Dejection at Goshin Bauna’s house

We wanted to know exactly how he will take it, so Maikaho arranged for two of his boys to go to Goshin Bauna’s house, supposedly on a condolence mission. When they got there, they found that several dozen people were there already. Even though people were going in and out of the house, there was […]

We wanted to know exactly how he will take it, so Maikaho arranged for two of his boys to go to Goshin Bauna’s house, supposedly on a condolence mission. When they got there, they found that several dozen people were there already. Even though people were going in and out of the house, there was an eerie silence about the whole place, as if a death had occurred.
Goshin Bauna himself sat on a mat in the courtyard of his house. He leaned his back against a large neem tree. Maikaho’s scouts said he was breathing with difficulty and his eyes were half closed. It was his friend Adan Maraba that was answering people when they offered their condolences. People will come in groups, fall to the ground in front of Goshin Bauna and say, “So this is what Allah did. We heard the announcement on the radio. Whatever Allah does for a human being is the best. May Allah bring your own share in the future.”
Our scouts were sitting there when the staff of the Ministry of Works arrived in a 30-seater Coaster bus. You know that Goshin Bauna is the state Commissioner for Works, so his staff were there to condole with him. The perm sec was in front. All the directors were following him, and behind the directors were the senior and then junior staff. All their heads were bowed as they went in. They all fell to the ground in front of the commissioner, greeted him and then sat back silently.
The perm sec then took over. He is an elderly man, on the verge of retirement. He adjusted his long red cap and he touched his long grey beard. He is a Malam, this perm sec. He doubles as the imam of the Works Ministry’s mosque. He then sat up and said, “Let us bring ten salati each in greetings to our Holy Prophet.” There were murmurs as everyone prayed.
Then the perm sec said, “Our Honourable Commissioner, the staff of the Ministry of Works are here to greet you as our brother, our father, our master and our leader. Those of us present here are only the representatives. All the staff wanted to come, and you know we are more than 3,000 so we told them that we are enough to represent them. Well, the Holy Prophet says you should rejoice with your relative if a good thing happens to him and you should grieve with him if something sorrowful happens to him. This thing that happened today, we do not know whether it is a thing of joy or a thing of sorrow. That is because when we did not hear your name in the list of ministers, we were sad that you are not going for a higher assignment. However, we are also happy that our father and leader whom we love so much will be staying for us for some more time. For that, we offer thanks to Allah.”
Goshin Bauna did not say anything. He still had his back and head leaned against the tree and he was breathing with difficulty. He was shattered when he did not hear his name in the list of ministers. People said he had virtually stopped going to the office once the governor sent his name to the presidency. Some people even said Goshin Bauna’s tailor was working round the clock on new designs of shadda. They said brocades were taken to him by the dozen and he had a whole album of new designs which he showed to Goshin Bauna. The tailor was saying, “this one is good for Federal Executive Council meeting,” “this one is good when you are going on tour,” “this one is good when you are receiving visitors at the airport.”
Even Goshin Bauna’s wives were preparing for Abuja. People said his junior wife was heard telling her junior brother who works in Abuja to find good schools for her children. She was even saying, “Don’t mind the cost! I hear people complaining that Abuja schools are costly but that is not my concern. Find the best one for me! Find the ones that they pay school fees in dollars. They are better!” Goshin Bauna’s senior wife was also heard preparing for Abuja. She was heard telling some people, “I have already bought my flat shoes from Dubai. You know when we are escorting the First Lady to assignments, we have to move very fast. Security men clear the way for Her Excellency and she moves fast, so we ministers’ wives must hurry and catch up with her. That is why I cannot wear all these high heeled shoes.” 
That night I sent Tsinin Kusa to Alhaji Sallama Maikudi’s house to deliver a message to the party chairman. As he was coming out of the house after delivering the message he ran into Goshin Bauna at the door. He said without preliminaries, the commissioner grabbed him by the collar and said, “Tsinin Kusa, your father [expletive]. Your mother [expletive]. All the people of your hometown [expletive]. You were the ones who went around sending petitions against me and planting stories in newspapers. Ok, you have achieved your aim. They did not make me a minister but let me tell you something. That useless man that you are campaigning for, the one with the beard like a dying he-goat, he will never get anything in this Tafki State. Even councilor he will never become in this state! You hear me? Go and tell him, even councilor he will never become in Tafki State!”