@sexysapphire, Maishot and toycathy, losprince and everyone else. Thank you all, you're the reason why I'm even posting and writing. Will tag and inform you guyz when I post the chapter we stopped in.

princessa i will be waiting, well it gud to read all over again @least to refresh the brain.

From taking chances ...... Y won't I relax. Ride on princesa....ada ndi anambra

Princesa plz do u have a blog so I can follow d story frm there?

Thank God I searched for this story... Princesa no bother tag me even kingphilip self ... Not bad, I'm happy I'm here now

waistaa:
Princesa plz do u have a blog so I can follow d story frm there?

I do have a blog but its ineffective and No, the story is not there.

Vivygift
I'm sorry for not tagging you. Welcome oh

princesa:
I do have a blog but its ineffective and No, the story is not there.

Vivygift
I'm sorry for not tagging you. Welcome oh

Okay o. Thank you.

Apology accepted

princesa: @sexysapphire, Maishot and toycathy, losprince and everyone else. Thank you all, you're the reason why I'm even posting and writing. Will tag and inform you guyz when I post the chapter we stopped in.

take your time

I smell addiction to stories,,,ryt

waistaa: Princesa plz do u have a blog so I can follow d story frm there?

I accept oooo @ unibenstudent. Glowingscenes n princesa r on break.see me dey reload page for new ones.no b ma fault sha

What's ur name

waistaa: I accept oooo @ unibenstudent. Glowingscenes n princesa r on break.see me dey reload page for new ones.no b ma fault sha

Wonderful story,Luv it.

Chiamaka

Chapter three
Angela smiled as she walked down the steps leading directly into the parlor. Having been locked in her room for the past few days, she welcomed the breath of fresh air that the outside ‘world’ offered with open arms. She felt happy and satisfied like someone gradually unraveling a difficult puzzle, and that puzzle had been her life.

She had spent the better part of the night before going through her musical archives, and could proudly say that she loved what she uncovered. She loved that she had actually had a vibrant life before the memory loss, then there was the feeling of unease that had fled her, knowing that she wasn’t amongst enemies after all. And even though, a tiny part of her wished she had actually pursued the dreams of becoming a lawyer, she was glad that the alternative had come out just fine.

She was dressed in a green faded extra large T-shirt and a mini jean skirt on pink bunny slippers that gave her a heavenly-floating feeling. Then her extra long Brazilian hair extension, neatly brushed and left flowing backwards gave her a look like an Indian actress. Angela hummed contentedly to a song that had surprisingly not left her subconscious since she heard it yesterday even though she couldn’t remember the lyrics.
When she reached the parlour, she saw Oluchi seated cross legged, deeply concentrated in a textbook she was holding and very oblivious to her entrance. Angela could tell that she hadn’t seen her face before but with the slight semblance she noticed she had with her, she concluded that she was family.

“Hello” she said, smiling.

That had caught Oluchi’s attention and instinctively she shut close the book she’d been reading, uncrossed her legs and sat up straight, not daring to look up at her sister. A mixed feeling of fear, nervousness and anxiety borne out of remembrance than character instantly descended on her.

Her sister had always elicited such feelings from her.

“I said hello” Angela repeated, her face still cast in a charming smile.

“Hi” Oluchi replied in a tiny voice, her hands f.ondling helplessly with her skirt.

“So are we related?” Angela continued, oblivious to her sister’s discomfort.

“Huh” she replied still not looking up

“Are we…”

“Yeah…we are…you…you…are my sister” she stammered.

“Cool! And a pretty sister I have too” Angie commented

The compliment caused Oluchi to quickly glance up at her sister because it felt so unreal coming from Angela. Not when her sister had always labeled her as a spoilt and pampered girl that clung unto her dad like he were her life. And if they ever did have a discussion – something that occurred on rare occasions when Angela remembered that someone like her existed in her warped world – she had always been at the receiving end of her scolding that she’d even come to the conclusion that Angela hated her even though she dotted on her and sometimes wished they could become closer.

“So what book were you reading?” Angela asked still towering above her.

“An English Textbook” she replied in that same tiny and unsure voice.

“Cool, means you’re still in school”

Oluchi nodded and fondled the more with her black, knee-length pleated skirt.

Angela’s gaze then momentarily wandered around the tastefully furnished parlour of the Okoro’s. It was the family Parlour and the larger of the two parlour that occupied the down floor. It had an adjoining dining room to the left which led to the only kitchen in the ‘Main House’. To the right was a mini parlour, barely visible by outsiders and used to entertain Mr. Okoro’s personal visitors.
The family parlour contained white foreign settee closely knitted together to form a U-shape and creating a center where a large glassy table reflected the black and shiny tiles laid on the floor. Flanking the wall directly opposite the only black settee was the equipped home theatre with a large plasma Television that made the room look more like a cinema than a home.

Angela however, was fascinated with the picture frames that hung conspicuously on the white painted wall. The frames contained pictures of all her family posing individually and then collectively. She however searched frantically for an image of herself but found none, not in the inindividual frames nor the collectively. Immediately the wind knocked off her sail and the giddy feeling she’d had all morning was instantly replaced by confusion and disappointment.

“could you please come?” she beckoned to the still sitting Oluchi. “Why am I not in these pictures?” she asked even before Oluchi came close.
Slowly, Oluchi rose and cautiously picked her steps to where Angela stood, endeavoring to put some distance between them.

“Why am I not in this pictures? This is…mum and…you…and I guess dad and then maybe these are my brothers or something. But I can’t find myself.” She completed and turned towards her. Her congenial expression lost.

Oluchi recognized the mood swing and instinctively the feelings of fear and nervousness took over. She didn’t speak, didn’t want to say anything that might get Angela angry and warrant another bout of tongue lashing towards her. But the truth was that she hardly knew why Angela hadn’t made it for the photo shoot even though she knew that her dad had sent their mum to convince her to meet the family at the studio. She had however gathered from side talks and dinner-table conversations that Angela had called everyone’s bluff; labeling the photo shoot as another act of outdated family bonding tradition she wouldn’t be a part of.

“Angela says she has better thing to do than to come smile for an out-dated family album” she vividly recalled her mother saying over dinner that same day. But she couldn’t possibly tell her that now, could she?

“Did something come up for me that day?” Angela prompted.

“I don’t know” Oluchi replied, not daring to look at her

“But you took the pictures too, how can you not know? Where could I have been to miss a family picture and why don’t you want to tell me?” Angela asked, her voice tethering between anger and fright.

Oluchi’s mood turned sullen then, half expecting her sister to attempt to hit her or at best go into her expertise of yelling and condemning her, blaming her for things she didn’t do. Angela also noticed her changed in mood and suddenly felt sorry for raising her voice at her sister who possibly didn’t know why she had not been around.

“Oh am so sorry for shouting at you” she apologized and moved closer to where she stood, embracing her before Oluchi could make a run for it. Tensed and very surprised, Oluchi’s hand lay stiff by her sides till when the embrace ended and managed to smile back at Angela when she smiled at her.

“Am sorry okay? I will ask Rose when next I see her, so don’t worry”

Oluchi only nodded and allowed Angela lead her back to where her book lay. Angela couldn’t explain why she felt somewhat guilty around her, but above that was a strong feeling to protect. She noticed that she was just a little less than her in height, was dark complexioned and had a lean frame like her friend, Rose. She could also tell that she was quite young and had an innocence that piqued at something vague somewhere in her memory, what it was, she couldn’t tell, but was determined to get to know about her and maybe relive whatever memories they had shared.

“You didn’t tell me your name” she said

“Oluchi” she replied, her tone gaining more boldness.

“Nice name” she said and they both smiled. “Where is your room?”

“Up there”

“Oh…but you don’t come to visit me, why?”

Oluchi shrugged and smile shyly.

“Promise me you will later on?”

“I promise”

“Good girl”

“I want to start going for my lesson” Oluchi said picking up her books.

“which?”

“WAEC…am taking my WAEC this year” Oluchi beamed excitedly.

Angela hardly knew what that meant but didn’t probe further. “It’s a nice thing I guess?”

“Yes”

“but You’d see me when you come back?”

“yes!” she said and slung her bag at her back, waved at her sister and then started for the door, her black pleated skirt slightly raised to expose her long straight legs complemented by a white trainers that matched her white fitting top. Her dark unbraided hair was parked back and enamored with fancy pins giving her the look of a teenager.

“…will you help me plan for my birthday coming up next week?” Oluchi stopped and asked half way to the door. It was surprising how this new Angela made her ask for what she couldn’t dare asking in her wildest dreams and it felt like a dream come true when Angela replied in the affirmative.

“Really!” she screamed

“Sure, I would love to” Angela replied smiling, her sister’s exuberance gave her unexplainable satisfaction. “How old will you be then?”

“Sixteen! I will buy ice cream when coming back and we will talk about it in your room okay? Bye for now!” she concluded and bounced out happily.

Angela laughed loudly for the first time since she’d return, this was another reason to be happy for the family she had, she thought as she deliberately refused to look at the picture frame again but made her way through the door where Oluchi had just passed to go explore whatever awaited outside.

*************
Mr. Okoro glanced absent mindedly through the document that his secretary had earlier brought to him. For the better part of the morning he had been trying hard to concentrate on the business at hand, the recent discovery about his daughter and the current cold war existing between he and his wife plagued his mind all morning.
The issue of Angela’s pregnancy brought a new twist to the whole father and daughter feud. And apart from the fact that he couldn’t bare the shame of knowing that his daughter would not do a normal wedding where all the traditional marriage rites would be fulfilled and he could not call his kinsmen to come drink the wine brought by his in-laws, there was the fact that she more likely was pregnant for that Hausa boy he had warned her to stay away from.

Now where would he start from in exonerating himself? It was the tradition of his people and was tenable amongst his mates. Countless times had he gone to drink the wine of their daughters, then why should his be different? As it stands, he was simply fed up with his daughter. Not only was she a stripper – for he had never accepted the fact that she was a singer- but was now pregnant for a Hausa nonentity. And not only did that threaten whatever political ambitions he had nurtured in his homeland, but also showed that he had ended up a failure and vicious history was repeating itself.

And although his decision to send her way was impulsive and a sudden reaction to the impact of the message and his wife’s insensible defense of her crime, he was considering bending a little on the issue especially as she was - or pretended to be - amnesiac. She was his daughter after all.

The sound of the telephone that connected him with the important staff of his General Contracting Company rang just then, taking his attention off the document that had started to sink in and causing his dark fine aging face to twist in anger and irritation.

“What is it Stella, is it not too early for visitors?” he barked on picking the phone.

“Am sorry sir but this gentleman here says…”

“Look I don’t care, just tell him I don’t want to see anybody, (Will that cause an argument?” He interrupted.

“But sir, he said his name his Smooth and that you’re expecting him” The secretary explained

At the mention of the name, silence took over from the other end.

” …and he refused to leave Sir and I’ve been…” she continued, hoping that the strange, tall and fair man with an unusual appearance would not cause trouble for her with her boss this morning.

“Did you say his name’s Smooth?”

“Yes sir, and he…”

“Just send him in.” Chief cut in impatiently.

“Okay sir” she said but the line had already gone dead.

Immediately Chief Okoro dropped the telephone, he felt his insides turn sour like he’d just swallowed bile. He knew who Smooth was no doubt about that, and knew nothing good would amount from his unexpected visit. The last time they had met here had left him at the losing end, leaving him annoyingly angry and afraid and had made him ignore his daughter, choosing – or rather threatened – to lay off their relationship by the same man who’d ended up getting her pregnant. And right now, he was ambivalent to know why the same devil had come calling.

The door flew open then, leaving him with no room to sort out his feeling as Kamal walked in, dressed in an ash coloured polo on a blue denim jeans with matching Nike canvas that gave him the look of a model than a man exuding fear on others. He wore a dark shade and his face held no smile as he reached Chief Okoro’s desk then he pushed the dark shades up to rest on his clean shaven head, his face void of expression.

Chief Okoro on his part looked calm, sizing up the intruder even though it was a disguise on how he really felt inside.

“I guess a good morning should suffice here” Kamal said calmly.

“And what is good about the morning?” Chief scowled.

“Nothing… So am going to cut the chase.” Kamal replied then sat down on a chair directly facing Chief Okoro. “I hear you want to send your daughter away, and I’ve come to tell you not to do that because that will only jeopardize her life and complicate issues” he spoke immediately.

Chief did not reply him; he just stared, his face displaying anger, amazement and unbelief in unbridled successions.

“And what do you have to say about that?” Kamal prompted

“please just leave my office young man, I have nothing to say to you” Chief replied and went for the document he had been perusing before the call, however, Kamal’s hand on the document halted him and both eyes met then, one filled with determination and ferocity and another trying to fight the anger building up within.

“I envisioned that I would meet with resistance, but I hoped for your good it wouldn’t materialize, so chief this isn’t meant to prolong, just do as I say…” Kamal was saying

“…or what!” chief cut in angrily, stressing this with a loud bang on his desk. “…what will happen if I don’t keep that prostitute of a daughter with me? You will expose me to the world or take that flimsy document to the police or what? Now look here young man, don’t think that I’m afraid of you, and most importantly don’t think that I am your mate, mu na gi abugi ogbo e na nu? Even If my daughter chooses to disrespect me, I won’t take it from you at all…”

“will you calm down old man?” Kamal interrupted.

“I won’t! Why should you think that you both can always play me like a child? First it was for me to stay away from your relationship, which I did! And now that you’ve gotten her pregnant, you want to push the responsibility of your bas.tard child to me, it will never work, this was what you both wanted, and now you will have it. Prepare wherever it is you have for her because come this week she is leaving my house, and you can do nothing about it” Chief replied. He was now standing and fuming in anger.

He had not been aware however that the pregnancy bit had thrown Kamal a little off for a while there, but he had recovered fast. The new side to Chief Okoro whom he had few months ago easily subdued was surprising to him.

“in short get out of my office before I call the security on you” chief barked, pointing his hand at the door

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you” Kamal said calmly.

“Or what will you do? Look I’m ready to fight you till wherever this time around, and if you don’t leave, I will call the police on you for good!” chief said and made for his phone, resolving to make good his threat.

“Now don’t try anything stup.id old man” kamal said, his own anger starting to also build up.

“Then you should leave” Chief replied, the phone still placed on his ear.

“don’t make me do anything silly, just sit down and let’s just have a decent conversation” Kamal barked.

“Get out of my company…Security please come right away…” he was speaking to the phone when Kamal angrily snatched the phone away from him and cut the call.

“you are only complicating matters here dumbass old man, you know I could just waste you here and walk right through with nothing freaking happening, so just calm yourself down and let’s work through this! We both know that I have something to keep you…” Kamal was shouting angrily before the door came open halting his speech as in walked BJay and Stella the secretary.

“Dad what is going on here?” BJay asked as he walked towards his dad who had already turned around his table set to meet the ‘divine intervention’ God had sent.

“Stella go and call the guards quickly” he barked. Immediately the plump secretary ran out.

“what is going on here and who is this man?” Bjay asked looking from one to the other in confusion.

Kamal calmly dropped the phone he had snatched; drew down his shades before turning to look at both father and son then without saying another word, he left the office even as Bjay defiantly sized him up all the way to the door. Then turning back to his father he asked: “what exactly…”

“Just call your mother and tell her to start preparing your sister things because today she is leaving my house, if a child says his mother would not sleep, he too will know no peace” His father barked and went back to his seat, his Native garb hugging the air as if in mock victory. Bjay stood there a while, but seeing that his father would not divulge more, he took his leave.

***************
“How can I be pregnant, I don’t understand?” Angela said in grief and confusion, looking intently at Rose seated by her side on the bed.

Mrs. Okoro had enlisted Rose’s help in breaking the news of Angela’s pregnancy to her. Her husband had returned home that evening swearing fire and brimstone if Angela did not pack and leave his house, the problem however was that Angela wasn’t aware of her state nor of her father’s decision to send her packing and seeing that her daughter wasn’t open to her, she had to call in her best friend to break the news.

“The doctor discovered…” Rose tried to explain.

“what doctor! But I don’t feel pregnant, I can’t be pregnant, how is that possible” Angela cut in hysterically.

“please calm down, we are only just knowing ourselves…nobody expected that you were…”

“Then that’s just it, I am not! I don’t know any man, mum I don’t understand” Angela cried and looked towards her mum who was sitting on the only chair in her room. With the mention of her name, Mrs. Okoro sprang to her feet and went to seat beside her daughter, instantly Angela shifted away from Rose and moved closer to her mother like she would bring a different report.

