Friends close but enemies even closer

“We keep our friends close but our enemies even closer”. Support this statement using “Betrayal in the City” as reference.

                                                 

We have those that we think are our friends and we keep them informed and as part of our lives, yet they are our enemies and don’t have much interest in us.

      Mulili and Jere are both government officials. When they are sent to stop Doga and Nina from the shaving ceremony, they disagree as Jere wants it performed. Jere feels that it should be kept a secret by both of them as Mulili had earlier helped Mustafa to escape and Jere had kept silent. But Mulili tells the boss of this little secret and Jere ends up in jail. Jere had also earlier threatened to shoot Mulili.

      Mulili and Kabito are in the same visitor’s entertainment committee as the boss view them as his supporters.      Kabito refers to Mulili as a thief and later on Mulili misreports him to the boss. Mulili reports to the Boss that he has robbed him of the milk tender; he says Boss had ruined the economy among other accusations leading to the Boss eliminating a loyal and hardworking officer. Mulili also gets the milk tender at the expense of Kabito.

      Mulili is said to be a close cousin to the Boss and his eye and ear on the ground, he even puts him on various committees as his spy and close loyal friend and cousin. But during the play within a play when the Boss is outwitted and fixed, Mulili says he is a distant cousin and asserts that he should be shot for engaging in so many ills among them ruining the economy and death of Kabito.

      The three actors Jusper, Jere, Mosese would want Boss to take role and give them actual guns instead of gun props only to turn against him. They get excited for the achievement of holding Boss at ransom and want to shoot him but instead shoot Mulili who has attended the dress rehearsal.

      Kabito and Nicodemo  seem close friends even discussing the loss of the milk tender but the death of Kabito, Nicodemo does not want to lose allowance for the day. He asks if the day would be counted.