1. AN
END OF
BURDENS
JeremiahNyasaka
&
Wycliffe Onchiri
CHAPTER ONE
The sleekrange rovercruisedalongthe countryroadeffortlessly.The driverturnedaroundtosmile
at hiswife whowasunsuccessfullytryingtosilenceherchildrenwhowerelaughingloudly.He smiled
enigmaticallyandturnedbackto face the road ahead.His name wasClintonanaspiringgovernorof his
County.Most of hisfriendshadthoughthe was notdoingthe right thing.Firsthe had manyenemies;
secondhe mightwaste a lotof hismoneyandthenfail to winthe elections.Those were their
arguments.He had triedtovie the last time withoutsuccessbutatleastthe people hadcome to know
himand theynowhatedthe leadershipof theircurrentgovernorwhohadnotkeptevenone of his
numerouspromises.
To become the governorof the capital cityof hiscountry is like climbingagreasypole andonce the
climbingis done,one findsatightrope ahead.Hispolitical fate dependsonhisabilitytowalkthe tight
rope and retainhisfootingasthe windsof change buffethim.
Clintonhadgone toone best Universitiesandstudiedlaw.Here,he gainedreputationasa debater
and prankster.He tookan active part in sports,debatesandpoliticswhile gainingtwodegrees.After
school,he articledwithaprominentlawyerinthe counrty andsoonafterstartedhisown firm.He
defendedpoorslumdwellerswhowerebeingsubjectedtoinhumanworkingconditionsinsweatshops
all overNairobi.Throughhisworks,a bill waspassedinparliamenttoprotectthese workers.
He waselectedtobe the state’spublicrelationsman.Inoffice,he learntthe artof obscuringunpleasant
matterswithwhatone reportertermedas“a mistof words.”He resignedaftergettingintoaconflict

2. withthe general of the state overwhat wastermedas informingthe publicof “governmentbedroom
matters.”Thiswas afterhe spilledthe newstothe social mediausingthe government’swebpage that
sixtystate soldiershaddiedinadisastrousraidonterroristbasesinthe neighboringcountry
As usual he laughedattheirwarningsandwentaheadto jointhe campaigntrail.He laterrealizedhe
had made a mistake whenhiscar wasshoweredbybulletsaweekafterhe firststartedhiscampaign.His
enemieswereafraidthathispopularitywasgrowingdangerously.He hada charmingappearance and
he was eloquentenoughtoconvince eventhe mostardentconservativestojoinhisparty,The New
Progressive Party. He hada way withwordsthat endearedhimtomanypeople wholikedhisnewstyle
of politicking.
Theydidjoinhimandhe wassure to winthe election.A weeklaterashe drove home he was
suddenlyblockedoff byablack fourwheel drive carwhose occupantspoppedoutof theirwindowsand
firedinhisdirection.Theymusthave hada machine gunbecause ashe ducked,all he heardwasrapid
gun fire.Theyfledassoonas theyhearddistantsirensof police cars.The police nearbywhohadheard
the gun fire andran to the scene savedhislife.He leftthe car andwas drivenhome bythe police.His
friendknewhe wouldnotbackdown.Theygothim armoredcars and elite bodyguardsfromthe (RECCE)
ElitesCompany.Theyadvise himtotake hiswife andthree kidstohisupcountryhome asthe elections
neared.
That is whathe wasdoingnow.He couldhave takenthemhome byplane buthe lovedthe sightfrom
the car. Theysoonstoppedandgot outof the car. Hiswife Jennifertookphotosof all of themwiththe
riftvalleybehindthem.The three kidsShem, SarahandSelmaenjoyedthe sightstoo.Theyenjoyed
goinghome to theirgrandmaas soonas school was closed.
As soonas theygot home theyran to the ranch and wouldhave riddenthe horsesfarawayhadthe
ranch employeesnotbeenlooking.Theyweretoldtorestand theywere promised endlessrideson
theirfavorite horses.
Clintonleftthe followingdaytogo back and gethisparty readyfor the comingelectionwhichwas
onlysix weeksaway.He wentonto strengthenhispartybyusingmore moneyandgivingmore and
more promises whichseemedrealisticenoughtothe mindsof many.Hispopularitygrew evenmore
afterthe attemptedassassinationonhim.He alwaystravelledwithhisbodyguardsinaheavilyarmored
car nowadays.
His toughestrival Charleswasafraidthathe was goingto lose the election.“So,whatare we goingto
do?” he askedbellowingforthe tenthtime.Hiselectionadviserswerenotgivinghimanysolutionsand
he was runningoutof time.He dismissedthe meetingandpickeduphisphone.“The Emperorspeaking
whatmay I do for yougovernor?”the voice came back smoothlyandcoldlythatthe governorshivered
inhis office he couldnotletthatyoungpup Clintontake itawayfromhim.“I got a six figure salaryjob
for you.Can youcome to my office we talk?”he asked.He had closedthe windowstothe luxurious
office toblockout the eveningwindthatwasblowingin, he wasgoingto defendhisplace butfirst,the
obstacleshadto be wipedawayfromhispath to success.He smiledacruel sinistersmilethatmeant
trouble.