“Angela please take it easy, we understand that you don’t remember anything, but it’s the truth and we can’t be lying to you” she consoled, but Angela would have none of it. She stood up from their midst and walked some distance away. For the first time, she instinctively ran her hands over her stomach like feeling it would help debunk or confirm their claim. But she felt nothing.

“I just can’t believe this” she whispered more to herself.

An impenetrable silence descended on the room then as no one spoke, each to his thought.

“you must know who I’m pregnant for then?” Angela asked all of a sudden with a calmness that surprised the others, melting the ice perceivable in the room but no one replied her, instead they both tried to evade her gaze.

“well…who am I pregnant for?” she asked a bit louder now.

“that’s the problem, I can’t really say who it was…err…you went off for a week with some guy and…well I don’t actually know the guy…but you are…” Rose tried to explain

“how can you not know? You know everything about me right! Mum?”

The mum looked up pleadingly at her, her face portraying her ignorance to the answer too “you never brought him home Angela” she explained.

“really? Was I a loose girl? Did I sleep around? Rosemary you should…”

“you are more than a loose girl, you’re nothing but a prostitute and that thing you have in your stomach is leaving together with you. This is not an orphanage home, and I don’t train basta.rds…” that was Chief Okoro barking. He had busted into her room surprisingly and was now dangling his hands accusingly at the frightened and retreating Angela as he spoke.

“…I hope your mother has made that clear to you because I don’t see you parking your things yet. I don’t care that you don’t remember who you are, all I care is that before Saturday this week you are leaving my house…”

“Chief please calm down, how can you be this wicked to your own…” Mrs. Okoro challenged. The surprise entrance of her husband had caught her unawares, but she had quickly regained herself and was now standing between father and daughter.

“get out of my way Ann! If you choose to leave with her, I wouldn’t hold you back, and if you still value this marriage, then do as I say and get her things ready or else…” He shouted at his wife, eyed Angela coldly and started walking out of the room only for him to stop and turn back, pointing menacingly at all of them. “Since you all think you can ride and sit on me like am no more a man in my own house, I will show you that Badmus can never be intimidated…” he beat his chest vigorously to emphasize this. “so pack her things because she’s leaving my house” he completed and stormed out.

Soon as he left, Mrs. Okoro left the shaken Angela to go sit on the bed. She realized now that Angela was as good as gone as there was nothing she could about it. When chief made up his mind like this, there was no changing it.

Rose stood to go comfort the crying Angela and then led her to go sit on the bed even as she lamented.

“That was my father? Why does he hate me so, what did I do to him?” she cried.

“Maybe I should take her to stay with me instead” Rose said to her mum, ignoring Angela’s question.

“That can’t be possible anymore, her father won’t allow that” she replied.

“I don’t want to go anywhere, this is the only place I know, you are the only people I know, I don’t want to go anywhere” Angela lamented, the tears breaking her voice and flooding her face.

Rose pulled her closer to herself; she too was on the brink of tears. If anything, she understood perfectly why her father had come out so sternly on her. Angela and her father had always fought over everything. She had warned and advised and implored Angela to be more respectful and loving towards her dad, Oluchi and in fact everyone. But of course she had felt too important and conceited to lower herself and beg or to bother caring about people’s feelings. Now look where that had ended her.
She felt pity for her friend, especially as she didn’t know what to do to help her situation; she hadn’t even met the guy that was supposedly responsible for the pregnancy. And if indeed Angela were to leave this house, the chance of them ever seeing again could be slim. She therefore dreaded the future that awaited her friend who had finally learnt to be better a person when it was too late.

********
Half the family of the Okoro’s gathered in the living room waiting for the dreaded time to come. Today was Saturday and the day Kamal was expected to come pick his pregnant girlfriend. Chief had been surprised when Kamal had called him the day before to intimate him of his willingness and acceptance to come pick Angela and they had chosen Saturday for it. So today, Mrs. Okoro, Oluchi, Angela and Rose were seated separately in the parlour, each to his own thought and with eyes darting at the wall clock every now and then in anticipation for noon – the pick-up time.

Angela on her part was surprisingly calm where she sat, refusing to answer any question that had been directed at her or wanting to speak to anyone in return. She had maintained a blank expression throughout the day even as Rose, who was helping her sort out her things, tried to make small talk with her and reassure her that she would come visiting from time to time. Presently, she didn’t even know how she felt, didn’t know what the future held for her nor fully understood why her father had decided to send her away, and didn’t know if she should hate her family or not.

Chief Badmus was however absent from the entourage as he had left earlier that morning, leaving two of his guards to oversee the ‘transfer’ and forestall whatever problems that may arise from the other party.

Bjay was in his apartment and had refused to come to the parlour even when the mother had sent the steward to go call him, he felt that the more he distanced himself from the drama, the less complicated it would be for him. But down in his secluded building, he also waited in anticipation for the arrival of the ‘guests’, guessing that they would be a link with whoever it was and the man he had seen at his father’s office few days ago.

Oluchi on her part was beside herself with tears, knowing that all her hope of finally bonding with her sister had evaporated soon as she learnt of her sister’s predicament and her father’s decision. She didn’t even have the chance to speak with Angela again and had not gone to her room to plan her birthday party as they had arranged, the whole affair had started on that day and she had never had the chance. This was the first time she was seeing her father this mad and knew that her special closeness with him wouldn’t help solve this issue. She felt relegated to the back once more, her mother or father barely having time to explain the situation to her, the little she had learnt had been from Rose.

Mrs. Okoro had been the only speaking member of the ‘parlour entourage’ as she had intermittently raised her voice to haul curses at her husband, nobody had however paid her any attention each time she cried and swore.

The sudden blaring of a loud horn emanating from outside the compound jolted everyone from their personal reverie but nobody made the slightest of move, their hearts beating in trepidation as their eyes simultaneously rose to the clock. It was a few minutes past 12 and no one had to explain to them who or what had happened. Still no one made a move to stand. None dared to look at each other until seconds later, when the piercing and heart wrenching cry of Mrs. Okoro rend the air.

Like that was a call to something, Angela stood up and started for the door, her expression blank like one who had resolved to their fate of hanging in the gallows. Rose stood seconds later and dragged Angela’s bag behind her as she followed suit. Oluchi increased the intensity of her cries and ran out later to meet up with them, leaving Mrs. Okoro rolling on the floor with careless abandon.
Out in the compound, two men and a lady stood beside the black jeep that had drove in. One of the men was wearing a black jean on a black shirt, with a dark shade. He stood, his hands crossed casually against his chest, his attention focused more on Chief Okoro guards than on the approaching ladies.

The lady in their midst looked beautiful in the pink Saree she wore and that complemented her fair complexion. She wore dark shades too and was chewing away at a gum while she eyed Angela with contempt, a sarcastic grin playing on her lips.

The third guy was Kamal and he looked rather calm where he stood, his expression blank as he looked at Angela who had halted midway, creating a few distance away from the Jeep. Rose had reached her side now and stood staring at the people standing by the jeep. She thought she recognized the girl amongst them but didn’t spend more time trying to unravel how. She looked now at her friend who was still surprisingly calm. Oluchi appeared but stood a distance away, close to the ‘main house’.

“Angela…” Rose tried to say

“Don’t” Angela cut her short abruptly and started walking towards them.

Bjay was standing outside his apartment but made no move to go any further to the scene.

“Which of you is the one” Angela asked facing one of the guys when she got to the trio.

“I don’t mind being the one” the addressed man teased drily and chuckled.

“Jeez! She doesn’t really remember?” the girl with them observed.

“We would have to probe further to know” the man replied as Angela looked in confusion, glancing from one to the other.

“enough of the chit chat guys. Aisha get her bag, Mark do start the car and Angela come sit at the back with me” Kamal cut in and opened the door wide indicating for Angela to enter.

“some nerve he has dishing commands” Aisha drawled and strutted to where Rose stood dumb struck and holding Angela’s bag. Taking off her shades she said: “hello Rose” then pulled the bag away from her. “I will take over from here” she added and winked at her before strutting away with the bag.

“Aisha” Rose muttered silently but said nothing more as she watched helplessly as Aisha got into the car still smiling mischievously; watched as the car pulled up through the opened gate and zoomed off with her best friend. She only turned around when she heard Angela’s mum scream past her to go hit herself on the spot where the Jeep had previously packed.
**************************
End of chapter three.

Chapter four.
Angela’s eyes fluttered open soon as she discovered that the calm rocking feeling of the car had seized, signifying that they had arrived at their destination. In its place were movements later accompanied by a loud bang of a car door. Momentarily shaken by the unexpected sound, she turned towards Kamal and saw him opening the door to his side. Mentally angry at herself for how she’d slept off given the circumstances, she held the door knob in preparation to open and alight but was stopped by Aisha, crouched towards her window and staring at her menacingly.

“Do you need a special invitation to come out of the car?” she asked sardonically

“I’m about to…” Angela explained.

“Or maybe you think I’m now your maiden girl?” she continued.

“I…”

“do get your pretty butt down and carry your baggage sissy. Aisha ain’t a slave to nobody, you understand?” she cut in and carelessly flung the car door wide open.

Angela hurriedly came out, a look of fear and confusion on her face.

“Aisha stop being a bitch!” Mark called. He had since alighted and was presently walking towards where some group of guys stood few distance away.

“That is not the way to treat her” Kamal said in Hausa to her. He’d been standing calmly at the other side of the car while the little scenario played out.

“well that is none of my business” she replied in Hausa. Then turning to the visibly shaken Angela she said, “Welcome to my world missy”. That said, she slipped her dark shades back on, grinned wickedly at her and strutted away, her resplendent long silky Fulani hair sparkling in the sun and her pink Indian Saree swaying beautifully behind her.

In a flash, Kamal was by the stiff Angela’s side. “Don’t let her bother you much” he said and picked up her bag where it lay carelessly on the floor. “Let's go meet my father” he added and started walking away, the bag tyres protesting quietly behind him as they bumped into the bricked tiles of the mansion’s floor.

Angela just stood there. Fear slowly creeping up on her and the danger of the situation she was in quietly sinking to her. Here she was in the midst of total strangers, she thought. In a compound where she knew she had never been before and with a lady that was consistently hostile towards her for a reason she could fathom. Why she had felt nothing but calm previously as she left the only secure place she knew to follow them blindly and bravely, was beyond her.

Who was she kidding? She thought alarmed, her eyes scanning the exquisite but strange surrounding she was in. She should have protested better than she had done, should not have felt she deserved what was happening to her because of a sin she had probably committed in her past. She should have fought or pleaded with her father better, should have turned to her mum and Rose to plead her case with her father, begged her sister and everyone, anything but the strange calmness and resignation she had put up all through the time.

Even as she looked backwards at the big black gate that seemed to run high towards the heavens, making it difficult for anyone to climb out or in, she felt dread, pure unadulterated fear creep up her skin and lay hold of her heart. And at that moment she felt a strong urge to run towards the gate, and climb out, then run far away from these unfamiliar people, into the comfort of her fancifully designed room, into the arm of her all-knowing friend, her shy but friendly sister, her strangely familiar mother and her very strict father.

But the mean scowl on the faces of the heavy-chested guards manning the gate and the aloof stare of the group of guys standing some distance away stopped her from daring to take even a little step further.

She strongly wanted to remember what had brought her here in the first place, but nothing seems to connect and the frustration it teased at her tear gland. Angela felt she would cry any minute now and she was slowly yielding to the strong craving when a hand touched and startled her, turning abruptly, she met Kamal’s concerned gaze.

“Why are you still standing here?” he asked.

Angela didn’t reply. She stared intently at him, willing her brain to remember who he really was.

“Let’s go inside.” He said.

But Angela still did not move, so he stretched his hand towards her, inviting her to hold on him. And that seemed to do the trick because she recoiled instantly and snapped out of her inertia, refusing to take his hands but deciding to walk towards the house instead. Her ambivalent feeling towards him resurfaced and she didn’t know whether to trust or fear him.

As she treaded towards the house, she tried to ignore the hostile stare of the group of dangerous looking guys that had since stood there discussing. Mark, a member of the group, smiled unpleasantly at her while the other four guys glared at her with a mix of disbelief, anger, amazement and hostility.

Kamal walked pass her to climb the short step that led into a wide but short passageway, then turned to a left door at the extreme of the left row. Giving her a sign that that was the room, he disappeared through its door.

Angela however did not increase her pace, neither did she feel any urge to enter into the room where her fate obviously awaited her. She dawdled towards the room, momentarily stopping to stare at the stairway that led upstairs and demarcated two separate doors located by her right. When finally she reached the entrance of the door Kamal had walked into, having no other option again she hesitantly walked into the big and spacious room that looked more like a conference room than a living room. Every attention in the room turned towards her soon as she stepped in. Each with varied emotions, causing her previous feeling of dread and fear to resurface.

Seated on the only single chair in the room that was designed in the form of a kingly throne was a fair complexioned middle age man dressed in a six piece fitted suit and flanked by two mean looking men acting like a form of bodyguards.

Alhaji, on a first impression might paint the picture of a Muslim middle aged man dressed in the long flowing Yoruba ‘Agbada’ attire and wielding power and knowledge in the Islamic religion. However, this Alhaji hardly bore a semblance to the stereotypical identity attached to the title, he had obtained his after his pilgrimage to Mecca and had preferred for everyone to refer to him as so. That had stuck.

Alhaji was also a man more inclined to the modern system of living being an educated and widely exposed man, he preferred a nice suit to any traditional garb and had over the years built his political empire through hard work, dedication, ruthlessness and an in bred knack for putting business above sentiments or family. He had a charming personality that often confused people and easily saw the humour in everything, but that only helped in masking his dangerous and non-tolerative side. Alhaji believed in education and its impact on people’s mentality, the reason why he never conscripted men who weren’t educated to the degree level. He believed education, no matter how little helped them reason and strategize over every assignment before undergoing it. So all his recruits were educated cult members or men who decided to take on his form of livelihood and possessed the mental and physical strength required for the job.

Angela thought there was a striking and unmistable resemblance between him and the man that had led her here and that he exuded the aura of fear, wealth and power. She needed no one to tell her he was the big boss of this kingdom.

At the both sides of the throne-like chair, were rows of alternately arranged gold and red settee. The gold chairs complementing the golden chandelier and impressive wine rack hanging conspicuously on the wall, while the red chairs complemented the plush Persian rug and the. Everything in the room reeked of class and wealth.

Aisha sat cross-legged on one of the chairs, sipping slowly from a wine she held while she glared menacingly at her. Kamal sat at the chair ending the right rows of chairs looking quiet and somewhat helpless.
Angela didn’t have the courage to go any further and so she just stood there.

“Come on pretty one, are you going to stand there all day?” Alhaji called to her light heartedly

“She just loves to stay behind” Aisha said and swore more to herself.

“Well, that’s sad considering she’s such a beauty to behold. Kamal does know how to pick them.

Isn’t she such charmer?” he asked no one in particular. “Come on in, you are safe…for now at least” he added, laughing heartedly at his own joke.

“Am sure she is tired and isn’t in the mood for your jokes” Kamal cut in sarcastically.

“Oh come on, don’t I have the right to speak with my guest at least? Or isn’t this the infamous amnesiac…or whatever girlfriend of Smooth and her pregnancy? But wait a minute, she doesn’t actually look pregnant, but I fear to think you would lie to me about that because we both know the consequence. Now come on girl, stop standing there, come sit, there are chairs…” he said demonstrating with his hands “…come sit” he repeated loudly this time around when Angela still made no move whatsoever.

“I won’t keep Alhaji waiting if I were you” Aisha chirped in.

“It's okay Angela, come take a seat…you’ll be fine” Kamal said.

The ‘safe’ part of his statement, made Alhaji laugh quietly. Angela finally decided to make a move and so she slowly walked towards a seat.

“Wait.” Alhaji said suddenly, halting her midway. “Do you know me?” he asked authoritatively.

Angela shook her head in palpable confusion.

“Interesting. Go and call Thunder” he said, directing one of his bodyguards.

As the bodyguard rushed out, he stared sternly at Kamal and then back at Angela, his previous humorous mood gone.

Soon, the bodyguards returned with five equally mean looking guys trailing behind him.

“So Thunder, you mean to tell all seated in this room that this young lady here outsmarted you and somehow managed to return to life?” He asked directing at the guy called Thunder. He was an impressively tall and dark complexioned man with broad chest and a fearful disposition enhanced by a long and deep serrated scar running across his left cheek that made his face to be cast in a perpetual scowl.

“Alhaji it’s…” he tried to explain.

“…And that your loyalty to me has not been infiltrated?”Alhaji quizzed further in.

