THE LAST DRAGON PRINCE

Chapter four

At the ELOE meeting, the clerk was reading the minutes of the last meeting and Ejiofor found himself strangely about to dose off. Present at the meeting were the twenty seven members of the ELOE including it’s president. Three army Generals including himself, an air force General, navy General, the secretary of counties and the director of the cyber military, an institution of the government set to combat external aggression through the use of artificial intelligence. The droning voice of the clerk stopped and Ejiofor could feel the sleepiness vanish quickly.

   The secretary of the ELOE got up to address the meeting and everyone was immediately alert. His address was straight forward and direct to the point. He was explaining the state of affairs of the country, and from his factual representation, things were not looking good at all. The cyber military had been unable to combat the virus eating away at the intelligence, the drones at the border could no longer detect enemy fighter jets, West Hendosia had just received a massive donation of arms from her majesty’s government and to couple with that, an enemy fighter jet had somehow infiltrated airspace and bombed the special ammunition storage area in the barack at Flava before it was gunned down by on land combat.

   ‘’At the very end of this address is the offer” The secretary said, he paused and looked around the room, his face an expressionless mask as if trying to disassociate himself from the news he brought to the table. “With the deaths of the Ochia and Prince Nikku, the foreign affairs minister of West Hendosia believes we should be ready to negotiate. They are offering what they call the three Ts, total reconciliation, total reformation and true love connection with all seven kingdoms.

     The entire floor was silent after his speech and Ejiofor could feel the polarization of the room, those in favour of a surrender and the others still looking for a way out. James Smore, the secretary of the ELOE had been smart, Ejiofor winced inwardly. The entire address had been to demoralize the people, plants seeds of hopelessness in their minds and then move to strike.

    ‘’According to the constitution, until a legislative body is set up, the ELOE is to be considered the sole legislative body of the country, answerable only to the Ochia – who obviously is no longer with us.” The secretary of the counties was saying. “Whatever a two third majority of this house decides right now is final. – And let me say this vision of East Hendosia,” he paused to acknowledge the nods he was getting from the floor. “This vision was good while it lasted, prolonging it would turn it into a night mare.”

   Ejiofor wondered why they had even bothered to call a meeting. It was like they all had the case cut and dried. They had already made their decisions, the meeting was a mere formality.

   Lieutenant General Mali Bau got up to speak next and to Ejiofor, he was no better than a traitor. Ejiofor could understand how cowardly civilians could be, this moment shouting war cries and the next cowering in surrender but for a fellow in the force, Ejiofor felt personally betrayed.

   The Lieutenant General was going on and on about how distabilized the military was and how devastated the country would be in event of a full fledged war. Mali need not have bothered speaking at all Ejiofor thought, his words were inconsequential, he had merely been repeating words and phrases from the Secretary’s speech coupled with some unprofessional analysis of his own. A simple ‘I am in support of a treaty with the west’ would have done the trick.

    The president moved that the meeting be adjourned for the next thirty minutes so that the legislators could take a break and Ejiofor seconded the motion.

    “Come and smoke with me.” Kachi Matachi, the president of the ELOE invited Ejiofor. As soon as the last of the legislators had left the room.

    Ejiofor was too angry for idle chit chat. He felt hopeless, lost, but mostly angry. “ You know I don’t smoke.” His voice sounded repressed and choked even to his ears.

   ‘’Then come stand with me while I smoke General.” Kachi said. He was smiling strangely, as if he had the entire situation under control. Ejiofor wondered how possible that could be, not unless he was on the side of the cowards who wanted a surrender, a well packaged, face – saving surrender, but no doubt a surrender. “ We don’t have all the time in the world to strategize Ejiofor…. Very well, what is it they say about Mohammed and the mountain.” He added when Ejiofor made no move to join him where he stood, he himself went to sit beside Ejiofor. “Did you wonder why you were invited to this meeting?” When Ejiofor remained silent, he continued. ‘’This is just the ELOE Ejiofor but if you interview the people in about two months time, when the reality of the deaths of Iloruku and Nikku sink in, five out of every six people you ask would be in favour of a surrender –“

    “ So we should just let this all be in vain? Everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve struggled to build, everything Iloruku lived for, to what! Go running back to that corrupt nation with our tail between our legs and swallow the bait of their bloody Ts?”

