The morning Sun arose in its glory, reflecting on teacher Murphy's window to remind him that it was time for Nwachukwu's burial. Yes, he had that in his subconsciousness. He had already prepared himself but the discussion between him and Vivian the previous night got him thinking again at the window of his room. If viewed sideways, the ray of the Sunlight on his face gave him the resemblance of angel Gabriel, appearing to virgin Mary. The light rays was not only enhancing his immune system, it was also giving him inspiration as if God was speaking to him directly because in few hours to come, his death would be announced globally.
"Teacher, It's time." A voice sounded simultaneously with the sound of an opened door.
Murphy turned to see the door wide opened for him to pass through. On his dark expensive senator-wear, he surged forward as if calculating his footsteps. When he stepped out to the living room, he saw Mr. Odili and other executive members who run the government with him and have also set a death trap for him that morning. All stared at him with a smiling face. How could Murphy see that behind their smiles lies hatred and evil plans towards him? Nevertheless, he returned the gaze but not the smile.
"Mr. president.." Odili stretched his hand to shake him.
Murphy looked at him from the hand to his face as others watched anticipatingly to see his reaction.
"Good morning to you too, Mr. Odili" Murphy replied, leaving his hand hanging embarrassingly. That act made others to keep their handshakes to themselves wondering why he didn't shake an old man like Mr. Odili in the presence of other executives. It was not only humiliating but also embarrassing, thus causing a soliloquy among them.
Nonetheless, Murphy surged forward to the door followed by his body gaurds, lastly, by Odili and his colleagues who kept on murmuring to Murphy's hearing. Suddenly, the young boy stopped at the door, smartly turned to them. His posture and expression alone gradually died down the soliloquy.
"Mr. Odili, you'll ride with me on the same car to the cemetry." Murphy broke the silence as his eyes were fixed on the old man.
"You mean to the burial ground? But why if I may ask, TEACHER MURPHY?" the man asked.
Murphy smiled for a reason best known to him. He had collected the data he wanted. "Is there anything wrong with riding on the same car with your president?" he returned the question.
"No, not at all"
"Thank you." A guard finally clutched the doorknob for him.
Other men stared at Odili surprisingly. One of them called Bolaji adjusted his agbada, a bogus traditional wear of the African Yorubas, and whispered to Odili's ear. "That small boy behaves as if he has an evil spirit in him." he rolled his big eyes with a heavy exhalation, shook his head and surged out before others followed him with a continuous soliloquy.
Murphy has to address the country first before the journey to the cemetry begins. He stood on a pulpit like an ordained man of God. Flash light from cameras and its sound became the only pollutant in the air as he began.
"Today is the day all citizens especially the people of Kali mourn the down fall of a man who brought revolution to this country. Though he's dead but his love lives on..."
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Meanwhile, every home in the country listened to teenage Murphy, even traders and passengers. Daniella, Dave, Judith, Obi and Vivian listened from a private car as they were heading to the cemetery. Dave handled the steering wheel. By his side was Judith while others occupied the back seat.
"Is that Murphy speaking on the radio?" Vivian asked.
"Yes, he's addressing the country." Dave replied.
"Turn up the volume, please."
Dave did as she said then all paid more attention.
"...teacher Nwachukwu was a good man" Murphy continued on the radio. "Though darkness always tries to supersedes light, but he fought to made sure we experience the light. Remember, in every light, there's a darkness waiting to overcome it if given a chance. That's why you must let your light shines continuously like the Sun. Bear it in mind that your light comes from nowhere. It comes from you. Thank you very much." An applause followed after the speech. People were really seeing the benefit why he chose to be addressed as teacher rather than a president.
Obi twisted his face in the car. "What did he mean by his last statement?" he asked.
"You may see it as a motivational speech, but he was talking about his governance." Daniella answered.
Dave adjusted the centre mirror in a way he would see her face, anticipating more explanation from her.
"In every light there's a darkness waiting to overcome it; Murphy obviously is the light and some of his members are the darkness trying to..."
"Kill him?" Vivian completed.
"Yes. Remember, Murphy told us his seat is not for merriment but for battle."
"On a phone call last night. He said something like what will kill him is on the same ground that will swallow him. He got his analysis from a common statement made by a fan." Vivian substantiated.
Judith looked back. "What statement?"
"'The ground which you'll stand to put your teacher will not swallow you'" she replied directly then all became quiet. Only the voice of a radio broadcaster filled the car.
"How can Murphy predicts his death from ones statement?" Dave began. "If his prediction is true, then he must be smarter than teacher."
"We can't take the risk. It's better we warn him not to come for the burial." Judith suggested...
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Teacher Murphy entered into his car with Odili. His convoy headed straight to the cemetery. As the president, his siren echoed the whole city of Kali. For the small speech he made that morning, people rushed out to the road to hail him. Only then did Odili notice that the small boy was not just a leader but also a celebrity. He turned to him at the back seat of the car.
"Teacher Murphy, you humiliated me this morning. Why didn't you shake my hand?" he asked him.