“yes…”

“Do you actually expect me to believe that some miracle of some sort saved her?”

“no…”

“So find an explanation to give us why a little assignment like this flopped. When I know you’ve handled more dangerous, difficult and complex cases?”

“I don’t…”

“or maybe It’s only because you’ve started losing your touch and have allowed my enemies infiltrate your loyalty?”

“Am only loyal to you sir”

“how can I prove that? I don’t care for empty sentiments. Your mistake is back and staring at you in the face, what do you have to say about that?”

“Alhaji, if I may intercede, I believe this is not the time to discuss the failed mission” Kamal interrupted, standing up. He could sense Angela’s discomfort and wanted to spare her further revelation.

“And why and how do you think your opinion count here?” he said dismissively at his son. “do continue Thunder” he said and turned towards the now sweaty man in the midst of them.

Thunder just stood there seething with anger, he couldn’t tell how he presently felt for being in the ‘firing squad’ as they often refer to it, and worse still for the case of a naïve and harmless looking girl who had still found a way to come complicate his situation by appearing here in the house. If anything, he felt like putting a gun through her head right there and redeeming his image. But somehow he knew that was impossible now for she had an immunity of some sort.

“on that day…I had…” he started again.

“Alhaji, I plead with you to spare her this detail…please” Kamal interrupted, looking indeed imploringly at his father.

Alhaji considered his son for a minute and raised his hand to halt Thunder when it seemed he would return his tale notwithstanding. “Isn’t he my son after all” he drawled. “you may have your wish. Take her to one of the guest bedroom upstairs” he added, motioning to one of his guard.

The guard left his side immediately and motioned Angela to follow him out of the room but Alhaji’s call halted them yet again.

“one more thing before she goes. Do take a look at the faces of everyone here again, and tell me who you recognize.” He said to Angela.

Angela however kept her frightened face down.

“Take a look I said!” he ordered making Angela quickly scan the faces and shake her head vigorously in fright, because indeed she didn’t know any of them. Not the scar faced man glaring maliciously at her or the man who she finally deduced was responsible for her pregnancy. And so the guard led her away.

“we are all ears” Alhaji prompted soon as Angela left with the bodyguard. This was the first time they were considering her case since she miraculously arrived a week ago. Everyone in the room waited in expectation to hear what had actually happened.

“I engaged the help of Silencer and Adams for the operation. We went to her house and picked her up, sedated her till we reached the outskirt of Lagos where she was shot and deposited at a bush there. It was simple and easy. Her case needed no strategizing and I fully cant…”

“you don’t know because you consider it too easy. Now you know why I never leave anything to chance” Alhaji interrupted. “The simplest of situation can turn monumental in any given time. But I don’t care for this hogwash you are telling me now. you’ve only been over looked because of the rare grace your dedication and loyalty over the years with me afforded you. And also because your mistake is now here with us, staring your incompetent self in the face and ensuring that my enemy never gets a hold of her to use the information she has against me. Well, she’s alive because Kamal here thinks she is worth saving, I don’t care about that either. Her only savior is the fact that I’m made to believe that she can’t remember who we are or what she saw and heard…” he was interrupted as one his guards stretched a ringing phone towards him.

“hello” He said on picking “…okay, am on my way.” He cut and handed the phone back.

“we are done here. You and your fellow idiots are on probation; simply consider it mercy on my part. Aisha you’re taking over her case, I want you on always with her. Report anything suspicious she does…”

“haba Alhaji but…” Aisha tried to object, her face cast in intense disapproval

“Consider her your new assignment. No complaints.” He dismissed her authoritatively. “and we are clear?” he asked.

“yes” she said grudgingly.

“good.” Rising up he said, “Kamal can now see me as more of a father ne?” he asked, his humorous tone returning.

Kamal did not reply.

“am I not deserving of a response Kamal” he taunted as he walked away.

“you’ve not assured me of her safety here” Kamal said.

“hmm…that’s what I like about you. Nothing is left to chance, you take after me indeed. Everyone! Treat her as one of us” he shouted as he finally left the room flanked each side by his guards.

Soon, each person stood up and without sparing the other another look, they all took their leave. Nothing that had transpired in the room had seem funny or entertaining enough, but that didn’t stop the humor natured Mark from spotting his characteristic smile as he lightly tapped the fuming Thunder on his way out of the palour.

*************
The moment Angela opened her eyes the next morning she felt queasy and had a strong urge to throw up any time soon. Her stomach rumbled to protest its emptiness for she had not eaten tangible the day before. Although Aisha had accompanied the cook who brought in her meal the night before, Angela didn’t think it wise to eat, lest she got poisoned by the lady whose grievances towards her she couldn’t understand. And so right now, she rolled lightly on the bed facing the wall with her hand gripping her churning stomach.

She stopped moving when she felt an unmistakable presence in the room like someone was watching her, immediately she turned to see a young girl seated on the bed and staring quizzically at her, when their eyes met the girl smiled and waved at her. Angela immediately sat up, drawing the blanket to herself.

“hello” the young and fair complexioned girl of about 16 years said. She was still on her night robe.

“hi” Angela replied cautiously.

“father says I will see you here” she continued, beaming pleasantly.

“who is your father?” Angela asked still feeling wary.

The girl chuckled. “He’s also called Alhaji. I think that should help” she replied. “so what did you do to him?” he quizzed.

“I don’t understand”

“well most people that have stayed in this room, father says are enemies of his. Are you one?”

“err…”

“or maybe not since he allowed me to come see you right? What is your name and where are you coming from? Why do you have that scar on your head, Who are your families and why are you here? Maybe I should ask father. But I believe you would tell me, you would love to, wouldn’t you? Oh! will you be staying long with us here? I’d love to have a friend to talk with. There are so many guys in the estate, and dad doesn’t like me associating with them. There are always in that big room down the hall and well, father banned me from entering there. I’ve protested severally, but he can be very stubborn and decisive…but with you around…” the teenage girl chattered on, alternating her tone and mood to suit every of sentence she made and barely giving Angela the opportunity to reply.

Angela just stared speechlessly at her, watching her dramatics and feeling a sickening sensation creep up her spine. Soon it developed into revulsion so much so that she couldn’t suppress the feeling to throw up and so she shot up from the bed, her hand clasped over her mouth and indicating to the girl, a need to throw up.

The girl stopped her chattering and pointed at a door in the far corner of the room. Angela ran towards there and soon disappeared only to reappear with water dripping down her face. She felt temporarily relieved and staggered back to the bed. How worse it can get, she thought to herself.

“are you sick?” the girl asked.

“I hope not” she replied wearily

“oh…sorry”

A Momentary silence filled the room afterwards as Angela contemplated whether to trust the young girl with her problems. Finally she decided to.

“well, I think it’s because am…or rather they say I’m pregnant.” She explained and shrugged.

“oh” the younger girl said and paused. “for my dad!” she added alarmed.

“no…for his son I guess” Angela shrugged.

“Kamal?”

“If that is his name”

“whoa! That’s nice. Although we don’t ever talk, but I think it will be nice to have a nephew or…a niece!” she said thrilled.

Angela didn’t feel one bit thrilled. “you didn’t tell me your name?” she asked instead, wanting to change the topic.

“Zainab. Zainab Abdul. What’s yours?”

“Angela…Angela…just Angela”

“That’s nice! Say you’ll be my friend please, I will help you get information about being pregnant and stuff, I can even be your nurse!.”

“oh that’s nice. You can also be…”

“what are you even here?” Aisha who unsuspectingly came in asked. Then moving towards them she continued. “didn’t your father warn you about mingling with his guests?”

She was putting on a blue short on a black tank top looking ready to pounce with her flashing eyes and seductive with the effect of the blue scarf tied around her long hair and that complemented her short.

“father says I can see her. It’s not your business what I do with my time. What are you even doing here yourself?” Zainab shot back at her.

“shut up you saucy little brat and leave!”

“I came here before you, why I should I be the one to leave?”

Aisha reverted to Hausa in response to her: “how dare you always threaten my authority in this house, don’t think you have immunity because your father owns this place. I can get rid of you without even a sweat you hear me?” she spat angrily.

“you’ve always said so since you came to this house, am yet to see you carry out your stu.pid threat” Zainab replied her in the same language.

Aisha kept mute for a second, eyed her wickedly and gave Angela the same cold stare before muttering some curse under her breath. “well, I came to check up on you, but it seems you’ve gotten yourself a new ally, she might just as well take up the assignment of checking on your lowlife self. Good riddance to bad nonsense” she directed in English at Angela, eyed them both and walked out of the room.

“don’t let her bother you, she’s the only parasite in our midst yet she feels like she owns everything because my father is being nice to her by accommodating her here.” Zainab said to Angela when she saw how Aisha’s threat had affected her.

“thank you. Am fine” Angela said bravely, even though she felt contrary.

“good. Are those your bags, they are unpacked, let me help you with it” she said and stood up. In awkward steps, she limped lightly towards where her bag laid.

Angela immediately felt pity towards the young pretty girl when she saw her limp towards her bag. “it's okay I can do it” she protested, trying to stand up but felt dizzy and fell back to the chair. Zainab rushed back to her side in a flash.

“just relax. You’re not strong enough.” She said.

“I’m very hungry” she said.

“oh. Let’s go down for breakfast then…or do I bring it up to you?”

“if you can manage, I’d…”

“ofcourse I can” she chuckled. “I’ll be back in a jiffy” she beamed and left the room.

Angela slowly lay back on the bed, her eyes scanning the large, spacious and exquisitely designed room, while her heart thanked her stars for the angel that was sent to her in the midst of unfamiliar strangers.

**************
Tade’s face fell soon as the ‘Diamond stars’ crew arrived the stage amidst applause and frenzied shouts from the audience. He noticed that the new girl was still with them and that caused his heart to dampen the more. The reason was not because he didn’t expect to get the worth of his time and money from Disco Arena’s cover band, but simply because it reminded him of yet another unfulfilled expectation, another reality that confirmed the fact that his celebrity crush was far from fine.

It was three weeks now and she hadn’t returned to the stage.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen…” the calm and melodious voice of the new female singer interrupted his thoughts “I hope you are all enjoying yourself? Tonight we are taking you back to the classics, with one of our very own Diaspora singer, Sade Adu…”

The name of the musician elicited more screams and whistles from the audience indicating their excitement and pleasure at the chosen rendition.

“…Thank you all. And we are performing ‘Smooth operator’ from her 1984 album: Diamond life”

Another excited screams greeted the revelation. it soon died down when the young female singer, who Tade thought was a poor attempt of the Diamond crew at replacing their lead singer, began. They had gone for a singer who had Angela’s completion and a slight semblance to her physical features – voluptuous hips, trim waist, flat tummy and a moderately sized bosom .But Tade more than anyone else couldn’t be fooled.

“he’s laughing with another girl
And playing with another heart
Placing high stakes, making hearts ache
He’s loved in seven languages…”

The lead singer started singing. And while everyone swayed their heads to the nostalgic rhythm of the music, Tade’s heart drifted to another place, another night.

It was the day he had mysteriously bumped into Angela’s almost lifeless body at the extreme of his father expanse plantation located in the outskirts of Lagos. He had gone deep into the overgrown and almost thick forest, to check up on a trap his father had prevailed upon him to set. Valiant and daring, he hadn’t seen a reason to fear because it was still in the early evenings even though the trees obscured the light and made it seem that is was late in the evening.

He had first sighted the lifeless form of her body a few distance away and had decided to check it out after making sure the coast was clear. That was when he discovered that it was his crush from far away Lagos, with a deep cut on her forehead that had turned where her head lay into a pool of blood. She was putting on a short skirt and a blood stained white armless top that did little to conceal her body or protect her from the evening cold.

Instantly forgetting his intentions in the bush or stopping to ponder the rationality of her being so far away from home, he threw her onto his shoulders and headed for the closest and discrete place he could find; Yemi’s single room. And From there, she had been transferred to a small hospital where she had gotten treatment.

However, due to the doctor’s persistent warning for her to be taken away because of the mysterious circumstances surrounding her arrival in his hospital, he’d had no option than to congregate with his friends and they decided to return her back to her father’s house when they discovered that Tade knew who she was.

Why she wasn’t yet up and doing with her crew was what he couldn’t understand. Every one of the crew was around and performing like nothing big had happened, they’d even recruited a new girl, but where was she? He could go back to her house and try to enquire about health, but then, there were things to put into consideration like raising suspicion or putting his life in danger.

“Smooth operator, smooth operator
“Smooth operator, smooth operator…”

The high pitched chorus from the back-up singers pierced into his thought then, bringing him back to the present where the frenzied response the performance elicited from the audience got to him in an annoying way. He couldn’t fathom why everyone was going on like nothing had happened. He mentally decided to spare himself the heartbreak of meeting with disappointment every week by stopping his weekly visit to the place.

Soon the performance ended amidst shouts and applause.

“Thank you, Thank you. We are humbled. In a few minute we will be back for yet another hit track from Sade titled ‘Sweetest taboo’” the lead singer said melodiously and another round of shouts and claps followed their exit from the stage. Tade thought he’d also had enough as he stood up from his seat and left ‘The sunset place’ for real.

**************
“Whoa! They loved us, they loved you!” The bass guitarist, a male, said soon as they entered into the make-shift locker room at the back of the stage. He also doubled as the male vocal lead especially when the song they had to perform was done by a male artiste.

“was my performance that good?” The new girl asked proudly.

“ofcourse it was! Everyone…”

“wrong. Was OUR performance that good?” Josh, the leader and manager of the band, who had caught a part of their discussion, cut in. “Teejay you should know better than praise her sole efforts when together as a group, we performed.” He said, turning to the male.

“sorry boss” Teejay replied feeling genuinely sorry.

“Kate, we work as a team here, no one is better than the other, we complement each other as a family in this group, and you’re expected to uphold team work over individualism every time” Josh continued in a serious tone. He was the one responsible for gig scouting and most times doubled as the pianist when their part time pianist wasn’t disposed for a performance.

“understood” Kate replied. After which the band leader left their midst to go attend to his ringing phone.

“Don’t let that get to you, okay? He can be such a spoil sport at times” Teejay said light heartedly in a bid to liven her mood.

“that he can. But why is he so particular about team work and all that?” Kate asked bringing out her makeup bag.

“you don’t even wanna know” Teejay replied and chuckled. “you’re looking perfect already, why don’t you do a lil rehearsal on the song. Left me see if you’ve mastered her vocal range. Sade’s vocal can be complex at times” Teejay started, changing the topic.

“sure, you’re right. Start, let me follow your lead” Kate replied putting away her unopened make up kit. Teejay was the only one in the group she’d taken a special liking to since she joined them 3 weeks ago. He had a humour and simplicity that made him loveable and charming.

A little distance away, sat Amaka and Rose who majorly featured as backup singers. There were supposed to also do a little rehearsal, but had instead sat relaxing from their recent performance with their attention attuned to the little drama that had played up a minute ago. Chris, the drummer of the band also sat some distance away, an earpiece hanging from his ears while he was nodding his head and beating the table in front of him in a bid to master the beat routine for their next performance.

“I see another Angela waiting to happen in her” Amaka said quietly nudging Rose. Rose acted like she didn’t hear what she had just said; instead she reached for her phone and started untangling her ear piece. “Ehen Rose, how is Angie sef?” Amaka pushed further, not getting the cue.

“she’s fine” Rose replied curtly.

“when will she come back to the crew?”

“how would I know?”

“or is it true she has left the band for good?”

“where you not there when she quitted?”

“I know but…anyway how is she? it’s being a month since she left us. Has she found another band?”

“Amaka please let me be, I truly don’t know what’s happening to her right now. if you are so caring, why don’t you pick up your phone and call her” Rose replied, remorse and anger taking over her because truly, she didn’t know what Angela was going through right now, she didn’t even know where she was or what was happening to her.

The fact again that the band didn’t care or show much concern about her plight angered her. Even though she knew that they couldn’t be blamed much because they hardly knew what evil plight had befallen her a week after she quit the band, she still couldn’t bring herself to forgive their ignorance. Chris and Teejay who knew little about her kidnap situation and not the subsequent revelations that sent her packing could still do nothing to help the matter. The whole situation just got her tired, angry and beaten.

“Have I not done that already? Is her phone going through? Don’t shout out at me jo, I’m just concerned na, haba!” Amaka replied, her voice an inch higher. She was now feeling hurt over Rose’s attitude.

