Madam Minister (Part 14)

Inspector Doris Agee visits a downtown neighborhood.

“Ekaite,” hollered Dr Monteseri.

“Yes Sir,” she said, hurrying into the dining room.
“Where is Nene?”
“She sleeping Sir.”
It’s okay. I’m going to the morgue with Isabel and Chidi. Help her have a bathe and breakfast.  We are coming back soon.”
“Yes Sir.”

“Bye Aunt Ekaite,” said Isabel, smiling and waving at her. Ekaite smiled and waved back. Then she rolled Chidi to the car. They sat at the back seat. Dr Monteseri drove through the gate into the street. Within seconds, he was on Herbert Macaulay Way. He bypassed the West Bridge and the Tenth Zebra Crossing, and came to 44 Barracks Avenue.  At the hospital, the military guards  checked him in. He parked the car under a tree, and they alighted. And walked toward the morgue.

They met the Matron at the wide double door. She had a bag over her shoulders and was smiling at them.

“Good morning, Dr Monteseri.”
“Good morning, Matron.”

“Good morning, children,” she said, smiling. Then she turned to look at Dr Monteseri. “I did night shift. I’m on my way home.”

“Yea, you need some rest, really,” he said.

“Thank you…Doc.”

“Call me Soso, Madam.”

“I am Dora.”

“Thank you Ma…. Thank you Dora, ” he said, smiling.

“Your children are cool,” she said, bending down to touch Chidi. “What happened to you? ”

“He had a fall at 2, twisted his backbone.”

“Oh I am sorry, dear.”

“Kate is his mom.”

“Oh I’m very sorry,” she said, rubbing his hand.

Chidi smiled up.

“This is my first daughter, Isabel.”

“Isabel, I am Nurse Dora. I’m glad meeting you.”

“Thank you, Nurse Dora,” she said, shaking hands with her.

Then she drew Dr Monteseri aside.

“What are they doing here?”

“He wants to see his mother.”

She thought about it for a while. Then bobbed her head. “It is okay,’’ she said, looking in the direction of the boy. “When will be the funeral?”

“I am talking it over with her brother in-law and relations. The cost of morgue is heavy. We are proposing next week.”

“ Please I will always call you. I want to be part of it,” she said. Then  brought out her phone and took his number. She waved at the children.

“Many thanks, Doris.”

“I thank you too,” she said, and walked away.

They went into the morgue. The supervisor open the white cover on Kate.

Chidi began crying again.  And pushed forward to grab the wrapped body on the slab. Isabel pushed him away to the balustrade. Then held his hands.

“Thank you, Sir,” said Dr Monteseri. “He asked me to bring him. I didn’t want to deny him seeing his mother.”

“I understand you,” said the supervisor.

“Please keep her well. She was a lovely woman. The best I ever had,” he said, tears streaming down his eyes.

“We do thorough job, Doc. Do you need an ambulance? It is cheap.”

“Don’t worry. I have one.”

“What of mourners? They are good.”

“Please don’t bother. You’ve done enough already. I don’t need all those troubles.” 

The supervisor scratched his chin.

“If there is anything you need, let me know.”

“Thank you, Mr….”

“Mr.Oudi” 

“…Mr.Oudi, he said.

Then he went to the meet the children at the balcony. He hug them.

“Let’s go. We have a lot of preparations to do.” 

Then he saw the tears on Chidi’s eyes. “No , Chidi. You promised you won’t cry anymore.”

Chidi drew back some air. He wiped his eyes, and bowed his head. Then Isabel pushed his chair toward the motor-able stair way.

Her taxi stopped at Holy Quarters, a down town slum. She came down, paid her fare and stood for a moment, gazing at the surroundings. Churches, many built with wood, were at every corner. The roads were untarred with holes, littered with rotten and polythene refuse. Sewers filled with gory slime, smelled horribly. Pigs squeaking, loiter about ravaging what they could find. She walked down the street, looking for a building. Then she came to the eighth, and related it to the address with her. It was the place, actually. A squalid, two bedroom, dilapidated building, on the brink of collapse. She stood for a while wondering if someone was living there. She remembered he wore a customized suit and shoes, and was having his breakfast in that expensive restaurant. Does he live here for real or have I missed my way.

