In the end, they caught Mrs. Zack coming in and a compelling voice force in Mr. Ribadau made her pull aside a chair and sat down in pensive.
“Any problem?” She asked.
“Em, no problem for sure. Our discussion is on the forthcoming primaries. It has been postponed many times and it is not for our good. They only fear is that this administration seems to have done a complete about face on gun control. I really fear.”
“Well, I had an interesting evening with Mrs. Ben. I didn’t try to bargain with her on what our contributions should be to our husbands individually in the forthcoming election, but we only exchanged salutes. She is such a timid and soft woman. She lacked exposure. I wanted first to know what was in her heart. I’ve known her well. Her husband’s ascendancy over night was bought with an immense sum and that was why she was taking it big to be the next first lady. It is a big challenge to me, but I have really accepted that. She read disapproval in my face and decided not to ask many personal question”
“Those might be mere speculations. His husband was flown to Korea just yesterday after his collapse at Koje state. So she might not be in the mood to talk” said Mr.Ribadau.
“But she remembered telling me that they are preparing to represent Mr. President in the next African commission (AC) conference in Libya”
“Still it is no big reason to believe those speculations. We too had been assigned to be with president tomorrow to welcome the South African president who is coming into the state on a talk with the president on apartheid.”
“Yes that reminds me. Margaret Thatcher had refused on the decision of the African states to stop white domination over the back.”
“The husband nearly decides on what happens here. He is deep into business with them. There will be no time Africa would be free like other nations of the world.”
“That is still our problem. African problems. We are still decolonized. In Italy it was a long talk in our university days that even two hundred years after independence for each dependent African state, the big nations cannot train black with the manpower to tap their resources. They can never. Independent or no independent, the same problem continues. If not for some reason, how could she be wholly interested in African affairs when she is not supposed to?”
“That is the issue. We cannot entirely be liberated from our colonial masters. They had been ordained to lead us. The earlier we would have learned that, the better. As for me, am not entirely cheated. There is no other way one can climb up the ladder freely without serving vigorously. The post of presidency and vice is for one person each. To be the vice president is no vanity. I have been asked by Mr. president in his last phone call just last night to accept all party ideals, mandates, decisions and codes of papers to sign to be qualified other than Ben, now that he is sick. I am no child. I refused. It would be too bad and a betrayal to Ben “.
          “You are wrong in this your decision. I disagree with you entirely. In politics no victor no vanquished. It is a one chance game  for a life time. He can come back again if he wishes. It is a game for the fittest.”
          “You only talk on reported matters. You have never been a politician. I am not easily bought now that I have ladder top of politics. I have reasons to thread softly after the inauguration of who go for the party in the next primaries. I have all my academic papers complete with many honors and awards. I have an updated CV which I earned from the opportunities given to top African administrative cadres. My papers can earn me any position I vie for in this country, or elsewhere in Africa, either of a Ministerial or Ambassadorial post. I decide what I do with them. I only regret my past. I stepped on many toes for the service of man and I earn nothing than betrayal and embarrassment. We are the wheels within wheels in this party. You never and will never know what is happening in this party unless you are told. So for now, no one qualifies to have a hold on me”
          “He might “continued Mr. Ribadau “ go about the world boasting that he had beaten me, and I would never even give it a thought. I may choose to resign my candidacy, for when I see that the horizon is bad to continue, it would be bad and I do not want to be responsible for anything that would happen. I am quite content that he should be removed whenever I find him fitting to do so. The job is not yet finished. We are just beginning. I cannot live my ambition half-done until I attain to a glorious end. I made a solemn promise to the ruing party to step aside for him. I shall return. The ruling party cannot easily be beaten off the race. We have won and will keep winning. We only need a little time to see Mr. President go off the horizon, I will squarely handle any opponent and do thing my own way.”
          A visitor came in and the discussion ended for that moment. It was purely the last time he had a talk on politics.