“take it easy on her, she just concerned like we all are” Chris intruded. His earphone now hanging out of his ears. He had caught little of their discussion and decided to intrude. “don’t think we hate her at all, she’s the one distancing herself from us, still we don’t hold it against her. And you even said we can’t come see her, if not…”

“No. her father wouldn’t allow that” Rose interrupted

“well, its not our fault, her phone isn’t…”

“It’s okay guys. Am sorry Amaka. Angie is fine…I believe. The problem is not with you all its with me, and am fine…really” Rose yet again interrupted Chris, they was no point deliberating on the issue she reasoned.

“alright guys, break the discussion up. We are on now” Josh, who had previously left the room announced as he walked in.

“That one sha concern you” Amaka said and hissed as she stood up. Chris also stood up, lightly tapped Rose and walked out. Teejay and Kate left next remaining the band leader and Rose who hadn’t made an attempt to rise.

“well…?” he asked her, his hand crossed and his gaze on her.

“on my way” Rose replied, stood up and started walking away.

“I don’t like your mood these days, maybe you need a break?” he asked concernedly.

“No. am fine” Rose halted to reply

“You should also realize that Angie has left this band for good and start working more on yourself instead of…”

“I said I'm fine” Rose cut him sharply and started walking away again. Even though knew she was far from fine, she didn’t want to admit it to herself. Her friend’s departure two weeks ago had more effect on her than she was willing to let on.

***************
“Thought I’d meet you here, hunched up in your pretty skin” a guy, probably in his late twenties and spotting a clean shaven side teddy on an equally fine looking feature walked confidently into Aisha’s room. She was previously lying down but dragged herself up, her face cast in a frown, when he gallantly walked in.

“and what did you think you’re doing up here in my room” she asked, her tone showing her displeasure.

“chill baby, we are only Exes and not enemies”

“well the difference is hard to tell” she said sarcastically

“yeah. That’s why am still bent on getting you back for myself” The guy said, his face curved in a charming smile that he knew always endeared him to the female folks.

“what are you here for, Ali?” Aisha asked, her face showing her irritation and eagerness to be done with him.

He was her ex-boyfreind through a relationship that had lasted midway through their years in the university but hit the rocks when she met Kamal. He was a member of a cult group back in school while she was known throughout campus as his chick, but all that had ended after graduation when she got tired of him and fell for Kamal, whom she’d met for the first time through him because Ali also worked for Alhaji. Even though they were still friends due to the Alhaji-connection that ensured they bumped each other every once in a while, Ali had still kept on believing they could go back to their glory days even though he knew that his bosses’ son caught her fancy instead.

“I’ve got a deal, one that I know you can’t resist” Ali stated as he strided to her the bed, then stretched out a brown envelope towards her. “just take a look” he said.

Eyeing the envelope contemptously, she collected it from him, tore it open and addressed him in Hausa;
“I hope this is worth my time?” she said.

“see for yourself” Ali replied her in English. He watched her peruse the document, watch her expression change from boredom to interest and then to disbelief and finally to curiosity. He grinned smugly knowing he had achieved his aim..

“where did you get this?” Aisha asked, her skin red with sudden anger and grief.

“it doesn’t matter where I got it from”

“but what I read here shows the last case my father handled before his death, the one the police said was stolen from them years ago” If there was anything else Aisha loved dearly, it was her father. The inability of bringing the culprits to book, she had termed her greatest failure. It was a passion that had for a long time ago consumed her, before distractions side stepped her quest. Now the issue had come to haunt her again.

“I know” Ali replied mischievously, knowing he’d hit the mark with her. “just look beyond to the persons involved in the case. A case everyone knows led to his death”

With curiousity and impatience, Aisha flipped through the pages of the document, stopping at one of the leaflets, she read: “it says here, Chief John Mbadiwe…err…Alhaji Dango Ahmed…Chief Badmus Okoro…Mr.…”

“bingo!” Ali screamed. “there, you said it. Chief Badmus Okoro is our man”

“I don’t get you”

“come on Aisha think,dosent the name ring a bell? he’s the same one you know. Kamal’s girlfriend’s father”

“what!”

“yeah baby, the very same enemy under your nose.”

“where did you get this from?”

“let’s say, I’ve got my sources” Ali beamed proudly. “ the fact now is what can be achieved with this. And if you ask me honey, I see cool cash, one to make our existence paradise for a long while. These men are big time contractors. Aisha they got the bucks to pay!”

“and do you think I care about their money now?” Aisha bitterly protested. The grief of her father’s death washing over her afresh.

“chilax babe, I know how you feel, but we need to be rational here. Grief and revenge won’t bring back the dead, the living must survive. Am thinking of greater things and cash to be made from this deal…”

“look I don’t care! I only feel like running my hand over the neck of that lowlife slu.t to make her pay for her father’s sin!”

“I know you want that too. And you will get the opportunity to do just that, especially when you know who else has access to this same document”he said grinning wickedly.

“who?” Aisha asked confused.

“just wait for it! Your prince charming, Kamal!”

“you can’t be serious”

“As serious as the day babe” he said, feeling extra smug, knowing this would affect her the more.

Aisha who had previously been sitting up, fell back dejectedly unto the bed. The new twist to the story had affected her deeply. And added to her anger and grief was a new feeling of betrayal.

“but never worry, we are getting back at all of them, but we are going to be smart about this. Those men are very hard to penetrate because they are taking extra pain to arm themselves, we are only going for their money through blackmail. Kamal’s girl case is different however, she’s two hit with a stone” he said and winked.

“Ali really, I’m not in the mood to process all this. Do whatever you want, I just want to be left alone for now” Aisha protested.

“its okay. I will pretend to understand. I’ll get back to you on this. So feel free to nurse your heartbreak and all. But am sure you know now that I’m the only one who has got your back” he said, then stood up and took the document from her.

“Can’t I keep that?”

“No honey, you can’t. I Cant risk that. You know where to get me, just in case.” He concluded and strode triumphantly out of her room, shutting the door behind him.

Aisha didn’t move, couldn’t protest or reply him, the feeling of betrayal and anguish overcoming her, and the memories of her father hunting her. Hearing that Kamal, whom she’d adored and could do anything for, had knowledge of who the murderers of her father were, weighed her down than any baggage. The fact that he had gone ahead to date, impregnate and protect the daughter of his killers made her hate herself for desecrating his father’s memory by daring to love his killers.

The jealousy she had previously felt towards Angela for taking Kamal from her grew into another murderous dimension and she had to suppress the urge of going down to her room where she would probably be with Zainab, and snugging the life out of her for taking everything away from her, Kamal and now her father.

But behind all that uncontrollably rage, she had a moment of sanity where she decided to visit Kamal the next day and get his own side of the story before blaming him or totally believing Ali, that she reasoned, would determine where and whom her revenge mission would begin from.

That night, Aisha who prided herself in her ability to remain strong and unmoved even in the deadliest of situation cried bitterly for having failed her father.
***********
end of chapter four.

Chapter five
Although Aisha knew it was ridiculous and unfounded to feel indignant towards Kamal or Angela for the recent discovery she had made about her father’s murder, that did not make her any rational or understanding because as she marched to Ali’s apartment, so much anger and revenge tactics were running through her mind.

She had hoped and even prayed that Kamal would deny his connections with that ill fated document Ali had mucked up, but in that stoic and nonchalant way of his, he had affirmed to be in possession of the said document for a personal reason, he’d also confirmed that he knew that it indicted Angie’s father for the death of hers but that hadn’t prompted him telling her about it or atleast made him stay away from the daughter of her father’s killer.

How could Kamal do this to her? She thought in anger. Kamal whom she had tried so hard to impress, tried so hard to become a friend to, and even more if only he would let her, but all the while he was loving and protecting her enemy, an enemy that stole everything from her, and an enemy that was luckily very close to her reach. So If she couldn’t get to the father, the daughter would suffice.

Given the situation, the daughter was the best option fate could offer her. And she wouldn’t dare lose the opportunity of finally avenging her father’s death.

With her mind firmly resolved, she paused to stare at her reflection on the window glass of one of the cars parked inside the compound where Ali lived. She tried to suppress any sulky mood that might have erred its ugly head and replace it with the tough expression that had been her stock of trade. And so donning her characteristic dark shades, and fixing back her cold and haughty expression, she walked smartly to his apartment located at the back of the down floor of the building.

Ali’s compound is a large two storey building with different types of apartment to suit both its married and single occupants.

After knocking briefly on Ali’s outer gate, she adjusted her bag as she waited for a response. Soon, Ali glanced furtively through his window to see who the caller was before coming out to open the door. He was unclad except for a lose jean trouser that clung to his wet body. Aisha secretly admired the glistening muscle that hugged an equally broad shoulder but managed to force down any errant hormone or nostalgic sensation that might threaten to creep up. This wasn’t the time to think about sex or old times, she thought as she walked pass him into the room, without a word or a care.

Ali followed behind, shutting his gate quickly. Once in and smiling mischievously he said: “lookey who the devil brought in”

“Nothing much has changed since I last came here” Aisha replied as she flung her bag unto a settee while her gaze travelled lazily round the room. It was a one-bedroom apartment that Ali had kept since their days in school and which he often came back to whenever things got heated up back in his frat. But now they were all graduated, he used it as a hideout and sometimes a camouflage for his shady deals. Few people knew of its existence.

“I hardly stay here anyways, ‘cause I go to wherever the dough at” he replied as he took a seat, that smile still plastered on his face

“whatever” Aisha drawled with a wave as she took her seat also.

“so?” Ali prompted, crossing his hands across his chest in the process.

“You don’t hesitate, do you” Aisha said

“got no time baby” he cheerfully drawled

“then what are the plans you’ve made so far?” Aisha asked, trying to hide her irritation over his cheerful tone.

“Hmm…Not so fast baby, are you convinced now that…”he continued still in that his cheerful tone.

“yeah yeah I am, so cut the crap. Tell me what your plans are and quit the bull sh.it”

“watch your tone Aisha” he said simply, his tone changed. Aisha knew better than to keep acting up for Ali could be as loving as he could be dangerous. And with the scheme of things; she knew she wasn’t on the loving scale of his.

“Then get it over and done with so I could take my leave already. I’m in okay, whatever you’re planning to do. Just start talking” she replied, her tone, losing the brittle ring.

Ali stared at her briefly, an unreadable expression on his face. Then a sardonic smile played up his face before it disappeared like it was never there. In its place was a serious side of Ali, then he spoke: “we’ve been in contact with all the men stated in that document. It’s a simple case of blackmail and some of my friends are handling that part…”

“Do I know them?”

“you should. But don’t bother about it. However, this is where you come in. We need Angela. I hear Alhaji left the girl to your care. Her case is like the fat meat in this operation, one that will make us millionaire for the rest our goddamn lives. I’ve been in contact with Senator Lai and he wants the girl. He’s willing to pay an unbelievable sum of cool cash just to have her delivered to him.” Ali’s stated, his face sparkling with greed and excitement as he said the money part of the deal.

Aisha looked confusedly at him as she tried to recollect who the said senator was. Few seconds later, his profile hit her. And yanking off her shades almost immediately, she stared in amazement at him.

“Have you lost your mind Ali?!” she exclaimed in Hausa and then switched to English. “Alhaji will surely kill us…you, if he finds out!”

“if he finds out that is” Ali replied unperturbed.

“I thought you said you were going to contact her father?!”

Ali gave a careless scoff, before he replied: “who said I wasn’t?”

“Then why did you have to involve senator in this?!”

“Because he’s the highest bidder. Now would you just spare me the drama? I told him there was a witness to his son’s death and he was willing to pay tremendously for whoever that was… Angela…Kamal’s girl. Its business baby no strings attached”

“What if Alhaji knows?”

“And that’s where you come in, simply don’t let him know. You just have to find a way to lead her out of the house without suspicion and we will do the rest. You make cool cash and everyone is happy”

“but Alhaji…”

“Stop acting like a goddam innocent chick. Isn’t this your specialty? Don’t tell me Smooth has eroded that part of you?”

“Can we stick to the business at hand please? I can’t be a part of that plan of yours, you were supposed to hit her father and not bring in Sen…”

“And who says we can’t have them both? Hit two birds with one stone? It’s a chance for us to make cool cash and leave this country for good, I don’t know where this long suffering pious attitude of yours is coming from, where is the Aisha I knew? Besides Senator Lai already knows about her, and one way or the other he would certainly go for her. Better we make a fortune out of this and stop acting like the saints we are not. It’s gonna be his world against Alhaji’s, not ours”

“Alhaji is so killing us both if he hears this! I’m taking my leave now. Don’t want to shoot myself before I get to the gallows” she shreiked, stood up, picked up her bag and started walking away.

“I trust you’d be wise in this ‘cos you don’t actually care! You still know where to find me honey, a mil is so involved here, think about it Aisha” Ali called behind her.

“go to hell” Aisha replied before she unlocked the door and walked out.

Ali stood up immediately and went to lock the outer gate and his door. Walking back in, he went for a half filled Hennessey bottle lying carelessly on the thick red carpet. He didn’t think his plan had hit the rock just yet, because one thing he could boast of was Aisha’s greed and crave for revenge. It was a sure bait to draw her back to their side. He thought confidently as he sank into the chair he had vacated previously and took a drink from the bottle.
************
Bjay’s expression was one of surprise and slight irritation when he opened his door to see Gabriel, his kid brother, grinning impishly and fanning himself with a brown envelope he was wielding. His characteristic white earpiece clung to his designer blue stripped shirt and matched the white trainers he wore to complement his blue denim jeans.

“hello bro” Gabriel said, his teeth flashing in a smile that reminded Bjay of their mother.

“what are you doing here?” he asked, slightly irritated.

“Got a package for you. Can I come inside?” Gaby asked.

Bjay shook his head and shrugged as one would a naughty child before motioning him in. This was one of the rare times when Gabriel returned home from school unannounced, while the session had not ended. He hoped he wasn’t in some sort of trouble.

“has the session already ended?” he asked as he followed the bouncing young man into his living room.

“nope” Gaby replied

“so?”

“got a package for you” he said and stepped forward to hand over the brown parcel to his elder brother, his earlier mischievous grin returning.

“what’s that?” Bjay asked even as he collected the paper from him. Then opening it curiously, he read. Minutes later his expression turned different, like one being haunted.

“who gave this to you?” he asked.

“some…err…guys in school”

“did you read it?”

No response from Gabriel.

“I ask. Did you read this?” he said, his tone a notch higher.

“I couldn’t resist” Gaby said nonchalantly and shrugged.

“I hope you are not involved with those guys?”

“nah. I don’t do cult. I’m a carried entity, you know…Kegite things” he winked and smiled.

“You’re so stupid. Better face what you went to school for, are they any better?”

“I’ve got it covered bro, just like you. I’m walking in your footsteps. Didn’t know you were a badass nigga back then in school! You blend so well bro! no one could ever had imagined that…”

“Now here’s the deal. You don’t talk to me about that again, not what this letter is about or anything related. Forget you even came to meet me today! And you best stay away from anything cult, take it as an advice from one who’s been there and seen all. There is absolutely nothing to it.”

“Aiit…Whatever” Gaby replied carelessly, his tone hardly reflecting that he’d listened to his brother’s advice or that he was planning on heeding it. He instead started walking towards the door while Bjay’s attention returned to the letter.

“and yeah…” Gaby paused to say “those guys said to tell you that they mean business and if you delay, then my neck is going in, just so you know, they rule the campus and if they say I’m gone, then I am” Gaby completed, the implication of what he’d just said, barely making an impact on him.

“just shut up and go back to school. I will take care of this just as I want you to be careful and keep away from them” Bjay replied sternly

“yes boss” Gaby said and bounced out leaving Bjay wondering if Gabriel was indeed not on some sort of hard drug with the way he behaved.

But he didn’t allow his thought linger much on that possibility as the content of the letter bugged at him again. Slowly making his way to the adjoining dining in his parlour, his mind wondered how the past could not just be a past – lost and forgotten.

The letter he had just minutes ago read was from his fraternity family back then in UNILAG where he’d graduated 7 years ago. It was from the current leader of the cult group and they were requesting his presence for a meeting that would hold in a few days time. And of course it had come with threats on his life and that of Gabriel if he dared to miss it.

He had abandoned that unruly life after graduation and forgotten everything about his escapades when he‘d gone to join his family back in Abuja where they had previously lived. Working for his father and having him breathing down on him every turn of the way had given him a newer perspective of life and he’d decided to become responsible with his life and quit the double standard life he lived – being a harmless and innocent sheep at home and a daring and diabolic lion in school. He was not exactly the hit man of the frat and not exactly a weakling too. Now everything had come back to hunt him like his efforts at a new way of life were just a temporary and illusion detour. Well he was going to honour their invitation and see what they wanted from him. He concluded.

