Stranger in his Homeland

Chapter Forty-Eight

349 Chapter Forty-Eight T he DO abandoned the ceremony in the heat of that confusion to pursue Antony. Antony’s rejection was not enough, he thought. So long as he had those his manuscripts with him, he constituted a danger to the reputation of the country. So as soon as he heard Antony drive away in the direction of his house he left with his officers. His Land Rover and Antony’s car arrived at his residence almost at the same time, and Antony had hardly climbed down from the car when his vehicle pulled up and stopped behind him. He climbed down and asked: “Mr. Antony what do you want from this house?” “My things, my valise. My clothes. My wife’s things. Our clothes. “Don’t enter.” “Then how do I get my….” “They will be brought to you. There.” The DO looked over his shoulder and noticed that a blue Peugeot 404 had pulled up after him. He hesitated for a while and then walked up furiously to the man on the wheel. “Anything I can do for you? Who are you” “I am Samkwere Mandieg, Chief Medical Officer in charge of the Likume General Hospital.” “Glad to know you, doctor. Anything I can do for you?’ “Antony is my friend. He invited me to the ceremony.” Antony looked across at him. He had forgotten that he sent Mandieg an invitation. When Antony saw him he tried in vain to smile. “As you see, doctor,” the DO resumed. “Your friend is giving us in the administration very much trouble.” While Dr. Mandieg stood wondering how he could intervene to save Antony from further embarrassment, an officer was sent to go in and fetch the things. When he brought them out the DO gave orders for the boxes to be opened. 350 Linus T. Asong “Why sir?” Antony asked, dazed with wrath and frustration. The DO repeated his orders to the officer without answering his question. The officer sat down to work, opening the boxes and throwing up a series of very nauseatingly soiled underpants and other articles of clothing which Antony and Mercy had used on their journey to Small Monje. They had intended to preserve them and wash them after the ceremony, either in Small Monje or back in Atule. “Look at the pants of the man who wants to become the Paramount Chief of my district,” he said pointing to an ugly blot that ran across the centre of one of the pants. Antony turned towards Mercy. She was still in the car, watching, paralysed by the thoughts of what she knew the entire exercise meant to Antony. Antony turned back and looked on with powerless fury. The officer who did the searching went on, ignorant of what he was looking for. When he came to Antony’s file the DO strode across to him and said: “Put that aside.” “I need that file very much, sir,” Antony pleaded helplessly. The DO did not answer him. “Search that car. Take out every piece of paper,” he told the officer. Mercy was also ordered down immediately, while the officer went about his tedious job, throwing out every single piece of paper. When he was sure that he had finished he clicked his heels and saluted. The DO nodded and asked him to search Antony too. “What right have you to order all this to be done to me, sir?” Antony asked in a quavering voice. “Every right,” the DO said with the most insulting arrogance, they searched him down to his pants, removing every document which the DO could not understand, and which he therefore considered dangerous. When the officer clicked his heels again the D.O told him to put the ransacked boxes into Antony’s car. He asked for a gallon of kerosene from his kitchen. When this was brought he poured it himself on Antony’s manuscripts and struck a match. The pile of papers began to blaze before Antony’s own eyes. 351 Stranger in his Homeland “Mr. Antony, get into that ya car and drive out of here,” he ordered in a freezing tone. Antony stood as though the words had not been directed at him – motionless, silent. Not that he now decided to disobey the orders of the DO. He wished he had the nerve to disobey him. After all what could be worse? He seemed to...