THE PACKAGE

THE PACKAGE

Sweating and trembling, Eric made his way through downtown Nairobi’s human traffic. He didn’t understand why people were many on that day. There was so much shoving and pushing on all sides that made him more agitated than he at lready was. He too, just like the rest, was in a hurry. But his was a mission of far much greater importance. How he wished these people could understand.

“Pee, Pee!” A car hooted at him. He hadn’t seen it and it had just missed him by a whisker. He didn’t care. Deep down he wished it would’ve hit him. “Maybe that is less painful,” he thought to himself as he crossed the street.

Time was now running out. His footsteps were now hurried. He had to reach his destination in less than fifteen minutes. The human traffic wasn’t helping his situation and that made him curse at every pedestrian that pushed him

“Hey, watch where you are going,” shouted one man at Eric. He’d apparently stepped on him by mistake. He didn’t even stop, didn’t even apologize. He kept going. He couldn’t be late. Time was running out.

Just a few more meters, he met saw some policemen on patrol and his heart skipped a beat. There was no way of changing lanes. He’d have to pass near them. He gave himself a quick glance and decided that he looked like any other Kenyan. He had nothing to be afraid of. He was okay.

“Hey STOP!” bellowed one policeman as he passed them.

His heart now more than skipped a beat, it stopped altogether. Beads of sweat quickly started forming on his brow and all hairs on his body were erect. “It is over”, he thought to himself.

“Ye-ee-esss,” he stammered. He couldn’t even look at the policeman in the eye. Fear was written all over his face

“Excuse me sir, your shoe laces are undone,” said the policeman.

Eric then looked at his shoes and realized that truly they were undone. In his hurry, he’d forgotten to tie them up. He quickly bent and tied the laces.

“Thank you officer,” he said as he continued on his all important journey. His steps were now quicker. He had no time to waste.


^ ^ ^ ^ ^

It had all began less than a year ago. Eric had just gotten a promotion at his workplace at the ministry of foreign affairs, bought a house in an up market estate in town plus passed his MBA degree. All seemed to go well for him. He’d finally achieved his dreams. He’d made it and all looked well. But that was until he met Lucinda.

Lucinda was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. More beautiful than his wife who was a beauty in her own standards. The little flaws his wife had, Lucinda had corrected. Plus she was educated as opposed to his wife who just had an ‘O’ level certificate as her claim to an education.

Lucinda complemented his style and class. At last he felt he’d found a companion who was his soul mate; his kindred spirit. God had surely made this woman for him.

But with her beauty and class, Lucinda came with problems. She was demanding, expensive and down right possessive. Eric, who before was a caring and dutiful husband and father, turned into an alcoholic so as to keep up with Lucinda’s drinking habits. He also absconded his parental responsibilities and became an absentee father.

A man who always had a lot of cash at his disposal now found himself borrowing cash to support an extravagant mistress. Calls from his wife to discuss their affairs fell on deaf ears as Eric continued to do all to please his mistress. He was fast going downhill on the path of self-destruction

It finally became serious when after taking two loans to finance Lucinda’s ostentatious lifestyle, his salary could now not even support him. And that was the time Lucinda introduced him to the Libyan businessmen who were the cause of his present predicament


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Business was good at the beginning because they paid him handsomely to smuggle documents from his government office. At first they were documents like minutes of departmental meetings and work schedules of officers at the ministry but slowly the business men started demanding for more. They now wanted blueprints, classified information and documents concerning government missions abroad. These were risky and tricky to get hold of but since Eric wanted the money to impress Lucinda he’d always found a way.

When someone at the office enquired what he was doing, the occasional bribe would always silence the concerned officer. Nosy junior officers were dealt with more punitively.

Deep down he knew the Libyans weren’t good people but his illicit love affair always clouded his mind. Every job he did for them was always the last but greed for more money always made him to accept another job.

So, as usual, on the third Saturday of the month, the call from the Libyans came through. This time something was different. The usual pleasantries were not exchanged.The voice was today harsher and blunt. Instead of getting his usual instructions, the Libyans wanted to meet with him and give him the instructions face to face. A meeting place was then agreed. They were to meet on the next day at some Middle Eastern restaurant that was a favourite spot for foreign diplomats of Arab origin.

