CLOSING ORDER! - A Short Story

CLOSING ORDER! By Femi Abolade

All Rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, without the written permission of the author.

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Dedicated to Sanitarian (Pastor)  Solomon Oludotun Ojetola, and to all faithful Sanitarians in Nigeria.

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"Do you know the landlord of this house?" he shouted at the young man who was leading the team.

He was stout, pot-bellied and as dark as the devil himself. The young man, dressed in the complete regalia of white jacket over brown trouser, two star epaulette, a shining kumquats with a laced brown pair of boots. His brown beret sat gracefully on his head with the National crest beautifully placed on it tilted to the left, he released a smirk. His name tag read Oluwole Adewole, Environmental Health Officer.

Wole looked at the dirty man standing before him, they look world apart. One from a clean heaven while the other representing no other than the pile of rubbish stockpiled at the back of the house. Looking at him closely, the young health Officer saw a slightly overweight man in what cannot be described as a denim shorts that must have once been white in colour.

"Why are you looking at me like that", the dirty man belowed once again releasing sputters of spit here and there in the atmosphere. He already saw that the young man was sizing him up. He felt his size had been the reason avoid taking him up in hot conversations not realising that, his opponents give up long before confrontation because of the pungent smell oozing out of his vocal cavity and the entire mass of flesh.

"What is the name of your landlord?" Wole calmly asked, not bemused by the tenant's unwelcoming attitude since they arrived at the doorsteps of house number 15, Tekobo street.

"Do you know the landlord of this house"? He repeated, ignoring the health Officer's question.

"I wish to know him" Wole answered. "Tell me his name", he demanded slowly but firmly.

"He is a soldier. A retired military man", the dirty one retorted with an air of superiority.

"Whao, that's lovely" the health officer remarked loudly, clapping both hands with glee. "Then what's his name", he asked again.

"This is a house belonging to a military man" the dirty man continued stubbornly.

"Okay. Fine". Wole raised his hands in mock surrender. "Like I told you when we came in, we are Environmental Health Officers from the Local Government on inspection. If you don't mind, we will be conducting an inspection on this premises".

With bemused looks, the dirty one and another woman who seems to be the man's wife, who came out from the premises, hissed and considered the young man and his assistants impossible.

Can't this boy just understand the meaning of Military? They reasoned.

"I told you that the owner of this building is a military man"

"And does that immune this premises from sanitary inspection?" the health Officer asked with genuine concern on his face. "Please, will you lead us to the house for inspection"? he continued with a politeness that can't be faulted.

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Corporal Johnson sat there in the shop, already drunk to stupor and in a state of moral decapacitation. Since his last demotion, his case has gone from bad to worse. A former staff Sergent who was getting prepared for his promotion to become an Inspector, but his drinking problems had aggravated to the point where he opened fire on innocent motorists at an illegal checkpoint on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Johnson would have been outrightly dismissed from the Police force but for his wife, Catherine who almost shed all the tears in her tear duct in every relevant offices pleading for her husband. After much  pleadings, Johnson was demoted two steps to become a corporal. But since then the drinking problem has become worse.

He sat there with some of his types at Mama Alanu's beer parlour  situated at the only shop in front of No. 15, Tekobo street. Six green bottles had already lost their caps on the table in front of Corporal Johnson and his friends. No thanks to the salary that has just been paid.

Around another table, very close to the main entrance were seated Mama Alanu and two of her closest allies and gossip mates, who had come to share the latest gossips. When they sighted the young Environmental Health Officer and his assistants, they changed the direction of the gossip.

"What is wrong with this boy sef?" Mama Alanu asked no one in particular, gesticulating towards the direction of the main entrance where Wole and the dirty one was having their mild drama.

"Who?" Motunrayo asked, turning 180° to catch a glimpse of the one her patron was describing so.

"You mean that arrogant boy?" Sales hissed seeing Wole not far away from them. "That was how he came to our house at Sarepowo junction, threatening to take all of us to court!"

"Haba!" Mama Alanu exclaimed. "What for?"

"Because he said our toilet was filled up. He also added that the water from our bathroom is flowing outside to our neighbour's house. I don't know what concerns him. He in fact gave us one sheet of paper saying that if we don't do what he wrote there, within the time, we will appear in court."

Mama Alanu watched Motunrayo closely who has not said a word since the health Officer was mentioned.

"Motun, what is it?" Mama Alanu said with a tone filled with suspicion written all over it.

Motunrayo smiled benignly. "Such a handsome young man" she whispered.

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To be continued

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Femi Abolade, licensed EHO, Writer, author and public speaker
femibolade12@gmail.com
+234 8074275257