**********
“Guess who has walked right into my hands today” Angie heard a man say from behind her and quickly turned to see a scar faced guy staring contemptuously at her. Her heart lurched in fear and she unconsciously retreated a few steps back.

“hi” she said in a shy voice

The scar faced man laughed scornfully in response, his back hand vigorously rubbing his nose and his red eyes glaring wickedly at her.

Angie recognized him from among the men she had seen on her first day in the Estate and a certain dread descended on her especially since the house was more or less empty. Zainab had gone to school, and one could not tell if Aisha was around or not.

She had ventured downstairs after fruitlessly trying to manage her boredom without the ever chatty Zainab around, then she had allowed her curiosity to lure her into the large room where Kamal’s father had supposedly welcomed her. Now she regretted her action because the man before her didn’t look friendly one bit.

“sorry. I’m on my way out” she stammered in fear then took a step forward but stopped when the guy signaled her to.

“not so fast miss” the scar faced man said as he walked towards her, his eyes getting more red as he sniffed spasmodically. “Thunder’s face can’t easily be forgotten unless you are one bloody lying b*tch!” He was now walking around her very closely that Angie had to force herself from shrinking back in disgust at his closeness and the stench he exuded.

“no one that Thunder kills come to life, so you’d better start telling me who else knew you were being kidnapped that day” He breathed across the back of her neck, gently pulling her hair in the process, the act far from being congenial however.

“I swear I don’t know you” Angie cried shakily.

“Not good enough!” he shouted and turned sharply to face her. His face looked like the devil to Angie and she shrieked away from him, keeping her distance but hardly finding the courage to run out.

“The dead remains dead if Thunder puts a gun through their heads. Do you know what your stupi.d mistake is causing my reputation now?” he barked. The ‘stuff’ he’d taken finally settling in.

“am sorry” Angela cried, wondering why her legs would not just move her away from these precarious situation she was obviously in.

A sudden silence permeated the room and she felt her body shaking as the guy now ran careless and somewhat lustful glance through her body. Suddenly feeling self aware, she scolded herself for the short jean and the almost tight fighting top which revealed her slightly bulging stomach she was wearing.

Then suddenly getting strength from nowhere, she braved herself and decided to run for it when a sudden push saw her cascading helplessly on the couch, the unexpected fall and the sharp pain on her waist pinning her back on the couch even as her assailant swiftly descended on her, grinning wickedly.

“person go fit still use you hold body na” he said wickedly as his hands got busy unbuckling his belt while his legs held the astounded and struggling Angie in place.

“Please let me go” she cried

But Thunder was hardly paying attention as his hands got busy with her shorts, Angela’s weak attempt at stopping him feeling like feathery teases on his aroused body. He had already torn her upper cloth, revealing her black lingerie. One of his hands covered her mouth to stifle her screams while another supported his frame as he tried to adjust to a comfortable position for easily penetration.

Aisha walked in to the scene just then but stood hands akimbo at the door, making no move to go any forward. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked carelessly, still not making any attempt to move further.

Thunder’s act was temporarily cut short by her intrusion as he glanced back at her with eyes hazy with lust and arousal. Without responding or paying her any attention to her, he went back to his business, first by putting his hand back on Angie’s mouth to stifle the cry for help that had started to escape due to Aisha’s interruption and was now getting ready for the real deal when a hard stuff hit him on the head, dazing him momentarily and before long he saw himself crashing helplessly to the floor.

“I don’t care much for her, but you can’t do that on my watch, when I’m done with her then you can have your fun” Aisha said in sultry voice.

“well what are you still waiting for? Wont you pick your slutty self out of here?” she directed at the crying and devastated Angie who was trying hard to fix the torn pieces of her shredded cloth and didn’t seem to remember or care that her assailant was still in the room and could finish what he’d started.


Aisha’s voice jolted her and she managed to stand up gripping her throbbing and burning waist. With the little shred of self respect left in her, she started walking out of the room, her body bent over in pain.

Aisha stared at her disdainfully, feeling extremely happy to see her in that state. “At least that would teach your little thieving and murderous self a lesson. You can’t charm the whole world with your slutty beauty you know” She called after her in derision.

Thunder also stared coldly at her retreating figure where he was, sprawled on the floor and trying to calm his aching arousal. When she finally disappeared from the room, he turned to Aisha. “B*tches* he muttered angrily and dragged himself up.

“don’t you ever try this nonsense again if you don’t want to have extra problems with Alhaji, incompetent foo.l” Aisha retorted and went to seat down, staring angrily at him.

“you b*tches better keep silent about this or the both of you will…”

“don’t you dare threaten me!” Aisha cut in with a loud voice, her face cast in anger and repulsion “what a nerve!”

Thunder snorted with a mock expression and staggered away, still trying to adjust his sagging trouser.

Ashia hissed at his retreating figure and crossed her leg in exasperation. It was one of the perks of working and living with Alhaji, she thought. A place where you meet the good, the bad and the ugly, where even incompetent fo.ols like Thunder could boldly threaten her when he couldn’t silence a loud mouthed b*tch as Angela two months ago thereby saving everyone the current trouble.

The last thing she felt for Angela was pity and couldn’t have cared less if he had killed her in the process, the only reason she had gone to save her was because she wanted to still be in Alhaji’s good favour at least; keep up with her good slate even as she knew she was gradually falling into the temptation to go back to Ali and give a positive response to his request.

It was three day after she last saw him and she was still struggling with the decision to betray Alhaji’s trust or not. He was the only thing that mattered here and held her back, not Kamal and definitely not Angela who she strongly wished dead already. What Ali was asking her to do was simple yet complex, was life threatening as it was very rewarding. Didn’t he say a million naira or so was at stake? She mused and uncrossed her legs, her pretty face reflecting her inner struggles.

Of course she knew she couldn’t fully trust Ali on his promises and reward, but what she was certain of was his determination to go through with the plan with or without her help. It was easy for him to as well recruit the help of another of chief’s boys. And she had no reason to doubt that he would find a willing partner amongst them. Giving the money involved, she wouldn’t blame the lucky bas.tard.

Alhaji’s boys were hardly the diehard loyalist; they were as fickle as they were loyal, so much so that past betrayals had taught Alhaji to be wary and even paranoid where they were concerned. But what was to be expected from guys who had lived their life as cultist or street rogues and whom life had taught and groomed to be deadly and desperate husltlers? Sometimes she even wondered how she had manipulated her way unscathed through their world back then in school and even here, living in Alhaji’s estate. It was probably her father’s spirit still looking after her, she thought, even though she knew he would be turning over in grave with disappointment at the negative slide her life had taken, very far from what he’d raised her to be or the very compassionate and justice-seeking lawyer he’d been. Well, look where that had gotten him anyways, Aisha mused in anger.

With a sigh, she stood up and decided to go back to her room to give the thought more consideration, but that would be after she’d stopped by Angela’s room to scorn her and threaten her into keeping her big, interfering and murderous mouth shut about what had happened minutes ago. A good thing the little brat, Zainab had gone to school. She concluded gladly.

********
“Ikechukwu” Ann called as she opened the curtain to Bjay’s living room. She had seen his car parked out in the compound and had decided to come talk with him now before he left only to return whenever he liked. The way her children led their lives like she and their father weren’t important bothered her these days.

There was Gabriel who she had learnt came home some days ago but hadn’t bothered to come to greet her even though she was around, or was it Ikechukwu whose entrance and exit from the compound could not be tracked, he hardly ever came to the Main House too. Oluchi has started distancing herself from everyone even her father, and as for Angela, she could very well be dead by now. Mrs Okoro couldn’t tell what they did wrong, what had happened or when everyone in her family had started recoiling into their own shell. Her relationship with Chief was far from being perfect, a rift that had started two years ago when they moved from Abuja to Lagos. Somehow she knew that Angela was the key to everything, and that key she’d come to seek from her son.

“I see you’re going out?” Ann quizzed.

“yes. Good morning” Bjay replied his mother, barely paying her a look from where he sat doubled over and tying the lace to his shoes. “What’s up?” he asked later on as he rose up.

“It’s Angela’s issue I came for” Ann started.

Bjay’s hand caught in mid air at his mother’s word and he turned fully to her. “what about her?” he asked cautiously, bringing down his hands and chastising himself for the way he’d reacted on hearing his sister’s name. Truth was that he’d been that way since Gabriel brought him that letter and he’d gone for the supposed meeting only to find out that Angela was at the center of why his past was now back to haunt him.

“I’m worried about her, it’s almost two months she left and no one seem to care”

“maybe because there’s nothing to be bothered about. Mum I need to be on my way, let’s talk about this when I return please”

“o ga e me! (it won’t happen) now that I’ve seen you, I can’t come back.” Ann said as she went to block the way to the door with her body, her hands resting on her waist, in a trouble making fashion.

My dramatic mother, Bjay thought with a sigh. “What do you want me to do then?” he asked in exasperation.

“Find a way to visit her or at least know where they’ve kept her. She’s your sister oh…hmm”

“But I don’t know where she was taken”

“Then ask your father! I’m sure he knows where she is. After all it was his wickedness that had sent her there in the first place. I had to disturb him very well before he even gave me a number I can use to reach her”

“Well?”

“it was a man that picked up na, and he has since then refused to pick any call from me or let me talk to my daughter” Ann said, her speech ending in a sorrowful and almost teary tone.

“Mum, don’t cry” Bjay consoled, trying hard to suppress his impatience and irritation at his mother dramatics. “Have you tried calling with other number?” he asked seconds later.

“yes. But the stupi.d person cuts the call whenever he hears my voice. I swear enh, If I should get my hands on him, I shall show him that…”

“mum mum mum. Please stop. Why don’t you let Angela be even for a day? Must you always come to her defense even when she’s wrong?”

“nwam biko don’t be angry with me, I know this has been the problem between you, your father and I…” Ann left the door for the chair now, “…but you people should not be too hard on me, she’s my first daughter and my child, I love you all, I can’t see any of you in danger and just keep mute, and you know she’s the only one that is always in trouble in this house, I’m only trying to show her that she is loved and that she can always fall back on family, on her mother…” Bjay’s mum was now crying. “How is that a crime enh, tell me? That I’m always defending her, is it wrong? I don’t know what else to do, she’s a very difficult child…and I’m I’m…” she paused and sniffed, drying her eyes with her wrapper. “Ada has not always been like this and you know it. I don’t know why she turned into this arrogant and disrespectful child all of a sudden... I just don’t know”

“mum it’s okay, stop crying” Bjay now seated opposite her, said. He was genuinely touched by her tears and scolded himself for being the cause.

“I never meant to make it seem like she was my favorite child” Ann sniffed back tears.

“Its okay. But honestly I think you should lay off her matter, trying to contact her would cause more harm than good to her. Mum, she is safe wherever she is now, trust me” Bjay said, fully aware that Angie was staying in a place where the people who had contacted him couldn’t reach, the reason why they thought he could be of any help to them.

“but I can’t just relax till am certain she’s fine. Please go and see her, then tell me she’s fine and I would let it go, I swear.”

Bjay sighed deeply and after much consideration he asked: “Let me have the number father gave to you”

“uhn…it’s in my phone but I didn’t come with it. Let me go and get it” she said and stood up.

“cant I collect it when I come back?”

“no oh, I will be fast. Please wait for me, enh…nnam” she pleaded

“Okay. Am waiting” Bjay said with a sigh, His mother was something else he thought.

Ann quickly rushed out while Bjay picked up his car keys and followed behind her, intending to wait for her by his car.

***********************
Angela subconsciously pushed herself forward in the swing where she was presently sitting, the rhythmical move and the creaky-rusty sound it made soothing her in no measurable way. This was her favourite spot in the compound where she had become a prisoner - it was a swing set up lonesomely at the back of the big building that was the major attraction of the Estate. The very fact that it seemed anachronistic with its antique make up appealed more to her because it reminded her about herself - a person lost and out of place with everything around her.

Zainab however hated the place. And the chatter-box teenager had not failed to voice her reservations whenever she found her there. She’d said something about it reminding her of a past she didn’t want to remember or share. That to Angela had seemed like a first because Zainab was hardly one to hold back on gist and revelations unless she didn’t know about them.

From her Angela had learnt a lot about everybody in the building she cared enough to enquire about, because as far as Zainab knew even a little detail about the person, she wouldn’t dare kept quiet until she had run down the person’s profile to the listener – in most cases, her. From her she had learnt that Kamal, her supposed boyfriend, was just a step brother to her; that he had lost his own mum; had been outside the state for long time now; didn’t like coming to the Estate, hardly ever talked to her or their father and had a cold strangeness about him.

She had also learnt that Aisha’s ex was Ali, a guy she (Zainab) had a crush on; that she was an orphan; had been living with them for over three years now; was the only one closer to Kamal and most importantly, she deeply hated her and wanted her to leave them for good.

The feeling was mutual, Angela thought with a scoff and tried to suppress all the emotions that threatened to overcome her just thinking about the threats and hell the same girl had put her through for the past few weeks. Just when she had thought that she was free from her tantrums for good, she had suddenly returned with a greater callous force and wouldn’t allow her to even breathe. She would always wait for Zainab to go to school before she came to her room for her daily series of word lashing, scorn and derision. What she’d ever done to the girl and the infamous Kamal to deserve a wretched life as this, Angela couldn’t understand.

Her life in that house was a mundane task of waking up, eating, listening to music from the Tablet Zainab had given her and then waiting for Aisha to come begin her verbal assault. She was grateful atleast that it hadn’t turned physical yet because that would be the end of her, what with no one to tell or complain to. Not when Aisha threats of food poisoning and murder had kept her from even telling Zainab. She had practically not seen the king of the estate, he infamous Alhaji.

Angela stopped the swing with her foot placed on the floor and tried hard to stop her train of thought from slanting towards Aisha. She decided to think of something else. Her friend . . . what was her name again? Her little sister, her father and even her mother. She could hardly make out their faces in her imaginations, it felt like so long since she’d last seen them, and the memory of leaving her father’s compound on that fateful day seemed the strongest imagination that haunted her.

Somehow, she had managed to forgive her father for his action, even though the gesture may seem incomprehensible and maybe a little irrational, Angie just found herself letting go. Especially since her fury was directed at her brain for deciding to go to sleep; herself for living a promiscuous life before, and Kamal for whisking her away from the safety of her family into this hell hole. She had not seen him since he dropped her off, neither had she seen the supposed Alhaji, his father and she didn’t know how she would feel when they ever met again (Kamal that is). The only thing that reminded her of his worthless existence was the seed growing inside of her, and yeah, she hated the seed too, couldn’t wait to be rid of it and wouldn’t mind aborting it if she could. Fear and a silly conscience had stopped her from pleading with Zainab to get her a drug that could rid off the unwanted thing. Added to the pretty limping girl had become annoyingly fond of the pregnancy too. She’s taken it upon herself to become the nurse of the pregnancy, bringing up tips and buying her fruits she thought were necessary. Angela didn’t care for it all.

“hey! There you are, I knew I would find you here” Angie heard someone say and turned to see Zainab limping towards her, her face a mixture of gladness and disapproval.

“hi” she replied with a sullen tone

“I wonder why you like coming to this creepy place, imagine my disappointment when I didn’t see you in your room, and I bumped into that witch in the process, I mean doesn’t she ever get out of this house? What do you enjoy in this old and boring swing anyways…can we go away from here at least? I’ve got some tips to show you, I’m planning on telling the cook to get you…” Zainab chattered on, half realizing that Angela wasn’t the usual responsive listener, or that she appeared to be brooding and had her face cast to the floor. She just rambled on, her hands demonstrating and her tone alternating to portray the emotion behind every statement she made.

Angela on her part, had since drowned off her ramblings, she wasn’t feeling too chatty and was surprisingly angry that Zainab had returned with her dramatics. She really wanted to be left alone and a sudden sense of sadness descended upon her.

“…well TGIF! Thank God It’s Friday!” Zainab completed animatedly.

Angela showed no sign of interest, neither had she raised up her head from where it fell down casted. Only then did Zainab think there was something else bothering her friend.

“Sister Angela, what is wrong?” she asked concernedly

Angela didn’t reply.

“Did Aisha do anything to you?”

“No No no, it’s nothing she did” Angela quickly replied, knowing how quick Zainab could come to conclusion and how swift she would go demand answers from Aisha, she didn’t want to complicate matters for herself.

“Then what is it?”

“I’m…I’m just not happy”

“Oh” Zainab simply said, a pregnant silence pervaded the atmosphere afterwards.

“Well, is there something I can do about it?” Zainab asked, breaking the silence and limped to go seat at the other chair in the swing.