   The president laughed. “Ah Who knew the General could talk after all !” Then he got serious. “ You see I made sure you got an invitation to be here. The other Generals – I just threw in a handful of them so that people would not be too suspicious. Of course, we can’t back down, not now, not ever. You’re just going to have to convince the people about that and start taking steps to winning this god-damned war. Those steps should include the drafting of a new constitution, a real one this time around, cause what we have here cannot be called a constitution. No wonder the international world don’t take us seriously.’’

    Ejiofor physically relaxed, if this wizened old man thought there was still hope, then there was hope.

   “Oh ! And another thing,” Kachi continued. “ I sent message ….I called the kid, asked him to come home-‘’

   “Jaachi?”

  “Who else? The director of the cyber military, myself and a few other important people, we have got you, we believe in you but if we would win this then we need Prince Jaachi, he is legitimacy."

     ”I’m not sure about that – Jaachi being legitimate I mean. The people don't like him, they can barely stand his name. He does not command their undivided loyalty the way Iloruku did, the way Nikku would have if – “

    “ Make him command it then!” The president interrupted. “Make him command their undivided loyalty. Look General you play chess?”

   Puzzled, Ejiofor nodded. “Good. The thirty minute break is over, the legislators have come trooping in. Make your first move.”

                                                                                                                                        ***

   Two major events were about to take place in East Hendosia and the atmosphere was rife with excitement. The first major event was the burial of the first King of Hendosia, the Ochia Iloruku Mashi and his son Prince Nikku Mashi, eight days after their death in a plane crash. The other major event was the referendum that the ELOE had put forth to the people to answer three questions.

    One : If the people were in favor of a surrender to the West or not, two : to find out if in event of the people deciding not to surrender, they would accept Jaachi as interim head of state of King until after the war. And finally, if in event of the people’s choice not to surrender, they would accept the drafting of a new constitution after a constitutional conference with each extended family providing a delegate. The referendum was scheduled to hold a week after the king was buried but campaigns had already started all over East Hendosia. Spokes Men and women were trying to buy support. Some trying to drive the surrender Campaign, others of which the General was chief tried to steer up sentiment and turn the people’s minds in favor of the drafting of a new constitution.

    With the campaigns came the protests, by different factions. Some people accused the ELOE of collecting bribes from the West and attempting to sell their motherland. The other faction were people who went about carrying placards with ‘say no to the Fly boy’ and ‘East Hendosia is not a family affair.’ They accused the Mashi family of trying to pocket East Hendosia and declared the ‘ Fly boy ‘ unfit for kingship, while yet another set of protesters who were actually mass campaigners carried placards with things like ‘keep hope alive’ and ‘Don’t let Iloruku’s candle die’ written on them. Jaachi did not know how to react. He wasn’t ‘the Fly boy’ anymore, strangely all his zeal and passion for football had died on that stadium after he had received that life – altering phone call. It had not come as a surprise to him when he later found out that history had not been made, the Fly boys had lost to Brazil with one goal to none. Somehow he had expected it, once things started going wrong, they didn’t get better and the ball had been set in motion. However, Jaachi’s loss of interest in football did not spark any interest for the political affairs of his country in him.

    He did not want to be king, that was his father. He had come to terms with that. His father was a good king. That was also Nikku, that whole ‘man of the people’ thing. Jaachi wanted to live his life for just him, wanted to make his own decisions for just him and his family, a family he hoped to start with Lola. He did not want the kingship and all the headaches that came with it , hell! He might even vote for a surrender, his life was a whole lot less complicated when it was just Hendosia, not East and West. Lola was inside his room, painting her toe nails or doing what ever it was she did when they were not making love. He understood why his mother and his Uncle considered her vain but the truth was that he wouldn’t change a thing about her even if he could. He was in love with her, just the way she was and he knew she loved him. She had put herself at risk, smuggling herself in through the boarder immediately she heard of the plane crash just to be there for him and he had to admit he had no complaints about her method of comforting him.

    Jaachi sighed, he could hear protestors very close by, they were getting bold. He came out to the balcony to find it was actually as he thought, the protesters were actually in front of the palace, blocking the two entrances and screaming ‘the fly boy and his western lady would not rule over us.’ Jaachi smiled ruefully, news did get out fast. He would need additional security in the palace incase the protesters decided to get violent. While it was still his home, he needed it to be safe.

