotely-controlled by unseen forces. She carefully opened her sponge case to extract the black soap prepared by Baba Igbo-Ora.She washed every corner of her body as if her skin would transform into another colour.After the whole clean-up.

She moved into her bedroom to dress up for the trip to Igbo-Ora to meet her spiritual consultant.She wore the traditional iro and buba with pink scarf to cover her head. She sprayed perfume all over her body as if on a date to meet a new lover.

She then called her domestic staff called Abigael to alert the driver to get ready for the much-awaited trip to Igbo-Ora to meet the Baba.There was a text message which entered Madam’s phone but it was a message from one of the top government officials in Abuja. She ignored also the text.

“Abigael,please tell the driver to get ready for the Igbo-Ora trip.I hope he is awake right now.Baba Igbo-Ora is expecting me this morning. But quickly get me a cup of tea and four slices of bread for my breakfast as urgent as possible.”
“Okay, Madam.I will tell him to get ready now.” Abigael responded.
“I will tell the plumber to come home this afternoon to repair the leaking pipes in my bathroom.I nearly fell down today while taking my shower.I was told the plumber’s wife delivered a set of triplet last month in a private hospital in Agege but I am yet to send anything to him due to my frequent trips to Abuja.” She said.

“No problem Madam.I will open the main gate for him if he arrives to repair the broken pipes in your bathroom.Please let me have his mobile phone numbers.” Abigael stated.

Madam Ladito then texted the plumber’s phone numbers to Abigael’s phone.Abigael confirmed the delivery of the text message.
Madam Ladito is a good time-keeper,the discipline implanted in her brain by her late ‘no-nonsense’ father.Everything is now set for the Igbo-Ora trip to see her ‘spiritual consultant’. She warned the driver not to over-speed on the highway as they stepped out of Magodo Estate main gate leading to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

“Several building construction taking place along the expressway with many churches plus many residential buildings springing up.I may need to buy lands in this area one day.”

Madam Ladito informed the driver.She is fond of acquiring property from every corner of Nigeria as if possible to carry them into her six-feet grave.

“Oga Madam, you need to be very careful not to deal with the fraudulent land seller.I would rather suggest you buy from government-approved agents and not conmen posing as individual sellers.”

“Thank you for your advice,I will contact somebody working at the Alausa secretariat in Ikeja to guide me through.No problem at all.With enough money,everything is possible in this world.”

Madam Ladito noticed a bushmeat seller by the road side before the tollgate and she quickly alerted the driver to safely park the car to buy the big rodents and give to Baba Igbo-ora as a ‘special gift’ from Lagos.

“Baba Igbo-ora shall surely love this bushmeat.Let me buy one or two depending on the cost.’ She said as she handed five N1000 notes to the driver.

The driver stretched his right hand to collect the money and open the car door to approach the bushmeat seller.The door slammed with force due to gusty wind.

“Don’t destroy my door please! Why can’t you close it carefully.”

‘I am sorry Madam! It was the wind that closed it forcefully.’

The driver returned after five minutes with one freshly-killed antelope with blood still dripping from its chest.

“Madam,this antelope is very fresh,the hunter just returned from the forest less than one hour ago.I was informed by that old woman that sold it to me.”

“If it is fresh enough for Baba Igbo-ora,then no choice than to buy it.How much is it?”

“I paid N8,500 for the bushmeat ma.I added N3,500 from my pocket money to buy it.”

“Na wa for you! Who asked you to add your pocket money? You’ll always jump before any instruction from me.”

“I am sorry madam,if we don’t buy it now, another customer may buy it before us.”

“No problem,just remind me when we get back to Lagos to refund the money.”

“Thank you Madam.God shall bless you more.”

The driver moved the car as cool breeze slipped into the car, and they left the bushmeat seller’s place. As if on sleeping tablets,Madam dozed off and slept for many hours.
She had a very scary dream of being pursued by a two-headed beast.As she ran faster to escape the wrath.She suddenly met a giant tree acting as a barrier, blocking all her escape routes .When she eventually woke up,she was speechless and could not utter any meaningful word for a long moment.
Human conscience is indeed an open fresh wound and only the truth shall heal it.