IBO - Brian R. Lundin (100 books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📗

burning and naked women and children were milling around. Some of the older children, mainly girls were gathering firewood and the older women were cooking. Whoever had laid out the architectural design had done a good job. Each hut was perfectly rounded with a roof made of strong looking weeds and tree branches, which was pitched at an angle almost to the ground to allow the rain to drain.
There were over fifty huts in the village arranged in a circle surrounding a large flat area-the village square. Some of the huts were bigger than others, but they all had the same basic design. They stopped in front of a large hut where they sat on cut off logs in front of a fire. A young woman was placing food on wooded plates. She was naked and as she bent over her breast swung about. Eli and Malik couldn’t help but stare although there was nothing extremely sexy about the naked woman or her flopping breast it was just that she was so unconcerned about her nudity. She gave a plate to each of the men serving the chief last.
The plate contained what appeared to be some type of boiled potato and a large piece of brown meat. Molanti and the chief ate heartily while they talked but Malik, Diki and Eli looked at each other and then the plate.
When there was a break in the conversation Diki whispering asked Molanti what was the food.
He laughing said, “You might not want to know.”
Diki shrugged his shoulders at Malik and Eli and took a big bite of the meat. Eli and Malik watched for his reaction. In a moment, Diki smiled and took another bite and shook his head and mouthed that it was good. Eli and Malik followed Diki’s lead and they took small bites.
“This is good,” Eli said taking a bigger bite.
“Wonder what it is?” Malik asked to no one in particular.
After eating Molanti told them, that the potato was an African yam and the meat was monkey, a staple food for the people. They men stayed in the village for another hour and they were led back down the dirt trail to their boat on the river by the chief, little boys were running and playing behind them.
They didn’t see the big snake that had been sunning earlier. Molanti and the chief hugged again and the men boarded their boat.
“That was the most interesting experience I have ever had,” Eli said.
“Why are the women naked,” Malik asked.
“To the River People, women are the blessed one by their spirits and their bodies are the spirits holy alters and these alters should be seen and worshipped,” Molanti explained.
“But isn’t it dangerous for them to be bathing and swimming in the water with all the crocodiles and snakes around,” Malik continued.
“Yes it could be, but to the River People the animals on the land or in the water or the plants in the jungle are all a part of the river spirits and if the spirits see fit for one of his creatures to be eaten so another of his creatures can survive, so be it. It is accepted in their scheme of things,” Molanti said.
“Amazing,” was all anyone one could say.
It took two more hours before they arrived at Doctor Lumody’s laboratory. Molanti docked the boat at a well-maintained pier. The laboratory was located in a clearing about a mile from the river. Its white walls stood out in contrast to the lush green jungle in the background. The building was very modern with computers and other electronic being tended to by young black men. As they entered, the building Doctor Lumody greeted them.
“Malik and Eli meet my Chief Chemist, Doctor Ronald Lumody,” Diki said.
Doctor Lumody was forty years old and had premature gray hair; he was tall and scholarly looking and wore wire rimmed half glasses that was perched on the tip of his nose.
“Good morning gentleman, let’s go into my office.”
They followed Doctor Lumody into his office.
“My colleagues and I has been researching Diki request and we concluded that we could extract an alkaloid from God’s Plant and make a product that might serve your purpose and not affect our other work.”
“What is the product and how will it works?” Malik asked.
“It is called codeine an alkaloid of opium. It has similar effects of heroin but it is not as addictive and can be made very easily and cheaply.
“I thought codeine was made from cocaine and was used for coughs or colds”, Eli said.”
“It is used for colds but it is a derivative of opium, not cocaine, here is a sample we made.”
Doctor Lumody produced a small packet containing a white pill and gave it to Malik.
“How do you use it?” Malik asked while examining the pill.
“I would recommend inserting the pill into a marijuana cigarette and smoking it, that will increase the effect of the pill.”
“How much would it cost to produce the pill?” Diki asked.
“You could produce a thousand pills for less than twenty five dollars; I would recommend selling the cigarette with the pill for say, two pills and one marijuana cigarette for three dollars.”
“How long would the high last,” Malik asked
“That would depend on the quality of the marijuana, the better the marijuana, the better and longer the high.”
On the return trip Eli and Malik marveled at the wonders of nature, the wildlife, the birds and the water creatures were fascinating, especially for two young men who only knew the urban jungle. There were no storms and the swift moving current of the river hastened their trip.