Then she stomped on a board lying over the gutter, walked up, and knocked at a door.

It flew open. He came out, looking shorter in shabby suit, stood a step up, between the door posts, looking down at the woman in mufti.

“Mrs…,” he said pointing at her.

“Miss Doris Agee, Sir.”

He came down the low steps. Do I know you?” Are a new member of our prayer ministry.”

No, I’m not, Sir,” she said shaking her head. “We met at the Sprite Restaurant. I was the police officer you met at the newspaper stand.”

“Oh! I knew your face but could hardly place it.”

“It is alright Pastor. Can we talk here,” she said, staring at the surroundings.

He nodded his head.

She picked her walkie-talkie out of her small bag.

“We are ready now. You can come in,” she said.

“What is that for, Inspector?”

“We have a search warrant to your house. Please do obstruct or anything that would hinder the course of justice. Anything you say or do now will be used as evidence in court. If don’t mind, call your lawyer to solicit on your behalf from now on.”

She opened her bag again, and got out the search warrant, and gave to him.

“I don’t understand what you are doing here?”

Then they heard sound of a helicopter hovering above their heads. Then her radio began talking.

“How are you, Ma.”

“Yes, I’m fine, Sir. Thank you.

“Any other thing.”

“Nothing, Sir. Thank you.”

“The boys are in the street right now.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Then the helicopter flew away.  A police jeep crept into the street. Then parked soundlessly in front of the house. Two well dressed policemen light carrying equipment alighted and came into compound.

“Good morning, Doris,” greeted the high ranking officer. The other policeman saluted her.

“Do we go in now,” she asked the pastor.

Pastor Demian Elem was confused.

“I haven’t done any wrong.”

“You have the court summons with you.”

He looked at paper with him. Short of words, he could not say anything.

She nodded her head. The men put on white lab coats, hand gloves, and covered their nose with dust filter. Then they went into the house.

I need reasons for this cruel conduct,” said Pastor.

“You were having breakfast in Sprite Shopping Mall when Madam Minister pushed her sister in law out of the restaurant.”

“Does that justify searching my house,” he said, glaring at her.

“You got up the second time. Where did you go?”

“What!”

“You heard me Pastor. Immediately after the fight, you disappeared from the restaurant. And later came back to your meal. Where did you go?”

He flinched. Then put a hand in the pocket, pulling a face. 

“I went to the rest room,” he said, his piqued face flouting a spurious smile.

“I will give you the benefits of doubt. Please save your denials for the judge. The details for your appearance in court are in there,” she said, pointing at the paper in his hand. “I want to see what is going on.”

She walked into the house. It was dark. Heavy stuffy stale smells hit her. She tied her nose and mouth with hankie. And waited until her eyes accommodated the scene. The walls were not painted. Tatters of brown cloths hung on the front door and the two windows.  She saw her two colleagues sitting on the edges of a low dirty double couch, taking notes, their noses covered paper handkerchiefs, their equipment on the floor. And two women sitting on the floor. 

A repulsive sight, she wondered.

Her boys stood up when they saw her.

“What is going on here?”

“Not a pastor’s home, Ma…. It is a transit camp for trafficking of children. It is more than you think.”

Inspector Doris Agee turned around immediately. 

“Pastor Demian Elem,” she called and turned her around.

He was not behind her. She hurried outside, searching everywhere for him. He had gone. She came back to the house.

“He’s gone. He has disappeared. In all my years of training, I should have sensed the rotten head of a fish even at a far distance,” she said, shaking her head.

“It happens once in a while, Inspector,” said the junior officer.

“No, I shouldn’t have missed this! I was caught snoozing.”