“I don’t know, I don’t think anyone can help me with this. I can’t even help myself” Angie said, half sliding into a hysterical state.

“what’s the problem, you can tell…”

“No, you’ve done enough already. Maybe this is the price for my sin…”

“what sin? Tell me what it is, is it Aisha, did that witch tell you…”

“no it’s not about her! It’s about me. I miss my family, I hate this place, I hate that I’m pregnant, hate that I can’t remember why I am here, I hate the Kamal that doesn’t care, hate that…”

“but you said your father sent you to stay with my father, don’t you like…”

“yes…no! I’m just tired of staying here! I miss my family, my life…I want whatever it is I had, back, I want to get out of here! Why can’t I go out and comeback like everyone else? What was so bad I did or that I saw that makes everyone treat me like I’m not human, I’ve been abandoned, even by the stupid fo.ol who brought me here! I just want to remember, I want to get out of here, I want my life back! I want everything back!” Angela shrieked, ending her hysterics. Her chest heavily rising and falling like it would soon expose and her face reddened with anger and grief, making her face uglier than what her pregnancy-swollen face and poorly braided natural hair had turned it.

Zainab was beside herself with shock and grief. She couldn’t believe that all she’d done to make Angela comfortable wasn’t enough for her, she kept replaying the “I want to get out of here” part of her speech in her head, her broken heart not even trying to decipher what Angela’s inability to remember things meant. Angela hadn’t told her that part of her life, and she hadn’t guessed otherwise. The only pain coursing through her was the pain of losing the only female companion and friend she had in the whole lonely and often time, male-dominated Estate. She couldn’t dare lose her friend, she thought with a resolve as she wiped the lone tears that had trickled down her eyes.

“you say you want to go out?” she asked all of a sudden, but Angela didn’t respond, she was far spent to say anything further.

“what if I tell my dad to let us go spend some time out of the house, will you feel better?”

Angela turned to face her now.

“I can tell my father to let you go visit your family, would that make you want to stay here with us?”

“I’m not sure he would…”

“I will make him to, he loves me, and he would do what I ask of him”

“Oh Zainab, I’m sorry for making you cry, I did not mean to” Angela felt remorse.

“I just remembered my mom” Zainab started to cry again.

“Oh…come” Angela drew her closer for a hug, and suddenly the consoled became the consoler. Because Zainab cried deeply and heaving heavily in Angie’s hold.

Angela was truly sorry for going overboard with her emotions, she suspected that her line of thought earlier had made her overly explosive and caused her lose the control she prided herself of having. Now she had caused Zainab to recall the incident with her mother. The woman whom she told her had ran away when she’d found out that she was a limping child – that was what Zainab had told her, because like the Swing story, it was a restricted area for them in their series of discussions.

“when you tell your dad about us going out, I hope you’d tell him that I would love to go to the park where you went with your classmates for picnics…the one I saw in your laptop?” Angela asked, trying to make a conversation and lift the mood of her friend. She however didn’t believe that these people who held her captive here would dare consider the option of letting her go out for a stroll in the park.

“hunhun” Zainab muttered and sniffed deeply.

“then, I will stay with you” she replied.

Zainab raised her face then to peer at her, Angela smiled reassuringly at her and gradually, her face lit up like a child whose seized toy was returned to her. “I will. We will go tomorrow” she said. Although the usual animated ring hadn’t returned to her voice.

“I can’t wait” Angela said primly and smiled.

“can we leave here?” Zainab asked.

“sure.” Angela said and helped her up. Then together they left for Zainab’s room.

********
“Dude, what have you got to offer your man?”

That was the voice of the ever jovial Mark as he walked pass Kamal who had just opened the door to his living room. Even though he wasn’t expecting to hear from any caller, much less one who was remotely connected with his father, he was glad that Mark was the one who had come and not anyone else. He and Aisha were the lackeys of his father that he was close to, worked with.

But even at that, Mark knew his limit and didn’t take his friendly gestures towards him as a sign of male bonding or friendship; he didn’t deal with any of such sh.its. Had never been one to get all trusty and friendly with people, not male and not female – although Aisha and particularly Angie were exceptions.

So if Mark was here, it meant his father had another assignment for him. The man was as annoying as he was overconfident. Just thinking about the freedom he relegated to him just so Angie could live, often puzzled him and made him wonder if his calm and uncaring approach to life after his mother’s death was really not a diversion to the remorse and anger he bottled inside and harbored against his father.

“Dude don’t go so quiet on me” He heard Mark say and reluctantly dismissed his ruminations.

“what does Alhaji want?” He replied and went to pour himself a drink from his wince rack.

“well hello to you too. Please make that a double glass. I know you don’t wanna see my happy face, but heck I can’t help it, I got a job to do” Mark returned, his voice ringing loud with its ever present comical effect.

“ your drink” Kamal said handing over a glass to him seconds later. “now give me what he sent”

“there” Mark said and threw a large brown envelope on a settee. Without much ado, Kamal went for the document, settling down also as he pored into it. “Mission one is completed?” he asked Mark minutes later.

“yeap” Mark voice rang out.

“Mission specs have changed?”

“yeap”

“who decided?”

“Big boss”

“why?”

“hello! I’m only a messenger; you don’t expect me to fill you in on the details you missed dude while your baby mama’s ish was flying around”

“then what was the initial spying for?”

Mark shrugged nonchalantly and drank from his glass.

“Why does Alhaji always go for their children?”

“I don’t know” Mark said and belched loudly “…maybe because it always make the best impact. The deeper punch. The hit them where it hurts most kinda way, You catch my drift?” he added and drank from his glass.

“The bastar.d!”

“yeah whatever. I feel your pain, especially since I know why you must feel this way, with the whole girlfriend issue and all. But what do I tell Alhaji? My main concern...remember?”

“Do I have an option?” he scoffed.

“no you don’t” Mark said curtly and glanced at his empty glass, turning it around with all the care in the world. “This needs a refilling” he said to no one in particular, then rose and went to Kamal’s wine rack to help himself to another shot.

Kamal threw the documents on the centre table and relaxed into his chair. It was at times like this that he deeply regretted his action of negotiating with his father over Angie’s life and therefore giving his father more reins over him. Without the giving circumstance, he would simply have declined a spot in this mission and Alhaji wouldn’t have raised much dust over it. But he knew that even if he tried that now, they were other effective means Alhaji could use to rope him back in. That, in its entire ramification meant Angela and their baby.

Their baby, he thought. His seeming lack of concern about their wellbeing bothered him now, he knew he was guilty of having stayed away from Angie for.. .what was it now? He pondered. Two months and counting, he calculated.

it wasn’t that he had forgotten about Angie totally, quite the contrary since he’d sacrificed more than anyone could value for her, but the fact was that he hated his father, the house and everything it represented to him. If he had had his way, Angie wouldn’t have known that it existed. But well, it was a fair deal and her life was safe at least. Just thinking about her made him decide to enquire her wellbeing as Mark returned to his previous seat.

“your baby mama? She’s fine I guess. Aisha is being all Aisha on her, if you know what I mean” Mark replied and winked before drinking from his cup.

“Aisha?”

“yeap. The very same Fulani princess. Let’s just say, she’s protecting her interest.” He added, once he lifted the drink from his mouth.

“I don’t like how that sound”

“yes, you shouldn’t. I wonder how you could go through all that trouble to save her, only to let her suffer at the mercy of…err…” he belched and that cut his speech short. “Look dude I got to go, aint got time for female business” Mark added, drained his cup and then rose up. Then straightening his navy blue shirt he said: “Thanks for the vintage wine and for the chat. But this dude has got to move” after which he started walking away.

“Tell Alhaji I shall bring my response in person” Kamal called after him.


“Sure can do” Mark said, raising his hand in a mock-wave, then opened the door and left.

Kamal picked up his drink now, his mind ruminating over the possible extent Aisha could take her unreasonable obsession with him on Angie. Minutes later, his phone vibrated on the glass table where it was placed and brought him back to the present. Reluctantly he picked it up, but hesitated when he saw who the caller was.

Finally he picked: “hello”

After some seconds of listening to what whomever the caller had to say, albeit calmly, he replied. “You shall speak with your daughter tomorrow” and without giving the caller any chance for a reply, he cut the call and flung his phone at the closest settee, then he settled back to his wine.

*************************
By the next day being Saturday, Angela returned to the swing. Zainab had been sulky all morning and didn’t offer her usual chatty companionship. Alhaji had declined her request and she was feeling bad about it. Angel a, however hadn’t felt an iota of disappointment. She hadn’t expected him to acquiesce for her to leave the premises and so after eating breakfast, a feeling of boredom saw her returning to the swing that had suddenly become a big part of her.

So caught up in thoughts was she that she didn’t notice the advancing figures of Kamal and Zainab. It was only when Zainab made a sound that she turned to see her and the object of her troubles.

“I told him we would see you here” Zainab said quietly as she stepped close to her, her face had not brightened up yet. Kamal was keeping his distance.

Angela’s gaze was on kamal as she spoke “what is he doing here?”

“he said he wanted to see you” Zainab replied then turned around. “I should go now”

“No, don’t” Angela called, making Zainab halt in her tracks.

“It’s okay, you can go. Thank you” Kamal said to Zainab in Hausa and she walked away without looking back. Kamal moved closer.

“hi” he said.

‘I want to be alone, I don’t want to see anyone” Angela replied

“I’m sorry to disturb”

“Then you can just as well leave”

Kamal said nothing. He just stared at the woman who carried his baby. The baby they had both not wanted, but a baby that remained nontheless. He could see the toll that the pregnancy was having on her, her beauty were not as sparkling as it was. Her short hair was badly braided, and her skin was starting to lose the fair glow it had previously had. He assumed that the pregnancy had turned her so. Nevertheless, she didn’t look less apealing to him in any way. Even now, with the white top she wore that protruded her already building stomach and the short that exposed a large expanse of her fair and tanned thighs, he still felt that old feeling he had when he’d met her at that club where she sang, and remembered the wild ride they had taken on his power bike when he had trailed her home.

He’d love how she didn’t care how he looked or allowed his calm and hooded exterior scare or drive her away. He loved her arrogance, loved her pride and superiority complex, loved how she’d always like to get things done her way, her craving for attention, and the intense passion she’d had for music. He’d loved how she would sometimes break into one of her numerous song and just dance all over him while he pretended not to care. How she would sometimes come off as a stripper - his stripper, holding back nothing of herself just to make him feel alive and forget about all his chasing shadows even if for a moment.

They had been no girl that had made an impact like Angie had in his life during the few months they had dated. If it was love or infatuation that had taken over him then, it had been a wonderful experience and he was indeed sad at how they had finally drifted apart. He didn’t feel happy at what she was presently going through because of him and his father. If only she’d listened and called him before coming over. He thought.

“what are you still doing here?” Angela suddenly asked, breaking the awkward silence that had grown between them.

“do you want me to go?”

“yes. Please go, you’re the last person I want to see now”

“have your memories retuned?” he asked, wondering if she’d regained her memory because the attitude she was putting up now reminded him of the Angie he knew.

“what memories? I don’t need them to know that you are the enemy here, you put me in this condition and you don’t even care. I wish I could actually remember so I can understand why I got involved with you in the first place. I wonder why you’ve even come, am fine without you or my damn family. You all should just leave me alone!” she bursted.

Kamal kept quiet, staring intently at her, and after some minutes, he asked again: “how have you been treated here?”

Angela did not reply him. She just turned her face away from him and started rocking her swing. While she was at it, Kamal pulled out his phone and dialed, once it connected, he thrust it at her. “Take…your mum wants to speak with you” he said.

Angela stopped and looked from the phone to his face and back to the phone.

“your mum is on the line” Kamal reiterated.

Reluctantly, she collected the phone from him and placed it on her ears. Soon as she heard the voice of her mum, her countenance changed to that of gladness.

“hi…mum is that you?” she asked.

“oh…I’ve missed you all” she cried excitedly.

“Am not fine, I hate this place” she continued seconds later. “I want to see all of you…and Rose, my friend how is she?”

“when will you come visit me, I want explanations, I want Rose to tell me about myself, I want to ask dad to forgive me, I want…” her tirades was cut short by Kamal who took the phone from her, placing it on his ears he said: “that’s is all madam. Good day” with that he cut the call and slid it back to his pocket.

“what did you have to that for?” Angela cried with a tear stricken face.

“it wasn’t safe to contact her”

“Why!…why!…why?” she bawled uncontrollably, her hormone rioting with the memories of her family.

“I’m sorry Angie; I just had to cut the call”

“I miss my family, I want to leave this place already, and I hate you!” she shouted and shut out of his presence, tears clouding her eyes.

Kamal watched her helplessly go, he didn’t know why asking her to speak with her mother had turned her so. And he desperately wanted to make things right with her. But what could he do? He pondered.

The vibration of his phone halted his pace. Bringing it out, he noticed that Angie’s mum was calling back, and without much effort, he switched off the phone entirely and placed it back in his pocket before he continued his walk out.

************
Aisha’s face brightened with unexplainable joy as she glanced round her room for whatever personal effects that she might have forgotten. Today being Sunday and by far, a memorable day in her life, she was headed to Kamal’s place to spend a week all thanks to Alhaji and the manipulative bitc.h, Angela.

Whatever she’d done to make Kamal ask that Alhaji granted her a week out at his place, she didn’t know. Her leaving meant that she was also leaving, being the personal ‘bodyguard’ assigned to her case. But this time around she was far from being unhappy about it because what it afforded her was the heights of it all.

They was going to be different suspects when Angela would finally be abducted and she didn’t have to worry herself silly again on how she was going to get her out of the house without raising dusts. They wouldn’t know what hit them, she thought smugly as she ran a cursory look at herself in the mirror again.

“Aint you such a lucky basta.rd, Aisha” she said to herself in the mirror. Ali would be so shocked that she could deliver in such a small space of time. She thought with a smile as walked over to seat on the bed.

Now sitting on her bed, she brought out her phone to text:

Start getting your sissies ready,
We’ve struck gold.
Mission is easier than we thought.
Off with Thunder and the target to Kamal’s crib
Keep my money intact.
And I will keep in touch

That sent, she deleted it and picked up her douche bag, with a last look at her room. She bounced excitedly out.

End of chapter 5.

tags: Timparker, Arck1, missmossy, zyzxx, kingphilip, toykathy, queenxter, waistaa, osaibve, losprince, maishot, everyone...this is the newest chapter. thanks.

Chapter 6
Angela stood a distance away from Kamal's Land Cruiser wondering where was suitable for her to seat. Thunder had occupied the back seat and his expression didn't seem a bit friendly, plus she couldn’t have forgotten in a hurry how their last meeting ended, she therefore thought it otherwise to head for the backseat.

But then again, sitting at the front didn't seem an option either, especially as Aisha was now gallantly making her way towards the car and probably expecting, if not qualified, to sit at the front with Kamal. As far as she was concerned, she was the odd one out, something she had long accepted as her fate. She also didn't want Aisha to be all up on her business this beautiful Sunday morning, so if riding atop the car would do the trick for her, then she didn't mind. And that meant the devil would be her companion for the ride.

Where was Kamal by the way? She wondered and stopped, then scanned the large compound to search him out. She saw him standing at the entrance of the Estate's mansion talking with a guy she presumed was named Mark. Before long, Aisha had gotten to where the Jeep was and without paying her any attention, she flung her bag unto the back seat and climbed upfront, slamming the door louder than was necessary.

Angie inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. Good thing she'd decided to steer clear the front seat, she thought and then made for the back seat, however a light touch on her arm saw her turning to face a sad looking and pouty Zainab.

'I'm going to miss you big time' Zainab quipped whilst pouting her face.

'same here' Angela said smiling warmly. She would really miss her chatter box friend for the one week this 'vacation' was planned to run. '...but before you know it I'll be back, okay?' she added.

'I know. But I want go with you' Zainab sulked further.

'There's school Zainny' Angie warmly consoled.

'But it doesn't matter! If only father would...'

'No no no Zainny, we are not going that line again' Angela cut in

“But I’m going to miss you” Zainab didn’t seem like giving up her persistence anytime soon.

“Zainny, please”

'Ok ok, I give up. But you'll tell me everything that happened when you come back, won't you?'

'That’s no problem, I will' Angela said and drew her for a warm embrace. When it finally ended, she bade her friend goodbye then climbed into the backseat. Once in, she gently shifted Aisha's bag, placing it carefully in the middle between Thunder and her and silently praying that its owner hadn't notice what she'd done. That achieved, she heaved a sigh of relief and fixed her little bag close to her legs and willed herself to forget who her back seat companion was.

