The Unifier by Richard Shekari (best book club books for discussion TXT) 📕

the reign of this thing the world believes it needs but look around and about, baby; these people are happy!” Tamara added, “You saw it over the news and even from here you can see and hear the sound of their jubilation! If I was Him, I’d let them all rot. I mean, if someone says they don’t want you even though you know after you walk away they’d suffer more than they had ever imagined, you walk the hell away and care less when they cry out for help!”
“You always forget that there are so many others in hiding just like us, who have refused to bow to this graven image, Tam.” Palm said, “It is our duty to let the light shine in the darkest phase the world faces. It won’t be easy but…it is our duty as children of God to let His will be done, here on earth!”
Tamara sighed.
The refreshing breeze whistled through the cave’s lips, they stood silent in each other’s arms to its anthem.
“I miss the taste of the good old wine, the smell of our home.” She said, “The laundry. Ooh…my beautiful blue dress. Baby, you remember that one you got me from Europe?”
“Of course I remember,” he replied. “When I sent you the picture you just couldn’t wait for me to come home. I was a bit jealous! How can I ever forget?”
“It’s only a dress, baby?” Tamara said, “Come on!”
“Don’t come-on me, honey!” He said, “I was away for about a month and you wanted to get your hands on that dress more than you wanted to get your hands on me!” He giggled.
“Get out of here!” Tamara responded as she gently sank her teeth on his chest, “Grrrr!”
 “I miss the boys!” He said.
“I really missed them too!” She remarked, “They all had your great smile.”
“They had your face!” He countered.
“Well, they had your eyes!” She protested, “They had your body and your voice?”
“Yeah, right. And how’s my voice like?” He asked as he gazed into her eyes.
“Like a Puma growling in the dark,” she said, “Trying to whisper my name! Your voice made me fall for you the more back in high school!” She smiled.
“I should’ve known…” Palm added, “Imagine how many girls I could’ve toyed with!”
“Mmm hmm?” She responded, “Imagine how many would’ve been annihilated by my stare!” She stared into his eyes, “Grrrr! Tigress!”
“Your stare can only trap a man’s heart,” he said as he lifted her in his arms, “Not scary at all!” He kissed her.
“I love you!” Tamara said as she kissed him back.
“I love you too!” Palm responded, “You’ve gained too much weight, honey.” He teased, “Don’t you think we should do something about it?”
 “Shut up!” She replied.
They both laughed as he took her deep into the cave.
They made love and later chatted a bit. Tamara couldn’t stop talking about their two children. Palm didn’t want to say much about it but he had to engage in the conversation. When she realised he wasn’t comfortable with it, she left him and headed to the edge of the cave. Palm ignored her and decided to take a rest. He closed his eyes and sailed through the oceans of his thoughts, then her voice shook him off.
“Palm!” She cried out.
Palm turned and saw Tamara on the ground, two men in a combat uniform had their guns pointed at her. There were two more hanging on ropes by the entrance to the cave. Before he could make any move, a shot was fired by one of the men as Tamara tried to get up.
Tamara died on the spot.
“No!” Palm screamed. He got up and ran to where she laid, and held her dead body.
 “No, baby?” He cried, “Honey, get up!”
“Who gave you the order to fire?” One of the men in masked asked as he got off his rope.
“She tried to move, sir!” The shooter answered.
“Fool! You just bought a ticket to your own public execution.” Said the one who appeared to be the superior officer.
Palm lost control and got up, he noticed the tag on their uniform; Rel-Pol. He rushed the shooter to the ground but received a sharp blow on the back of the head with a truncheon. He fainted.

Chapter Three: A Friend Indeed.

