LEAVES ON THE TREE …We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree And wither and perish but nought changeth thee Franklin Ibemessie ALIMAMY JONES The centipede must have felt the stampede, for suddenly it did one last circular wriggle and started to skip away. God never did give the centipede the diplomatic faculty of handling the human being. Either bite as hard as you could or die. That was the entire consciousness of the centipede - no middle ground. If the centipede's assessing faculty had been like the human's, it would have known that running away would not help. For the human hooves that it heard were only a metre away. Had it been as cunning or as smart as the rat, it might have concealed itself until the monsters were gone. The centipede had attained not more than half a metre when it was sent most abruptly to its maker. Its executioner was a robust market-woman, sweating as she pounded away. The centipede died instantly, the constituents of its gut arguing about who to hit the pavement first. Moments later, the centipede and its arguing entrails were now evo-stiked to the ground, as the human throng gushed past. They were here today to witness justice. Sitting by the cotton tree, functioning both as eye and ear of state, I digested the mood of the people. They were to see a man tried for his sins not only against the Pontiff but against the people of Sao Lome . They were here, most significantly, to watch him pay for his iniquities. One gets the impression that this myriad collection of spectators was here to see an auction, or hear the Pontiff deliver a speech. The fog-like dust, brought about by the stamping of both clean and dusty feet, hung with foreboding. The swishing of shoes and halfbacks drowned out the racket of different conversations, all directed one way or the other towards the event about to be witnessed. I stood up and ambled to my Sole Superior to give my report. Seconds before I entered the hut from the back door, the Pontiff was getting out at the other side, towards the open field, no doubt to address his people. The large circular dusty field had two huts at the opposite sides, representing shelter for two football teams. There were two holes on each side, where the goal posts had been removed. For the pitch was now being used for another sport, totally unrelated to football, a sports wherein the spectators never cheered or jeered, and there were no winners. One of the huts were being used by us, the ruling council of Sao Lome, the other by personalities considered to be distinguished by the Pontiff himself. His Excellency, The Pontiff, Sole Superior, Hero of the Revolution, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Redeemer of the people of Sao Lome stood in front of his people in the middle of the field. He allowed them a few seconds to admire his outfit. Clad in his impeccable military outfit of unadulterated green, adorned with gold(not brass) buttons, he raised his hands to the people. The populace in turn acknowledged his presence by silently staring at him, their distrust oozing forth like the insides of the centipede. All was silent. Having figured out that his attempt at dramatic panorama only tested the patience of the people, he barked out a speech: My fellow countrymen, we are gardered her today toe witness jostis. I came toe bring peace, not trouble. And dat is why I promised that whenever my sojas misbehave, I weel deal wit dem. Now has come de time to prove it. De man who is about toe be punished here today killed a man for no good reason. Today he must pay for it… Three weeks ago, Corporal Sesay walked into his corrugated sheets' home to find a man having a conjugal meeting with his wife. Without much ado, Sesay had corked his AK 47 and at close range nearly removed the man's head from the rest of his body. The man happened to be the Regional Director one of the few NGOs who had the courage to stay in the country, and The Pontiff had seen an opportunity to tell the world that justice, law and order still prevail. It had occurred to a good many people that Corporal Sesay would still be drinking Totapak if his wife's lover was of a different vocation and had no influence. … Sojas, bring de condemd forward (he continued, and the nervous Corporal Sesay wPas brought out from the opposite hut and dragged to the middle of the field were the Pontiff was). Couple Sesay, you are hereby charged with murder in the most dangerous degree, and you are derefore sentenced to die here and now by fayarin skwad. Case judged. Justice given. Sentence read. Immediate execution of judge's sentence , for justice delayed is justice denied. Corporal Sesay bounded forward for the Pontiff dragging one of his jailers with him. He screamed at the Pontiff, weeping all the time, asking only for a chance to be heard. A chance not to live, but to say something, to offer an explanation, not because of remorse or regret, but because he needed to say something. The right to express himself was the most important to him now. Illiterate as Sesay was, he didn't realise that the constitution has been suspended. Being judge, jury, executioner and prison chaplain, the Pontiff pronounced : May God have mercy on your soul. Like all masses, the expression on the faces of the people had changed and so had their mood. Their bearing was hardly one of victory, jubilation and expectancy. They looked now more like mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers than cannibals. They looked guilty and shaken as Corporal Sesay was tied and bound up on a tall wooden stick, poor sacrificial lamb. He wept shamelessly. I quietly left the hut and crossed over to where the people were congregated, and stood by them. The throng were not in the Crucify Him mood. It is in the nature of mankind to accept and digest even that which may not be good for him. So even though half of them wanted to leave, they could not bring themselves to it. They wanted to watch the spectacle no longer, but their eyes were glued to the stake where Sesay was bound, a half-human who could be anyone's brother, anyone's father. They had agitated for the punishment of soldiers who are in the habit of, raping women, killing and maiming without good reason. And the Pontiff, anxious to please the international community, not the people of Sao Lome, had promised justice.
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