He arrived on time. Exactly at the top of the hour and found them there. They beckoned to him and he made way to their table.

Dressed in dark Armani suits and black sunglasses, they looked quite imposing. Looking at them now he wondered how he’d once thought they legitimate businessmen. They looked every inch mafia with their poise and demeanor.

“Kaa chini, mkubwa,” said Omari. Omari was the Libyan who did the talking. Having been brought up in Moshi, Tanzania, as he’d once told Eric, he was quite conversant with Swahili the local language.

“Thanks, said Eric as he sat down. Cold coke,” he told the waiter who had come to take his order. They then waited until the waiter had brought the soda before Omari spoke again

“So, Eric, I understand you’ll be visiting the Israeli embassy in two weeks time.”

That was a shock to Eric. He at once wondered how they could have come across that piece of information. It was true but the only people who knew about that information were the permanent secretary and the under secretary; Eric was to accompany some ministry of agriculture officials who were to pay a courtesy call on the Israeli embassy as they made arrangements to travel to Israel the following month to study irrigation methods.

“Don’t look so shocked. We know everything. We aren’t asking for much. We are just asking for a small favour.”

“What favour would that be?” asked Eric knowing too well it wasn’t a favour they were asking and there was no way it was ever going to be small.

“We want you to deliver a small package. You will carry it with you when you go for your meeting. Once you reach there you will ‘forget’ it there and walk away.”

“Huh?”

“Yes,” just like I said

“Can I ask what is in the package?”


“No you may not….Your orders are to deliver it and walk away.”

The first thing that came across Eric’s mind was a bomb. Oh God! It now hit him…This guys were terrorists.

“No I cannot. That would be treasonable, said Eric, now all high and mighty. Our countries relations will be dented after that.”

“You have no choice. Your wife and Lucinda lives are in danger. If u do not follow through we’ll kill them!”

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Two minutes were now left; two minutes that would determine his fate; Two minutes to enter the Israeli embassy and ‘deliver’ the package. He knew he was being followed and so if he didn’t deliver the package, he’d be ‘responsible’ for the death of his wife and mistress.

Since the guard at the embassy knew him, he was quickly ushered through and found the agriculture officials at the lobby waiting for him. They looked so exicited since for most of them it was their first time visiting a foreign embassy. He shuddered at the thought that for most if not all of them, this would be their last visit.

He quickly ushered them into the ambassador’s office and left them discussing about their impeding visit. He then went to a closet and place the bag there. Then slowly he exited the embassy and made his way home.

As he now walked on the streets, his conscience gripped him and it was more powerful than the fear he felt at the beginning. He just couldn’t let the package be left at the embassy. His thoughts overtook him and he resolved to go back and correct the situation.

With his adrenaline at an al time high, he quickly turned around and started running towards the embassy. He ran as fast as he could because he knew any time now the package could explode. He didn’t even stop at the guard’s office. He burst into the embassy and made way for the package. It was still there. He grabbed it and quickly exited the embassy.

But time had indeed run out. As he reached the parking lot and was about to throw the package it exploded in his hands spreading shrapnel everywhere. There was only one casualty; Eric.


^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

At the state funeral organized for Eric, foreign dignitaries arrived in numbers. His courage and valor was what everyone talked about. Tales of his heroic escapade had spread all around and everyone held him in awe.

Initial investigations had concluded that Eric had somehow heard of a terrorist attack on the embassy and had gone to avert it. His was deemed a hero and both his government and the Israeli government gave him medals of honour. He had died a hero.

No one ever knew the truth of the matter or even suspected it. Two weeks later Lucinda was exterminated by the Libyans for choosing a wrong target in form of Eric. Her pleas had fallen on dead ears as the Libyans put a bullet across her forehead.

Across town, Eric’s wife was mourning a hero. In spite of her present predicament, she wasn’t badly off. She’d recently discovered bank records that showed Eric was worth a small fortune and the first time in a long while she was now able to live in comfort and luxury.