₦airaland Forum

Morning came in a rush. The prince was immediately awoken by the buzzing of his phone. His alarm had gone off, signaling the start of a new day. Ife knew that it was time to abandon all the other personal files he had been working with. Biller was central, it was more important than personal business. Thousands of Nigerian youths depended on him for monthly salaries, so he couldn’t fail. With Teni at the head of the advertisement department, Biller was growing more popular each day, and it made him happy to know that people appreciated his creation. Ife couldn’t wait to meet up with the bankers from Olive Groves, and the investor from Uyo. Every day presented fresh opportunities, but he only worked with people that shared similar values with him.
He rushed to the fridge to take a class of water. When he was finished, he grabbed his phone and ran through the messages that Hawa had sent. She was reminding him of all the calls and messages that he needed to return, and the meetings he had for the day. He was about dropping the phone when she sent another message.
HAWA: What would you like to have for breakfast?
IFE: Um…I am not particularly feeling hungry today. You know how nervous I feel when meeting with new people.
HAWA: I know. But you should take something, for strength.
IFE: Coffee.
HAWA: How do you want it today? Black? Creamy?
IFE: Creamy will suffice. When Teni comes, tell her to arrange a meeting with everyone at the establishment. I would love to speak to them after I meet with the investors.
HAWA: Noted. Thank you sir.
IFE: Have a good morning.
Now that his itinerary for the day was specified, he needed to take a shower and rush out of the house. Ife suddenly remembered that he had no car to help himself around. He had deliberately avoided bringing his expensive cars to this part of town; no one had to know who he was. Ife knew that he had to hurry out of the house, before the traffic seriously built up to avoid being frustrated all day long. He dashed into the bathroom for a shower. In twenty minutes time, he was out, and standing before his mirror.
As he splashed lotion on his body, he did a mental breakdown of all his meetings for that day, yet again. He bit his lip as he recalled his conversation with Bose. He didn’t mean to hurt her by avoiding her, but hanging out with Mayowa wasn’t going to be possible. He felt guilty for not having enough ‘uncle-time,’ with his nieces and nephews. He hoped they would grow to understand that his sacrifices were for the betterment of humanity. Ife decided to check on Mayowa later after work, but he had to seal any business deal that would come up first. He moved to the wardrobe and fetched a light blue jean, which he intended to match with an orange top and a pair of ash sneakers. The prince loved simplicity. The only thing on his body that could make someone discern that he was royalty, was the reddish bead on his right arm, and the silver ring on his left thumb; those were symbolic, and his parents had warned him never to take them off. He carried his backpack and rushed out of the room when he noticed how fast the arms of the clock were moving.
He needed to call his favorite driver from the online taxi company. A smile danced on his face when he tapped on the Biller app on his phone; with the app he had created, life was made easy for everyone. After placing his order, Ife paused as he realized Ime’s room was just two rooms from where he stood. The urge to stop by and say hello came on strongly as he reached her door, but he paused and stared at it.
Unknown to him, Ella had left some minutes earlier, so Ime had decided to see her off. When she returned, she was delighted to see the handsome Adrian standing right in front of her door. Her heart was pounding as she looked at the man whose attractive features unsettled her each time they met. There was only one reason that Adrian would stop at her door; he liked her too. So what was the need of wasting time?
After hesitating for some minutes, Ife decided to be on his way. It was clear that he found Ime attractive, but he didn’t want to bother her. He would give the lady the space she needed. It was long since he had hooked up with a woman, he had been so immersed in work that he hardly had time for himself.
“Hello there!” Ime began to climb the stairs that would carry her to meet with Adrian.
“Hi,” Ife was surprised to see her. Now he felt like a complete fool, because Ime had been standing there all along staring at him, while wondering about his creepy attitude. He knew she had stayed there for long from the mischievous look in her eyes.
“Good morning.” She greeted when she finally stood at the same ground with him.
“Good morning, I was just about to check up on you. But now that it is clear that you are well, I will be on my way now.” He flashed a swift smile, and hurried towards the staircase, but Ime quickly held him back. Never had she been this forward with any man; she wasn’t thirsty for male company. Adrian simply fascinated her, and she couldn’t deny anything that she felt.
“Please don’t be in a hurry…” her voice was soft and pleading.
Ife saw her chestnut eyes clearly that morning. There was fire in them, tiny golden sparks that could set any sane man ablaze. It seemed Ime was attracted to him, but he couldn’t tell. He didn’t want to seem overconfident.
“Um…I really have to go, but we can meet later when I am back.” He guessed his driver was already waiting for him.
Ime felt a bit disappointed, “Sorry for grabbing you so roughly.”
“There’s no problem.” He waited for her to accept his offer; he really meant to spend time with his new neighbor.
“What do you think about hanging out together at the canteen later?” He repeated.
Ime loved the idea. She wanted to know about this guy, and she didn’t intend to pretend about it. Ella supported it; her best friend was sure that falling in love again would help her forget her ex husband quicker. Though it was difficult to control how she felt about Adrian, if he wasn’t really into her, she wouldn’t force anything.
“I am game.” She winked.
“Fine then, stay safe and have a nice day.” He offered her a distant wave, before descending towards the next floor. She didn’t flinch or take her eyes away from him, until he was completely gone. Like a school girl who’d just kissed a boy for the first time, Ime smiled and pressed her hands against her chest. Her only wish was for Adrian to feel the same way about her. Now that she had a date in mind, she needed to prepare for her therapy session with Dr. Lola. Now that she had time to think about it, Ime hoped that she had taken the right decision by accepting to hang out with her neighbor. What if she lost composure after the therapy? Her greatest fear was having a mental confusion from therapy sessions. She was only going because Ella had taken time to seek out the best doctor for her; she had to take her session seriously.
When she returned to her room, she decided to check on Ella. She had just six days to be at home; she needed to readjust to her new environment and get ready to resume on Monday. Ime planned to ask Ella to share some pictures of the Olive Groves branch in Lagos. She turned on her data connection, and clicked her Whatsapp. Ella had already dropped some messages for her, and she was fortunate to catch her best friend online.
ELLA: Hey girl, thanks for hosting me. Get prepared to meet with Dr. Lola by 5PM.
IME: Good morning. I should be thanking you. I am glad you reached safely.
ELLA: Yes I did. The bank isn’t far from your house. So what are your plans for today?
IME: Um, I plan to go shopping later. I just pray I don’t get lost o.
ELLA: Lol. If not for my job, I would’ve shown you around. But there are online shoppers in Lagos. They can shop for you. All you need do is give them your list with specific brands of items, transport fare and the money they will use to shop for you. You can pay them afterwards.
IME: Oh, I know about online shoppers. We have a handful of them at Uyo, but what if they run away with my money?
ELLA: There’s a group of shoppers on Biller. They are very professional, should such an incident occur, they will offer a refund. But their shoppers are highly recommended.
IME: What’s Biller?
ELLA: Are you kidding me?
IME: Seriously I don’t know.
ELLA: I have to go now, just Google it. See you later babe. *kiss kiss.
IME: OKAY.
When the conversation was over, she lay on her bed and closed her eyes. Ime couldn’t remember a time that she had felt so free and peaceful. Living with a man like Victor had robbed her of so many things. At a point, he had become so irrational and jealous that he had asked her to deactivate her social media accounts. She had not been disturbed about his request, because she had been spending too much time on twitter. She began to understand his personality when he tried to alienate her from some of her friends, Ella was one of them. This was the reason that Ime had no idea was Biller was. The only apps that she had on her phone were those that came with the system, and her banking apps. Lazily, she stretched a hand and fetched the phone. She decided to take Ella’s advice on checking Google out for Biller.
To her surprise, her single entry generated more than ten topics, most of which were linked to Google play. She was asked to download the app; this made her wonder if it was the latest social media app. She tapped on a Wikipedia page on the topic. What she gleaned from reading the material threw her into surprise and confusion. How come this kind of application was around and she never heard of it?
“Bleep him…” She kissed her teeth. She blamed Victor for almost cutting her away from the outside world. If she had not been a credible banker, he would’ve found a way to manipulate her bank to fire her; but Ime was one of the best bankers that Olive Groves had. And the management knew this, hence her transfer to the headquarters. She had no patience in reading the article, because she would’ve stumbled on the creator of the app rather than the usefulness which opened the first paragraph. Bored with reading, she decided to take a shower and find her way around town. She needed to buy things to help her adjust to her new house, she didn’t trust online shoppers. She couldn’t wait to tell Ella about her date with Adrian, it was going to be bomb!
***

