Part 3 (4)

Toc, toc, toc! Toc, toc, toc!
"Who is that?" A voice asked from inside.
"Uncle Bibi, it's me, Suzie. Please, open the door!" The young woman responded.
Uncle Bibi unlocked the door and she stepped in.
"Uncle Bibi, I know you are already aware of the news. Your radio is always tuned to the local frequency. You never miss the newscast." Suzie asserted.
"I am here to request your assistance in freeing the lumberjack from jail." She pleaded with her uncle.
Amazed by what just spiked his ears, uncle Bibi shouted: "What? Are you losing your senses, Suzie? You want us to be hung by Governor Kola II? He is a half-god. He has the right to life and death upon us."
Uncle Bibi's reaction sends shivers down his niece's spine. She stayed calm and was thoughtful for a while.
Then she countered: "But what if the Monster attacks the village and no one knows the whereabouts of the lumberjack who is nonetheless a valuable human shield against that bird of ill omen?"
Uncle Bibi was tickled by Suzie's interrogation. Disturbed by its relevance, he placed his left hand on his face and began to daydream. His thumb was under his chin while the index, middle, ring, and pinkie fingers caressed his cheek.
He imagined how a ferocious Beast destroyed Okunde's east gate and blew a powerful wind that ravaged people and their properties.
He looked even more desperate when he visualized the Monster penetrating Ekule and marching toward the twin chalets and aggressing him, big momma, and his lovely niece Suzie.
That image in particular was the u-turn in his objection to the young lady's request.
"You got me with that one. Well, wait for me here! I will be right back." Uncle Bibi told her.
He went to his room and a moment later came back with different outfits. He was clothed with a brown and large cotton-made boubou, a fedora hat of the same color and material as the gown and which was lowered to his eyebrows. His feet were covered with black leather sandals.
He advanced toward his niece and said to her: "Come! Let's go and save your lover!"
Surprised by her uncle's allegation, Suzie responded: "Lover? How possible uncle Bibi?"
He turned, stared at her, sighed, and mumbled to her: "Lovebirds!", then walked off his house.
Suzie was electrified. She stood in her position, frowned for a few seconds, then ran after his uncle while shouting: "Wait for me, uncle Bibi!"
Emperor Batang V was in the lunar bedroom with Empress Serena. They could not believe the news from Okunde and wished Governor Kola II had consulted with them before imprisoning the lumberjack.
They were annoyed that the arrest was leaked to the public and they could not overturn the Governor's decision. They did not want to undermine his authority over the area.
"By all the Saints, why did he take such a drastic measure? At least, he should have informed me of the situation." The Emperor deplored and was upset.
"My Heart, pardon me but you have given so much liberty to your Governors. They have become little emperors over their zones of command. Today it's Kola II who is embarrassing your power. I'm pretty sure soon we shall hear wonders from the Governor of Okala in the north and that of here in Ekule. If I were you, I would repeal the current Constitution and make a new one that provides me with undividable Might." The Empress suggested to His Majesty Batang V.
"You have been warning me about this. But as you know, it's my late father, the Great Batang IV who reformed the institutions a year before he passed away. He wanted to prevent me from the drunkenness of superpower." The Emperor responded to his spouse.
"Now you face the consequences of the soberness of a dividable power." She regretted it.
In the meantime, Suzie and her uncle reached the east gate of Ekule. A guard glared at them, a bit suspicious of their looks. He found it eerie that it was not possible to see their faces. Their outfits were regular ones but it was unusual for couples who crossed the gate to have their traits completely invisible.
"Excuse me, sir! May I see your face?" The guard interrogated Uncle Bibi who was looking down, making it even more difficult for the sentinel to connect with his eyes.
Suzie observed the scene in silence. Uncle Bibi was hesitant to answer. The guard commenced losing his patience. He reformulated his query: "Sir, to pass the border, I will need to verify your identity."
Suzie felt things were on the verge of getting out of control. So she decided to intervene: "Excuse me, valiant soldier! The man right here is my dad, and he is deaf and dumb since birth. He can only communicate in sign language."
"Oh, sorry Ma'am! Now I understand his strange behavior. Please, have a safe journey!" The guard told her and with a gesture from his head he instructed a younger colleague to open the gate. Suzie and her uncle crossed to the other side and were now hiking to Okunde's west gate.
"Darling, so I am deaf and dumb since my childhood." Uncle Bibi poked fun at his niece and she laughed out loud.
"Haha, uncle Bibi! That's the best idea that popped up in my head at the moment. Of course, you are not deaf and dumb! Thank the ancestors!" Suzie reacted.
"But now for the next gate, it would be wise to separate and go one after another." She proposed to her uncle.
"You always come up with brilliant ideas, especially in critical times." Uncle Bibi appreciated his niece's ingeniosity.