“On your feet!” Yelled an elderly officer, “Put your back up against the wall! Now!”
Palm Carlos gently came down from the bed, the sound of chains shackled to his feet rang through. Palm walked towards the wall and stood on his feet, with his face lowered.
The Master approached the cell.
“Chief Deshawn?” The Master called.
“Yes, your majesty!” The officer responded.
“How many resistance have you in this precinct?” The Master asked.
“Well, your majesty,” said the chief, “I uh…I think about…””
“You think?” Interjected The Master.
“Thirty three, sir,” another low ranking officer whispered to the chief, “Palm Carlos inclusive!”
“Only Thirty three, your majesty!” The chief said, “Yes, Thirty three.”
“Give me the keys to this block!” He said, “And the keys to the shackles.”
The chief quickly ordered one of his men to bring the keys, he then handed it to The Master as soon as it was given to him.
“Get you, your men and all the resistance in these cells out of the building.” The Master said, “I want to have a word with this man.”
“Are you sure, your majesty? Your safety is my number one priority!” The chief said, “This man could be dangerous, your majesty. If anything happens to you, I and my…”
“Now!” The Master yelled.
“Sure, your majesty!” Said the chief as he turned to his men, “Alright everyone! Evacuate! Now! All captives inclusive!”
The officers quickly formed a line behind The Master to shield him from the prisoners that might want to harm him. Some of the officers stormed in and pulled out all the men and women locked up in the other cells.
“Don’t get any ideas, you rats!” Said the chief to the prisoners, he stared at them as they were being moved out of their cells, “Don’t hesitate to shoot anyone who looks this way!”
The entire officers along with the chief stormed out of the precinct.
The Master heaved a heavy sigh. He used the keys and opened the cell block where Palm was locked. He gently walked in, stopped and then continued to step forward. He bent and unchained the shackles on Palm’s feet, then stepped aside and sat on the concrete bed. Palm acted as though no one was in the room with him.
“Who would’ve thought I’d see you again?” The Master said, “And there I was thinking that by this time, you’ll be the one person who would be by my side...To watch over my back. I guess I was wrong.”
“You had Tamara killed.” Palm said, “What wrong has she commit?” Tears rolled down his cheek. He was filled with anger. “I’d kill you right here, right now.”
The Master kept his head lowered to the floor.
“I’m so sorry, Palm!” He said, “I never ordered anyone to harm you nor Tam, I’m really sorry it had gotten to this.” He sighed, “I know you’d think…”
“You and your greed, and your stupid dreams knows no boundaries, Jessy!” Palm said, “Look at what you’ve done! An image? A giant statue of you?” He giggled, “God, Jes! What have you done?”
“Wipe your tears, friend!” He said, “I told you I didn’t ask anyone to harm your wife. They explained to me that it was an accident.”
“My tears aren’t for Tam, even though I'm still in shock over her death.” He responded, “I am shedding tears for you, Jessy. For the things you have done. God is…”
“That’s enough!” He interposed, “I’ve heard enough of you talking to me about Him every time we meet! What has He ever done for me? You tell me!” He got up on his feet, “I was looked down upon; trampled, mocked, abused and wrongly accused in all the years I’ve walked this earth!” He turned to Palm, “He took away everything I’ve ever had, everything I’ve ever loved. You on the other hand, you lied to me, you made me go to Him, and for more than eleven years I’ve prayed and cried to him. I’ve even fasted and prayed for how long? And did He look my direction? Did He, Palm?” He walked towards Palm Carlos, “At least He should’ve pretended He heard my cry. No one was there for me.”
“I stood by you, Jessy.” Palm said, “God was always there for you and by your side all along, you know that. He was there at all time but you chose not to see it and just wasn’t patient enough.”
“Don’t talk to me like that, Palm!” He yelled, “We’re no longer those little choir boys. This-is-the-real-life! Wake up. You told me He never forsakes anyone…but where was He when I cried all night with the thick clouds of shame over my head? I was Jobless and homeless!”
“I gave you the keys to my apartment, Jes.” Palm responded, “Your pride couldn’t let you stay. I stood by you more than a friend should!”
“Been more than a friend wasn’t enough!” He yelled, his eyes glowed with anger, “And before you even say it; being more than a brother wouldn’t have been enough either. It was easy for you, ’cause He made you stronger.”
“What did you want?” Palm asked, in a calm tone, “What was it you sought for?”
There was a deaf silence in the cell.
“Just…all I wanted then was just to be able to eat the fruits of my labour.” He said, “But as little as that was, He couldn’t even help me out, Palm. Yet your God claimed He owns everything? Well, did He deny me those little things on purpose ’cause He hated me? What have I ever done wrong to Him before I came to this world?”
“You and I were virtually passing through the same ordeal, friend.” Palm said, “You of all people should know that. I hid nothing from you, hell, I used to get mad at God too, sometimes, over how slow it seemed, and we’d make fun of how He’d make people to hang on in wait, but I remember this…at the end of the day we’ve always had something like a sign to hold on to. He gave us hope. He was busy making us strong but, we wanted an immediate response. But that’s okay, because God understands that.”
“Yeah, and then you started seeing things in your dreams about the future,” he said, “and then everything changed. You chose your God over a friend.”
“Nothing really changed,” Palm said, “I was just disturbed by what I saw; I was shown this thing you’ve become, and I warned you about it. And yes, you're right...I'll choose Him over everything.”
“He never wove me with the qualities you possess, buddy.” Jessy said, “I struggled through, I did want to try His big racking game of waiting…but all that was delivered to me were empty promises, Palm. I yearned to wait but, the closer I get the further the things I wanted to lay my hands on fly away. That ain’t fair, you know that.”
“He loved you just as He does us all.” Palm said, “He loved you even more, and was ever willing to