CHAPTER FIVE
Dinner at the palace was same for everyone except for Prince Olulade’s wife. Although it was obvious that Ife wasn’t around, she felt his absence strongly. The truth of the matter was that her heart still throbbed for Ife; she had been an ambitious young woman, but as the years passed, she realized and admitted that there were more important things than ambition. Granted, the throne belonged to her husband and he was destined to be a great ruler like his father, but Olulade was a difficult man. He saw women as objects only useful for sexual gratification. He openly cheated on her with several other women, and he showed no remorse for it. Olulade had no idea of what love was. Whenever he yelled at her, or hit her face, she always ran back to the past to shield herself from the present hurt. Memories of Ife kissing her, pampering her and whispering words of genuine love to her would flood her mind. That man was passionate in everything, and that made his success very loud. Ife had always dreamt of helping people, and making some money while at it; his eyes would be filled with flames of hope and faith in his dreams while sharing them with her. She had believed in his dreams, but she had wanted something more remarkable, more prestigious. It was her greed that had led her to abandon a man who truly loved her for a weakling. Ife was passionate about his work, he put in all his time and energy. When he made love to her, he did it passionately, and that arduous fire between them flowed naturally. There was no debating his love and devotion, he had proven it to her several times, now she was just an empty woman; a very unhappy one at that.
“Don’t you like the food?” Princess Teni had been observing Bose.
The royal family had been divided when Bose and Olulade were getting married. Princess Lola was in support of Olulade’s decision as she never liked Ife. But the other princesses, Kari and Teni avoided Bose for a while. However, they all buried their hatred for their sister-in-law when they saw that Ife had moved on. It wasn’t a secret that Olulade was a self centered prince, who had no time for his wife and kids.
“I am just worked up. Mayowa’s birthday is tomorrow.” Bose forced a smile.
This got the queen’s attention. Agnes Ige always doted on her grandchildren. She even loved them more than her children, and she was always ready to spoil them silly.
“I almost forgot about that.” The queen paused on the chicken she had been struggling with.
“Well you are reminded; Mayowa is expecting a special gift from everyone.” Bose was delighted that the other family members still cared about her.
“Have you informed the local TV station? This birthday has to be covered.” Agnes cast a glare at her son’s wife; she noticed that Olulade wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. He was more interested in pressing his phone, and she found this quite insulting. She had never understood why her son had become so cold and distant to everyone.
“No, we want it to be a quiet one.” Bose turned and stared at the prince, but he wasn’t interested in the conversation. Princess Kari and Teni quickly exchanged glares, they could tell that something was happening between the two, but they decided to stay out of it.
“Some people really need to mind their business.” Princess Lola rolled her eyes, she had caught her sisters staring at Olulade.
“And some people should learn to act like the first daughters they are.” Princes Kari fired.
Princess Lola was about to offer a rebuttal when her phone rang. At first, she had wanted to ignore the strange number, but she took it after considering a possibility; she was a psychologist and she had many patients who depended on her sessions. Though the princess had a terrible character, she was very professional, and her prowess at mental therapies travelled wide. She had high profile clients, this earned her a lot of respect. She ignored her sisters and stepped out of the dining hall.
“Hello, Dr. Lola Adeoye on the line.”
Ella had gotten the woman’s number from a trusted friend who knew doctors that treated mental illnesses. Dr. Lola, as she was fondly called had come highly recommended. Ella was prepared to help Ime get back on her feet. She had seven days to work on her mental health before resuming work at the Olive Groves bank at Lagos.
“Good evening Doctor, my name is Ella Ugonna. My friend has a little problem and I’d love for her to have a session with you. I wish we could come to an arrangement as soon as possible.”
When it came to mental illness, Lola didn’t joke with any patient. She had offered some courses on mental health and illness, which had exposed her to the complications that the victims suffered in the real world. This made her ready to help anyone that cared to knock on her door. Before answering, she quickly did a mental run through her schedule the next day. She only had two sessions, she could fix in Ella’s friend.
“I’ll be free in the evening. You should drop by the Balm hospital. The nurses would take care of everything.”
Ella felt relieved that she had booked a session for Ime. Now she had to convince her best friend to follow her to see the doctor.
“Thank you Doctor, we will be there.”
“You are welcome. Goodnight.”
When she later joined her family at the table, she heard the queen talking about the brother she disliked; the one whose success seemed to overshadow all of her achievements. She had always envied Ife since they were little, because she had sensed their parents’ special love for him.
“Why are you so bothered about getting him a wife?” Lola rolled her eyes.
“How is that your business?” Kari decided to continue from where they stopped.
“I bet you mum, Ife would not look at any woman you pick for him twice.” Teni advised the queen.
While they argued back and forth, Bose secretly wished that she hadn’t made the mistake of marrying Olulade. Now she would have to bear witness to another woman, loving the man she earnestly desired. The princesses continued throwing jabs at each other, until the King arrived at the dining hall. Silence followed his appearance. It was customary for everyone to rise and acknowledge the presence of the head of the family.
“What were you all arguing about?” The man who was Ife’s older version pulled back a chair and sat next to his wife. He had been so busy through the years, that he hardly had dinner with his family. Most times, he was busy entertaining his guests, while his queen bonded with their children as that had been the agreement before he chose to ascend the throne.
“Mother wants to arrange a wife for Ife.” Princess Teni spoke up.
“How is that a problem then?” The man chuckled. He had met his second son earlier, they had a brief discussion about the success of his business; the King had proudly showed off Ife to the investors that had come. They had been awed to meet one of the youngest billionaires in the world.
“That is archaic dad. Ife is a grown man and should choose his wife.” Kari added.
“That is if he would ever get married.” Kari scoffed and gulped down a glass of cherry wine.
Bose didn’t like that particular princess, but she had to pretend because Lola had been on her side when the others hated her. Lola shared a similar personality with her husband; they were both proud and conceited, and they never apologized to others. Lola’s husband had confided in her once. The man wasn’t of royal blood, but he was a successful medical doctor, but Lola still looked down on him. She had a domineering nature, and whenever he took decisions that didn’t favor her, she would threaten to file for divorce.
“That isn’t a nice thing to say.” Queen Agnes had to step in.
The King ignored all the bickering and went on to make an important announcement.
“I met with some government officials and investors today. They were sent by the Federal Government to purchase some lands from our area. These lands would be used to erect some branches of the True Bank of Nigeria. I haven’t taken my decision yet, but when I do, I will be hosting a party to celebrate the agreement between my kingdom and the Federal Government.”
When Olulade heard this, he dropped his phone and focused on his father. He had been pissed off earlier, that his brother had gone to see the king without his presence. Now that he heard of this deal with the Federal Government, he was interested in the ongoing conversation. As an intending King, he needed to make friends with those at the Federal level; they would give him financial backing and the power that he sought after.
“I think you should give them the land. Our land is heavily populated with business men from the East, the bank would have lots of clients.” The Prince suggested. The others agreed with him.
“That is a good idea. This shows that you are preparing yourself to be a king.” His father praised.
“Thank you,” he bowed.
“Though I am a King, I am still subject to my people. I will send messages across the villages and towns that make up this kingdom. I will discuss the matter with some chiefs. If the majority stands with me, then we move forward.” He replied.
When the king was finished, his wife gently reminded him of Mayowa’s birthday. This information sparked excitement in the old man.
“What time does the party begin?” He asked Olulade.
“Um…” he stuttered, because he had not been involved in the party planning, and he had not shown interest.
“5P.M. The party starts at 5.PM your majesty.” Bose answered. She had asked Ife to hang out with their daughter, but he had showed no interest. Now that he was away, she wondered if he would show up. She also wondered where he was. Her heart missed a beat at the thought of Ife being with another woman.
“Shoot!” Lola bit her lip as she remembered the appointment she had fixed for evening. It was too late to cancel now. She would try to meet with Ella’s friend, so as not to disappoint them. But she would ask her husband to prepare her kids for their cousin’s party.
“Very well then, I will cancel the less important meetings for my grandchild’s party.” The king announced.
“Thank you daddy,” Bose smiled. The only joy she derived from her marriage was that of caring husband’s family.
“By the way, where is Ife?” The King suddenly noticed that his other son wasn’t there. Nobody had an answer to this question; they assumed that he had slept over at his girlfriend’s place. No one knew about his apartment at the lodge. He had decided to keep it as his hideout.
***
“Who were you talking to?” Ime licked the taste of ginger off her lips. She chewed the snacks gently, savoring the delicious mix of seasoning and spices. Her mood had lifted by the presence of her best friend.
“Your therapist, she is a good one. We are meeting her tomorrow evening, prepare your mind.” Ella announced. She had prepared to meet resistance, but Ime agreed to go with her. Ime knew that delaying treatment would make things worse. At this point, she no longer cared about what people would say should they find out that she was getting help for her panic attacks and anxiety disorders. People needed to praise women like her, for having the courage to walk away from abusive situations. If she had stayed one more minute with the monster that she had married, she would have lost her life.
Ella couldn’t stop thinking about Ife. She was tempted to tell Ime about her new discovery, but she decided to share it after their therapy session. Right now, she wanted Ime to be more focused on being healthy, than on a handsome billionaire prince, as that would be a mighty distraction. From the article she read, Ella wasn’t really surprised. She had heard of Ife Ige before; he was a household name in the moneymaking industry. It was his middle name that had confused her, and that the fact that he looked way handsomer in real life than pictures. She played with the fantasy of Ime and the prince getting together; he seemed like a perfect guy. But Ime quickly took off the images. Victor had seemed like the perfect guy, but he had become a beast overnight.
“I will be leaving early tomorrow because of work. I hope you’ll be able to manage alone.” She turned to Ime.
“Yes, I will. I plan to shop for my gas cylinder and other essentials.” Ime replied.
“Great, I can hardly wait for tomorrow.” Ella battled with the urge to let out the secret, but she pressed it down. Ime had to concentrate until the first session with Dr. Lola was over.
“Me too.” While Ella struggled with the secret, Ime secretly prayed for a way to meet up with the prince again.