Kamal came into the Jeep few minutes later, then quickly glanced around, his eyes resting a little longer on Angela before he kicked start the engine, he however turned if off immediately then turned to face Aisha.

'please go the back seat and let her come here' he said to her in Hausa.

'Why should I do that?' Aisha replied, taking off her shades in the process to reveal her displeasure.

'Just do what I asked' Kamal returned calmly.

“Why would you want me to…”
“Aisha!” Kamal breathed.

Cursing under her breath Aisha pushed the car door, stepped out and yanked open the back seat. Angela's face held fear and surprise with the sudden turn of event. What had she done? She wondered.

'what are you waiting for? Get out!' Aisha barked.

'I don't understand' Angela replied perplexed, looking from Kamal to the seething Aisha.

'come stay at the front' Kamal explained calmly to her.

'err…Is that really necessary? I'm okay here” Angie replied cautiously, knowing now that the new seat arrangement was not unconnected to Aisha's sudden foul mood.

'save your pity party and get the hell outta the seat before I drag you out!' Aisha shouted back.

'It's okay, just come out and let her seat there' Kamal repeated.

Not knowing what else to do, Angela promptly stepped out more out of fear than obeisance, while her bag and the slammed door missed her by a leap. Kamal was however quickly by her side and tried to take her bag from her but she declined and climbed up front instead. As soon as Kamal entered the car, he turned angrily at Aisha, barking his grievance in their local dialect:

'If you keep this attitude up, then you would have me to contend with!'

'Is this any worst than what her father did to mine?' Aisha returned.

'I've told you to leave her out of that, she was not involved!'

'well you’ve lost the right to tell me what to do or not do!'

'don't push me Aisha or you might regret it' Kamal reiterated in anger.

“Really? Well I’m regretting even more now; so I don’t see what else you could do to me!” Aisha returned.

The word battle went on as Angela helplessly watched them tear at each other in that dreaded language she couldn't understand. She wished they would speak English more often so she would know what to expect, although her greatest fear was on the fate that awaited her with Aisha when they returned back to the Estate. Kamal sticking out for her or whatever he thinks he was doing was causing more harm than good to her since he was never around. She just had to save her skin somehow, anyhow. And so she butted in on their conversation.

'Kamal! Can we start moving already? Or I swear I would go back to the house!'

That seemed to quell the heated argument as both parties stopped their tirades to stare at her.

But then again, she hadn’t wanted the new attention either. Alarmed, Angela slowly turned her face away like that would turn the attention back to them. Aisha's phone rang just then, saving her and cutting into the unspoken words that had suddenly rendered the air in the Jeep. As she went on to attend to it, Angie released her held up breath, thanking God for the timely intervention, while Kamal kicked start the engine and drove out without a word to either Aisha or her.

Thank God! Angela quietly said and heaved another sigh of relief. If it hadn’t been the promise Kamal had made to her yesterday, she mused, she wouldn't have dared left the hostile but familiar territory of the Estate to an unknown place with all her enemies - him inclusive. But the thirst for more answers about herself had made her throw caution to the wind and embarked on it even though the drama so far didn't make her feel any better. Who knows what else awaited her, she wondered.

But whichever way, she consoled; her living or dying hadn’t been hers to decide from the start. Especially since these same set of people were still the key to finding her life back, so it was better to let them take the lead, doing with her as they pleased while she struggled to stay alive till she found the map that was her life. And so, with that resolution, Angela tried to keep her fears and thoughts abbey, deciding instead to watch the beauty of the outside world that looked beautiful and yet so surreal.

Thunder on his part, hadn't uttered a word since he'd climbed into the Jeep. He deeply wanted to be somewhere else; far from the ridiculous drama that was revolving around the girl he would really love to kill at the moment. He was so angry at the situation of things - the supposed probation period that was fast turning into an absurd taunt from Alhaji.

It had been Alhaji's idea that he accompanied 'his incompetent job' - as he’d sarcastically referred to it - to Kamal's place so as to ensure that he wasn't been played by his son or that Angela's case became more complicated than it was.

Thunder shook his head, his boss was sometimes intolerable. He thought. Why did he allow her leave the house then, if he wasn't trustful of Kamal's intention or didn't want more complications with her? He wondered. Just so he could declare that he, Thunder, revered by all, should accompany them to go spend a week...a whole week at a stupiid son’s place! Doing nothing productive! What more humiliation was left then? He could just as well have told him to watch when Kamal was banging his woman and send in a report on how rough or smooth it had been! The assignment was that demeaning.

If she was such a threat, why hadn't the old fo.ol gotten rid of her and saved everyone the stress? He for one, was more than willing to put a bullet through her head for good this time and making sure it stayed there! There would be no more room for reappearing acts this time around.

He shouldn't have trusted that jittery foo:l, he mused. Shouldn't have asked for his assistance, he should have simply done the job solo and ensured they were no lapses trailing behind. Now, he was the only one bearing the brunt of the failed operation just because he had headed it. He was facing some God darned probation while the jittery foo.l moved around like a free man.

'fvck them ' Thunder spat bitterly under his breath. What was so hard in shooting a defenseless woman straight in the head when the coast was absolutely clear! He wondered angrily again.

Now Alhaji was using him, Aisha and the bit:ch as a leverage to rope his son into whatever business they have. Problem was, it wasn't getting any funnier especially since the other guy was the one who flopped the operation and not him. He was therefore done taking the fall alone for his lack of judgment and James lack of dexterity, the dude was definitely going to hear from him once he could disentangle himself from this infuriating babysitting job. Problem now was: how could he talk Kamal into setting him free?

After much deliberation, he decided they could work something out. Something that Alhaji wouldn't know about. He would leave Kamal's crib only to come back when they were set to return to the estate. The planned seemed perfect and trusted to work. He didn't think she would be in any danger since few people knew or cared about her wretched existence or how she was connected to the trending case about the senator son’s murder. A satisfied smile secretly crept up his face as Thunder relaxed into the seat and shut his eyes. He also tried to fade out his environment so he could brainstorm on how best he would approach Kamal, for he too was another hard nut just like his father.

Aisha however, where she sat was hardly aware of whatever inner struggles her back seat companion was going through. She was presently looking faint and was trying hard to mask her discomfort. Nobody noticed that she hadn't picked the call that had intercepted the brawl minutes ago; neither did they notice that she was trying hard to ignore the incessant caller. The caller was actually Ali and she thought it against her better judgment to pick up and hear what he desperately wanted to say to her.

The foo:l, she thought with trepidation. What part of her text and the need for discretion did he not understand? How can a rational human keep calling a person non-stop even when they refused to pick, she wondered angrily and then decided to finally switch off the phone entirely if Ali dared call back again.

But as if on cue, the phone started vibrating again in the insides of the jean pocket where she had thrust it. When she drew out the annoying screeching thing, her hands immediately went for the 'switch off' dial but however curiously diverted to the answer button.

'what?!' she screamed, trying as much to keep her temper down lest she attracted attention. 'what part of 'I will keep in touch don't you understand?' she said in clenched teeth.

'You could have at least picked the call' came Ali's angry and now impatient voice.

'Picked the call? You’ve gone nuts...what exactly do you want?' She barked in clenched teeth.

'I wanted to confirm your text. you said...'

'yes, yes, yes! Forget what I said! Use the 'way' I informed you to ask your stupiid questions and for Allah's sake, use your senses!' her piece said, she cut the call with more force than needed and switched off the phone then surreptitiously glanced to see if she had attracted attention to herself.

But No one seemed to have noticed or read any sign to her outburst. Her nerves calmed, seeing that everyone was distanced and minded their business. And so heaving a sigh of relief, she rested her back against the seat while she plotted her next move.

She thought about the presence of Thunder and how it could negatively affect their mission; she thought about the infinite joy she would derive from selling Angela off and how Kamal would feel for shouting at her because of his stupi.d pregnant girlfriend. She thought about the money, thought about how this would cause a major shake on everyone. But she didn’t care, it wouldn’t affect her, the odds were surprisingly to her favour. They wouldn’t even know what hit. Ali too was also going to hear from her on his lack of discretion. Whatever was happening to Alhaji's boys these days? She wondered finally as she allowed herself drift into a comforting sleep.

*****
Angela was the only one apart from Kamal who hadn't slept during the drive. Yet they had not spoken a word to each other. She simply thought there was nothing to say. What could he possibly even tell her? That she'd been a loose girl who allowed herself to get pregnant for a man whom she obviously hated, because presently all that masculine fineness he seemed to possess only repulsed her. And then again, knowing also that his girlfriend - Aisha, his father and probably him too wanted her dead, what connection could they possibly have?

Besides, she had been so preoccupied with what the fascinating outside world had to offer to care about the supposed father of her unborn child. She thought it amazing how walking freely on the street without anyone breathing over your neck could look so ordinary but yet elude her. Every car and human that passed, every building she saw held a new kind of magic for her, so much so that she felt like laughing and waving at them, but knowing the stark reality that would stab her if she as much as turned her neck the other way stopped her crazy act and drowned her into a reclusive depression. What was the point anyways? She had concluded with depressed sigh.

And so, half an hour later when the Jeep slowed down to a stop in front of a massive gate, she couldn't help but feel worse for her situation. The hope that she was getting a chance at the tiniest of freedom was only a charade, she wouldn’t be allowed to move freely on the street, or allowed to walk the street, what then was the point after all? It was just another prison, nothing more.

'we've arrived' Kamal gently said, turning towards her soon as he drove to a halt.

Angela said nothing. A form uneasiness had suddenly descended upon her.

Kamal said nothing further but alighted from the Jeep and walked towards the gate, obviously to get it opened. His slammed door roused Aisha and Thunder at the back and then Aisha muttering incoherently under her breath, got down and dragged her back along, entering through the wide opened gate as Kamal walked back to drive in.

When he finally settled the Jeep at the Mini car park situated at the left side of his compound, he turned to Angela again.

'This is where I live' He said, but the irony of his statement hit him immediately as he remembered that Angela did actually know the place like the palm of her hand. But things were different now, he concluded.

'Ok' Angela replied quietly and pushed open her door.

'Smooth, can I see you for a while?' Thunder spoke as he came down from the back seat. Kamal turned back at him for the first time since the journey had began, stared at him a while before he replied: 'sure'. Then facing Angela who was standing and obviously waiting for directions, he said: “I'll be with you a moment, you can go on to the house”

Angela nodded and then walked away leaving the men to discuss what she was sure concerned her. Everything just had to be, she thought.

*****
As soon as Aisha entered Kamal's living room, she flung her bag unto a settee then switched on her phone while she tried to suppress the anger welling up in her. Ali had acted with no tact or skill and he was sure going to hear from her, she thought angrily as she waited for the phone to boot. She dialed him as soon as it did and on the first ring, Ali picked up. Immediately she lashed at him:

'Did you lose your brain or something? What was so important that it couldn't wait?' she barked.

'calm down' Ali said from the other end.

'why should I! Did you not get the part where I said I would keep you updated? You could have blown our covers for crying out loud!' she shouted.

'Calm down okay, I didn't see your message immediately it came in that was why I wanted to clarify issues'

'but my text was simple enough!'

'it is true then that she left the estate?'

'Yes! Would I joke about something like that? Look Ali, talking to you is not safe, so here are the basics. We are in Kamal's place. Thunder is here, we have up on till...' she stopped speaking when Angela entered into the parlor. She shot her a murderous look that trailed her till she went to perch on one of the seat. Angela desperately evaded her eyes and tried to ignore the fright that had crept up her spine.

'Are you there?' Ali called from the other end, worried about the sudden silence that had ensued.

Having been jolted back to the outstanding conversation, Aisha immediately switched to Hausa. “Sorry, she just walked in. but It could have been Thunder or Kamal! You see why I told you this is risky; you would blow the job before it's even done! I just have to go now'

'No…wait, you have to give me something to work with. I need the situation report so I can start...' Ali replied.

'Gosh!' Aisha exclaimed exasperated running a hand through her sweaty forehead. 'Okay, hold on, let me lose her'. With that, she picked her bag and went through a door that led out of the parlour.

As soon as she left, Angela breathed easily where she sat; something about Aisha tends to unnerve her greatly, she didn’t understand what. Neither could she tell or remember what she done to her previous, maybe before her amnesia that made the girl to hate her with such a stark passion.

And so, in a bid to momentarily forget Aisha, her eyes worked around the parlor. It had a pretty simple design. The settees were arranged in a rectangular form and had a glass table perched at the middle. Then few distance from the exit door was the home theatre set but with the television missing. At the other end of the room was a well arranged and richly stocked wine rack with seating arrangement like in a drinking bar. Two matching blue curtains hung dutifully on the two doors in the parlour - the one to the right separated the parlor from the hallway which led to the bedrooms, it was also where Aisha had disappeared through - and the other to the left led to the kitchen.

Some minutes later, Kamal walked through the entrance but without Thunder.

'Come let me show you to your room' He told her almost immediately and disappeared through one of the blue curtains.

Slowly, Angie rose and followed him; she was feeling a bit tired and hungry too. She keenly followed behind as he opened the door to his bedroom. There they found Aisha sitting on the bed and speaking quietly on the phone but she quickly ended the call when she saw them.

'Have I done something wrong again?' she asked, her voice a bit shaky and her face flushed.

Kamal hardly noticed the shaky voice or the flushed face. He was clearly still furious at her.

'You have to use the other room, she'll be using this one' he said emphatically as he strode to his wardrobe.

'Wouldn’t that place be dusty and dirty by now?' Aisha shrieked, finally finding her voice.

Kamal didn't respond and that caused a few seconds of awkward silence to slip by. The silence gnawed at Aisha’s senses, It was more than she could take. She'd always slept in his room whenever she came visiting while he crashed in the parlour. So now his pregnant girlfriend would take her place?

Glaring at her with a mix of anger, jealousy and hatred, she snatched her bag once more and left, hauling quiet insults at everything and everyone.

'Never mind her, she can't hurt you' Kamal said to Angela as soon as she had banged the door in her stead.

'Really…and you're sure about that? Don't forget we actually live together while you stay here. Truth is, I would really appreciate it if you stop pitching her against me further, I honestly don't need it, if this was the room she wanted, I don’t mind' Angela replied.

'I understand. Make yourself comfortable, I should be on my way now' Kamal simply replied and started walking away. Why he even bothered was what he couldn’t comprehend.

Angela stared in surprise at him as he walked passed her, and they weren’t even done talking. “How about my mum, why is she not here yet?” she called out.

'She will come' he stopped to reply her then started walking away.

“But I can't see her anywhere. She’s the only reason why I came and I really must see her' Angela cried.

'You'd better freshen up' Kamal simply replied then walked out for good. She was starting to get on his bad side too, he thought angrily.

Once in the parlor, he concluded that he needed a fix before he lost his temper completely. It was at times like this he wondered what it was about her that had made him care more than necessary. So much so that even his father discovered the weakness and used it to his advantage. But the annoying part about it was that she didn't realize the sacrifice he was making or show that she even cared about anything. He didn’t know what to thing anymore, didn’t know if it was the amnesiac Angie acting up or the arrogant part of her he’d always known and even loved.

These and more coursed through Kamal’s mind as he stepped out and walked towards his favourite spot at the back of his property where a smoke or two would help him relax and just forget, even for a moment.

*****
Angela was seated now at the parlor, her discomfort evident on her face. Feeling shaky and irked by Kamal's previous vagueness in confirming if her mother would eventually come or not, she'd left her allocated room to come sit at parlor, feeling a bit grateful for its emptiness. Aisha was at her given room cursing away louldly while she cleaned and brushed out the dust; Kamal on his part was nowhere to be found and she had not seen Thunder since she entered the house.

Their absence was actually a welcome development, she thought, but the pangs of hunger she was presently feeling was not, especially as she didn't know how to go about satisfying it. Save for the late breakfast she'd managed to eat while Zainab bombarded her with questions, she had had nothing else to eat and the lone clock up in the wall told her that it was some minute past noon. She didn't think anyone would care; neither was she planning to ask. Hunger was the least of her problems, she concluded as she rested fully into the chair while her mind roamed far and near.

So lost in her troubled thought was she that she didn't hear the door open or see the people that walked in. But when she eventually did turn to notice, she saw Kamal, behind who was standing a lady who looked ill at ease as she glanced around the parlor. But the said lady looked familiar to her…very familiar, that she had a wishful notion that it was indeed...

'Rose?' Angela called as she slowly stood up.

The lady stepped forward, her previous nervousness dropping a notch. 'Angie' she replied smiling.

