“Distances Between Us”
Abubakar I. Bello stretches in the waiting room for no reason. He knows all eyes are on him and he is the untrusted one, the northerner, the one who won Kaduna, Kano and Katsina but could have cost them Plateau, the lower end of the ticket and the one who was more that dirty word, ‘Politician’, than anyone else in the Presidency. These warm thoughts roll over him, but he just smiles at them and thinks he has a few years to show who he is.
The smile is still on his face when the door opens, and the President walks out to greet him. The whole room rises. The President takes his hand and brings him in without saying a word.
-no one told me you were here. I am sorry for the wait.
-it is fine, Your Excellency. The primaries are still in the air over here.
-what? No, no. that should all be done.
-for you, perhaps. Your people love you and they see me as the enemy. It is fine.
-do you want tea?
The President makes the tea himself; his eyes darting back to answer or ask questions about the Islamic group ravaging with fear across the north. They talk about this for a few minutes and then settle to other things.
-had a chat with Ngozi yet?
-yes, Abubakar says, she seems ready and has a presentation for us tomorrow.
-getting along?
-she thinks I am a stupid northern politician, but we will be fine.
-oh, come on, Bello, no one thinks that
-I know you like to build bridges. It is your nature, and it is why you keep defeating the odds. But there are distances between us.
-Hmmmm
-but I am here to help with those bridges
-you already did. We won because you took the north for us.
-as you won the south and North central. I think we were both good for each other.
-at least on that we can agree.
-I know you did not like that I contested the primary.
-I thought it was a bad look
-I thought it was the fair thing that the North has power back
-what does that even mean?
-you know what it means.
-that is the not the country we are trying to build
-Your Excellency, it is the country we have.
Dramatis Personae
Richard Edewor Williams-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Abubakar I. Bello-Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Daily Chronicler
Anthony Nwabunor
He is sitting when she emerges from her office, and she tries to go back before he sees her. She is unsuccessful.
Flora looks at him with some contempt:
-never the office
-I had to get a quote
-here is one: fuck off
-you sound like your boss now
-you sound like you. Sanctimonious talk and no action.
-baby, not at the office
She walks past him, but she is smiling now. He follows admiring her odd walk and pace.
-is she mad at me?
-yes. But she is stressed.
-can I ask a few questions and you can react?
-if you want one-word answers? Fine.
-a reported rift between the President and his Vice over the list?
-Presidency question
-okay, between President and your boss?
-rubbish
-incoming Minister of Everything and Senators?
-Minister of Everything?
-the Super Minister, Ngozi
-she already passed her screening. I am sure she is fine.
-that was many words.
-I have two more for you
-shoot
He realizes before she says it, so they end up saying it together:
-fuck off
Transcript of Screening
Ministerial Nominees
The Nigerian Senate
Tuesday 7th of June
Minister-Designate David Z. Suntai: …community policing will be key and even if not in the sense of having state police but in the larger sense of bridging the gaps that exist and healing the distances between us. Madame President, distinguished Senators, I am confident that with a focused, disciplined, and robust system of policing the ills of the past can be cured and we can have a police force that speaks to our crime problem in a direct, visible, measurable and effective way.