CHAPTER THREE

***

Hours had passed since his encounter with his new neighbor but he found it difficult to take his eyes off her. The Prince couldn’t stop thinking about the pretty woman; though her countenance had seemed bright at first, but a closer look at her eyes revealed that there was a hidden sadness within them. He closed his laptop and rose to his feet, unable to focus on the files he had been working on. Prince Ife was one of the youngest billionaires in Africa, and his name had been features in the Forbes List of Hundred most influential people. He had also been featured in the list of the richest people in the world, this was the reason he tried his best to conceal his identity. He had picked up his father’s flair for entrepreneurship, so everything was working out for him; this partly explained why his brother seemed very jealous of him.
Ife was the sole creator of the popular ‘Biller,’ application that had been introduced into many Nigerian homes five years ago. Although he had started small, the app was gaining popularity and many Nigerians who were conversant with the new ways of doing things, preferred to use the app to pay their electricity bills, water bills, house rent, cable subscription and many other bills that needed to be paid. The app was increasing in use, and for each download and usage, the Prince got richer by the minute. His vision about making people’s lives easier had come to pass, he had also thought of the plight of unemployed Nigerian youths. Though many of his employees had not met him personally, he knew that his idea had created revenue for one thousand five hundred young people in Nigeria alone. Currently, the app had broken through the other parts of West Africa, especially Ghana and Togo. South Africa led in Southern Africa, while Tunisia led in North Africa. It was about time for the app to break open internationally, from the look of things, it was going to begin in Spain, as some investors had reached out to him from Madrid.
Ife rustled his hair, he felt frustrated that he couldn’t do anything. This lodge was like his fortress, his hideout from all the bustle of royalty; a life that he was not very interested in. If he was a writer, he would’ve attributed what was happening to him as a result of writer’s block. But he wasn’t. He was a business man, and any delay in coming up with a new idea could cost him something grave. While he paced the room without aim, his phone rang. He resisted the urge to ignore it. When he checked it out, his personal assistant was calling.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Good evening sir,” the young lady greeted.
“Evening Hawa, how are you doing?” He drummed his hands against his work desk.
“I am fine sir. I called to remind you of the meeting you have with Mr. Seyi Groves. It is for tomorrow morning at the office.” Hawa knew that the prince was a very busy man, sometimes he forgot about his numerous meetings.
Ife sighed, there was no rest for him. There was no escaping the empire that he had built.
“Um, is that all?” He asked, knowing that he hardly had just a meeting for a week.
“No,” she answered. He could tell that she was smiling mischievously. Ife had worked with Hawa for three years now. His former personal assistant had been diagnosed with a kidney infection, though he had made some donations, the young man never recovered, he died. Peter had been very professional and organized. He had been industrious too, always searching out for opportunities. When the boy had died, Ife thought that his life would never be the same. But his youngest sister, Princess Teni, who was also working under him, had introduced him to her friend Hawa. He wasn’t sexist, but he felt more comfortable working with men to avoid stories, and this was a Muslim woman. He had been doubtful of her capabilities. But in months to come, Hawa had proven to him that women were not as weak as men thought them to be. She was very efficient even with small things like his coffee. As the years rolled by, they had developed a comfortable friendship, though there was still a boundary.
“You have a meeting with Mr. Victor Aniebiet, the C.E.O of Uyai Yoghurts.” Hawa added.
“Oh…the man from Akwa Ibom…” He drifted off. There were simply too many things in his head. Mr. Victor had contacted him through Princess Teni who ran the social media platforms of Biller, they had carried out a background check on the man; his authenticity had been revealed. Mr. Victor ruled the Yoghurt business in Uyo and other surrounding states. His brand was fast growing, and he was ready to do anything to control the yoghurt business nationally. He intended to come up with a business plan, which he hoped the prince was willing to work with.
“I’ll be at the office tomorrow. I just needed a day off today.” Ife replied.
“Have a nice evening sir.”
“You too.” He nodded and broke the connection.
He gritted and winced, wishing that he could pay someone to run things with him, but he couldn’t risk that. He had worked too hard to let his empire crumble. He had dreams of sweeping poverty out of Africa, and he would achieve it steadily. He chuckled as he remembered his mother’s desire for grandchildren from his end.
“Not happening anytime soon,” he laughed. He was far too busy building the foundation of the life that he wanted for his wife and children.
Prince Ife realized that his creativity was stifled for that moment. He needed to take a break or take some rest. He thought of Ime, he couldn’t explain why he was so fascinated by her. It wasn’t like he hadn’t met more beautiful women; he guessed he was just being boyish. Ife decided to take a stroll to the lodge’s canteen where he hoped to find some grilled meat and relax, before returning to work. As he strolled out of the room, he also considered Bose’s request of hanging out with Mayowa, his niece. He didn’t like the idea of being around a woman that had betrayed him for the throne, but Mayowa was such a sweet girl. A wave of guilt washed over him as he realized that he hadn’t spent much time with his nieces and nephew, and they were growing up fast. Soon, they wouldn’t have any memory of him.
He paused as he reached Ime’s room. The beatings of his heart switched to a different rhythm as he stared at the door. A part of him was glad that she was the new neighbor and nothing less. He would’ve felt bad if she had been visiting just another guy in the lodge. He thought of knocking on the door, and inviting her to have some grilled meat with him. But that would be too daring, too intrusive. He shrugged and descended the stair case.
***
With Ella’s help, she was able to clean the house and arrange her clothes. Ime felt happy that her friend had showed up to help her. She didn’t have a gas cylinder yet, so the only option they had was to eat out or order some food.
“Are we ordering?” Ime grabbed her phone, ready to search for nearby restaurants around her.
“Nope,” Ella winked. She explained to Ime, that there was a multipurpose canteen downstairs, ran by the caretakers in charge of cleaning and organizing the activities that went on in the lodge.
“Do they sell meatpies?” Ime circled her belly, she craved for snacks.
“Yes, they sell light snacks to heavy meals. There is a woman that runs a soup business too. That is why it is called multipurpose.” Ella replied.
Ime felt better after sharing about her ex husband. Now that her fears were gone, her appetite had returned.
“Let’s go then.” Ime braced herself up. She felt a bit anxious about meeting new faces. She briefly thought about Adrian, the guy she was crushing on. She wished she could walk into him. That would be a sign.
“Why are you smiling?” Ella had been staring at Ime’s face the whole time.
“Is it a crime to smile?” Ime ignored her friend’s penetrating gaze.
“I hope you aren’t thinking of your new bobo.” Ella laughed, feeling pleased that her friend was ready to date again.
“Of course. I am just drawn to that guy. I want to see him again o.” Ime’s smile gave birth to a laugh.
Ella liked her friend’s decision, but she also didn’t want Ime to get hurt. Her instincts told her that she had seen Adrian before, but she couldn’t place the face. She decided to search his name out on social media; the only problem was that she didn’t know his surname. She later dropped the idea and changed into Ime’s cloths. Together, they moved outside the house towards the canteen.
The owner of the lodge was a very creative man, and he had designed a canteen as another way of taking money from his tenants. It wasn’t what Ime had expected. It wasn’t shabby, but well organized. It was as large as one of the rooms in the building, but with compartments which were labeled according to the business carried out within them. There was a small shop with varying goods. Ime could spot the soup seller. She could spot a room designated for small chops, grilled meat and shawarma. There was a section for dry cleaning and hair business.
“Whoa, this landlord is very smart.” Ime chuckled.
“He must be an Igbo man.” Ella replied.
Ime scoffed, “So Igbo men are the smartest in Nigeria abi?”
“Well, given that majority of businesses are run by them, I think we can let them have that title.” She was deliberately teasing her Ibibio friend.
Ime ignored her friend and decided that she was going to have small chops and something cold to drink.
“I’ll have soups instead. Just walk over there and place the order. Let me talk to the soup woman.” Ella suggested.
Before Ime left, she couldn’t help but say her observation.
“It seems you know everyone in this place.”
“Why not? I had to be friends with them to be shown around.” Ella winked.
Ime knew that without making much effort that Ella was the social butterfly within them. She made friends easily, but it wasn’t same with Ime. Though she could come out of her shell once in a while, she wasn’t interested in a big circle. She flashed a smile to the guy behind the counter, and asked for a menu.
“Madam the madam!” The soup woman recognized Ella; she also delivered soups to the bankers at Olive Groves during their lunch hours.
“Madam Ikwo, how you dey now?” Ella wished Ime was there, so she could introduce her to someone from her place.
“I dey o. Market dey move well well. I intend to open account for ya bank soon.” The woman smiled.
“That one go better o. Any time wey you ready, just tell me wen next you come bank.” Ella advised. After the pleasantries, she ordered for two plates of pepper stew mixed with Egusi soup, and some wraps of cassava fufu. She knew that Ime would join her, and she wasn’t willing to share. The strong scent of dry fish and onions made the meal look more appealing.
The soup vendor was about to serve her customer when she caught sight of the man that had helped her once. She had tried her best to locate the man, but the caretakers made her understand that he visited the lodge once in a while.
“You see that man over there? Na him save my life one time.” The woman called Ella’s attention to the Prince. Ife had changed his mind about snacks, he had decided to take a bottle of soda drink with Pringles instead. As he marched out of the canteen, he was unaware of being watched by two women.
“How him take save your life?” Ella was perplexed by the assertion.
The soup vendor narrated how her only child had fallen ill many weeks back. Since she was widowed, and her soup business had suffered some hiccups from not being consistent which was caused by the boy’s sickness. The man had walked into her shop that day, unlike the other customers that came and left, he noticed her countenance. At first, she had been reluctant to share her problem. But when she finally did, he ordered for a plate of Eforiro soup, and had overpaid her for it. When she had tried to call him back, the man had explained that he was paying her for the future soups he would order. The truth was that the Prince wasn’t a soup person. He had only done that to help the woman.
Ella didn’t take her eyes off Ife the whole time.
“I go find way see that man very early tomorrow. Him dey behave like spirit, you see am today, you no see am another day. I must to thank him o. God go bless am.” The woman continued.
“You sabi him name?” Ella couldn’t wait to dig up.
The soup vendor shook her head, “I bin beg the caretakers dem, make dem tell me him name but dem no gree. I no sabi anytin about that man.” She explained innocently.
While she scooped the soup, Ella pulled out her phone from the pocket of the jean skirt she wore. She quickly typed ‘Adrian’ into her Google search engine. There were many suggestions, but only one caught her eye. It was an article about the secret life of Prince Ife Adrian Ige. When she clicked on it, her heart almost leapt out of her mouth.
“He is a prince,” her lips shivered. She couldn’t wait to tell Ime about her latest discovery, but she needed to read more about him to be sure he was a good guy.
“Who be Prince?” The woman had heard her proclamation.
“Nobody o, sorry.” Ella took the plates, paid the woman and fled out of the shop.

***

Goodnight guys.
Posting time tomorrow 9:am and 6PM. Love you my readers.