Emperoras he calledhimself,walkedintothe office of the governorhe hadblackshadeson,which
blendedwithhisflatcap.He couldnot riskbeingseengoingtothe governor‘soffice forjobs.The
governorwasthere to meethim.He wasrather nervousashe keptscratchinghisbaldheadseverally.
“Hey,you are goingto pluckthe fewremaininghairsfromyourotherwise plainhead”he saidinjestas

3. he settledhimself comfortablyonhisseatinthe office.The governorexcusedhimself andwent outto
getsome wine tocalm hisnerves.He sooncame back andsat on the edge of hischair. “You are a very
cautiousman aren’tyou?”the governorasked.The remarkwas meanttobe a complementandanice
breaker.“Why?”the Emperorasked.“The mask”repliedthe governor.
“Well,Igot a jobfor you.It isa verytricky businessbutItell youIam not goingto letClintontake
my office justlike that”the governorstarted.Emperorsmiledathimandraisedhiseyebrows
momentarily.“Itistime Imade a statementandhe had bettergetit or else .. . . .” he thenoutlinedhis
planand theyagreedupona twomillionshillingfee.The Emperor,asecretive butdangerousformer
Special Forcesmemberof Kenya’sarmy,agreedto‘discourage’ClintonasCharlie putit.Itwas a dirty
jobbut whatcouldhe do.He begana longonslaughtonClinton’sefforts.
He realizedthatgettingtomeetClintonashe waspopularlyknownwasgoingtobe a verytough job.
Elite guardsfromRECCE Companyalwaysguardedhimwhereverhe went.He reportedthistothe
Charlie.“Ipaidyouto do a jobif youcan’t justgive me my moneyback”Charlie growledoverthe phone.
The Emperor decidedtopayClintonavisitthatnight.The electionswere now barelyfive weeksaway.
He would have toact fastas he had beeninstructedtobe throughwithintwoweeksorelse give back
the money.
Clintonarrivedataroundnine thatnight.He wasa busyman andworkedlate intothe night.The
guards swarmedaroundhimandledhimintohismansionas quicklyaspossible. If one wasto kill him,
he’dhave a rough time doingitevenif asnipergunwas used.Emperorwhose real nameswere Randy
Mbwana,countedthe heavilyarmedguards.There were sixteenguardsaroundthe house andseveral
othersinside.Clintonhadenoughmoneytopaythemall fromhisvariousbusinesses.Emperorwason
the roof of the house nexttoClinton’she jumpedexpertlyoverthe fence intoClinton’scompound.He
had muchexperiencefromhisarmydaysin the Special Forces.
The twostoriedhouse hadan imposingstructure andhe wonderedwhetherhe wouldmanage to
climbin.He knewperfectlywellthatonce spottedhe wouldbe showeredinahail of bullets.He crept
towardsthe wall crouchingbehindflowerbushes.He cockedhisownberrettapistol andputit intohis
hipholster.He ran and clamberedupthe wall veryfast.Hishandgrippedthe ledge.Fromhere itwould
be easyto get intowhathe thoughtwasthe bathroomthrougha window onthe secondfloor.He stood
precariously onthe ledge andusingalaserbeamcut a portionof the glasswindow.He gothishand
throughthe hole and turnedthe window lock.Itturnedsmoothlyandhe squeezedin.
He foundhimself inthe bathroomashe hadguessed.He wasin the house justas he had wanted.
The bathroomdoor was notlockedsohe wentoutintothe hall way.He wentdownintothe firstfloor.
Justas he approachedthe staircase headingdownintothe lounge,someone frombelow spottedhim.
“Hey!What are you doing overthere?”he turnedandrushedbacka bullethitthe stairbehindhim.He
upholsteredhisgunandbegantofire back.“Get the bossoutintothe car!” a guardshouted.Randywas
busyfleeingtothe bathroom.
He got inand lockedthe door.A guard kickeditopenand firedstraightahead.Randywasright
behindthe dooras the guard inchedin;Randyshothimfrom the back and thenlockedthe door.He
rushedto the windowandpeered out.He saw the guards leadingClintontothe car. Theylockeditand
he was drivenaway.The guardsrushedintothe house as otherscrouchedat the door gunsat ready.
Thiswas histime.He shinnieddownthe wall andlandedsoftlyonthe grassywell mowedoutlawns.He
headedforthe gate and as it had beenleftopen,walkedoutleavingthe guardslookingforhiminthe

4. house.He wentto hissuperbike andashe passedClinton’sgate,he laughedandfiredatthem.They
turnedjustas he spedaway.Theyhad beenoutwittedbythisevil genius,Randy.Theywere notamatch
for him.
Theyhadchasedhim awaybut that wasbecause theyhada largerforce and he was alone.