    He was about to go back inside to check on his mother and Lola when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A bold protester had made a ladder out of her comrades and climbed the fence, only to discover that that corner of the palace was the animal reserve. Now she hung precariously on the fence, too afraid to jump into a game reserve and yet unable to maneuver herself back to the other side of the fence without falling. Jaachi grabbed at the nearest sentry, barking to the sentry to follow him as he sprinted for the game reserve. His legs could not carry him fast enough, he thought but he was grateful that the sentry could keep up, he was not samson, he couldn’t imagine a face off with the palace lion, unarmed and alone…. Unless you chose to count the climbing girl.

   Getting to the gates of the reserve, he realized he was not with a key, he stepped aside and allowed the sentry to shoot at the lock. It opened with one shot. He heard her scream and thought he was too late. Opening the gate, he was just in time to catch her then he heard the unmistakable growl of a lion behind him. Putting the lady or rather, the intruder on her feet, he slowly turned to face the lion. The sentry stood at the gate of the reserve, his gun trained on the lion. “Slowly start backing towards me.” He instructed but the lady was too terrified, thinking Jaachi had all the Lion’s attention, she turned and fled, triggering the predator in the lion. It pounced at her immediately and the sentry shot it mid air. The Lady collapsed on the sentry in a mixture of terror, relief and gratitude. Ten minutes later, she was sitting in Jaachi’s living room, awkwardly holding a glass of fruit juice which Jaachi had offered her when she said she didn’t drink alcohol. ‘’So you risked your life just to talk to me, the least I can do is to grant you audience….. don’t you think? Jaachi asked. He was enjoying himself a little too much. “I mean, of cause the Fly boy is callous, a disgrace to his motherland and no doubt unfit to be king but I’m sure you don’t think I’m unfeeling enough to turn you out of the palace after such a heroic act. “ He paused and watched her, she was fidgeting, nervous and he suppressed a smile, willfully controlling the expression on his face. “I mean, I could decide to be angry. You just broke into my house, caused my sentry to put out a favourite pet….. That Lion was a panthers leo from Mongabay, it cost twenty five thousand dollars, plus animal rights might want to have a talk with you, those lions are almost extinct you know?.... But! You were going to tell me what was so important that you would risk your life just to tell me.” The Lady had composed herself and Jaachi was impressed. Setting her untouched glass down on a side stool, she looked up at him. "My name is Flora Smith, I represent a group of people called the concerned youths of Mmiri. I… We.. that is I, I mean.. we – “

Jaachi couldn’t resist laughing. “Okay, I can understand what the ‘we’ would like to say, they are outside saying it now but you, “ he was serious again. “What have you come to tell me?” “I guess I just wanted to look you in the eye,” Flora said, eyes downcast, twisting her fingers. “Then do it.” Jaachi commanded Flora looked up startled, “do what?” “Look me in the eye.” Flora held his gaze. “ Why are you doing it? It’s obvious the people don’t want you. Do you want to be king over people that don’t want you? It's the thirty eighth century for pete’s sake, the Grand ruler would hear our cry.” She was gathering momentum. “Absolute monarchy! It's not a thing anymore, I mean the very thought of it is an anachronism, but it’s one thing to have an absolute Monarch the people love and it’s another thing to have a decorated Fly boy shoved down our throats.” She finished, a little out of breath. Jaachi lifted a brow. “Decorated? I’ve not been accused of that one before.” With the realization came white hot furry, hotter than Flora had ever known “You’re making fun of me – “ “Oh but I thought that was obvious.” Jaachi finally gave in to the urge to laugh. “You’ve been a welcome distraction since you dropped your sexy little body into my arms.”

    Flora was on him in a second, lashing out with slaps, blows and the ultimate female weapon, her nails. She did not know what she was doing, only that she had never felt so embarrassed before in her life. She was feeling a mixture of other things she could not analyse, so she kept lashing at the Prince till she felt her hand caught in his powerful grip. “Let go of me.” She struggled and when she saw she couldn’t free herself, she slowly brought her gaze up to meet his. If he had been toying with her before, he was not now. What she saw in the eyes that were looking into her own like they could bore holes through her was anger, plain and unmasked. It intimidated her.

   “You sneak into my house….. Intrude on my privacy, cause the death of an expensive pet, now you attack me?” He let go of her hands so abruptly, stepping back at the same time that she staggered backwards. “Don’t you get it, I do not want to be king. That decision was made by the Enlightened Lovers of the East.”

   Flora was taken aback. “You don’t want to be king?”