Hours had rolled by since she packed into her new apartment. Ime had a good eye, so her taste always came high, but in this instance, she didn’t have the strength to take in the décor of her two bedroom flat. She was distressed about the text that she had gotten from her ex husband. What terrified her more was the panic attack in the taxi; she had hoped to begin afresh in this new city, but it seemed running away from Uyo wouldn’t put an end to her problems.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the dusty floor. Her eyes roamed to the window which lacked curtains and some paint drops that had fallen to the ground; she had a lot of cleaning to do as this was a new room. But she didn’t have the motivation to rise. She was crippled by her fears. What if Victor was already here? What if he knew where she was living?
“No…” she breathed and grabbed her head with her hands.
She couldn’t continue like this. She was wild with fear, she could lose her mind. So she needed to talk to someone, and the only person who truly understood her situation without judging her was Ella. Back when she had been married to Victor, especially when the abuse had begun, it was only Ella that encouraged her to walk away while others told hr to pray and work things out. Ime blessed God daily for gifting a friend like Ella. If she had not taken Ella’s advice, maybe she would’ve been a dead woman by now.
She raised her weight towards the chanel purse that lay at her feet. Quickly, she unzipped it and took out a slender android. Her hands trembled as she stared at the dark screen. She couldn’t risk reading another text from her ex. She tossed the phone and the floor and wiped her face. Ime’s thoughts clashed. Her heart was burdened by her recent experience; she knew deep down that crying wouldn’t solve a problem. The only way to ease her burden was to share it with someone. Tired of playing coward, she grabbed the phone and swore to fight for her life should Victor show up.
“I can’t continue like this,” her voice was confident and strong. Luckily, she had no text from him, so she went straight to her contact list and dialed Ella’s number. On the second ring, she took the call. Ime was reluctant to proceed with what she had wanted to share earlier, because of the nosy background. Ella worked in the same branch of Olive Groves with her; she knew how dangerous distracting a banker was.
She was about to drop the call when Ella picked.
“Hey babe.”
Ime paused, not knowing if she should go ahead and talk about her feelings.
“Ella…” She drawled.
Ella and Ime had been friends for many years, so this familiarity made it easy for Ella to recognize the pain in her friend’s voice, she could immediately tell that something was wrong.
“What is it?” She didn’t waste any time.
It was at that point that fresh pools of tears gathered in Ime’s eyes and she couldn’t help but break down on the phone.
“Have you arrived?” Ella ignored her sobbing.
“Yes,” Ime nodded.
“I am coming to get you now, just hold on.” Ella sighed.
“But what about your job?” Ime asked.
“I’ll take permission but I’m seeing you in a few minutes.” The Olive Groves Bank they worked for was not too far from Ime’s house, so Ella had chosen the apartment well, though she lived further from the Bank. Like she had known, speaking to her friend made her feel better. Ime suddenly felt lighter, her excitement about having another shot of a new life crept back in albeit slowly but it was something to start with. Feeling strength in her bones, she slowly rose to her feet and moved towards the window. She pulled in a deep breath and stared into the street.
The Lodge where she lived was a quiet and expensive one. It was named after a Nigerian celebrity who was rumored to own the building. It had four floors, but she stayed on the second, the second room. Ime suddenly realized that she had not seen any neighbor or anyone when she had marched into the building. She had only followed information and diagrams on the walls of the main entrance to know where she belonged. Now that she had a better view of her new environment, she felt better. The street was filled with cars, and hawkers. There were many malls around too. But nothing really interested her. Ime decided to take a walk outside, hoping she could see the caretaker or anyone.
She wiped her face with a clean face towel and pulled in a deep breath. Knowing how busy bank jobs could be, she knew it could take Ella to arrive. The important thing was that Ella was coming over, and it didn’t matter how long it would take. Slowly, she turned the key and pulled the door open. From the strong scent of curry ad bay leaves, she knew she had spice loving neighbors, someone was cooking something delicious. The thought of finding new and interesting friends set a smile on her face. Ime stepped out of the house gingerly, like she was afraid something would bite her.
After locking her door, she moved towards the stairs that would lead her to the main entrance. But her eyes were on the marble floor, so she failed to notice the tall stranger that ascended towards her floor. And the tall stranger had been fiddling with his phone, in hopes to seal a business contract, so he had failed to see the woman approaching. The clash occurred like lightning, in a few seconds. It was only then they realized what had happened.
“Ouch!” Ime held her face and quickly moved away from the handsome stranger.
Ife had not seen this coming. His forehead had clashed with a side of her face, and he could tell that she was in great pain as her face reddened.
“I…I am sorry.” He turned his attention to the beautiful woman, whom he had never seen before. The more he tried to place her face, the more confused that he got. He guessed she was someone’s guest.
“I am sorry too.” Ime flashed an uneasy smile. She didn’t find the strength to take her eyes off the attractive male. His golden brown eyes had a kindness about them, his flat nose was created to fit his angular face. Her eyes travelled first to the bushy brows that crowned his forehead, before moving to the pinkish lips that seemed soft. Something moved in her for the first time in many months that she had left her husband. Here she was, ogling a complete stranger. Ime realized that she had not admired any man since discovering that her husband was an undercover beast from hell. Slowly, she began to see most men in the same light. Even this one before her, had a beast in him.
Ife could feel her lusty eyes wandering over him. He was used to this kind of treatment from ladies. If they weren’t asking him out, they would try to gain his attention. He had no problem with that, but many of those women did that to seduce him into their beds and find their way to the royal family. As he had shared with the Queen earlier, he was not getting married anytime soon, and nothing could change that. He wasn’t offended by Ime’s adoration of him, it was a good thing to be admired such a beautiful woman. She had a cute face with delicate features, her lush lips were the most valued. He loved the way she had tweaked her hair into curls, it seemed natural and he was a sucker for natural hair. That was one of the reasons that he had started his dreads.
“Um…my name is Ime.” She reached out with her hands for a shake.
“That’s nice to know.” He collected her hand, not knowing how to respond. He had no friends here, only the caretakers knew his true identity and when they had confronted him, he had paid them to be quiet. Nobody could ever know that he was Prince Ife Ige. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide from Ime, but he couldn’t think of a name. So he flashed a smile and stared blindly into her lovely eyes.
Just then, the duo heard the clicks of a woman’s heels ascending towards the corridor where they stood. The prince gently released her hand and stepped back as he noticed another woman. Ime was a bit bothered that he had not shared his name, it made her wonder if she was being intrusive.
“I just moved in here…” she ignored her inner critic.
“Really?” For some reason, he felt excited. He had assumed she had come visiting. How nice it was to have a cute neighbor.
“Welcome then! I should make you a cake or a pie. Which do you like?” Ife asked with a gleeful smile.
“I am not a fan of cakes or pies.” Ime chuckled; the rich sound filled his ears and added a fluttering feeling to his chest. It had been a long time a woman had this powerful effect on him. He was smiling like a school boy speaking to his crust the first time.
Ime was willing to prolong the conversation, but it was rude to leave her friend standing on the stairs.
“I have to go now. But you still haven’t said your name.”
“Adrian. Call me Adrian.” He replied. Ife wasn’t lying as that was his second name, thought not popular.
“Thanks, I hope to see you around.” Ime waved as he turned towards the wing that would lead to his room.
“I hope so too.” He waved back.
Ella had been on the stairs, staring at the two in wonder. First, she had never seen that handsome guy in the lodge before. Secondly, his face was oddly familiar. She could swear that she had seen him before, but she couldn’t place where or when. She decided to keep the latter detail to herself. What excited her about this whole thing was the smiles she caught on her best friend’s face.
“Hey, are you done staring at your lover?” Ella teased.
Ime’s cheeks pinked in embarrassment. She hadn’t realized her friend had noticed it.
“Oh spare me! That guy is hot!” Ime laughed.
“I agree. He was checking you out too…” Ella continued to move upwards until she was at the same level with her friend.
They paused and stared at each other for what seemed like minutes. Ime couldn’t put her gratitude in words. Ella had done so much for her. She had gone out of her way to put things in place for her.
“Thank you!” Ime rushed forward and hugged her friend.
“You would do the same for me.” Ella kissed her hair and returned the hug.
When the hug session ended, they moved into the house. Ime couldn’t stop talking about Adrian, and how cute his golden eyes were. His hair was another element that fascinated her. She was drawn to him at first sight, and she couldn’t pretend about it.
“How about asking him out since you like him so much?” Ella took off her heels and placed her bag gently on a chair. There was a lot of cleaning to do, and she intended to help her friend settle in.
“Wouldn’t that be too fast? I don’t even know him. What if he has a girlfriend? What if he doesn’t like me like that? And…” She paused as she remembered her ex husband. Ime had fallen deeply for Victor, she had trusted him with her life, and he had almost ruined it. Her silence was well understood by Ella. Ella sighed and moved towards her friend, while ignoring the coldness of the tiles that ate under her feet. She had come for this sole reason; to comfort her friend, and she hoped that Ime would be willing to listen to her.
“You cannot continue like this. You now fear men because of Victor. Can’t you see that you are trying to make your life about him? Can’t you see that he is hindering you? You have to break free and trust another.” She advised.
Ime accepted this, “But what do I do when Victor wouldn’t stay away from my life? He is bent on making me a miserable woman, and I don’t know how else to help myself.”
Ella raised a brow, “I don’t understand.” Ime carefully explained that while in taxi, she had received a threat from her ex husband; that alone was strong enough to trigger lots of memories. That had plunged her into another deep of sadness. When Ella absorbed everything she had heard, she now understood why her friend had been sobbing over the phone.
“Fighting the wounds of domestic violence isn’t easy. It is not a one-woman’s job. You need to speak to a therapist Ime, or you’ll keep moving in circles.” Ella moved closer to her and placed a hand on Ime’s shoulder. Ime scoffed, she had heard this suggestion of therapy more than a hundred times. Frankly, she didn’t want to do it. Therapy wasn’t popular in this part of the world.
“And how do you think people would see me if they ever find out that I once visited a shrink at one time in my life?” Ime rolled her eyes. It was a perfect idea alright, but she wasn’t buying it.
“Why would you want to depend on people a second time to make something out of your life? Your family and other friends had advised you to stay and pray for Victor, what if you had listened to them? Why hadn’t you listened to them? If you had the courage to walk out of a young marriage, then seeing a therapist is nothing compared to being a divorcee!”
Ella’s words sank in deeply. Her words were like precious stones sinking into a deep puddle. She couldn’t deny the truth in her friend’s words. Ime loved her and cared about her. She wanted positive outcomes for her.
“You have a week of rest before you resume work with us. If you do not prioritize your mental health, you may not function with the stress that comes with banking. You need to make a decision. What if you had no friend to call? You would’ve slipped into depression, and that is how suicide problems begin.” Ella was bent on making her friend see the importance of getting professional help.
Ime’s tears glided smoothly, following a concise path on her plump cheeks. A minute ago, she had been excited about the new guy she had met, now she was sobbing like a child. She knew deep down that she now had trust issues about men, she was stuck in pain, and it seemed difficult to take care of.
“You need to give me your word Ime. You need to fight for your mental health.” Ella’s fingers roamed her back, drawing invisible circles, all in an attempt to focus.
Ime sniffed and wiped her face, “I don’t know any doctor here.” She was willing to give it a shot.
Ella’s round face split into two as she welcomed a smile. The melanin fringe goddess tossed her hair back as she held tighter to her friend’s back. She couldn’t believe that Ella had finally taken her advice.
“I have a doctor friend, so he could connect us with a good therapist.” Ella was optimistic things would work out fine.
“Are my doing the right thing?” Ime whispered.
“Yes you are.” Ella was sure of it.
“What about Victor? What do we do with him?” Ime wished there was a way to keep that man out of her life permanently.
To this, Ella had nothing immediate to say. But she was determined to lay down her life just to keep her best friend safe. She was that protective of Ime. Many people didn’t understand why their friendship ran so deep, but Ella knew best. Ime’s parents had been rich once before their business crumbled, and their lives were forever changed. Ella had grown up with an evil stepfather and a mother who cared less of her existence. It was Ime that had come to her rescue severally especially when it came to financial matters. It was her turn to care for Ime.
“Ignore his messages or change your line if you can.”
“I can’t change my sim, the bank have it.”
“Then ignore him, while we lie in wait. If he tries anything funny, we will find evidence and report him to the police.” Ella assured her friend of what she had din store of her ex. All Victor needed was to step forward, instead of hiding behind text messages.
“Thank you.” Ime’s fears and worries were finally gone. Her head was clear. She could now unpack, and fix herself something to eat, while thinking of Adrian.

