Seeing the surprise look on the Speaker’s face, Derek began to laugh. Adu-Tutu sat still, expecting the door to be opened with soldiers pulling him out.
“Easy, boss. Easy. You think you have walked into a trap because of my military uniform, right? You have not walked into a trap, sir. I had to dress like a soldier to be able to drive here without being stopped by soldiers. They are all over the city looking for you. I brought one of the military uniforms for you too. You have to put it on just in case we come across them and they stop us” the security operative said, handing over a military uniform in a rubber bag to the Speaker.
Adu Tutu signed in relief, thankful that he had not walked into a trap after all. And he saw the wisdom in Derek’s explanation for wearing a military uniform. It made sense; without pretending they were soldiers, they would be found out and arrested before they even cover a kilometer.
Quickly, he began to undress, removing his wet clothes. When he was done, he removed his shoes as well. Then he put on the military dress and boots provided by the security operative.
“You look really like a Captain in the army”, Derek said, grinning at the Speaker. The Speaker smiled. He was grateful for the fresh clothes. And to his surprise and delight, Derek handed him a bottle of cognac.
“Wow! Just what I needed, boy. You are really smart. Good for the weather” he said as he opened the bottle of cognac. Derek set off, trying to drive fast but the flood made progress very slow. What is more, he had to be careful because visibility was poor. He wondered why this night of all nights, it should be raining so hard.
The Speaker had opened the bottle of cognac. There was no glass around. He lifted the bottle to his mouth and gulped down what would be almost a quarter glass. He grimaced as the drink hit his stomach.
“Good stuff”, he said as he took another swing at the bottle.
“Yes sir. But you have to put it away now. If they stop us and find you holding this bottle, they would become suspicious. Soldiers don’t drink while in uniform unless it is an occasion like a party or a funeral, boss.”
Adu-Tutu nodded, took another swing and then a fourth and a fifth. Derek began to regret giving him the cognac. If they come across soldiers and they find he is drunk, they would become suspicious and that would lead to their arrest. He reached over and took the bottle from the Speaker of Parliament who immediately slammed back into his seat with his eyes rolling.
Derek drove on, occasionally taking a look at the Speaker. He suspected he had gotten drunk. They came across soldiers on five different occasions. Anytime they did, he would roll his glass down and ask how the search was going. He would listen to the progress, tell the soldiers they are on track, and urge them on before driving on.
He wished the rain would stop but that was never to be. It lashed relentlessly against the Land Rover as it headed towards Nima. Occasionally, the vehicle would sway from side to side, as the wind also threatened to turn the vehicle over. Then he heard the Speaker begin to snore. He was asleep.
Finally, twenty minutes after he left the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, he arrived at his neighbourhood in Nima. There was not a single soul about. With the intensity of the rain, there couldn’t have been any. He drove very close to the entrance of the door of his room where he had been hiding and stopped.
He tapped the Speaker. He opened his eyes. He became confused seeing Derek by his side. And he was in a military uniform too. He sat up, wondering what he was doing in a vehicle because he had been dreaming he was asleep at home and Akpene had come in to wake him up. As he looked around his surroundings, realization began to dawn on him.
“We have to go in, sir," Derek said. The Speaker nodded. The security operative opened the door and stepped out. He nearly fell as the rain came down on him as though it was a waterfall. He steadied himself and then began to wade through the flood. Adu-Tutu also got down and followed him. They got to the front door. Derek inserted a key into the door and opened it. Then he stepped in. The Speaker followed him and closed the door behind. He found himself in a very small room. Ventilation was very poor. There was so much heat in the room. Derek went to the wall and switched on the lone light in the room.
The Speaker looked around distastefully. His heart sank. He needed nobody to tell him this was going to be their hideout till they thought it was appropriate to leave the country.