Chapter 23

Nancy woke me up in the morning and informed me that water was ready in the bathroom. I went into the bathroom and i quickly had a bath. I had an appointment with Raphael Ekanem in the

Christian Bookshop. I had to hurry. I was sure I was going to start working for the first time after my prison experience.

The chances were that I could be told to start working immediately 1 collected my appointment letter.

On stepping into the parlour after leaving the bathroom which was located outside I caught Nancy with a towel round her neck walking across the parlour toward her bedroom. Apart from her neck and arms which were covered by the towel, her whole trunk from the back across her buttocks to the legswere naked and uncovered. The way her naked buttock shook as she strolled across the parlour liberated all my sex impulses. I stood there transfixed. I kept looking at her until she disappeared into her

bedroom. Even after she had entered her bedroom, the temptation to follow her there and knock her down on her bed was very strong.

I resisted this temptation, and simply crossed the

parlour into my pidgin hole where I combed my hair and dressed up for my appointment in Christian Bookshop.

I knocked on her door to inform her that I was going to Christian Bookshop to get my letter of employment. I had guessed that she had dressed up at this time. She hadn't, because I met her stark naked once more. This time, she was facing me with her pubic hair. She quickly ran to her bed to pick her wrapper, although before she did this I had already stepped out.

She came out with her wrapper on, and smiled, telling me that I had surprised her. Instead I told her I was going to the Christian Bookshop to collect my letter of employment and start working.

I took a taxi and was soon there. I went to the General Office and asked whether there were two Raphael Ekanems. I asked this question because I wanted to make sure I wasn't dealing with a

fake Raphael Ekanem and a real Raphael Ekanem. It Had been suggested to me before that I must have mistaken a different person for Raphael Ekanem hence my belief that Raphael Ekanem took money from me.

There is only one Raphael Ekanem. He is the Christian leader and also the recruiting officer, the man told me and pointed upstairs to his office. I went to his office and knocked. I entered.

He was there. The same man. 'Sit down brother, he told me, sat down. Raphael Ekanem appeared not to know me: We were quiet for some moments. It was only when he gave me a christian tract on punishment for sinners that we entered into a conversation. 'Have you repented?" I heard. I told him I had repented.

Raphael Ekanem told me it was good I had repented because the wages of sin is death, and demanded concrete evidence from me

to show that I had repented. I told him that there was no way I could show him any concrete evidence of this, since repentance is difficult to quantify. 'I want to hear that you have turned away from the iniquities of the children of darkness,' he said.

I nearly reminded him that it was people like him who took bribes from poor applicants that were the children of darkness. Knowing that this would be the most imprudent thing to say, I didn't remind him. Instead I told him that I had turned away from the iniquities of the children of darkness, and that he would see this with his

own eyes when I start to work with him. I have come for the letter of employment which you promised me I said. Raphael Ekanem's embarrassment showed visibly on his face 'You mean. You are...the one?,' he asked. I nodded and told him that I was Akaa Iyortyer who came three days ago, and omitted telling him that he got money from me.

The embarrassment did not leave his face. 'I am sorry," he said 'There is a new development." I refused to ask him about this new development and kept looking at him instead. There is a new development from Lagos. Our Head) Office in Lagos has posted somebody down to occupy the

position I had wanted to give you' he told me. I became very frustrated. Where is that person?" I queried, not believing him. 'He has not come yet. But he will come," he said

.

I did not know what to do. If that is the case,' I said 'I would like you to return the thirty naira to me.' Raphael Ekanem looked at me with the bewilderment of one looking at an insane

man. Which thirty naira are you talking about?" he asked. I don't want any joke' I said I want the thirty naira I gave you as a tip for the job' I said in a direct manner that embarrassed him.

Raphael Ekanem told me that he didn't know what I was talking about and would advise that I leave his office in my own interest.

I was in a dilemma. I was not prepared to go to the police and report a case of bribery in which there was no evidence. More-over, I was going to be as guilty of giving a bribe as much as Raphael Ekanem for taking it. I stood up to go and told him 'you are a crook and an infidel.' To my surprise Raphael Ekanem did not take offence at this. He did not even reply to it. I looked at him for some time and started to go, banging the door in an angry manner behind me as I left his office.

I was not prepared to remain idle waiting for the day Mohammed Ali would employ me. It was not even safe to rely on the tyrant. Only a fool would rely on his promise. I was not going to live in a fool's paradise waiting idly for four months.

It occurred to me that I had never looked for a job in the University since I had been looking for job. I took a taxi to the University. The University was far away, in the periphery of the town on the road to Bama. The driver drove the long stretch gently until he dropped me off at the University's administrative block. I met a woman there who was carrying a big file and stopped to ask: 'if one is looking for a job in the University, to who does he go?" The woman told me she was not sure, but that I could go to the Registrar and find out.