'I don't understand…where's my mum?'

'Your mum asked me to come, she said it would be better' Rose explained.

'I swear I didn't know about this, she just called me to...' Kamal was explaining when Angela excitedly ran to go embrace her friend.

'Oh my God, this is great!' she exclaimed happily.

'guess everyone is happy then' Kamal sighed deeply and said. Then he walked past the ecstatic friends to go seat down. Glad that she had finallyfound a reason to smile.

'I missed you Angie, it's been a while' Rose said taking a closer look at her friend. 'God you've changed!'

'I did right? I guess it ‘cause I'm pregnant' Angie replied and disentangled from their embrace then as they both walked towards a seat.

'I guess it is' Rose agreed, though she thought otherwise. Her friend had indeed change, but it wasn't for the better, that she knew. The Angela before her was a far cry from the classy one she'd known. Her skin has lost its glow and silky fairness, her face wasn't so smooth and God! Her hair was so unkempt! She thought alarmed, even though she hid behind the façade of a smile. Angela never liked carrying her natural hair because she had always said it was short, scanty, unattractive, cheap and classless to walk around with a natural hair. So to that end, she had never lacked a collection of the most expensive and trendy weavons, but here she was with the same natural hair that was even haphazardly braided. Who would have thought? Rose wondered ironically.

'How is my family?' Angie asked. She didn’t seem to notice the sudden silence of her friend, her face held immeasurable joy that even Kamal felt warmed by it.

'There are all fine. Your mum sends her greetings, she also sent some gifts too' Rose replied, searching around for where she'd dropped her bag in all that frenzied reunion.

'Oh! Really?' Angela exclaimed like an excited child.

'yes' Rose replied, standing up to go pick up the little bag where it laid close to the entrance door. They had all not notice when Aisha came in, not until she spoke:

'What's happening here?' she asked with a frown, her hand placed on her waist.

She had changed from the jean trousers she'd previously worn to a jean short, while her head was beautifully tied with a pink floral scarf.

'Kamal, why is she here?' she further queried when no one seemed forthcoming with answers. Reverting swiftly to Hausa she continued: 'what games are you playing here, is Alhaji aware of this?'

Kamal did not respond, didn’t even act like he was the one being spoken to.

Rose now carrying her bag, looked intently at Aisha before she spoke: 'Aisha Muhammad?'

'Yes, one and only' Aisha replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes in the process.

'What are you doing here!?' Rose asked in surprise.

Aisha scoffed before she replied: 'I should be asking you since your kind don't belong here...but wait! I know. Wherever you see Angela, you are sure to see her butt licker. Outside of school and you haven't changed, guess you can’t take the thrash out of the bin after all…you’re still as always, a beggar and classless” Aisha replied with contempt

'well I never cared what you or anyone else thought about me” Rose replied and went to seat beside Angela.

'like anyone even thought you important in the first place! You're just as bland as before. After all this years, you've not even added flesh. Still as skinny as a...'

'Not my problem still' Rose cut in.

'Offcourse, both of you are just perfect...' Aisha continued without an indication that she was letting up soon while Kamal and Angela watched on. He with a hint of idle interest while Angela with rapt attention even as she tried to fix the connection her best friend could possibly have with her worst enemy.

'I remember how you wanted to include yourself with the people you so labeled unclassy.' Rose shot back.

'you're such a liar! This trashy friend of yours was the one who wanted in with me!'

'I honestly don't care who wanted in or out, you guys were bunch of losers anyway. How are you connected with all this?' Rose asked looking from Kamal to Angela, expecting some sort of clarification.

'That's enough Aisha! When did you become like this?' Kamal intervened.

'since you decided to become friends with my enemies!' she shot back.

'your enemy?' Rose scoffed. 'I don't even know you exist'

'Oh don't worry, that would soon be fixed.'

'I'm out of here” Kamal finally said and stood up. Too much female drama for one day, he mused as he walked out without a glance back at them.

His exit halted the bickering ladies as none of the party seemed to have something to say to the other. Instead they all watched him leave till Angela, finally able to find her voice, spoke:

'Rose, please let's go inside'

'about time too. Please lead the way' Rose replied standing up and carrying her bag along.

Aisha hissed loudly before she spoke: “Now you…” she started, referring to Angie, “…don't think you can butt in when I'm talking just yet because you saw your stupi:d friend, Zainab couldn't save you, don't think she can”

'who the hell is Zainab and why aren't you even talking right back at her?' Rose shouted at her friend.

'oh, she knows better than to do that' Aisha replied, a smug smile on her face. “anyways...” she added, 'I've got work to do and talking with you two won't get it done. Besides, it’s going to be a very long and eventful week'. She ended, rolled her eyes at them, then stormed out of the parlor.

'Jesus! What is up with that chick?!' Rose exclaimed soon Aisha after she left. 'And why don't you even speak back at her?' Rose turned to face Angie but she had started walking towards the curtain that led to the bedrooms.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Rose followed behind, wondering what had come over her to make her haggle with Aisha and ultimately caused her not to act civil or make a good impression with Angie's boyfriend. There would be other opportunities, she comforted herself.

What was Aisha doing here in the first place? She wondered again. But at that moment, her mind flashed back to when they had come to pick Angie from their home. Aisha had been among the entourage. The revelation seemed to connect some momentary dots; dots that didn't speak good because she couldn't help but feel that Angie had gotten herself into something much bigger than her this time around. Aisha had always been a dangerous girl.

****
'How do you know her?' Angie asked immediately she shut the door to her allocated bedroom. Now that they were out of Aisha's unnerving presence, the dam of her speech burst open and she was filled with questions for her friend.

'who? Aisha?' Rose replied, dropping her bag on the bed.

'yes! How come you know her?'

'How come? Don't tell me you've forgotten about Aisha' Rose replied incredulously but the look on Angie's face jolted her memory of her friend's Amnesia. In all that drama, she'd forgotten! 'you don't still remember?' she asked in alarm.

Angela nodded.

'You still can't remember?!' Rose repeated a little louder this time, her tone laced with amazement.

Angela didn't reply but went to sit down instead. Discussing her amnesia wasn't one of her favourite topics.

'whoa! It’s been like two...No...Three months now! And you can't still remember a thing? Oh my God this is more serious than we thought, you need to see a doctor!' Rose exclaimed, joining her friend on the bed.

'I'm fine, I don't feel sick. Everything is fine with me...except offcourse, the pregnancy' she completed with a shrug. But seeing her friend's still incredulous gaze, she added with a forced smile: “honestly, I'm good”

“Does he know about this?' Rose prodded, she was still finding it hard to believe.

Angela nodded in response.

'whoa!' Rose simply said shaking her head, lost on what to ask or say next.

'well, you haven't told me anything about her yet' Angie prompted, cutting through the awkward silence that had suddenly taken over.

'oh...yeah, her' Rose stressed, slowly recovering from the shock. Then pulling her bag closer, she explained:”She attended the same school with us. Also read law… was a year ahead of us, and graduated first”

'Then she knows me beyond here?'

'sure'

Angela paused briefly before she asked: 'was she our friend?'

Rose scoffed in disgust and opened up her bag. “She wasn't my friend...maybe yours. I can't even remember who sent the friend request first, neither do I even care. She was just like you anyways, thinking herself classy and belonging to the campus' high society...” her face creased in irritation at this point. “....but if you ask me, I know she’s just a bad girl who hanged around cult guys…nothing more. Wonder what people like you see in her anyways…” she was carefully laying out the content of her bag as she spoke. “…but there’s no denying the fact that she's also academically intelligent, one of the best in the faculty you may say.” Angela stared disbelievingly at her now. “…and I for one wondered why she needed those guys anyways, or why you, for that matter wanted to belong to their clique. They’ve never had anything good to offer. ” Rose concluded with a shrug.

Another silence ensued again as Angela recoiled to her thoughts while Rose busied with her bag seeming unaware of her friend's sudden quietness.

'What was the attraction between us?' Angie asked again all of a sudden.

“like I told you before. You were both the happening babes back then in Gwags. You with your singing sensation and she with her popularity around the school…with the bad guys off course' Rose replied without looking up at her friend. “…then again, you never stopped talking about her hair...maybe that was your bizarre fascination with her because I never saw the value her friendship could add to your life…you were even more popular” she added.

'well her hair is very nice' Angie whispered to herself but Rose heard.

'And so? She's Fulani, what did you expect?' she asked, not in the least impressed, “And I think Kamal –it’s his name right? - should also be one, he kind of looks like them…fairness and all. But why the questions, does Aisha pretends like she doesn't know you?'' Rose prodded, taking a moment now to look up at her friend.

'I...err...just wanted…to know' Angie stammered and then stopped talking all together. She didn't feel like telling her about the animosity that existed between them. She didn’t want to get her involved.

But again, Rose didn't seem to notice as her attention had diverted back to her bag. Moments later, her face lit up in accomplished smiles as she dug out a book from her bag. It had obviously been what she had been earnestly searching for. And now she pushed the bag aside and held out the book, turning to fully face her friend.

'Let's leave talking about her for now shall we?' She asked and Angie consented with a nod. “so tell me, how have you been, the baby, your health, everything generally”

“I’m good…as you can see” Angie replied nervously. Now that her friend had turned her attention fully to her, she felt uneasy; felt that she would be able to see through all her façade if she searched deeper.

“as I can see?” Rose asked and grew silent. If her physical appearance was anything to go by, then her friend was looking her worst. But she didn’t voice her opinion, instead she asked casually: “so how’s the antenatal going?”

Angie looked a little confused. “what’s that?” she asked.

“Antenatal? It’s a kind of check up Angie, it’s normal for every pregnant woman. Your mum wanted me to ask if you’ve started already and where too.”

“I….erm…”

“what! No antenatal?”

“I’ve not started yet…I will soon I think”

“you will soon?! Have you even visited a doctor since you left home?”

Angie didn’t answer but instead turned her face away.

“Whoa! Isn’t there a close hospital close by here or what?”

“I don’t actually live here” Angie replied without turning to face her friend.

“That’s interesting. Where do you stay then?”

“I live somewhere else with Aisha and a girl, Zainab – she’s Kamal’s sister and then with his father. Kamal doesn’t stay there with us…please can we drop this, I don’t want to talk about it?”Angela was feeling so uneasy now.

“why should I? I feel there’s something you’re not telling us here. Where’s this place you stay and why are we not there instead?”

“I don’t want to talk about any of this Rose…please” Angie begged

“but we should! You look so unkempt. Jesus! Look at your hair, and your complexion! This is not the Angie I know. Are you in some form of err…slavery here? Tell me so I can report back and the appropriate actions would be taken. I’m sure your father would not hesitate to accept you back…and your mum, she is so sick with worry over you, she wouldn’t be happy seeing you like this, as I am not! You have to open up if you want help…Angie please talk to me”

“Leave me alone, leave everything alone” Angela cried then stood up abruptly to go stand by the wardrobe in a bid to hide her tears from her friend. She deeply wanted to tell her friend the sort of hell she was living in, but she couldn’t. She had a feeling that her situation wasn’t just that simple that anyone from her family could save her, not with everything she’d seen and even heard back at the Estate. Not with the presence of the intimidating Alhaji, Thunder and the rest of the dangerous looking guys that thronged the Estate daily, no she couldn’t. It was far too risky.

“Are you in some sort of danger?” Rose pleaded calmly; she was now standing beside her friend.

“I am not. I am alive right? So it’s something… please don’t tell my mum anything…I beg you Rose. I don’t understand everything happening to me now, but I believe things are better this way…please understand” Angie replied, facing her friend with a tear streaked face.

“I’m sorry” Rose said now, suddenly moved by her friends tears.

“It’s okay” Angela replied, wiping her tears away. “So isn’t there any message from home?” she asked later, forcing a smile.

“well…yes…” Rose replied and looked back at her bag then started walking towards it. She too had concluded that It was best to heed Angela’s plea to allow everything slide, and even though she knew something else was seriously up, she didn’t implore further. “I actually brought some things from your room, some dresses I bought too” she continued “…your mum wanted me to get some fruits and stuffs for you too, but that was only if I knew where I was heading to…and so I didn’t buy…but I will go to a market nearby and get them…good thing too ‘cause I’ll be getting a body cream for you and maybe something to fix your hair with, it’s a mess” she concluded.

Angela consciously ran her hand over her hair then. “that’s great, thank you” she replied but didn’t leave her position close to the inbuilt wardrobe.

“I also brought some CDs recordings” Rose said again, bringing them out. They caught Angela’s attention and so she left her position by the wardrobe to hurriedly go sit beside her friend.

“are these a part of the songs I sang too?” she asked, her face starting to colour back with excitement.

“yeah, some solo performance at some studio you did and then some of our band gigs…they might help you remember some things”

“Thanks! You know I almost forgot that I am a singer, silly me right?” Angela said in excitement.

“Yes. Silly you…We could play them later” Rose was trying hard to match her friends enthusiasm, but it wasn’t telling yet.

“yeah…though I dint see a television in the parlour…but it’s no problem still” she giggled.

“here’s a book I bought for you also, it’s pregnancy related…I thought I forgot it at home…but well, Here it is” Rose said and handed her a book.

Collecting it, Angela read: “What To Expect When You’re Expecting”

“It has everything you need to know about being pregnant” Rose said and touched her slightly bulging stomach.

“thank you” Angela whispered, almost emotionally, feeling really happy.

“it’s fine, please don’t be a cry baby again” Rose teased and they both laughed. “and I also brought your phone, we forgot it then when we were packing your things” Rose added and went for her bag again.

Angela demeanour changed then as she quickly glanced at the door and back at her friend. Then collected the beautiful black piece that was been offered to her. She pressed a key and the screen light came up, there a portrait picture of her in a tongue-out, funny and crazy pose showed up, this made her smile and then she looked up at her friend.

“This phone contains everything about the Angie I know…not this stranger” Rose said.

Some minutes passed with Angela gently feeling the gadget- it was the latest Blackberry phone. Then suddenly she said, “I can’t take it” and quickly passed the phone back to her surprised friend. She just remembered how Alhaji had gone berserk when he’d found her with a phone Zainab had given her so as to keep her company when she went to school. She had made the mistake of bringing it downstairs and had accidentally bumped into Alhaji.

Not forgetting to add that it had caused problem between Zainab and Alhaji too, she had been banned from seeing her and was allowed to, only when she promised not to come along with her phone. They just didn’t want her having any contact with the outside world in any form. Why? She could say.

Alhaji had also warned not to try anything funny on this trip with Kamal. Angela and Thunder had been as the checks in case she did. It was that serious, so there was no way she could take the phone back to the Estate and risk putting herself in any sort of trouble.

“why not?” Rose asked interrupting her thought.

“I just can’t” She replied.

“what exactly is the problem Kamal had also taken my phone away from me before entering the house. What is it with phones here?” Rose asked, she was now a bit irked.

“you can’t understand please just let it go…please” Angela pleaded.

“okay, okay I understand that you don’t want to tell me anything. But take it Angie, don’t you want to remember or know anything about your past and who you truly are? Everything is inside this phone” Rose implored quietly.

“I just can’t, it’s dangerous” Angie protested.

“why?... I know you won’t tell me. But can’t you just keep it a secret? Hide it somehow, somewhere? Angie you’re a tough, adventurous, fearless and daring girl…that’s who you truly are! Why are you now acting so timid and weak…does this also comes with this memory loss thingy?” Rose whispered.

Angela said nothing. And after what seemed like hours, Angela slowly spoke: “okay…I’ll take it”. She wasn’t sure if she had just made a right decision, but she was willing to take a chance.

“Good. I’ll hide it good in your bag so don’t even think about it” Rose whispered and then quickly put the piece back in her bag.

Angela smiled uneasily but said nothing in reply.

“and now I’m hungry…is there anything for eat in this house?” Rose asked cheerfully now, she’d had achieved something at least, she thought to herself.

“Yeah… I thought I was the only one who was hungry” Angela replied, matching her friends cheerfulness like the phone sage had never even happened.

Rose stood up and stretched her hand towards her friend. “I bet you eat a lot now” she teased.

Angela giggled before replying. “You guessed so right! I could even eat up this house” then she stood up and took her friends offered hand and so together they left the room still discussing.
End of chapter 6

keep em coming p! keep em coming

Wow! Princesa, u rock gurl. Thz so much for d update, i'm glued 2d story cant wait to knw hw Angie got herself into alhaji's trouble. Weldone dear.
#millionhugs4u#

Abeg continue oooo.hmmmmm naija get story writers. Kudos babe

Toykathy, waista, Losprince Thanks for reading.

Timparker, use ur remote control.