The Bad Samaritan

Chapter Thirty Three

173 The Bad Samaritan Chapter Thirty Three A fter a two day rest, the driver came to work. He did the necessary checks on the vehicle – oil, water, break and clutch fluid. Then he washed the vehicle and after that, went to see his master. He greeted him rather reservedly. The BS sensed it and asked why. “Sir, if I were you, I would abandon politics, – politics of reformation, politics of righteousness, politics aimed at correcting the ills of the world. It does not pay. What are you trying to reform – the callousness of the human race? Ever since I took over from Beri, I have observed with great concern that you throw your money away for a useless course. You have spent more than thirty million francs trying to please people. If you had invested all that money into this business and created good working relations with the powers that be in this locality – the law enforcement officers, the Tax Department and the SDO, the business would have been bustling. You waste money on vehicles running political errands. Political errands bring no dividend to you. If your vehicles were evacuating produce from West Bassiland hinterland, your stores would not only have been full, you would have been realizing hard cash. But the political errands the vehicles do yield nothing. You have given so much advanced purchase money to customers. Now they don’t want to see you. They want you dead in order to dishonour the pledges. If we are not lucky, we may find it difficult to recuperate what we have given out. So, let’s abandon politics and do our business.” “You sound like Beri. If the fellows prove dishonest, we shall take them to court.” 174 Charles Alobwed’Epie “Court in this country! Is there any institution that is as frustrating as the court in Ewawa? Haven’t you had a court experience in this country? Sir, if a snake of injustice is pursuing you, don’t seek refuge in our court premises. Courts give verdict on the basis of who bribes them more, and not on who is aggrieved. Take one of those fellows to court and when he spends twice what he owes you in bribing court personnel, the court will give him twenty years to repay what he owes you. The criminal is better protected in this country than the honest citizen.” “I still believe in the virtues of this country and I must work to reinstitute them.” “I would have recommended the seminary for you then. Unfortunately even seminaries in Ewawa are as devoid of virtue as other institutions are.” “Whether or not, I feel the urge and I am determined to succeed.” “That may be at the expense of your wealth and health. I have never seen where an advocate of collective interest has won. Advocates of collective interest have always been disappointed by the people for whom they fight. Revolutions of collective interest have always failed. Communism has failed. Socialism is failing. The church is failing” “And so you think I shall also fail?” “You have already failed because the people for whom you have sacrificed your services and money stoned your corpse, so to speak. A person who suddenly drops unconscious is a corpse.” As the driver and The BS conversed, two constables entered and said The BS was wanted at the police station. Thinking the invitation was related to the oncoming elections he got up and asked Ngwa, to drive them to the police station. At the station he saw two wraith-like figures sitting in chains on a bench. Their bodies were tattooed with welts apparently inflicted by indiscriminate and brutal 175 The Bad Samaritan use of truncheons. Close by was the police officer with whom he had had a brawl over ten thousands francs the officer had stolen from his car documents. He eyed the fellow with stabbing scorn, then turned his attention once more on the two chained fellows. He recognized them as the barman and the non-native from Kole. Why were they there that early morning? Why were they beaten almost to death? While these questions raced in his mind, one of the constables who had come for him invited him into the office and asked him to strip to bare pants. “Why,” he asked. “Because you are under arrest.” “Under arrest? Why? Do you know to whom you are talking...