CHAPTER TWO-

***

Although Nigeria was a democratic state, there was still a chasm for traditional monarchy, a system which was still revered and honored by many. This made the King of Lagos, Oba Afolayan Tope Ige one of the most powerful men in Nigeria; as an educated monarch, he had the loyalty of his subjects and the respect of many Nigerians. The Oba was equally a very wealthy man, he had been knee deep in the crude oil business, even before he had been asked to take the throne of his fathers. The prestigious Ige family, ruled and reigned in the Yoruba lands, and some of their decisions indirectly affected the whole country. The Oba was blessed with five children, he was naturally monogamous and he wouldn’t take other wives as insisted by his chiefs in council. He had two sons and three daughters, but the one that stood out and took after his business kinetics was his third child and second son, Prince Ife Adrian Ige. He was not just loved by the King, but by all his subjects.
“Why is Ife not here?” The queen searched the faces of those on the table. It was a family tradition to have breakfast together, one that she had initiated herself, and she wouldn’t allow royalty to destroy the bond that she had with her family. Though all her children were married, except for Ife, they still lived in the expansive estate that was a renovation of the old palace, built by their father. It pleased her to be around her children and grandchildren.
“Do we have to wait for him?” Princess Lola rolled her eyes. Lola was the second child and first daughter, and she wasn’t friends with Ife; they always had disagreements. The plump light skinned beauty adjusted the diamond ring on her finger as she felt her husband’s foot under the table. The man had always tried to intervene in the sibling quarrel, but Lola would never listen to him.
“You don’t have to be rude about it.” Princess Kari chipped in. Kari was the fourth one. She was the hot headed one, and she usually disagreed with her mother. Kari had refused to live in the palace with her family to avoid her mother, but her husband had rented a luxurious duplex close to the King’s palace; this was the only way she could have breakfast with her family every day.
Prince Olulade, the first prince and the heir to the throne fiddled with his phone, unconcerned about the queen’s preoccupation with his younger brother, whom he envied greatly by the way. Though Olulade was assured of the throne by virtue of his position as first born, he was not comfortable with Ife’s achievements.
“Can I start eating while we wait for senior bro?” Teni winked. As the last child of the King, and the youngest princess, she always received special favors from her parents and older siblings. Her favorite siblings were Ife and Kari. While Lola and Olulade stood against the rest.
The King was in a meeting with some government officials, and Ife knew about this. This was the reason he had delayed a bit before heading down the stairs for breakfast. As he descended the stairs of the pristine mansion, he could feel the adulating eyes of the female servants on him. Yes, he was not just everyone’s favorite for a reason. Ife was blessed with brains and beauty. He had decided to dress simply today, he was never a fan of the royal flamboyance. He wore a simple jean and black polo that highlighted his caramel complexion. His chestnut eyes glowed with amusement as he neared the table, he could hear his siblings arguing about him. And from the look on his mother’s face, she wasn’t too happy that he had delayed their breakfast.
“Good morning everyone!” Ife threw his hands into the air. Nobody answered.
“Can we eat now?” Olulade finally spoke.
“Some people really need to learn simple manners!” Lola grabbed a fork and pulled the plate of plantain porridge close to her.
While the adults shared a table, the grandchildren had a special parlor built for them. They ate under the supervision of other royal family members.
Ife knew the siblings that were loyal to him. He knew that his brother resented him, but he didn’t care. Olulade was an arrogant and self centered prince; he had been pampered silly by the queen. He had gotten into lots of trouble while they were younger, but Ife had a clean record. The King had naturally grown fonder of the child who never gave him trouble. What broke the relationship between the princes was when Ife had caught Olulade trying to rape one of the maids in the palace; Ife had intervened and saved the girl. Olulade had seen this as a great insult on his person. He had refused to speak to his brother from that day. This had happened two years back.
“Good morning!” The spouses of his siblings answered his greeting.
He flashed a smile, “Thank you.” Just then, his eyes clashed with that of his sister-in-law, Bose. Quickly, he looked away and focused on his plate.
“So what took you so long?” The Queen asked.
“I was speaking to my Spanish business partners.” Ife explained that he had not stayed away from the family tradition deliberately. When she heard this, her frown lessened and her eyes glowed with pride for her son. Though she had exalted Olulade above all, time had proven that the more of the promising princes was Ife. He reminded her of the King when he was younger. They shared a powerful resemblance and the same business intelligence.
“What would you like to eat?” The Queen decided to pamper him a bit.
“I am getting jealous.” Princess Teni rolled her eyes.
“It seems mummy has a new baby.” Princess Kari chuckled.
“Or perhaps she hopes Ife would take her with him to Spain.” Princess Lola cut in rudely.
Ife ignored his annoying sister. He focused on the other two, Teni and Kari, the ones that always got his back.
“I can’t wait for you to bring a wife home. That would be my proudest moment.” The Queen ignored the teasing from her daughters. They had a point, she was growing fonder of Ife because his exploits were promoting the royal family.
Ife chuckled when he heard this, “I am not ready for marriage now. I still have plans to extend the business.” He ran his fingers through his short dreads which he had just started blooming six months back. He rested his back against the chair and fixed his gaze on the queen. He could smell something mischievous coming from the woman.
“You always use work as an excuse. You will be thirty seven this year.” His mother replied.
“Three years to forty,” Princess Kari winked.
Ife laughed at their jokes. He wasn’t simply interested in finding a wife. He was okay with having sex and moving on, he didn’t want to commit.
“I will find you a wife whether you like it or not.” The Queen was determined.
“Now that would be very fun,” Ife chuckled, hoping that she was joking.
He finally settled on his food choice; he wanted chicken pepper soup with some yam chops. He intended to wash things down with a hot cup of green tea, before returning to work. Ife thought of the house he had rented a year ago. He hadn’t told anyone except Teni and Kari about it. The house was far away from the palace, and it was his hideout from all the demanding lifestyle of being a royal. Whenever he visited the house, he felt like a normal person. Many of the neighbors had no idea of who he was, and that was perfect. Being a prince was tiring, and he couldn’t stay at the palace at all times.
The rest of the breakfast was quiet as everyone concentrated on the deliciousness of the meals they had chosen. When Ife was finished, he rose to his feet and kissed his mother. He waved at his sisters and decided to retire to his bedroom. He would see them later in the day, but he needed to finalize his business deal with the Spanish team.
“Won’t you say hello to your father?” The Queen called out.
Ife paused, it was not in his plan to see the King, but he couldn’t disobey the woman.
“I will do that right away, but if he is busy, I will leave word with the guards.”
When Olulade heard this, he felt pissed. The Queen had made it seem like it was a taboo for them to speak to the king while he was in a meeting, why was she making exceptions for Ife?
“You shouldn’t go there!” Olulade barked.
“Why is that?” Ife calmly cast a glance towards his brother. He carefully avoided his wife’s penetrating brown eyes.
“It is not right to see the King when he has visitors.” Olulade supplied.
“Okay,” Ife nodded. He ignored his brother’s words and proceeded towards the throne room. He marched majestically towards the empty hallway that stopped at a brown metallic door which opened into the throne room. As he strolled, he couldn’t help but take in the beauty of the palace. The pristine walls had different paintings of deities on them. Though his father was a Christian, he couldn’t help but depict the history and origin of the Yoruba tribe in art. When he was younger, he felt the paintings and the numerous sculptures scattered at each corner of the palace were alive; he felt their eyes on him each time, but he never told anyone of his experience.
The palace had a conical shaped roof, which further beautified the positioning of the elongated chandeliers and expensive silvery bulbs that hung on metallic suspenders. Servants and guards stood at each point, bowing and murmuring greetings. One of the reasons he hated the palace was responding to more than a hundred greetings daily; Ife was simply not cut out for this life.
He was almost close to the throne room when he heard someone call his name.
“Ife!”
His heart missed beat when he heard Bose’s voice. At first, he had wanted to ignore her as usual, but he decided to be patient. Bose was a princess from one of the lesser kingdoms, under the Ige monarchy. He had fallen in love with the hazel eyed beauty when they were just teenagers. Everyone had assumed they would end together when they entered the university, but Bose played a fast one on him. She had only been using him to get closer to his elder brother who was the heir; she had dreamed of being a queen, the only way to achieve that was to catch Olulade’s eyes. He had been completely heartbroken when he had found out from Kari about their affair. Ife had been tempted to confront her, but he had changed his mind. Though his parents had questioned his position about Bose’s relationship with the older prince, Ife had made it clear that he no longer loved her, and she could marry his brother. But deep within, he was hurting. Though he had made peace with the fact that she was his brother’s wife, he found it difficult to stare at those eyes that had brought him so many promises.
“Yes?” His back was to her.
“Um, good morning,” she stuttered. Bose lived in guilt and unhappiness. Olulade was a far cry from the perfect Ife, and she regretted being married to him every day of her life, but there was nothing she could do to change it.
“Mayowa has been asking of you. Her fifth birthday is coming up…and I thought you could spend some time with her as her uncle.” Bose said.
“I am sorry for Olulade’s behavior.”
Ife released a sigh. He could tell that Bose was desperately trying to be close to him, but he had made up his mind about her.
“I am very busy. I won’t be back to the palace until tomorrow.” He didn’t wait for her to utter another word before resuming his walk to meet with the king. Bose’s eyes brimmed with tears of emotional torment and pain. She had made the greatest mistake in marriage, and that was the mistake of choosing Olulade over Ife.
***

