OPEN HEART SURGERY

SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO PAGES

The soldier was a doctor and his office was beautifully furnished with a military glory. He moved the pistol and the stethoscope away from the hi-tech Apple system on the large table that was officially his, and picked up the colored file. On the first page was a picture of Nicole.

He had instructed Capt. Stan to find out everything about Nicole, but yesterday, the Captain had walked into his office with the colored file which contained three pages of information and had handed it over to him. "She's clean sir." Capt. Stan told him.

“How clean is she?”

“As clean as Reverend Father Pope, no criminal records, schooled at Oxford with Dara Ekanem, Late. Colonel Ekanem's daughter, the tall girl who lives-"

“Captain! I know who Dara is." He interrupted, with a raised voiced.

“Yes sir," Capt. Stan said, and continued his summary. "Nicole lives in Orange County California but she's presently in the country to represent Irvine School of Humanities on 'The House of History and Philosophy', a research organized by over two hundred universities globally, and is being held at the University of Abuja." The Captain recited and halted.

The man had looked away from his computer to the captain. "Go on." He said, and returned his gaze to the computer. He still held the colored file.

“That's like everything sir." Capt. Stan said, causing the man to open the file to feed his curiosity.

“I ordered a job and you brought back pieces of papers," He said, furiously, making the Captain straighten into attention. "I could have found out everything you just told me by asking the girl directly.”

“Yes sir, I was unclear that you needed a full system scan on target." Capt. Stan said.

“You have seventeen hundred hours to get me everything on this girl," The General slammed the file on the table. "I want to know the full names of everyone in her nuclear and extended family, the day she was conceived, the day she will die, the color of her sock in Kindergarten and the number of pimples on her mother's back!" He fired on. "Captain! I want to know the last fifty places she went before leaving the United States, all her boyfriends, past, present and future. Why does she have blue eyes and not green? I want to know everything, down to the color of her under pants!" The man yelled his command to the captain who saluted and walked out motivated.

Power was not exactly influence but the man had both, he was a force and one of the country's shot callers. General Obinna Ikenna, was the Nigerian Military Intelligence Director on Medical Research and Strategy.

The colored file Capt. Stan had brought into his office the day before was not what he was searching for, he lifted a few more things from the table and found the file he wanted, and then walked back to the west end of his office which was arranged like a board meeting room.

General Omowunmi, the only female General in the history of the country, and Brigadier Amano, The director on heart related surgeries at Top View Medical Center, sat at the table as Gen. Ikenna rejoined the meeting.

“Take a look at this," Gen. Ikenna threw the file on the table before the Brigadier. "You will understand why these guys are of no use to us, we're of no use to them." He said.

“Sir, this is 1985." Brig. Amano remarked, still studying the document.

“There is a pattern on each of those dots," Gen. Ikenna said. "It clearly explains how they've disregarded us for years.”

“I think that was because back then, we had nothing to offer." Brig. Amano replied.

Gen. Ikenna smiled. "And now you think they believe you do?”

“I hope this is not about your pride?" General Omowunmi asked the other General.

“No, it's about the honor of this country." Gen. Ikenna replied.

“Ikenna, it's high time you separate your personal issues from professional ones." Only Gen. Omowunmi would dare address him by his first name, even the president of the country referred to him as 'General' as if he was the only general in the country.

“Omowunmi, I would not be director on medical research if I was not professional about my researches.”

“The CIA are miles ahead of us on this project, if we can show them what we have, maybe we can work together to change history." Brig. Amano said cautiously, knowing how much the General hated the idea of having to work with the west.

“We're not changing history, we intend to make it," Gen. Ikenna countered. "And there is no together for a black and white. Don't listen to Michael Jackson the guy was a mix of both worlds.

"Ikenna, you're being aggressive and you're sounding like a racist." Gen. Omowunmi yelled at him.