Clintoncouldnotbelieve thatsomeonecouldsneakintohishouse atthattime of the nightto hunt for
him.Notthroughwhat he thoughtwas an efficientsecuritysystem.He hadhadto be takenout ina
disorganizedrushthoughhe admittedtohimself thathe feltsaferinthe armoredcar thananywhere
else.Here he wassafe frombullets,butwhatif one of hisguards wasa traitor?He keptontorturing
himself withsuchthoughtsandimaginationsuntiltheyhadhimsafelybookedintothe Hotel.Here no
one was likelytogettohimas the floorspace of hisroom wassmallerandeasiertoman. He slept rather
fitfullybutdreamtof Charlie,hisbiggestrival,chasinghimwithameatcleaver.
In the morning,hisfriendsMorganandCollins,the chief campaignerandbusinesspartner
respectively,visitedhim.Theyhadbeeninformedof the attackand theyfeltthatit mustbe that
‘brainless guy’Charlie.Theywere right,buttheycouldnotprove it.Theythoughtitwastime theyhit
back at theirenemybyusingall the resourcestheyhad.Clintonwasagainstthatideacallingita
‘wasteful attempt’.At lasthe wonthemoverto hisside andhe succeededinavertingawarwithhis
rival. Unknowntothem,lastnight’sattackersat nextto theirtable andeavesdroppedontheir
conversation.Astheyleft,he alsogotupand decidedtofollow themclosely.He hadnotwantedthisjob
to take a longtime tocomplete buthe wasnow thinkingotherwise.
Outside,Clintonwasdrivenawayinhisarmouredlimo.He wasgoingto campaigninseveral areasof
hiscounty.Theyarrivedintime to findtheir event’s organizerhadalreadymade the stage ready.The
crowdsthrongedthe stadium.Cloudsof dusthungoverthe ecstaticcrowd whomilledaboutcraning
theirnecksto geta glimpse of theirfavourite candidate.The musicboomingfromthe soundsystem
servedtomake the people waitwithoutgettingbored.JustthenClintoninhistrademarkblue shirtand
blacktrousersgot ontothe dais.
He wavedandsaid“not necessarilyClintonbutClintonif necessary.”the crowdholleredbackat him
and he wenton to give one of hisfamousspeecheswhere he quotedPlato.He alsocouldnothelp
himself butsaysomethingstingytomockhisbiggestrival Charlie “Charliehadthe rightinstinctsinhim
but throughouthisstormylife,theylanguishedinthe cupboardof hissoul.”He toldthe people thathis
instinctswere boilingonhisfingertipsandpromisedthemcontroversial change.
The crowd was chantinghissloganswhile otherslaughedhystericallyathiscommentsaboutCharlie.Of
recent,there hadbeencontroversial issuesaboutcountycouncil workerswagesandcrime inNairobi
County.
He didnot take strong standon such issues.Thismade himseemtoagree with everyone.One of his
political aidescleverlycommentedof the New Progressive Party“we have noshapesbecause Clinton
neverallowsustotake sidesandno shape because we are not givenenoughtime totake sides.”Truly
change was inevitable andthe peoplethoughtClintonwasgoingtodoit for them.
The dayendednicelyforall of themexceptCharlie whohadbeenbooedoff stage andtohisutter
embarrassmenthadbeenpeltedwithrotteneggsinwestern areawhere he hadgone to campaign.He
had gone off ina huff callingthe people “abunch of ignoramuseswhothoughtyoungstersmake good
leaders.”He decidedon one lastextreme course of actionthatwouldmake himwinthisbattle.That

5. nighthe calledthe Emperorand askedhimto kill Clinton.“Iam goingtotriple yoursalaryonce you
finishthisjob”he growledintothe phone.
The Emperor thoughtthe Governorhadrun out of hismindbuthe set outto do it.He was goingto do
it expertlyandhe wasnotgoingto messoutthistime. He setout to kill andas hisfee hadbeentripled,
all he couldthinkof nowwas howhe was going to spendit.Hismischievousinstinctpulsedwithinhim
and he laughedoutloudinhisoffice ashe envisionedthe deathof Clinton.
CHAPTER TWO
The partywas goingon well sofar.It was now teninthe night.Clintonwasinthe V.I.P.lounge sipping
juice.One of the waiterswenttothe washroomstopee.Ashe unzippedhistrousers,someone came
frombehindhim.The hairson hisneckprickeduppromptinghimtoturn around.He wasmet bya
maskedmanwho heldhimina vice like gripthenpressedarugto hisnose.The sharp sweetsmell that
permeatedhisnostrilscloudedhismindandhe couldnolongerfocus. He managedto doabsolutely
nothingashe welcomedthe blacknessthatsuckedhimintoavortex like space.
