Major Sujamal saluted his new boss in her office.
General Emira was aware of his presence as she kept on writing.
Her waist-length wavy hair was loose around her shoulders. She was wearing army camouflage T shirt dress and black boots.
She looked too beautiful to be a soldier, but she was tough with deadly calm, and had cracked many difficult military missions on land, air and sea with the ease of a hot knife through butter.
“You know, Major. I’m tempted to let you remain at attention, but someone must have spiked my Ro-something —-
“—Roti” the Major put in.
“—Right. Roti, this morning which is why I’m feeling maternal”, She said all this while still writing and without looking at the Major in question.
“At ease, Major”
Emira got up from behind her desk, and leaned on it as she crossed her legs at the ankle.
“Have a sit, Major” She gestured to one of the chairs as she crossed her arms.
“I will rather stand”
“Consider it an order”, Emira responded in a low steely voice.
Sujamal sat reluctantly and gazed at the wall behind her back.
Emira signed inwardly as she studied him. The man was running and aching from a past. Hence, his wild and unwilling ways of handling official orders. And that, threatens to upset the operation should it stay unresolved.
“I need you to discretely find your mother…” he snapped his head to face her, as his eyes flashed at her, but she ignored him as she calmly continued, “And personally investigate her — in disguise of course”
He shot to his feet,
“No”
He said in a slightly shaky voice, that she nearly felt sorry for him.
Emira leaned back more with a smile,
“Rejecting orders, Major?” She wasn’t surprised. She knew he was diligent and debatable.
“It’s too…personal for me to get involved”
“I think I already established how personal. All I can say is she may not have any idea how involved she is or even what she’s involved in. You’re to find out everything about her and report to me daily.”
Sujamal was now pacing, “I–I can’t do…” He began as he shook his head.
“You seem not to realise you don’t have a choice in the matter. If I didn’t know better I would have said you were doing your very best to sabotage this operation…. Let me finish, please” She raised a palm as he tried to speak in his defense.
“I said report to me and bring the suspects in talking condition. I even showed you how to subdue them enough to bring them here — should you have missed that class in military training. Yet you kept doing as you darned well please.”
Emira placed her palms beside her on the desk, as she prayed for calm.
“Your past is clouding your better judgement, Major. And I refuse to watch you unwittingly end your career thereby loosing one of my best men, one way or the other.”
She picked a folder from the desk, looked at it solemnly, then stretched it towards a fuming Sujamal, who had lost the battle of trying not to glower at her. She smiled inwardly as he looked kinda cute.
“Consider this your suspension assignment. Otherwise, feel free to appear before a panel of Top Brass Military Generals to explain why you should not be dismissed.”
He hesitated then slowly and reluctantly collected the file from her.
“Follow instructions to the letter and proof to me that you’re in this job for noble reasons” Emira said as she sat behind her desk.
Oh hahn. Tu-tri-bat. Tell your….girlfriend, that should she try following you again, I shall put her under arrest for trying to disrupt a military mission.” Emira warned in a casual voice. “You may leave now.”
“Yes, Boss” Sujamal saluted her and walked out.
Emira sighed as watched him leave. She swivelled in her chair as she prayed for healing of the Major who was wounded in his soul.
She sensed troubling tensions at the military base and she didn’t like it. She began to pray for peace, protection for her soldiers and the strategy for a successful mission.
15 minutes later, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and picked the call with girlish excitement.
“Hello Mama”, she gave a tired smile.
https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2020/11/01/november-writing-prompts-2/
Musings of a Sanguine Christian Woman 