Their loud laughter filled the place first. Followed by slight choking and coughing from Senator Desmond. Their voices were rich and full of arrogance. Arrogance that emanates from being satisfied with playing the system.
"These people will forever be gullible. Johnson, you needed to see their faces when I commissioned the borehole for them." He slapped the expensively polished mahogany table in his office. You could see his belly shake under his large agbada African robe as he leaned back on his swivel chair.
Picking up a bottle of whiskey, Honourable Johnson, his colleague, replied. "Very gullible. My wife will call them village people" he poured himself a cup of whiskey. "I mean, they need schools, hospitals to be built but if you give them little things like repair an old borehole and commission it. Also, don't forget to slip tiny envelopes into their village chiefs' hands on the day of commissioning. Then you'll see them dancing and hailing you like you've done more than what they needed." He poured the whiskey down his throat and shook. "Ahhh, this is a nice whiskey my Senator friend."
"Very nice. Very nice. I imported it from abroad. From the finest distillery in France. Plus a Range Rover for my wife. " He leaned forward playfully. "And, all of them were paid for with the proceeds from the hospital funds. The villagers' money. " He laughed. His laughter was coarse and strong.
Johnson laughed with him. "Mr treat myself fine with the villagers' money."
"You can say that again. That's my new name."
They laughed, clinked their glasses together, and poured the contents down their throat.
"Cheers to more community projects and more embezzlement." Senator Desmond said.
"More money for us." Honourable Johnson teased. "I just pray we're not caught one day. We might not be voted again. There will be no community project funds to embezzle. Then our enemies will laugh at us "
"Even if we're caught. We'll just give them rice and oil in the next election. They'll foolishly forget and vote us in again. More embezzlement for us." He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "Johnson, you're still a learner in this game of politics. The idea is to keep them hungry and at your mercy so you can give them peanuts and be able to control them. Hunger is the key."
"My Senator friend, you're very wise." Johnson concurred, nodding his head in agreement. He picked up the whisky bottle and stared at its contents. The bottle was still in his hands when Senator Desmond's secretary burst into the office, eyes wild.
"Sir!" she gasped. "Your phone—you're—you're live!"
Desmond froze. "Live? How?" His stomach dropped.
Honourable Johnson’s glass slipped from his fingers, shattering on the floor.
"I don't know; it seems like you butt-dialed it or something." His secretary cried.
Immediately Senator Desmond searched for his phone. He has been sitting on it all this while with the screen glowing and the words LIVE boldly written on it. He screamed as he saw the number of people watching. Forty-three thousand people are watching and climbing.
He read the comments as they scrolled faster than his weak eyes could read.
"Thieves! You stole from us!"
"We trusted you!"
"Resign now!"
"Somebody call the financial crimes commission!"
"Jail them both!"
"I hope the president is watching too."
He quickly ended the stream. "For how long have I been LIVE?" He asked his secretary.
"For long sir."
"And you didn't inform us?" It was Johnson yelling as he paced the room.
"Sir, I left my phone to charge. I only got online a few minutes ago." She replied.
"We need to do something," Desmond said In a calm but confused voice. But, deep down he knew at that point that no amount of damage control could save his reputation again. The damage was done. The clips have spread like wildfire.
He switched on the television, and their faces were on every news channel. Every social media blog. And soon, he heard voices of protesters gathered outside his office with placards that read.
"We demand a refund from Desmond and his cohort. And jail time for Desmond and his cohort."
"Where is our hospital? Desmond and Johnson must go"
Then at noon, it was the President released a statement:
"As I have always mentioned, corruption will not be tolerated in my cabinet. Senator Desmond and Honorable Johnson must be investigated. If found guilty they must face the wrath of the law."
Desmond sat in his office, drowning himself in alcohol and sweat. Honourable Johnson had long sneaked back to his office. His phone rang and he picked up to hear his wife screaming in the background.
"Desmond, you better do something!" she yelled. "Fix this!"
"How? The evidence is undeniable."
"I'm not going down with you. I'd rather divorce you and pretend I didn't have an idea you were embezzling community funds."
"But it was your idea," Desmond replied, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"To embezzle funds and make our lives better. Not to get caught." Then she hung up.
Two months later, Senator Desmond and Honourable Johnson were arraigned in court, handcuffed. They bowed their faces in shame and they looked pale. Already, they knew their time was up. Their tape had already been played several times. Plus a federal auditor who has found the loopholes in their respective community accounts. An evidence they truly embezzled funds.
The judge’s voice rang into their ear. Loud and firm as he called out the final judgment.
"Senator Desmond, Honorable Johnson, you have been found guilty of embezzlement of public funds up to the tune of fifty million dollars. And, the abuse of your office. You are hereby sentenced to fifteen years in prison."
Gasps filled the room as the villagers jubilated. A voice yelled from behind "Justice has been served!"
However, their lawyers asked to appeal the case. But Senator Desmond and Honourable Johnson knew it was over for them. The president was involved so there was no escape.
That was the power of a simple mistake. A butt dial.
Photo by tyler hendy: (https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-smartphone-87216/)