One of the waiterscame inwithalcoholicwine bringingitstraighttoClintonwholookedatthe waiter
quizzicallythensaid“everywaiterhere knowsIdon’ttake alcoholicwine are younew here?”andbefore
the waitercouldansweradded“OKfine tell thematthe kitchenthatI have had enoughwine andthey
shouldprepare the dinnerfast.Itshouldbe readybynine.”The waiterturnedaroundandleftforthe
kitchencursingsoftlybutrathervehementlyunderhisbreath.He reachedthe kitchenandplacedthe
wine onthe kitchentable.He wentoutintothe streetusingthe backdoorof the storeroomnexttothe
kitchen.Outhere,he breathedinfreshairandsat on the hotel gardenbenchestowaitforthe dinnerto
be ready.He tookout the poisonandstudieditcarefully.He hopeditwouldkill veryfastashe wanted.
He wasthe Emperor.
The foodwas readyon time andthe waitersbustledtolayoutthe table for the New Progressive
Party leadersandclose aides.None of themnoticedthatMartintheirfellow waiter wasmissing.The

6. mysteriouswaiterdriftedbackintothe kitchenandpickedupthe gianttraysintothe banquethall.
Conversationsweregoingonandas soonas the table wassetout fully,the emcee whowasMorgan
stoodup to invite the gueststothe table totake theirdinner.The waitersbustledevenmore toserve
the foodas othersledthe gueststo the washingsinks.
The foodwas servedandsoonClintonattackedhischicken,vegetablesoupandugali withsuchgusto
that one wouldhave thoughthe wasstarving.He lookedaroundforthat waiterwhohad servedhim
alcoholicwine.Hisname taghad readMartin. He wantedhimto bringsome champagne forsome of the
visitors.He wasnowhere tobe seen.Soon,he stoodupto go to the washrooms.Hisguards followed
himimmediately.
He came back to the banquethall andsat at the roundtable where Morgan,Collinsandotheraides
came to sit.The ballroomdance startedsoonafter.Clintonfeltveryhotandshedoff hiscoat.He
glancedat the fansthat were off.He askedthe attendantstoturn themon. Theyfeltthiswasa strange
requestasthe banquetroomwas cool.Soonhe tookof histie anda bitlaterunbuttonedhisshirt.He
was sweatingvisiblyandhisvisionbecame blurred.A sharppainstabbedhimandhe screamedbefore
sinkingintooblivionlike darkness.
Morgan had beendancingwitha particularlybeautifulgirl whowascoincidentallyCollins’secretary.
Theywere dancingnexttothe fans whichsuddenlywhirledintolife makingthe cool banquethall cold.
He askedthe attendantstoturn themoff buttheyinformedhimthatthe ordershad come fromClinton.
He continueddancingandnoticedunperturbedthatClintonhadhiscoatandtie off.His shirtbuttonwas
unbuttonedatthe neck.Morgan was thankful thathiswife hadnotcome to the meetingandashe
concentratedonwooingthe girl,he hearda scream.He whirledaroundtospotClintonslumpedonhis
seat.Anotherscreamfromhimjoltedeveryoneintoaction.
Immediately,he letgooff the girl andrushedto hisfriend’sside tofindoutthe problem.Theycalled
the city hospital’shotline.Soonsirenswere heardoutsideandasthe banquetdisintegrated,the
ambulance spedoff towardsthe cityhospital.The pressmiraculouslyappearedatthe hospital’s
entrance sometime afterClintonwasrushedtothe theatre.Morganand Collinswenttoanswerthe
numerousquestionsfromthe journalists.One beautyof ajournalistasked“we heardthathe was
injectedwithammoniainthe washroomsbyhisguards,isthistrue?” Morgan nearlylaughedashe
answered.“Where dothese people getthese storiesfromanyway”he askedCollinsasseveral
microphoneswere pushedvirtuallyintotheirmouths.
More rumours were revealedtothemasthe pressaskedmore and more questionseachone posinga
differenttheoryeachtime.“Nocomment”wasall theycouldsayunderthe circumstances.
At aboutmidnight,Morganand Collinswere calledtothe headsurgeon’sconsultationroom.A sense of
doomhung heavilyoverthe hospital makingthe airfeel stiflinganduncomfortable.Theyenteredinto
the room to findthe surgeonstill inhisgloveswithbloodall overhishands.“Yourfriendwaspoisoned”
he began.“I was pokingaroundhisintestinesandtheyare full of arsenic averyfatal poison”.
Both of themstifledgroansasthe surgeonshowedthemgrosspicturesof the intestinesonhis
gadget.“He isin a verycritical conditionashishearthas beenaffectedandhisintestinesare heavily
corroded.”Justthen,a nurse rushedintothe room andwithouteventakingaglimpse of the two
gentlemensaidinahighpitchedvoice “he isvomitingbloodandhispulse isdisappearingagain.” The
surgeonrushedoutwithoutexcusinghimself.

7. Both of hisfriendssatinpainful silenceeachone thinkinghisownthoughts.Collinswasthinkingof the
estatesClintonwouldleavebehindwhile Morganwasthinkingof the rivalrythathadexistedwhenboth
he and Clintonhadbeenteenagers.Morganthoughtaboutwhat he woulddoonce Clintonwasdead.He
wouldreduce Jennifertobeggingandsackhersiblingsthentake advantage of thatdesperate position
to gether.
