Stranger

Are you indigenes of Maiduguri?' I asked wondering why they had never heard of Sheik Umar. I learnt from them that they were from Gomboru and had arrived Maiduguri only a day before.

We are strangers' said the feminine one. 'No wonder you have never heard of his name' I said. 'Mohamed Ali is the richest man in Maiduguri. He own three-quarters of the companies and corporations in this town. Most cars used by people in this town are bought from one of his car companies. He controls many things in this town, including people.

He has some control over the governor...

'They cut me short with laughter 'I am sure

you'll soon tell us he controls God,' said the masculine one. Just listen to me! I said. 'No' I heard it doesn't matter whether Mohamed Ali or whatever you call him controls the universe. We've come to enter the police and that's that.'

On hearing this, a near neurotic anxiety took control of me. I became clearly hysteric. I was tempted to beg these girls on my knees to accept my offer. Mohamed Ali would not want to hear that I could not complete the assignment.

The reason why I am telling you all this about Mohamed Ali is to let you know that he is

rich enough to pay you $600 a month. The pay is $600!' I said in a hysteric tone. The pay can be one thousand dollars' said the spokes- woman but we don't want to be threatened by any employer.

Go and tell Mohamed Ali that.' I told them that what I wasn't really a threat and that even the police would not tolerate late-coming to the office. The police have not threatened us ahead of time' said the spokeswoman you are

threatening us ahead of time.' I opened my mouth to speak when I was halted by the spokeswoman who said 'Mohamed Ali must be a fool.'

Take the appointment first' I said, struggling not to betray the fact that I was virtually begging her.

Things may not be so bad.'

The spokeswoman told me they were not ready to gamble, and that being in the police force was a pensionable job with gratuity.

I reminded her that the huge amount paid to workers in Ali's Group of Companies offsets any gratuity or pension.

The two girls kept me on my toes until I had to lie to them that it was never on record that Mohamed Ali sacked anybody; that the truth was that people were almost never sacked from his company and that Mohamed Ali was a carefree gentleman who could not sack anybody unless such a person committed a crime like murder.

It was this which finally made them to request for the letter of employment which they had followed me to collect.

There is one more thing' I said 'Mohamed Ali does not allow his workers to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. The morality of his

workers must be impeccable. He does not allow playboys in his company. No flirts are allowed to work in his company.'

The girls looked at each other.

I am no longer going to accept the offer' I heard from the spokeswoman. Why?' I asked, intrigued. 'I am never going to accept the offer. I am a flirt.' I was stunned.

This was the first time I heard a girl declare that she was a flirt. You can flirt about as a worker in the company in so far as you can keep it secret.

Accept the offer and flirt in secret.' I told her, knowing that no flirtation could be secret to Mohamed Ali. All I wanted was to beat the deadline. If she was foolish enough to flirt after securing the job that would be her cup of tea. I brought out the forms and filled their names with $600 per month written on the forms against each name.

The masculine one was called Toma while the feminine one was called Rekiya.

Fearing that if I tell them to report for work at 7.30 a.m. they might not come until 8 a.m. when Mohamed Ali would have come which would be suicidal - I told them to report at 6.30 a.m.

They started to protest. I ignored them and drove off. I feared that they might decide not to come but I brushed aside the fear.

$600 a month shattered the resistance of everybody and they were not going to be an exception.

When I reached Nimeiri road, I made a U-turn and drove back to Murtala Muhammed square, the scene of the police recruitment.

My aim was to wait there until the recruitment exercise was over to see whether these girls went in for it. It would be suicidal if I thought I had employed two people who did not

consider themselves employed. Just before I could reach the square I saw both of them burst out around African Continental Bank while a great crowd was still waiting for the recruitment.

I knew then that they had decided to abandon the idea of joining the police in favour of working with Ali's Group of Companies.

I pursued them and parked close to them. Having being assured that they had accepted my offer I had virtually nothing to say to them.

Do not fail to report on schedule' I told them. 'I am having second thoughts about this your job said the masculine looking spokes- woman.

Hypertension nearly killed me on the spot. I was relieved when she told me that she would however accept the offer tentatively. I told them it would do them a lot of good if they accepted the offer because the company had the best conditions of service for its workers. 'In fact if you have any friend who needs a job I'd follow you now and employ her' I said.

They told me they had one in Gomboru. I told them to enter into my car so that we could go to Gomboru to recruit that friend. They entered as I drove towards Gomboru. We reached Dikwa in a matter of minutes. Pointing to some dilapidated ancient walls, Toma told me they were the ruins of the palace of Rabeh.