    “Yes and I believe you heard me the first time. I’m an engineer, a computer engineer… Used to be a footballer…. But you guys are right, I am not king material and I don’t want to be king.”

   “Would you give a press conference then, tell the people you don’t want to rule … Or would you continue to allow the ELOE dictate to you how to live your life.”

    She was baiting him, he knew it but hell! He would do it. You cannot undo a press conference, can you? And maybe his Uncle and the ELOE would leave him alone after this. “I’ll do it”

     Flora could not believe her luck. “I can call a press conference this minute.”

   “Go ahead” he told her, “I’m right here waiting. “

     Flora was overjoyed, she could not believe how lucky she was. She had just accomplished what days of protests had failed to do. She started to leave then remembered something. Feeling a little guilty, she turned around to face the Prince. He lifted a brow.

   “I’m sorry for your loss…. Your father and brother I mean.” He winced and she saw a flash of pain in his eyes, then his face was an unreadable mask.

    “It’s a little too late for that Flora. Go on, call the conference.” And he walked out of the sitting room, leaving her to see herself out.

  Ejiofor was livid, he was watching Jaachi in the life-sized T.V in his living room tell the entire East Hendosia and anyother person who cared to listen that he Jaachi Mashi did not want to be king.

    Ejiofor balled up his hands into fists, he wanted to punch something. He had worked hard. Convincing the ELOE to grant several referendums concerning such important matters had been difficult, he had had the support of the president and the director of the cyber military but it had still taken all his persuasion skills to get the ELOE to agree to a referendum when all they wanted was to pick up the nearest phone, call the West and surrender.

   His plan was all falling in place, the people showed very positive signs of voting against a surrender. Granted, they did not want Jaachi, but all he had to do was to lean more on their decision not to surrender, then convince them that they just needed to ‘manage’ Jaachi for a while until the war was over then a zero party election would be conducted for the election of a democratic monarch, who was to serve the people until they could prove their loss of confidence in him by a two third majority vote.

   He had already planned the speech he was going to give at Iloruku and Nikku’s burial that would gather support for the cause. Everything was finally falling into place and then what! Jaachi had to spoil it all in an epic way. Ejiofor decided he was going to quit restricting his fists. Getting up, he headed for the gym in his house and was punching the bag in no time. Letting out all the fraustration, the bottled up pain.

   The intercom buzzed and he hit the button. “Mrs Rota Mashi is here to see you” his butler said.

    He did not even hesitate. ‘’I’m at the gym, bring her in.” He continued venting on the punching bag, upper cuts, blows, kicks, his arms hurt, the muscles in his upper arm felt like they were on fire yet he continued. Physical pain was good, he was a soldier, he could understand physical pain. It was his emotions he was not prepared to look into, so he continued punching. He did not even turn around when he heard the door open, he heard as well as felt Rota enter into the room.

   “I take it you saw Jaachi on the news “ She said without preamble

    Ejiofor finally stopped punching as he turned to face his brother’s widow. She had been weeping again, he could tell but there was a quiet dignity about her, a new strength that she had put on, it radiated from her. In her presence, Ejiofor was suddenly at loss for what to say. “He’s really messed things up.”

   “ You could talk to him, talk sense into his head.’’ She waived her hand in her signature gesture. “You can take the gloves with you, have a match with him.” She took a deep breath “Convince him to be king, he owes….. We all owe Iloruku that much.”

    Ejiofor was quiet for a while “The people did not want him before, they would want him less now should he go back on his word after the press statement – “

   “Oh the people would want him!” Rota cut in. “After his marriage to Nmaka.” She drew up her shoulders, adding dignity to her already elegant pose. “You know what’s worse than dying in vain? It’s to live in vain. Iloruku did not live in vain.” She declared. “Go on General.”

   He did… Went on. Iloruku did not also die in vain, he added silently, he was going to make sure of that and well if the woman wanted him to beat up her kid, he was damned if he was not going to oblige.

                                                                                                                               ***

    Jaachi knew something was wrong with Lola, she had been pacing up and down, all over the sitting room since he finished giving his press conference which he did from his balcony. “Lola what’s wrong.” He risked asking.

   “You ,” she lashed out. “You are what’s wrong.”

   Jaachi was confused. “I thought you did not want me to be king!”

   “ It’s not the bloody kingship I’m worried about you Man whore, it’s your philandering – “

    “Just what are you talking about Lola? “

    Lola was exasperated. “What am I talking about? Jaachi really ! Okay, does this sound familiar, ‘ you’ve been a welcome distraction since you dropped your sexy little body into my arms.’… hmm?”