CHAPTER ONE-

Mondays weren’t her favorite days, so she had chosen to relocate to Lagos on Tuesday. Ime had just received a transfer letter from her bank; the Olive Groves Bank management had decided to make some changes in their administration. While many of her colleagues’ appointments had been terminated, she had been transferred to the headquarters because of her diligence and hard work. The thirty two year old lady was familiar with her new environment; this wasn’t her first time in Lagos. She properly guided the taxify driver to the new apartment that had been rented for her by her best friend, Ella, who was also based in Lagos.
Two hours had passed after leaving the airport, yet she was still stuck on the road. The brown skinned beauty leaned her head against the window of the backseat and pulled out her phone. But not before running her eyes around the street. There was a serious hold-up, and this was one of the reasons she despised the city of Excellence, as compared to her the quiet city of Uyo. She pulled in a deep breath to calm her nerves, while working her phone with her fingers. Ime decided to check her email and watsapp messages before thinking of the next step to take. The first notification she received was from an unknown number, her heart skipped as she read the words: You have not seen the last of me. You think you have won.
“Driver?” She quickly tossed her phone into her purse. She couldn’t read the text further. Suddenly, her lungs tightened and she found it difficult to breathe. Ime was having a panic attack, but the poor driver had no idea of what it was.
“Madam, you dey okay?” He swirled round and faced her but she could not longer hear him. Her face was drained of blood, her eyes reddened and she was gasping for breath. Fear gripped her heart as images of her violent ex-husband rushed through her mind. One of the reasons she had taken the transfer without complain was to avoid bumping into Victor as Uyo was a very small town.
She remembered the first day she had met him. He had been one of the richest customers. He started by giving her tips, which she rejected at first; but when he made his intentions clear, she collected them. Their relationship progressed. Victor had been everything to her. He had been the perfect husband that all women could dream off. It wasn’t just about his attractiveness, because the ebony skinned man could turn heads whenever he walked into the room. Victor was a complete gentleman. He could do his cooking and cleaning. He always prepared hot meals for her after late returns from work. He helped with her laundry, and gave her delicate massages whenever she was stressed. He had been unapologetically generous too. The truth was that it was difficult not to like a man like Victor. So she had fallen for him, and the façade he had presented. She soon learned of his nature, as his beastly nature came to life within a few months of their marriage.
She had been dropped off by a male colleague who was married. Victor had seen her coming down from the man’s car. Ime had gladly rushed towards the door, hoping to meet another hot meal in waiting and perhaps a massage. Being married to the best man in the world had given her confidence, it had also changed her beliefs about men in general. So it had been very confusing when Victor raised his voice at her, something he had never done.
“Who was that guy?”
“Um, my colleague. Any problem?” She threw her bag carelessly on the couch, while wondering what had gotten her husband so upset.
“What did you make for dinner baby? Aren’t you going to welcome me?” She flashed a sweet smile.
“Are you fucking him?” Victor blurted out. At once, the smile faded from her face. Ime had thought her ears misled her. But when he repeated his question, she called him to order. It wasn’t long before a sharp slap landed on her face. That slap had set the course for numerous violent encounters with her husband. At first, she had tried to please him. She discovered that Victor was extremely jealous. He had cloned her social media accounts and her phone. He knew whom she called and texted at all times. And whenever she returned home, he would smell her clothes, in search of a foreign scent as he shopped for her perfumes himself. She had tried to submit to his weird desires, but the beating sonly increased. She wore heavy make-ups to hide her bruises, but he took it too far when he locked her in their bedroom for three days. After she escaped that, she filed for divorce. Some of her friends and family members, especially her mother had felt she was crazy for filing for divorce. Ime came from a very humble background, so Victor had been the perfect son-in-law who would lift her family out of poverty.
“What will people say about us?” Her mother had asked.
“Don’t you think you should pray for him? Why can’t you stop provoking him?” She continued.
Her mother was a very materialistic woman, and Ime remembered her countless affairs with different men after her father had been sacked from the cocoa factory he had been working with. Though he was still alive, her parents were no longer together.
“Why don’t you leave her alone? It is her life and she deserves to make the best choices!” Her father had cut in angrily.
Whether her parents had accepted or not, Ime had made up her mind to leave her toxic marriage. She had evidence against her husband, so it had been very easy for the judge to annul the union. She had been naïve to think that Victor would let her be; but he only continued stalking her. Slowly, the fear of her ex husband transitioned into a full blown problem, one that she was still suffering now. He had not harmed her in any way, but the memories of his violent behavior triggered the greatest manifestation of fear within her.
“Madam! Abeg no die o! No do this kind tin!” The Uber driver pushed the door to his side open and rushed to the back.
At this point, Ime was gasping for breath. Her mind kept travelling to the darkest part of her memory, the place where her ex husband was buried. Tears rolled down her cheeks as awareness kicked into her. She knew what was happening to her, but she couldn’t help it. Her brain was glued to a particular narrative, and she didn’t know how to help herself. She only found strength when the driver opened her side of the door, and a flood of warm air rushed into the car. It was at that point that the panic attack faded, and she regained consciousness.
Tears splashed on her cheeks as she sobbed. She had broken her sim cards severally, yet he always found a way to contact her.
“Stay away from me!” She broke into sobs. Her murmuring further scared the driver. The middle aged man considered her a lunatic. He wished there was a way to drop her at her destination as he didn’t want trouble on his hands. Luck was on his side that particular day, the hold-up eased. He sighed with relief and rushed back to his seat.
“Madam close the door abeg!” He fired the engine and drove off.
Ime threw her head back and wiped her face. Again, she had made a complete fool of herself before a stranger. She knew the man would think she was crazy or something. The only person she had shared her fears and concern with was Ella, and Ella had encouraged her to see a psychiatrist. Ime was adamant, because she didn’t want therapy to be on her medical record. She didn’t want to be stigmatized. She folded her arms across her belly and closed her eyes through the journey. Her eyes only cracked open when she no longer felt the soothing movement of the car, which was followed by a rather rude command.
“Madam get down!”

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CHAPTER TWO
She heard his deep voice calling out to her, but it was too late. She could never walk back to that place where the wound that she was trying to mend had broken again. So Andre had come to Mepples too, and with the woman he had replaced her with? The thought of Andre running his hands lovingly, and planting seeds of delicate kisses on his wife’s to be forehead inspired a fresh blood rush. It was only when the cool of the AC had faded from her skin, and quickly replaced by an aggressive burning that she realized she was under the gaze of the scorching sun.
“Shit!” Her teeth clamped her lower lip as she recalled the embarrassment. Now she wasn’t even worried about the attractive guy that offered to pay for her, but more about Andre who must have seen her looking so desolate!
How could she ever forget him? How could she let go of all they had shared through the years? How could Andre move on just like that? They had been in a relationship right from their University days, and now he was walking away without looking back. A sharp pain cut through her chest as she remembered him visiting her home, a far cry from the high quality structure that was Umoh’s mansion.
“He is not yours Mma. Can’t you see that you’re from two different worlds? He is up there, dining with kings and…we are…” her younger sister had been the only pessimistic one about their relationship. A small laugh started at the corner of her lips as she thought of Mkpouto, the baby of the house yet she had so much wisdom.
Her sister was right after all. Andre had started by ignoring her calls, and taking forever to reply to her messages. If only she had read the handwriting on the wall, she would’ve been bold enough to scurry away with whatever was left of her fragile heart. But the more he ignored her, she chased after him. The more that he rejected her, she clung to the memories of love in the past.
Edima was still staring into the yellow distance when her left thigh vibrated sharply. She reached out to her left pocket and grabbed the phone. Kelly was calling. At first, she had wanted to ignore her best friend’s call, but Kelly would sense that something had gone wrong. Kelly had pressured her to step out of the house after learning that Andre was getting married in a few weeks to a co-worker as they all worked for the Umohs.
As Edima took the call, she decided that maybe it was also time to resign so she wouldn’t have to see his face, and his new darling.
“Hi babe, how did your outing go?” Kelly’s treble seemed like a bell chiming from a distance. She seemed happy. Fair enough, Kelly was known to be a cheerful sweetheart, but Edima was better at reading people.
“What’s making you bubbly?” Her left eyebrow tiptoed in wonder. Also, she wanted to shift the focus from her experience.
“I found us both a job.” Kelly blurted out.
“Liar!” Edima rolled her eyes. Before the whole problem with Andre, the girls had enjoyed working at Royal Coins, one of the branches of the microfinance bank owned by the Umohs. Through Andre’s help and recommendation, they had gotten slots, he was that generous!
“Edima…” Kelly inhaled deeply. She wasn’t a fool to recognize that they were no longer wanted at the bank. Certainly Andre would fire them sooner or later, it was better to walk away with one’s dignity intact.
“I get your point…so what’s this new job about?” Edima felt slightly lighter now that she realized that there was something else to keep her distracted from thoughts of Andre.
Kelly was about to say something when the connection suddenly broke. Edima’s firm gritting of her teeth in frustration could break nuts to pulp. She was still staring at the screen, angry that the device was drained of energy when a sudden force hit her from behind.
“Ouch…” Edima grumbled.
The gigantic figure that hit her walked past with two huge cartons without looking back, and acknowledging the pain that she had caused another.
“Gorilla!” Edima’s small nasal passages flared in indignation.
Sensing that the animalistic description was for her, the thick dark skinned woman paused, swirled around and stared at the mousy brown woman.
“I no blame you!” She sneered back. Before Edima could come up with another response, the thick madam had entered into a black car which moved swiftly away. Now she was alone now. The anger was gone, and a feeling of despair took over her mind. As she waved down an orange tricycle, Edima knew she wouldn’t survive the evening alone. She had to stop at Kelly’s place.

