NAKED COIN

festivity had worn out. Benin in fête was a place to be, so much bliss

ar eve was the first time I stayed late night away from home, the city was busy, and no idle leg on the streets, we all had something to do. I intended to go to church and hear father Mbaka's

f her learning how to bake in Nne's friend shop to go visit her man friend. She was young and in love, I doubted if she knew the realities of love. She dared not ask Nne about what it meant. It was a taboo to even think it. I one time overhead her

t me back. I opened and saw the two gentlemen that came by the other day asking for Nna's where about. Thi

father in?" he spoke with c

was home knowing well he was. "Who sh

excise duties. We are here in representation of the directo

speed in which Nna stood

ere for? Let them come in and w

ng gesture to play host to top government officials. It didn't take long; they sat down after Nna

na stretched his hand

antries. He looked at the other w

be visited, what

n kaftan, had same tribal mark though handsome in looks, an

t's straight to business." He l

preciate you," pride was all over Nna's face as the man spoke on. "What we're mos

ay, it's all God,"

regular Sunday Christian. He only frequently went to church these days because he had fine wrappers and fa

. All I knew was that it had the government logo for shipping on it. Nna smile was growing faint by the seconds as he cautiously tore apart the file, piece by pie

t," he told them in a

, but whichever, I knew Nna meant what he said. I couldn't put together what he wa

u want us to increase your share then I'll pas

feigned smile, "but no. You can look into

o shake Nna, precluding his colleague from saying further. "It's

art," retorted his p

sometimes we thought he was too paranoid, but his paranoia in most cases had helped us out of trouble, or prevented it. It had something to do with his job, I couldn't be mistaken. Few months after a miracle job comes from someone of high rank in the gov

_____

o time I'd rush to the window to peep on who was at the gate at the sou

rgic as usual, the drops of sleep lingering around my eye as Nne shouted my name.

p my steps as I made my way to t

oday will be a good sale, and you are here. Good morning to you too," she replied

k

pt thoughts of her glued to mine, something in her beauty that imprisoned my eyes. A fair svelte of middling stature, not too long her tresses but fine and plaint to the wind, she had a black pimple like spot on the upper left side of her face, an e

un'. I peered through the glass to see what was going on. He ran the fastest anyone had ever seen him ru

ice was applying to the same place. I wanted to be where she was, gain acquaintance, and above all spend the rest of my life with her, yet I fear it would mean overcrowding her. She would want to gain her per

e. Nna never ran, not for anything. This was a cause for worry. He entered the house panting, his grip still o

Nna demanded, still ba

ing to the market" I

ngrily, I couldn't tell if he was upse

" I answered incr

arly?" I moved my eyes to my sister who seeme

our brother." He took off not even answering my question. I waited till his shad

is goi

and dragged me out of the s

has

to be stolen from them. He jammed the door, went into his room and came out with his radio, the bla

you hea

me to tell us it was true. Everybody scattered, I went to his school to get him, and the

g yet on the ra

ning to the scrambled harshness from the

_____

or the talks of a military retaliation crept into the heart of many, but those were the many ignorant who di

lways said there was an element of truth in every rumor. What we knew was that the prime minister, some big politicians and many senior army officers had been killed. The top men had lost to

roadcast, few people were beginning

ounded the second and third time before Nna, whose ears we

here else can she be?" jovially answering her own

l fastened to the radio box. Maybe if his ears

on hearing her

everybody Nne. It was either she missed s

ama Ose retort

inking you wouldn'

at for anything!" she

they didn't see it but I did

intention for calling me at such mom

s N

ate "So you mean Ironsi, an Igbo

mors could w

as in no hurry to drink it. The distorted freq

e if he needs your help with his mock questions." He was buyin

ent back to sit in the parlor to listen to the gossip fro

ed when the president wasn't

ave been a plan, but

there is always an elemen

nt would do, since they claimed they took over becaus

dshed O!" Nne clapped her hand,

be bloody

mouth. She sighed. "The good thing is that Benin is a mid-w

ould not fight to keep it, or that he would fold his arm when someon

ith a sudden consciousness

r head. "After a sergeant had helped him in gaining access into the

!!" Nne

alized he had turned off the radio. "And you," he turned to M

ther is

terrup

n Benin, but knows everything that happened in Kaduna and Lagos, even Ibadan." He

_____

veryone was, but the rumors of a northern retaliation coup weren't. It was slowly eating up the discussions of

ound was that the federal government wasn't pleased with the fast growing country men whose exploit were increasing at a fast pace. It mak

till angry with Nnamdi Azikwe who was part of those who fought for independence, an independence that was based on greed. Nna wasn't pleased that an Igbo man was

ow that the British are gone, what have we achieved? Nothing," answering his question as others ponders on it, beginning to see sense in it. His point was well prov

d I apprise myself about the affairs of the nation, so as not to be ignorant. The frequency wasn't clear, but we

get us killed? Or do you not know the wall have ears?" Nne knew what he was saying, it's implication. She kn

to speak my mind? Whoev

too? Please o, don't get me into trouble. If you want to, fine, but leave me and my children ou

t of the room giving the opportu

there, where do you t

t to be the subject of disagreement. He looked at Nne, "don't g

we will be woken by the harshness of koboko

y use koboko on you? Don't be deceived my de

ur brothers too?

id again, and then spat air into the wind so its emptiness can blow upon their faces. "I've l

at we are a united front, a

community has more than one authority, and every one of them posing like a god," he mimicked them. He turned away as if reasoning the words to say next, "Don't you think its funny

Don't let your mouth

the British to let them walk when they were not r

owards me, "and you, your food is in the kitchen, when your ears are f

e foolish when their government officers began to retire? No. They clearly had a well thought out

m, as his listening captive. I think for the first time he made sense, Nigeria as a country wasn't ripe

_____

's wish. He was young and agile, unlike me, burly but lazy. Sometimes I got jealous of him, the attention he gets from Nna

tead, they corrupted his mind, and now he was beginning to talk of joining the Mid-West Democratic Front after h

happened at his school earlier. There was no electricity. The only light was from the tw

rtain kind of fear and respect for Nna, he doesn't say much, but his presence brought distress, unlike Nne. His name and merely

in between his leg. He noticed our sudden s

hissed. "Never light

toddler, I didn't know what Ndidi had done wrong, but when I came outside to go help Nne Buy garri, I met him hissing at her. I returned few minutes later and there she was, still at his front, hissi

na had reduced the brightness of the lamp, so we could only he

sly, or our tomorrow will be our past. I, Igbane Okafor, I'm o

point, I wondered who Nna was referring to. I and Ndidi automatically assumed he w

country is deteriorating; we ar

s a pity our leade

it but just don't care. That's wh

ead and thought

want you to get yourself involved in

at one is her own, me I'll be what I w

s I'm the one telling you what to do," He laug

l over her face, her tone told it all. Ndidi stood up carefully, knowing her wrong. She should be in the ki

'm in the kitchen you must be here

ma," Ndidi

She waited till Ndidi entered t

tarted again. I've told you to stop filling this boy's

mmy

as still a toddler before he

n your mouth," he kept quiet. "Oya join your sister in t

's fu

t even let t

and I won't let you talk him into becoming

at was his ch

you mean?"

? Well, let h

ieve your goals so you enforce them on your children. Not my Igbane," she gestured. "You still have age

his leg on the table. He knew Nne had a point, points actua