“I'm an African, so I can accept aggressive but not racist. Gen. Ikenna said. "Ever since slavery, the history has not really changed, and since we can't change it, maybe we can make a new one.”

No one spoke again for some time, maybe The General had made a point, or probably just because he had the final say, and if these two could not convince him, then no one could. "The whites will come at you like friends, but in the end they'll stab you in the back" Gen. Ikenna continued, calmly. "I've worked with them longer than the both of you, believe me.”

Gen. Omowunmi knew how stubborn The General could be but she had resolved to always speak her mind and let him decide whatever he pleased. "You're letting emotions interfere with your judgment."

“For the last time Omowunmi, we are not working with the CIA, ABC or XYZ. We are not working with anybody!" The General concluded.

“That's fine General, but right now we're stuck, so what's the way forward?" Brig. Amano asked, in frustration.

“Assemble the research team and send a call through to Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kaduna," The General Ordered. "I need everyone in Abuja by tomorrow. We cannot afford to be stuck.”

“Tomorrow?" Brig. Amano exclaimed. "I haven't even informed them yet sir.”

“I thought I was working with soldiers? Tell them it's an emergency and-”

“Don't be ridiculous Ikenna!" Gen. Omowunmi interrupted, and turned to Brig. Amano. "Tell them to put together all they have, we'll meet on Friday at 2300 hours."

Brig. Amano looked from one General to the other, wondering whose order to carry out. "Friday, make it at 2100 hours." Gen. Ikenna said, saving the Brigadier from the confusion.

"Yes sir." Brig. Amano replied, as he stood and walked out of the General's office.

The General sat in silence rubbing his eyes as Gen. Omowunmi watched him like she always did. She knew the answers to the questions on his mind, he was afraid of failing, and he had always been more of a quality person than the quantity type. That's why his wife was so beautiful, physically, intellectually and otherwise, she was synonymous with quality. His wife was the loveliest and one of the most respected women in Top View Villa, a right she earned on merit and not because her husband was The General. But leaving her only son with his father without an explanation was a shock to everyone.

Capt. Stan walked into the office and saluted from the door.

“Leave it on my table." The General said, and the captain did as he was told.

“How many pages, and how much information do we have this time?”

“Seven hundred and eighty two pages," Capt. Stan replied. "And I-"

“You pulled up seven hundred and eighty two pages of information on someone without a criminal record?" Gen. Ikenna asked, in bewilderment.

“Yes sir, I could pull more if you wanted."

“Who in God's name is the unlucky guy?" Gen. Omowunmi laughed. "And what did he do?”

“He's actually a 'She'." Gen. Ikenna corrected.

“Seven hundred and eighty two pages? She's definitely guilty of something." Gen Omowunmi said, still laughing.

Capt. Stan wore mischief on his eye brows. "We've gotten information on everything you requested, but we're still working on finding out the day she'll die… Unless you intend to personally fix a date for that," Capt. Stan said, trying to get back at the General for scolding him the day before. "But we have every other thing, down to the color of her under pant as you requested.”

“What!" Gen. Omowunmi said, trying to follow the gist.

“She wore a red thong this morning and as of two hours ago she was still wearing it, she has a variety of underpants which includes, hipsters, G-Strings, Brazilians, Boy-shorts, and briefs but they are mostly red, pink and… every other thing you need to know is on your table." The Captain parroted.

Gen. Ikenna was no longer sure on if to tell him 'thank you' or 'shut up'. "Captain Stan, are you aware you're a rare species?" The General remarked, sarcastically.

“Yes sir, I am." He replied, seriously.

Gen. Omowunmi watch The General and his captain in amazement, she had no idea why they were analyzing what they were analyzing. "Captain, you just reminded me of a cartoon I once watched with my grandson, it was called 'Captain Underpants', Captain Stan." The Generals laughed at the Captain and he smiled as he walked out of the room.

The General was a man who understood the words of King Solomon when he said, 'there's a time for everything, a time to work and a time to play, a time to love and a time to hate…' Gen. Ikenna was a nice man with a good sense of humor but he also understood the times and the periods at which they changed.