Murphy looked at him again without a word from his mouth then averted his eyes to the tinted glass.
"Whether you reply or not, you must not come back alive." Odili thoughtfully said.
As if Murphy heard him, he turned from the glass saying, "Did you say something again?"
"No, teacher" the man replied wondering when the boy began to hear people's thought. Though Murphy didn't hear him but his question made him wonder if he did.
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In the cemetery, people lined up in black attires. The population wasn't quite much but prominent individuals like sheriff, chief in command of the police, and other politicians would not miss the burial. Black sunglasses could be found on their faces, reflecting radiation like a smooth bald head of an old wizard. It was teacher Nwachukwu's burial. Though Kali city had the joy of being free from bad politicians with the help of his devices, but some people like the orphans showed how much they loved him by weeping seriously in the cemetery.
Judith wept more than others, remembering how happy teacher made her using the mortal combat game: "... happiness causes forgetfulness of sorrows and unknowing utterance of indebt feelings.... Yes, you won me again my daughter..... If your parents are still alive, I must help you find them, I promise..." A white handkerchief occasionally went to the base of Judith's sunglasses to dry dripping tears when she remembered those statements. She stood beside her boyfriend, Dave, who showed emotional attitude too. His eyes fixed on the casket like the eyes of a baby who monitored the movement of the mother's lips wondering what she says. Beside him, stood Daniella who also remembered teacher's statements:
"....I picked you all from the gutter to raise you to be smart not stupid... For all my life I've dedicated myself for this and I can't allow someone as stupid as Ada to ruin it all... You think I'm using you?! I do all i do for you all because you're the only family I have... When you're determined to do something in life, you don't look back! You keep away distractions and obstacles..." she broke down in a total cry after the reminiscence. Cynthia consoled her the same way Obi did for Ada.
Only Murphy showed no emotion, standing in the front and staring at the casket too. He had no words to qualify teacher Nwachukwu's life. However, at a nearby bush, the assassin hired to assassinate him had loaded his snipper, targeting Murphy's head to pull the trigger.
Odili and others were not waiting for the casket to go down the grave but for Murphy to go down the ground. Hence their ears didn't hear the preaching of the reverend father, but anticipated the sound of a gunshot. Just then, Murphy looked back at him like Jesus Christ did to Peter when the cock crowed three times.
The burial ended, yet they was no gunshot. Odili marvelled! He could see Murphy whispering something into Dave's ear then wanted to sneak away but he caught him.
"Mr. Odili, you're going with me again! I'm sorry." Murphy surged forward.
"Before, I said this small boy behaves like an evil spirit. Now I know he's the evil spirit itself." Bolaji whispered again.
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All returned to the white house including the orphans. None of them used the seat as teacher Murphy instructed. The young boy stood before them with hands in his pockets as usual. He flipped a finger on the air and a guard pushed Odili to the centre.
"What is going on?" the old man spread his hands.
"Have you shaked anybody today, Mr. Odili?" Murphy asked him.
"No"
"Okay." He flipped his fingers again and a man with tattoos was brought in on handcuff and stood before the old man. Odili recognized him as the assassin they sent to assassinate him.
"Mr. Odili, I want you to shake the man on cuffs" Murphy instructed.
Reluctantly, he did as he said then the assassin became a moron.
Murphy observed him with a smile. "This is what would have happened to me if I had shook your hand. After sending this assassin to kill me, you wanted to make me a moron in order not to outsmart your plans, but you were too late."
Silence filled the room. They all began to wonder if Murphy was a god or an ordinary being.
"Umm.. teacher" Bolaji stepped forward. "How did you know he had a charm in his hand?"
"90% of mistakes made in the world is done out of nervousness especially when one wants to carry out an evil act." He placed his two hands behind him like a teacher, stepping away from his position, while they listened like students. "When Mr. Odili wanted to shake me, he called me 'Mr. president' but after I told him that he would be riding with me on the same car, he called me 'TEACHER MURPHY'. What does that tell you?"
They remained quiet taking the question rhetorically.
"The mistake of calling me Mr president was as a result of nervousness for the evil he had in his mind." Murphy flipped his fingers like his late teacher while Bolaji whistled with two hands on his head thereby spreading the agbada sideways like a bird about to fly.
"Teacher," Vivian began. "Your prediction last night was correct. How did you come about it with the statement from the fan?"
"We're created special from other animals. There's something in us that tells us when and where we're to die. But it's left for you to cleverly read meaning from it. The sign can come from anybody and anywhere, but the ability to read meaning from the sign is what makes you a human being. When you understand this, your life on earth will be prolonged. So I sent men to wait at the cemetery from midnight in order to detect suspicious movement. They allowed the assassin till the time he wanted to execute his plans for a tangible evidence." Murphy began to shed his own tears for Nwachukwu for all that he just explained was taught to him alone by teacher. He really missed him and wished he was still alive to see the evidence of his teachings in his life.
Bolaji whispered again. "This small boy is not just an evil spirit but a smart evil spirit!" he concluded hilariously. ...