The truth wasthat both of hisso calledfriendswere indeedjustleecheswaitingtosuckhimdry once
he relaxed.Clintonwasonlythirtythree andhiswife wasamere twentynine.She wasalovelywife with
a peerless demeanour.Inherwascombinedbothbeautyandbrains.
At aboutmidnight,the headdoctorcalledthemtohisoffice.Theyhadbeendozinginthe surgeon’s
consultationroom.Hisface showeddefeatandevenwithoutsayingit,theyall knew whathad
happened.Collinsshudderedatthe thoughtbutMorgan was triumphant.“He didnot make it”the
surgeonsaid.“Rightnowhe is notdeadbut he cannot make it to morningbecause he virtuallyhasno
intestines.”Morganstoodupand preparedto leave.Justashe steppedintothe hallway,Jenniferwasat
the gate comingin.she wasdistraughtand confused.Collinshadcalledhertoinformherof the incident.
She couldnot be allowedtogetinthe I.C.U. and soshe askedto see the headdoctor. Morgan had gone
to Clinton’sbedsideandClintonhadgivenhimataskto take care of hisfamilythe wordwere still
ringinginhishead.“Take care of myfamilyforme and make sure theylack nothingbecause Ifeel my
breathgoingaway fromme.I trust youwill doas I have said”
Assoon as Morgan reachedthe gate,the reporterswhohad beenwaitingwithquestions,stopped
him.“We hearhe is ina coma,is that true?”Morgan turnedto face the reporterwhohadaskedthat
question.Itwasthe same one whohad askedquestionslastnight.“Canwe goto my office?Iwill be
gladto answerthose questionsthere”Morgansaidand withoutanother comment,walkedtohiscar
and the ladysat inbeside him.Hername wasJulyshe saidand she was a correspondentforThe Citizen
Mail.The ledwatchon hishand indicatedthatitwasone hour past midnight.
Theypulledintohisdrivewayandalighted.Morganledherintothe house and as he preparedcoffee,
she barragedhimwithnumerousquestionsthatappearedtotumble outof herbrain until Morgan
complainedaboutherinquisitiveness.Whenhe hadtoldherall she neededtoknow,he sathimself
beside heronthe couch.His natural hunter’sinstincttoldhimthatthiswaseasypreyso he baitedher
by saying,“there isone thingIdidnot tell youbutI will onlydoitat a price.” Her curiousnature was
glue to hisbirdlime andassoonas he had finished sayingthose words,he laidhishandonherthigh.She
playedalongleadingtoanamorousencounteronthe couch whichendedonlywhenhe hadtakenherto
hisfourposterbed.Theywere done bythree inthe morning.She leftaftertakinga shower.
Back at the hospital,Jenniferwasalmostrunningmad.The nursestriedtopacifyherbut she couldnot
be calmed.Atabout three inthe morning,Clintonwasdeclaredclinicallydead.Thiswastoomuchfor
Jennytobear and she fainted.Collins’nerveswere gettingjittery.Theyevenfrayedmore whenMorgan
calledhimandaskedhimto go to hishouse.He rushedthere andas soonas he wassettledonthe
couch, Morgan sat beside himandsaid“listentome Collinsandyouwill becomeveryrichrightafterthe
funeral”here he pausedforeffect.

8. “I don’tneedtotell youthat our dearfriendwasveryrich,we needto take overhisempire andget
the moneyforourselvesbecause we needitmore thana corpse does.”Collinswasalmostpeeingon
himself bynow andhe shookhisheadmurmuring“no…no…no”Morgan shookhimby the shoulderand
said“we don’tknowwho killedhimbutyouhave topull yourself togetherforthe actbecause if you
become a bundle of nervesyouwillruineverythingsojustdoas I say. Am I clear?” Collinsnoddedand
adjustedhimself onthe couch.He couldnot helpthinkingwhatadevil thisguywas.He was even
convincedthatitwas himwhohad killedtheirdearfriend.
At the hospital Jenniferwoke upandclutchedherhead.She wailedlikeneverbefore notbelieving
whatshe wasexperiencing.Thiswastoomuch forher to bear.She couldnot justbe widowedatthis
tenderedge whenshe neededherhusbandmost.Whatwasshe goingto tell herchildrenespecially
Joanwho wasso much attachedto herfather?She couldnot findanswersforherquestionsandthis
grievedherevenmore.Whenshe hadreceivedthe news,she hadhadtobook a plane tickettoget here
as soonas possible tellingthe childrenverylittleasMorgan hadnot toldher anythingaboutthe
emergency.Thiswasashockerand the more she thoughtabout it,the more hernervesfailedher.Tears
crept downherface again as dawnneared.She decidedtogoback home andtell herchildrenthe
terrible news.She calledthe nearest airstripandbookedaseaton the nextflightleavingatsix thirty.