Chapter 23

Eli, Malik, and Diki graduated, with honors, the following year. Eli accepted a scholarship from the university’s law school; Diki was awarded a PH.D. In science and returned home, and Malik was awarded a degree in business administration and returned to Chicago. He was met at the airport by Pops who hugged Malik and giving the gang sign, Pops said, “What’s up, my man?”
Malik returning the hug and sign replied "I’m cool man, how you doing.”
“Cool, let’s ride, I’m parked outside,” Pops said.
“How’s things been going?” Malik asked.
“Crazy man, crazy,” Pop’s answered.
“What’s up?” Malik asked.”
“I think these young brothers are crazy, all they want to do is get high and gang bang, you can’t tell them shit, they think they know everything. Matter of fact, it getting so bad we’re thinking about getting out of the retail end of the business, what are your plans now?” Pops asked Malik.
“I don’t know, I’ve got quite a few job offers, but I think I’m going to take it easy for awhile and just cool out.”
“Our main supplier got busted by the feds and we are looking for a new one, the Board of Governors has arranged a sit down with an African dude named Morressy who is supposed to be able to supply our needs. I met him last week and I set up another meeting with him so you could be there, cool,” Pops asked.
”That’s cool, when is the next sit down?” Malik asked.
“We are on our way there now, cool?”
“Cool,” Malik said.
Malik and Pops drove to Gladys’s, a popular soul food restaurant on the South Side of the city. The smell of the food flowing through the large room made Malik mouth water; he remembered that he hadn’t eaten in a long time. Pops pointed to a table in the rear of the room. Seated at the table was a young black man drinking tea. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored tan Casmir suit, highly polished shoes and a black silk shirt opened at the collar. A small but expensive gold chain hung around his neck. He was tall and thin; but he looked very fit. He had very dark skin with keen features and wore small wire framed eyeglasses. His long straight black hair was worn in a ponytail and a beret sat sideways on his head. A looped expensive looking diamond earring was in his left ear. He certainly didn’t look like any American black man Malik or Pops had ever seen.
“What’s up, Morressy, I want you to meet my man, Malik,” Pops said.
”What’s up my brothers?” Morressy said with an accent neither Pops or Malik could recognize.
“Nice meeting you,” Malik said.
“I understand that you are looking for a new source?” Morressy said to Pops.
“Yes, our main guy got popped.”
“Well, I sure we can work out something, what are we talking about?” Morressy asked Pops.
“About ten keys a month.”
“That’s no problem; you will find our product is a lot better than most of the goods on the streets. I assume you was dealing with Mexican brown about fifty percent pure?”
“Yep,” Pops said.
“Our goods are seventy five percent pure and Asian gold, interested?”
“Yes,” Pops said.
“Ok, this is how it works, you provide couriers to pick the goods in Bangkok and then fly to Paris.”
“Paris, Malik asked? Surprised.
“Yes,” Morressy replied.
“Your couriers then take the goods to different cities in Germany and then they bring it to Chicago.”
“Why Paris and Germany?” Pops asked.
“Bangkok is listed as a drug source country and the U.S. Custom Agents at the airports closely inspect all Americans returning from there. Paris and Germany is not a source country and customs is a lot more relaxed.”
“When can we get our first supply, the hypes are going crazy and getting sick, with nothing on the street,” Pops asked.
“Anytime you want, but I will need at lease twenty four hours notice to set things up.”
“What about payment?” Malik asked.
“On delivery,” Morressy said.
“How do we get the money to you”? Pops asked.
“You bring it with you and give it to the contact in Bangkok,” Morressy said.
“Sounds good, I’ll take it to the board and get back with you,” Pops tells Morressy.
“Cool, talk to you later, Morressy says leaving the restaurant.”
“What you think?” Pops asked Malik.
“Very risky, too many people involved. Where are we going to get the couriers that will need passports, travel and hotel expense money, transportation to and from the airports and they will be carrying a lot of our money. Let me thinks about it, by the way what’s happening with Five 0, Pacman?”
“Pacman had recruited five other police officers to help him rob drug dealers, similar to the scam he had going with us. He would play as if he was an outer town big drug dealer and when the merchandise was delivered, they would rip