     For a moment Jaachi was confused before it clicked. “Oh Flora!”

     “So she has a name, “ Lola spat. “You know I could have sworn for a moment there, you did not know who I was talking about. That’s how random your flings are.”

    “ Random? Flings?” Jaachi was furious. ‘’I did not have a fling with Flora… or anyone and – “

     “ You did not have a fling with anyone? Really, Jaachi, really?”

      His Uncle took that moment to show up on his door step and Jaachi wondered if his day could possibly get any worse. “Catch.” The General said, throwing him boxing gloves, he had barely put them on before the General was on him with punches, totally ignoring Lola until with no one giving her audience, she finally sulked out of the sitting room. “So you’re a man now ehn?” The General asked and connected Jaachi’s jaw with an upper cut when he tried to answer.

    Jaachi felt pain surge up his head and with it came black furry. He went at his Uncle , with inexperience and anger and his Uncle easily deflected his blows.

   Throwing a false punch, Jaachi got his opening when the General’s right hand came down to protect his stomach. He landed the blow and literally heard the General’s nose break. “Yes he shouted, I know I’m a man and old enough to make my own decisions.”

     The General was on him in seconds, delivering blow after blow and Jaachi was finding it increasingly difficult to pary the General’s blows with his own then he saw an opening as the General was withdrawing his left hand after a failed punch. His right hand protecting his face, Jaachi hit him with an upper cut and felt a surge of satisfaction when his Uncle staggered back. “ I have a life, I’m not my father and I am not Nikku. I’m me and I will not be swallowed up by the ELOE.”

    The General nodded. “Of course you’re not Nikku, your are not even fit to clean his shoes.”

    Jaachi charged blindly and a flying kick from the General sent him crashing to the floor. “Get up ‘man’ or have you decided you’re no more man enough?”

    Knowing the General was purposely goading him did not make Jaachi feel any better. He got to his feet, now cautious of charging blindly, he and his Uncle started circling each other.

    “You would get yourself a wife, a Mmiri wife and you would take your place were you belong.” The General spat.

    “ You, my mother and the bloody ELOE would stop telling me what to do.” Jaachi fired back.

     “ We would stop telling you what to do when you decide to start using your brain to think and not your dick – “

    “ Use my brain to think huh ! And what’s all this about taking a Mmiri wife ehn General? Are you and my mother in on this nonsense…… To force Nmaka on me.”

     “Can’t you see, you idiot !” The General practically shouted. “It’s more than just you and Nmaka, it’s more than just a marriage. The fate of the entire people of Mmiri now rests on your shoulders. Be a man – “

     “I did not ask for this.” Jaachi was ashamed to feel the burn of tears behind his eyelids. “I did not ask for Hendosia to split up, I did not ask the ELOE to choose my father as king. I certainly did not ask for my father and older brother to die and now what? This? You want to trap me in a loveless marriage to my dead brother’s fiancee! “ Jaachi sobbed then thoughened up. “Tell the ELOE they can go to hell and East Hendosia can go fuck themselves for all I – “

    His uncle’s fists connected with his stomach and Jaachi doubled over. “Have you no feeling at all for your Motherland, none at all?” The General asked

    Staggering to his feet, Jaachi went at the General with blow after blow, while the General deftly deflected them. “ Well since you and Mother love the Mmiri people so much, why don’t you both marry each other mmm? You can be king and she can go back to being the Odoba and the both of you can leave my life al- “

    The General have him an upper cut that sent him staggering backwards, then followed it with blow after blow, landing each one as Jaachi was to weak to defend himself. The General gave him another blow, and the latter would have crumbled to the floor if the former did not hold him up. Picking him up with his right hand, the General pinned him on the wall, and when he spoke next, his voice was low but the words rang clear in Jaachi’s head. “You would never again speak in such a manner about your mother. You would respect your mother even if you don’t respect me and you would grow up and man – up to your responsibilities as a son of Iloruku. You would be king of East Hendosia with or without a marriage to Nmaka and you would start now to put all these in place.” He let go and Jaachi fell like a sack to the floor. Stepping over the body of his nephew, the General walked out of the house then he called his brother’s widow. She answered at the first ring. “I just had a conversation with Jaachi,” he said. “ He was most agreeable.”