Gen. Omowunmi walked over to the table and picked up the printed document which the captain had dropped, and her facial expression changed. "Ikenna, what is it that you really want to know about this innocent girl?" She said, holding out the document.

“No one is innocent until proven innocent.”

“That didn't answer my question."

“I have never seen Zak invest so much time and interest in any woman, or even look at any other, the way he looks at her." Gen. Ikenna said. "Isn't that severe enough for a father to be concerned?”

“Seven hundred and eighty two pages of concern?" Gen. Omowunmi asked with real concern. "I knew how you felt Ikenna but please, you have to stop pushing it on the wrong people.”

The General threw a glance at her. "I'm not pushing anything on anyone. I'm worried about my son."

General Omowunmi looked at him, this time with more concern. Being a very good friend of his, she knew him better than anybody else, and with Zak calling her Aunt. Omowunmi she was obligated to play the role of his mother sister. She was also the only person who knew how much Gen. Ikenna had loved his wife since she had watched him cry like a child in Zak's room the night his wife came back in a body bag.

Zak had cried and refused to return to school when his mom had fallen really ill but she had told him, 'Handsome, mommy and Daniela will be fine, you need to return to school so that someday, you'll become mommy's doctor'. But Zak had only returned from boarding school to attend her funeral with tears and a broken heart.

Before her death, she had made The General promise to watch over her son. Since then he had cared for, and loved Zak like a mother and had also feared for him like a father does for his teenage daughter. So, he would protect Zak from any form of harm, physically or Nicole wise.

“Zak is not a baby and he has proven that to you many times and in countless ways." Gen. Omowunmi said.

“I never said he was.”

“Then leave him alone, and leave the girl alone too.”

Gen. Ikenna smiled, "I have met the girl and I don't have a problem with her, we've talked a few times and I really like her.”

Gen. Omowunmi took a seat at the General's table "Are you sure you don't have a problem with her? Maybe you didn't notice she is white.”

“Why do you keep talking like that?" The General said, as he came to her. "You of all people should know better.”

“I know you're not a racist, but you will not always have me around to explain that to people, whenever you talk and act like one.”She replied. "And besides, apart from what I already know, what else is your problem with them?”

“I don't know what you know but I don't like anyone who could stab me in the back, because that's a bad character and that makes him a bad man and I don't like bad men.”

“Some black men have bad characters and that makes them bad men, so why don't you get so antagonistic every morning you wake up, in a black country that is not void of bad people?”

The General took his seat at his desk. "Omowumni, I don't dislike any one because of their skin color, I only came to realize that it's in the white man's nature to stab you in the back.”

“Then you have no other problem with the whites apart from the one you and I know about." Gen. Omowunmi said.

Gen. Ikenna knew she was right, he was not a racist but he had issues with himself, something he had struggled to fix for a very long time. "I screen everyone, white or black, and if you're good, then we're good, else we're not.”

“You never answered my question, what's your problem with the girl?”

"I already told you, I like the pretty girl, but I just need to know if she can be trusted, Gen. Ikenna said. “Do you know how long I have waited to see that look on my son's face? If she's the one to make him happy, I don't care if she's white, blue or pink. I just want to make sure she won't turn black in the middle of the night.”

“That sounds more consoling." Gen. Omowunmi said, as she dropped the document on the table. The General smiled, and picked it up, flipping through the pages casually, and then his smile fizzled into disappointment and tightened into a sad angry frown.

Gen. Omowunmi knew that look, and she also knew it wasn't ever a good one. What did he read? She was sure it wasn't what he read. He wasn't reading but just flipping through the pages when he had stopped shot on that page.

She reached out and took the document from him, her eyes saw what he saw, and the image of a man stared at her. She knew him, they both knew him. Below the image, his name was written in bold, 'Dr. Jimmy Anderson'.