The door to the room of the hospital’sprivatewingopenedandanurse enteredtofindherseatedon
the bedcrying rivulets.The nurse injectedherwithatranquilizermeanttomake hersleep.She didnot
knowwhatit was butas soon as the nurse informedheritwasmeantto induce sleep,she panickedand
said“nurse,I have justbookeda flightscheduledforsix thirty.Make sure Idon’tmissit.”The nurse
thoughtshe was justbeing delirious.She leftjustasJenniferdriftedintoslumber.“Don’tworryitis
goingto be alright,”retortedthe nurse.Hervoice wasanimatedinJennifer`searsasshe was completely
taken.
Jenniferwoke upthe followingmorning.She hadmissedthe flight.She wassurprisedtosee her
childrenbesideherhospital bed.The nurse came inimmediatelyasshe triedtocalm Jenniferwhowas
still inshock.“Where isdad?” askedShem.Jenniferseemedtocome toher normal senses.She wasn’t
the one who wassupposedtobe givenspecial attention.Thiswasthe time herkidsneededhermost.
“He isgone,”answeredJennifersoftly.“Willhe be back?”askedDamaris.“Nobut he wentto be at
peace my children.He isnotsufferingwherehe isrightnow.He is justquietandcannottalk now nor do
anything.”
Her motherkeptquietastearslingeredintheireyes.Jennifertriedtobe calmbut she was overcome
by emotions.She embracedherchildrenasbothof themcrieduncontrollably.CollinsandMorgan
watchedoverfromthe ward`s screen.Morgan snarledandwalkedaway.Collinscaughta glimpse of
him,thoughMorgan`s act didnotsurprise him.Collinslookedathisretreatingbackandsensedthat
evenJenniferwouldnotbe sparedinthe onslaughtthatwasaimedatgettingall of Clinton’smoney.
What a devil he thoughtagainforthe umpteenthtime!
Clintonwasburiedinthe city’scemetery.Manyof hisenemieswere there justtomake sure thathe
was buried.Trulymanyof hisfriendswere afterhismoneywhenhe wasalive.Noone wasthere to

9. console the familyexceptCollins –thoughat loggerheads.Howeverthatdidnot undermine Clintonto
be givenhislastrespects.The poorhe washelpingandhissupportersflockedastheychantedslogans.
Indeedhe wasa good man. But rightafterthe funeral manyseemedtoforgetthathe had leftbehinda
family.
Morgan thoughtnowit was nowthe righttime for himto take afterClintoninthe elections.“Iwill get
sympathyvotessince Iwashisdeputyinthe party nominations”thoughtMorgan.Thistime he was
goingto run forthe governor’sseat.ClintontrustedMorganto an extentof allowinghimtocarry
transactionsonbehalf of him.Morgan had accessto all hisaccounts exceptthe private ones.Itwas
therefore aneasyjobforhimto finance the campaigns.He managedto beguile the voterstoelecthim
usingClinton'sname.
Justbefore the elections,Charlie withdrew sayingitwasinrespectof hisdeceasedcompetitor.Many
thoughthe was doinga noble thinganddid not suspecthimof anythingnordidhisaction seem
suspiciousinanyway.Morgan wentaheadlike aknighton a white horse andwonthe elections.During
the funeral,he hadpretendedtobe closertothe familythathisaide had leftbehindandtherefore
Jenniferdidnotsuspecthimof anythingsinister.

10. CHAPTER THREE
It wasnowapproachingJanuary.ChristmasandNew Year hadcome andgone.It was now a weekto
the openingof the schoolsandJenniferwasconfusedbecause all the detailsof finance hadbeentaken
care of byher husband.Nowshe didnotknow whatto do because she hadaccess to onlyone private
account and itshowedthatonlya little moneywasleftwhichwasnotenoughforherto paythe school
feesforall herchildren.She wasat cross roadson whatto do and therefore decidedtosee Morganwho
had distancedhimself strangelyfarfromtheminthe pastfew months.
The nextday she arrivedoutside the office of the governorandas soonas she mentionedthe name of
the visitortothe governor,wasusheredinimmediately.The poshfurniture inthe office andthe
obviouslyfirstgrade suitthe governorwore wasobviouslyof goodstock,mostlikelyimported.She sat
on the seatopposite the governor’s.Morganlookedstraightintohereyesandwithwhathe hopedwas
a charmingsmile asked“howmayI helpyou?”
Jenniferaskedwhethershe couldbe givenaccesstoall of her deceasedhusband’sdocuments.Morgan
askedherwhyand she saidthat she had to have fuel forhercars andfeesforher childrenandthatshe
alsohad to feed.She wasdesperate togetthe moneyandMorgan thoughthe couldtake advantage of
that to gether.He stoodup and sat on the oak table directlyaheadof Jennifer.Jennywassomewhat
disconcertedbythisandwaspromptedto askhimwhat had itchedhimonhisseat.He laughedand
placedhishandon herthigh.She immediatelyslappedhimandwithinsecondwasoutof the office.She
reachedhercar and withone glance backat the gate of the office compoundgotinanddrove off in a
huff.Herheart waspoundingwithinherribsandonce she got home,she wentstraighttothe fridge and
tookout ice cold water.She thoughtaboutthat incidentandtoher mindthen,itseemedunreal.