The brown skinned woman inhaled the sweetness of the air as she climbed out of the tricycle. Her nostrils flared as the scent of freshly fried popcorn seemed to dominate the atmosphere. It was a beautiful day. The sun wasn’t too angry or too sad, just a radiant yellow that was enough for the blues of the skies to pop out. Maybe this was a sign, maybe it was time to let go of Andre. She had loved him with all of her heart, and done things that were against her beliefs. But he was getting married to another woman, the woman that was in the same workplace as she was.
Gently, Edima marched towards the latest supermarket in the city of Uyo. So much had changed within three weeks! Yes, she had taken three weeks off from work, and everything else to clear her head.
“Welcome Madam,” a thickset security officer flashed his kola-nut stained teeth.

“Welcome to Mepples Supermarket!” He repeated, almost zealously. Edima scoffed, ignored his greeting and moved further into the orange and white building. Indeed Mepples was worth the hype. Her hands travelled deeper into the pocket of her jeans as the chilly wind from the AC swayed from side to side.
Absent mindedly, she moved towards the section nearest to her. But suddenly paused to take in the complexity of the ambience. Her eyes sparkled in wonder as she stared at the glistening silver bulbs that dangled from the roof. The floors sparkled and reflected the face of a sad woman. Eager to prove that she had gotten over him, she continued walking. Thankfully, she found a basket and randomly began to stack it with different items.
Satisfied, she marched towards the counter.
“20,000,” the salesgirl offered after taking stock of everything.
Edima quickly unzipped her clutch. She narrowed her eyes as she stared at the empty state of the purse.
“Ma, please you’re taking too much time!” The salesgirl was looking at fifteen other people that were directly behind this woman.
“Um…I…” Edima bit her lip. She was certain she came out with money. What had happened to her money? She was still cracking her brain when a rich aroma of tobacco and brandy danced into her nostrils. As a lover of perfumes, she had a good nose, and could tell the wearer had to be a middle aged millionaire. Because Dreams Haven was one of the most expensive perfumes in the world, and she had gotten the opportunity to inhale it from…the man who shattered her heart. Andre had pulled her into his world, and dumped her like she didn’t matter.
“The bill is on me.” The baritone rumbled in her ears.
When Edima tilted her head backwards, she held her breath.
“Andre?” Her heart jolted in excitement, but her joy faded as she realized he wasn’t talking to her, but to the charming woman that she had once called friend, Ella.
“I’ll pay for her,” another voice followed.
Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the handsome stranger. Why was he offering to help her? What did he want from her?
“I don’t need you to pay for me. I can handle this on my own.” She fired, trying to save what was left of her pride. Before he could say something else, Edima did the unthinkable.
“Hey! Wait! I’ve paid!” The dark stranger kept calling at the fleeing woman who had stirred something within him from the moment she had walked into Mepples. But it was too late. She was gone.

PART THREE

The women had just arrived at the Blue Mountain resort. The area was significantly different from the other part of the city, chiefly because it was located near the sea, and it was also surrounded by trees. The scenic beauty was overwhelming. As Wura and Idongesit marched towards an outdoor tent made from bamboo sticks, they couldn’t help but inhale the drugging scent of the sea; their ears tingled to the sound of the sweet music produced by the rhythmic clashing of the waves. The tropical palm trees and other colorful plants that sprouted swayed side to side, producing a wonderful chill that made the women comfortable as they waited inside the tent.

“That guy is so handsome,” Idongesit started. She still wondered why Wura had helped me. Her best friend was an angel, and people had trampled upon that kindness. It also surprised her that Wura had not spoken about the guy since they’d left the restaurant.
Wura placed her fingers on the table and tapped it gently. Idongesit was right. The guy had been extremely handsome, that was the attraction, but she hadn’t helped me to gain anything. She’d simply saved his face, and he’d been an ass instead of showing gratitude. She waved the matter aside and pulled out a file which contained the script written form of her story: Shadows at sunset. The book had been so good that it’d attracted the famous television network. She couldn’t wait for her movie to be turned into a movie; that would boost her writing resume and increase the expansion of the magazine.

“You’ve never told me who your best character is…” Idongesit noticed that her friend wasn’t interested in talking about the guy from the restaurant.

Wura’s lips parted for a dry laugh.
“I don’t really know…I don’t think I have one. It’s easier for the readers to have a favorite. I just have to work closely with all my characters, they make the story important.”

The book portrayed two lovers- Ireti and Obinna. It was a contemporary African Romance fiction. It bought many hearts, because Ireti was the average African woman who’d sacrificed everything for the man she’d loved. She’d sold a kidney for her ex to travel outside the country, but he’d dumped her once he’d crossed over. It was difficult for her to find love after that, until Obinna came along.

“I know you like Betty,” Wura winked. In the story, Betty was Ireti’s best friend. She had so much in common with Idongesit, which made her feel Wura was basing this story on her life…and what she called her ‘limitation.’

Wura closed the file and looked around. The area they occupied was filled with scanty people, while the car was parked outside. The meeting was supposed to have taken place fifteen minutes ago at this tent, but she hadn’t seen anyone from the network company. She was about disclosing her worries to her friend when her phone rang.

She blinked confusedly as she stared at the number across the phone. The repeated caller had no idea that she didn’t have this number on her phone.

“I don’t know this number…” she dropped it on the table.
“You don’t have to. That’s your business line.” Idongesit encouraged her to take the call. Wura picked up the phone reluctantly.

When she did, she thought his voice was the richest baritone she’d ever heard. His words flowed smoothly, and the sound of it tickled her ears.
“Good afternoon Ms. Umoh.”
“Hello, please who am I speaking with?”
“My name is Femi Cardoso and I am the head of Greenville Productions. I called to let you know that my company would be working on transitioning your story into a movie.”
Wura shifted uncomfortably when she learnt of this. She remembered entering into agreement with the Television Network.

“How is that possible? The Television Network never told me anything about this handover.” She complained.

“They aren’t able to handle the contract currently because they can’t afford it. They didn’t want to disappoint you. Why don’t you give us a chance? We’re really good?”

Wura was no longer interested in the deal.

“I’ve been at the Blue Mountain Resort for some minutes now, hoping that a meeting for the movie would hold. I think I am losing interest…”

“Please don’t! I’ll meet you there in thirty minutes. Please give me a chance to work with you, and if I fail, you can cancel the plan. Just a chance…”

Wura sighed, “Okay, just hurry.”

“What happened?” Idongesit raised her brows, noticing the look of disappointment in her friend’s face. Something was definitely wrong, and it had everything to do with the meeting.

Wura felt upset that the Television network had no courtesy to tell her they’d shifted the project to Greenville productions. She felt undermined, and undervalued. If she hadn’t agreed to meet with the stranger, she would’ve canceled the project and focused on finding another story to feed her readers.

“There’s a little problem…” she sighed. Wura loosened the buttons of her silky shirt, so she could partake in the freshness of the air. At this point, she didn’t care much about looking formal, her mind was completely gone from this project. She leaned forward to explain the situation to Idongesit, when she noticed a tall man walking towards their tent. He had on sunshades, so it was difficult to tell anything about his appearance. But she observed the beige shirt he wore, it was too familiar; she could swear that she’d seen someone wear that.

“What?” Idongesit noticed her eyes were fixed on the stranger approaching them.

“Um…I think I know him from somewhere.” She replied. Idongesit recognized him in one swift gaze. She had a better memory when it came to recalling identities. She drummed her fingers on the table separating them and flashed a mischievous smile.

“Isn’t that the guy from the Turskish restaurant?”

Wura’s heart skipped. His dark gaze would haunt her another time. Was he following her?

Femi’s majestic entrance had fizzled at the sight of the elegant woman that had saved his face at the restaurant. After making the call to the writer of Sundown of Shadows, and receiving directions of the writer’s location. He’d hurried down immediately. The Blue Mountain lodge wasn’t a strange place to him, so locating the woman he’d spoken with on phone wasn’t a difficult feat, but he’d suddenly lost his enthusiasm. From the look on her face, she was as surprised as he was, and she seemed to be talking about him with her friend. He hoped she wasn’t broadcasting to everyone that she’d paid his bills, when he’d actually forgotten his wallet at home.

“He is,” Wura’s lips moved swiftly as Femi was coming closer.
“What are you going to do?” Idongesit frowned a little. What did this guy want with her friend?
“I don’t know, let’s just keep our fingers crossed.” Wura decided she wouldn’t rush into assumptions. She would be patient with him.

Femi released the breath he held when he reached the tent. He pulled back a chair at their table and settled in quickly. He flashed a smile at them, but they didn’t return it, they stared at him in wonder.

“Good day everyone…” he sighed.

“I assume you’re Ms. Wura Umoh and you’re the writer of Sundown of Shadows. I am Femi Cardoso, the head of Greenville productions and I request for a few minutes of your time.”

Wura was shocked.
“Femi Cardoso?” She repeated his name.
“Yes…the very same.” He nodded.
His name was quite familiar, maybe it was the surname which was a reminder of the man that had betrayed her father. Femi was now certain where he’d seen her. Wura was a celebrity, and her curvaceous body had endeared many male admirers including him. His family had always teased him about his fondness for curvy women. Now that she had asked for his name, it bothered him, because he also knew of the friction that had existed between their fathers.
The truth was that Deji Cardoso wasn’t an innocent man. Although his siblings tried to cover up for the old man, Femi had never wanted to be part of an empire built with lies and betrayals. This was the reason he’d left the family business to start his own business. He prospered at filmmaking, and he had great plans to establish his hegemony in Africa.

“What makes you think you can handle this job?” Wura was disappointed that the more popular network had rejected her movie and handed over to this newbie.

Femi could sense the irritation in her voice.
“I never asked for it. They are currently having financial problems and can’t afford to work on a massive project. I know you don’t trust me…but just give it a try.”

