Swallowing Ground

MONTHS LATER

Horrifyingly, a white casket laid open in a morgue. The corpse inside it was a huge black man in a white suit with hands clutched on his chest. You cannot differentiate his baldness from his skin-cut that sparkles like a ray of light in the casket. His two cheeks over pupolated with dark and grey beards. Yes, you guessed correctly; that was teacher Nwachukwu's corpse. Oh, a great iroko tree has fallen. But how did the clever teacher kick the bucket?

Nevertheless, it was late evening, the weather had become cool due to exchange in temperature between the sea and the terrestrial habitat. Joyfully, people could be seen by the roadside, waving the country flag and casting their garments on the road where a convoy, carrying the president were passing. It was like the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem on a colt.

As the cars were passing slowly, the president, a young seventeen years old boy called Murphy, from one of the parado watched through a tinted glass of the car to see how people were screaming by the side of the road and wanting to see him as if he was a celebrity. He really was more than a celebrity.

The car stopped before a building, a guard briskly opened the door for the president to step out. Already, flash light from camera had circulated the place, trying to capture the teenage president who had stepped out on a corperate attire; longsleeve shirt, tocked-in in a black plain trouser. His shiny Italian shoes reflected the light from cameras, even the transparent eyeglasses on his eyes as he began to wave at the crowd happily.

"I love you, teacher Murphy!!" a female voice came from the crowd.

"I've heard about your story. You're a genius!!" another shouted.

Nevertheless, Murphy kept moving towards the house, listening to each comment made by any of the citizens.

"The ground which you'll stand to put your teacher will not swallow you!! I love you!!" Another female's voice said.

Hearing that, Murphy stopped at the door without looking back. His huge guards also stopped, wondering what came over him. One of them walked closer to his ears and whispered, "Sir, what's wrong?"

Murphy slowly turned to the crowd thereby enhancing their joyful clamour. He wished he could see the person that made the statement, but it was impossible due to population. Therefore, he turned around again, finally entered into the building.

The noise subsided immediately he entered into the house to see his fellow orphans already seated. It was a large living room with golden chairs, tables and other furniture. The walls had the colour of the tiles and energy bulbs, giving it a magnificent view. The temperature of the room continuously reduced by an air conditioner.

The seven teenagers stood up for him as a sign of respect, even stubborn Daniella. All wore black shirts, still mourning teacher Nwachukwu whose burial was the next day. Murphy looked at them from Obi to Ada, Dave, Judith, Daniella, Cynthia and Vivian who twisted her fingers nervously due to how charming Murphy appeared to her. Obviously, she wanted to be more than someone she grew up with to him. Fortunately, Murphy noticed her restlessness, so he called her "Vivian."

The girl's heart skipped when she heard him. "Yes.. umm.. teacher Murphy." she stuttered.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fin..."

"She's not fine, Murphy." Ada did not only interrupt but also interfered.

"Don't mind her, I'm fine." Vivian disdained her amusingly. Only both understood each other because Vivian had once confessed her love for Murphy to her.

"Please, sit down." Murphy sat opposite them and crossed his legs. "You all summoned me here. What for?" he asked.

"We are like a family, Murphy." Dave began. "One of the common characteristics of a family is love and transparency. Teacher Nwachukwu will be buried tomorrow, and we know that before he died, he called you privately. We will like to know what he said to you." he concluded.

Murphy gave them a long stretch of silence, putting together the statement he heard outside with part of Dave's to make a meaning: "..the ground that will swallow your teacher... teacher's burial... the ground will not swallow me... tomorrow is..."

"Murphy?" Ella brought him back from the hallucination. He looked up at them.

"You have all you want; jobs, houses, money and even a family in the person of Cynthia and Ada. Why do you so much want to also know what teacher told me before he died?" he asked them.

"We feel is okay you let us know because we're one." Daniella replied unabashedly.

Murphy stood up. As he walked towards them, the sound of his shoes echoed like that of teacher Nwachukwu. He stopped at a close range with hands inside his pockets. "Teacher told me to take care of you all. He told me to love you too and that's exactly what I'm doing. You're the only family I know. Trust me, I love you guys more than you can imagine."

Vivian took the last statement personal. It was as if it meant for her alone. It could be seen on her smiling face.

"I only want one thing from you guys." Murphy pointed a finger up. "I want you to be clever"

"Clever?" Judith looked at others. "Aren't we clever enough? What do you even mean?"

Murphy exhaled. "The seat I sit is not for merriment. It's for battle. So if I'm not gotten, they'll come after the people I love which is you all." he elaborated while they became speechless. After a couple of seconds, Obi stood up and hugged him.

"We love you too, man!" he patted his back.

Others followed suit; hugged and told him the same thing.

"But when are you getting married?" Ada asked him. The question brightened the place with smiles and chuckle.

"Do you wonder why reverend fathers live longer than married men? It's because they have no wives." Murphy jokingly said.

They laughed.

"I doubt." Cynthia disagreed. "Women even prolong men's lives." she added thereby causing more laughter...

:

:

On the same time, old men from the same cabinet plotted on how to take the life of the teenage president the next day. There were five seated on a roll like a family taking a dinner on a dining table. One could see each of them having gray beards and moustache.

"We can't allow a small boy to keep ruling us." Mr. Odili, the one that serves as their leader began from the end of the table. "Giving him the presidency after the revolution was based on agreement. Now that he has gotten it, it's time we take it back." She added.

"How?" one of them asked.

"He has to be killed"

"How can you kill him!? Someone who challenged his master and won! I heard that boy is too clever!" Another confessed.

"But he cannot outsmart a flying bullet, can he?" Mr. Odili asked.

Everybody kept quiet.

"We're sending an assassin to him at the burial ground tomorrow." they concluded.

:

:

Twelve in the midnight, Murphy walked around his room with a glass cup of wine, still thinking about the statement. He wore his night wears which made him look younger. Suddenly, his personal phone rang. He looked at the caller to be Vivian. Before he picked the call, he glanced at a wall clock.

"You're still awake?" he asked on the phone.

"I should be asking you, Mr. president." Vivian replied. Murphy could imagine her smiling face after calling him that.

"If you wanted me to sleep, then why did you call?"

"I didn't expect you to pick."

They remained silence for a while. Murphy sipped his drink that moment.

"So why are you still awake?" Vivian broke the silence.

"What do you understand by this statement: The ground which you'll stand to put your teacher will not swallow you?"

"It's a good wish." Vivian replied thoughtfully. "Where did you hear it?"

"From a citizen. I think is more than a good wish." He kept the glass cup on a glass table to the hearing of Vivian. "Listen, Vivian, the statement has in-depth meaning. The ground which I'll stand... definitely I'll be standing on a burial ground to put teacher..."

"Yes, and it won't swallow you. It's a good wish!" Vivian insisted.

"No, the ground swallows only the dead, but I'll still be alive when I get there."

"Which means you have to die first before the ground swallows you."

"Yes, and what if what will kill me is on the same ground that will swallow me?"

The question rendered Vivian speechless. She fully understood where Murphy was driving at. "Please, be careful, Murphy." she sounded very sad.....