Walkingoutof that office hadnotgivenherthe moneyshe somuch neededand since the children
had to gone to school,she decide tosell afew householditemstogetthe moneyshe neededbefore
takinghernextcourse of action.That evening,she calledthe office of the governorandfoundhe was
not inand wasforcedto call Morgan directlyonhisphone.“Yeahdamsel indistresshow mayIhelp
you?”Morgan bellowedintothe phone whenhe saw whowascalling.“Listentome verycarefully”
jennybegan“Iam not goingto take any more of that crap fromyou.
Be preparedfora court battle as youcannot justdo whatyou wantjustbecause youare the
governor.”Morgan laughedandwithanunmistakable sneerinhisvoice saidratherbravely“Clinton
diedindebtand youjusthave to be aware that he didnot have anymoneyat the time of his death.”
ThisunnervedJenniferbutshe didnotshow it out butinsteadbangeddownthe phone onitscradle.

11. Morgan was ina clubenjoyinghimself withayounggirl of aboutsixteen. He wasa frequenterinthe
stripperclubsbuthe wentthere underdisguises.He laughedoutloudasthe bang of the phone on the
otherside rang inhisear. He thoughthimself ageniusanda verycleverperson.Alreadyplanswere
underwaywithseveral companiestodefraudJenniferof all the hard earnedmillionshishusbandhad
leftforhim.At the time of hisdeath,Clinton’sestateswere valuedatoverfiftybillionshillingsand
Morgan was plottingonhowto getthemwiththe helpof Collinsor‘bundle nerves’ashe preferredto
call him.He wasgoingto succeedno matterwhere thatwomanwentto reporthim.He hadalreadypaid
the countymagistrate a good amountof moneyto workfor him.
Jenniferdecidedtopaythe governoranothervisittofindout whyhe wasbehavinginsuchan uncouth
manner.She got to the secretaryandaskedto see the governor.The secretarywhoobviouslyknewher
asked‘whoare you?” Jenniferwastakenabackby herqueerquestion.She couldnotimagine thatthis
girl couldpretendnotto knowher.So she wentstraighttowardsthe office door.The secretarycalled
the securitypersonnel andaskedthemtotake herout.Justas she turnedthe office doorhandle,an
officercaughtherwristand wrenchedherawayfromthe door. She wasunceremoniouslythrownout
and she landedonherbum.Luckilyshe had plentytolandonbut it wasa shameful experience that
loweredherdignitytoverypainfullevels.She couldnotimagine thatthisgovernorwhoclaimedtobe a
gentlemancouldletherbe treatedlike thisandsoshe decidedtoconsulttheirfamilylawyerwhomshe
thoughtcouldhelpher.
She drove straightto the office of Kennedy.He wasinthe office lazingaboutandat the mentionof a
case; he sat up straightas Jenniferpure outhersad tale.The lawyerwasangeredwhenshe relatedthe
incidentwhere she hadbeenthrownoutandlanded onthe asphaltdriveway.He wassure of winning
the case as it wasclearlyoutline andnoteventhe governorcouldwriggleoutof thisone.Theyneeded
the moneydesperatelybecauseShemwasinhisfinal yearinhighschool.Damariswasgoingto do her
primaryschool certificate examandJoanstill hadtwomore yearsto it.All were inneedof school fees
but were notaware of the grand larcenythatwas plannedtorob themof all theirmoney.Theywere all
inschool.Shemwasa boarderwhile DamarisandJoanwere bothdayscholars.All of themwere bright
inschool and theyneverletdowntheirparentsinall thattheydid.Theydoubledtheireffortsnowthat
theirfatherwasgone so as to please theirmother.
Shemwasthe top studentinhisschool as was the same forDamaris.Joan still didnotunderstandthe
importance of hard workand somehowmanagedtoswimthroughherschool workeffortlessly.Her
teachersalwayssaidthatif onlyshe were to commitherself toworkharder,she wouldbe faroff inher
academicsthanall the otherstudents.Evenwiththatrelaxedattitude,she managedtograbpositions
three andtwo mostof the time.BothDamarisand Joan were inthe same school butShemwas ina
differentboys’school.Theirschoolingwasatriskof comingto an abrupt haltif theirenemysucceeded
inhis efforts.
Jenniferwascontentthatwithone of the country’sbestlawyer,she wasgoingtomake itthrough that
case.Kennedyhadassuredherof that and she hadneverdoubtedthat.

12. The nextdayKennedywentthroughthe case andinvestigatedthe reasonbehindthe apparent
hostilitythatwasbeingshowntohisclient.He foundoutthat the case was so muchcomplicatedthathe
decidedtosee the countymagistrate whowasapparentlyhisfriend.The magistratealreadyknewthat
Jenniferwasgoingtobringthiscase to him.He had talkedtothe governorwhohad alreadygreasedhis
palmand the magistrate hadto make sure that the case didnot go through.So whenhisold-timefriend
Kencame tosee him,he alreadyknewwhatthe meetingwasall about.Inthe brief meeting,the
magistrate whose name wasFredrickMazontoldKennedytodiscardthe case like itwas a redhot iron
bar. Kennedylistenedasthe dangersof involvinghimselfinthiscase were outlinedtohim.Whenthe
moneyat stake wasmentionedtohim,he wasshocked.He decidedthatitwasnot worththe risk
because Fredtoldhimthat anyone whotriedtostandin the governor’swaywoulddie.
KennedycalledJenniferandoutlinedthe risksinvolvedtheninasternvoice warnedhertostay away
fromMorgan. Afterhe had gone Jenniferwasatlosson whatto do so she decidedthatshe now hadto
take some time off the case andtry to findanotherwayof gettinghelpbecause these thingswere
gettingtobe toomuch for her.
Meanwhile,Morganwasplanningfake dealswithseveralcompaniestohelphimdefraudJennifer.He
metthe C.E.O. of LionBank and aftera short talkand a promise of a slice of the ‘pie’,agreedtohelphim
as he alreadyknew the networthof Clintonwasveryhigh.Because Clintonhadbeendealingwiththe
LionBank before hisdeath,theywere tofake paperstoshow that Clintonhadliftedahuge loanfrom
that bankand use themto fleece Jennifer.Theyhadawell laidoutplanandusingthese papersobtained
a court order allowingthe auctioningoff of Clinton’sestatesandproperty.Morganplannedtosendthe
lettertoJenniferatthe time he sawfit.Anotherbankbythe name MeridianBankwasusedto claimthat
all of Clinton’sbuildingshadbeenfinancedbyitandthistoo wasusedto fleece Jennifer.Itwasgrand
larcenyandshe coulddonothingaboutit.
The fake dealswere outlinedtothe magistrate whowasassuredthathe wouldnotbe incriminatedby
the rulingthat he wouldgive.MorganalsometKennedyandpaidhimhandsomelypromisinghim
greaterrewardsif he agreedto abandonthe case and workforhim.Kennedycoulddonothingbecause
he had receiveddeaththreatmessagesfromMorganbut evenif he were tosue him, he wouldnot
succeedbecause theywere notenoughevidence.He plannedtomeetJenniferandrepeathiswarning
that she shouldkeephernose awayfromherdeadhusband’smoney.
It washard for Kennedybuthe sawnootherway of doingit as he had beenpromisedlife andmoney
and if he were to do thingonthe contrary, he woulddie.He chose life andthe moneyautomatically
came withit.He was determinedtolive andpoke hisnose elsewhere andnotinthe devilishgovernor’s
affairs.
Collinswasstill verynervousbuthe toohadreceivedthreatsfromMorganin the office.He had
decidedtochoose life andmoney.He playedalongtothe fiddletune Morganwasplayingforall of
them.He managedto convince himselfthata little evil inwhathe thoughtwasan otherwise cleanlife
was notthat bad. He too was anotherone of Morgan’s puppets.

13. The puppetmasterasMorgan nowcalledhimself wassure thathisplanwas notgoingto fail as he
had thoughtlongandhard before acting.Thiswashisshow and the act was goingtoget finishedbefore
anyone realizedithadevenbegun.He laughedloudlyatthe follyof hisdead‘friend’whohadtrusted
himwithhisfamily.He still rememberedthe wordsClintonhadsaidtohimbefore dying.“Take care of
my familyforme andmake sure theylacknothingbecause Ifeel mybreathgoingawayfromme.I trust
youwill doas I have said.”
‘Thiswas betterthananythingShakespeare haseverwritten’Morganthoughtto himself ashe chewed
the birocap and continuedwritingdownhisfuture plansforgettingall of hisfriend’smoneyincluding
evenJennifer’sownsavings.
He evenplannedtoblockthe moneythatClintonhadassignedtohisvariouscharityorganizations
inthe city’sslums.He hadbeenfundingpoorstudentswhodidnothave school feesandalsoorphans
whocouldnot take care of themselves.He wasa staunchsupporterof the church’svariousactivities.He
was a memberof the SeventhDayAdventistschurchanda teacherof youthsinthe church. He had
participatedinoutreachprogrammestohelppoorpeople andmostslumdwellersknew himbecause he
had visitedthemonseveral occasions.Thoughaprotestant,he didnothesitate tohelppeopleof all
denominationsacrossthe sprawlingslumsof the county.He was neverapartisanas he always
concentratedonnational needs.
Morgan thoughtthat if he were to continue fundingthese programmeshe would losealotof
moneyandso he decidedtoendthemall.That washis nextplanof actionand he thoughtit was wise to
act fast.
Meanwhile,Jenniferhadtriedtofindoutwhatto do and she decidedtowaitandwatch. She was
planningonhowto live ona shoe stringbudgetbutdidnot expectthe shockthatwas to greethersoon.