Wura scoffed, “My father once trusted, and it almost cost him many years of hard work. I don’t mix business with emotions. Can I see your resume?” She asked stiffly, even Idongesit was alarmed, wondering what had gotten into her friend.

Femi unzipped his bag, his fingers fumbled over some papers before he found a file. She collected it, and perused through. His network was young, and promising. Though he had shot some movies, none was a hit. She wanted her book to be made into a series that would shake the world. It would do her no good to work with a novice.

“I am sorry, I can’t work with you. I’ll have to put this project on hold.” She pushed her chair back and rose. Femi’s smile had faded as he was filled with disappointment. The lady wasn’t willing to give him a chance even after going through his resume.
“Is this because I didn’t appreciate you for paying my bill?” He shouted after her.
Wura bit her lip and paused.
“What if it is because of that? I can’t work with someone who forgets or pretends to forget his wallet somewhere, and refuses to say thank you to the one who helps him out.” She grinned after saying this.
He could see that she was clearly angry with him. Femi was certain that shooting her story would propel him to the limelight he sought. He wanted the world to know that people didn’t always have to rely on their family businesses to succeed. He was building a new wall, for others to climb. Wura’s story appealed to him from the first time he read the script.
“I am sorry then, but you can’t turn me away because of that!” He threw his hands over his head.
Wura scoffed, “Have a blessed day Mr. Cardoso. I have other things to consider.”
He watched as the women walked briskly away without an extra glance at his direction. This was certainly the worst day of his life. Having to face humiliation at the restaurant, and being rejected without even receiving the benefit of doubt.
Femi sank into the chair and pulled out his phone. His brows crashed in a frown when he noticed the caller. It was his childhood friend, Bimbo. He wasn’t pleased with her incessant calling after his mother suggested that he court her towards marriage. At one time in their friendship, they’d had sex, but he’d been drunk while she rode on him. He never really enjoyed her friendship after that. He pushed his phone aside and took out his laptop. He was determined not to give up on shooting Wura’s story. Perhaps the best way to win her trust was to know more about her, and apologize properly for not appreciating her enough.


“Why were you so harsh back there?” Idongesit asked as Wura started the car. Wura felt more relaxed, now that she was aware from the handsome guy. She hadn’t been that affected by a man for a long time. The intensity of his dark eyes, and the audacity of his smiles unnerved her. She’d felt uneasy around him, rejecting the attraction that set her whole body on fire. She’d seen his report, he wasn’t as popular as the Television Network, but he was a professional and could be tested. She was simply scared of falling again…
“I wasn’t harsh!”
“Yes you were!” Idongesit replied.
“Is this about Aniekan?” Idongesit asked.
“No…please don’t do this. Don’t mention his name!” Wura’s voice shook as she recalled the painful betrayal she’d suffered at the hands of her ex boyfriend. He’d slept with most of her workers back then, and she’d discovered his recent engagement to another woman via a Facebook group. Aniekan had never appreciated her weaknesses; he’d dated her for clout. He never looked back after walking away.
“Well you need to heal, so you don’t bleed on men that didn’t cut you. That guy was simply being nice to you, but you were unnecessarily rude. I feel you should give him a try. You can shoot a few episodes and release them as a trailer. If the reception is poor, then you can nullify the contract.”
Wura listened quietly to her friend. Idongesit was extremely intelligent, and her words of advice had never led her astray. But she couldn’t work with Femi. The fire she felt around him was too much. She knew that spending more time with him would turn the sparks to flames, and he was too handsome to be devoted to one woman. She wasn’t assuming now, she was certain.
“I’ll think about it.” Wura murmured so her friend would let her be.
They drove back to the magazine’s establishment. Though she’d rejected his offer to work together, her thoughts were plagued with Femi Cardoso.

***

PART TWO
Femi enjoyed Turkish meals because he’d spent most of his twenties in Ankara. He sneaked out of the house to focus on his branding jobs frequently; his siblings were loud, and his younger sister, Ella was extremely clingy. He couldn’t handle that, so he’d fled to have some time at the restaurant by himself. He was still chewing on the thick plum dessert he’d been served after enjoying some lamb chops and kidney stew when the most delectably sweet scent escaped into his nostrils. It was as tender as the fragrance of rosewater, yet so alluring like the smell of cherries. He yearned to take a bite. Quickly, he pushed the plate aside and raised his head to see the carrier of such a unique spray. Two women had just walked in, it was the tall woman on heels that caught his attention.

She wore a pencil skirt which clung to her supple hips and accentuated the curves of her legs, and a silky orange top that clung tightly to her perky breasts, leaving a trace of her flat tummy. The woman had an excellent physique. She wore long blue braids that were tied at the back with a ribbon. Her eyes were round and golden, her nose was a bit rotund, and her lips shone like they were colored with beets. She looked extremely familiar. Femi continued to stare at them until they settled at three tables away from him. Luckily for him, his object of admiration sat in a way that she faced him, so their eyes could meet without hindrance.

Femi was still admiring the woman when the waiter returned with a bill.

“I hope you enjoyed your meal…” The slender Arabian asked in a thick accent.

“I sure did…thank you.”

Femi was about to take out his purse, but he discovered that he hadn’t left it in his pocket. He quickly searched his knapsack, but found nothing.

“Um…excuse me…” he continued to search frantically.

“I forgot my purse, and I am not with my card. You must excuse me, I need to make some calls.” Femi explained, but the waiter wasn’t having it. People had played this trick on him many times, it didn’t matter that they visited frequently, but they’d betrayed his trust one day. Femi was no different.

“I don’t care about what call you have to make, but you aren’t leaving this table.” The man replied.

Femi cringed as he realized that his phone wasn’t with him. He was in deep shit.

“Please…” he whispered.

“No! You must pay!” The man yelled loudly enough for everyone to hear.

At that point, Wura looked up and found Femi’s distressful eyes. He managed a weak smile at her, and she returned it. Their eyes lingered for a moment, before she looked away to give Idongesit attention.

“Babe, you don’t need to give up on love because of what Jake did to you. One day, a good man will find you.” Idongesit was still trying to convince her about keeping her options open.

Wura dropped her fork and gulped some water.

“I need to save that guy. I think he’s in trouble.” Wura pushed her chair back and rose to her feet. She usually didn’t do this, because there were many fraudulent people in the country, but from what she’d observed, the man had failed to pay after a meal. She couldn’t explain why she was helping him, but she chose to.

“How much is it?” Wura stopped by the table.

“Listen…you don’t have to…” Femi couldn’t let her do this. What would she think of him? He wasn’t a beggar! He wasn’t asking for her money.

She ignored him and faced the waiter.

“How much is it?”

“Twenty thousand for the steak and five thousand for the dessert.” He replied. Right there, she opened her purse and fetched some dollar notes.

“You can keep the change.” She smiled at the man.
The waiter was extremely grateful, he bowed severally before walking away.

Femi’s frown had deepened.

“You shouldn’t have done that. I could’ve handled it myself. I simply made a mistake, I am not whom you think I am. I always pay for my meals.”

Wura felt sad that he couldn’t even appreciate her for her efforts. She hadn’t looked down on him, or assumed he was a thief. She simply liked his friendly eyes and had decided to save him.
She searched his dark eyes for a few seconds before walking away, without uttering a word. When she reached her table, she reminded Idongesit about the meeting they would have with the television network in the next twenty minutes. The women walked out immediately, while Femi stared wide eyed.

“Shit!” He cursed under his breath. He’d just made a fool of himself before a pretty woman. He could’ve gotten her number or her address or her name! But he’d been too focused on saving his face. He released the breath he held and gathered his things. He needed to hurry to the Blue Mountain Lodge where his company would be holding a meeting.

PART ONE

The drive to the Turkish restaurant was exciting. Wura’s light brown eyes darted from her best friend to the road as she drove. She couldn’t remember when last she’d been this excited. Well it had been a long time, especially after the break up with Aniekan Ubong, the man she’d given her heart to; she’d surrendered her body totally, hoping he could have her just as she was. But like the rest, he’d run off. The healing had been slow, but she’d recovered. Wura had turned her pain into energy which she used to drive the company her father left her; Spice Nigeria.

“I find it hard to believe that the television network intends to turn your story into a movie!” Idongesit exclaimed. Wura Umoh was a content creator, and her company was focused on creating visual and verbal contents for their clients. The Magazine had a huge online following, and an offline presence because it was the only paper that retold events without bias or fear.
After her breakup, Wura had buried herself in starting a new series. The magazine was usually split into many sections. Though other employees of hers worked on beauty, true life stories, cuisine, health and lifestyle, Wura had chosen to be the content creator for the weekly fiction stories. She was a gifted writer, so having readers wasn’t difficult.

Her story column had attracted over twelve million readers nationwide and about thirty million worldwide so much that huge cosmetic brands desired to advertise in her column and she made billions from it. Currently, she was listed globally as one of the youngest female billionaires. But in all her glory, Wura never allowed it to get to her head.

“How do you think the losers would take this news? We are the first magazine to have our story turned into a real life movie! Do you know what that means? This movie would drive Nollywood crazy, it would lead to the increase of our presence in Nigeria and beyond, and the cash?” She rolled her eyes and gestured with her hands as she imagined how much they’d made. Apart from being Wura’s best friend, Idongesit was her personal assistant.

Wura shrugged, “I don’t care what Silver Sunshine magazine thinks. I simply want this business to grow.”

The ebony skinned billionaire smiled as she thought of the success she’d made that year. Her eyes twinkled with satisfaction, but the fire died as she remembered that her life was seemingly empty even with all the wealth she’d made. Wura yearned to have what Idongesit had. Her friend was in love and married to a man who treated her with utmost respect and love; but Wura had never enjoyed that. Most of the men she’d dated had only come for the money, and even those that claimed to love her always left after…

“So what are your plans for Valentine?” Idongesit changed the topic. She noticed that Wura wasn’t always comfortable about talking about her rivals in business. Silver Sunshine magazine was older than Spice Nigeria by ten years. Their co-founders had been best of friends, but they’d been a case of betrayal and they split. Wura’s father had been betrayed by his old friend, Deji Cardoso. After starting Spice Nigeria, Deji had tried to quench the business, but it stood the test of time, and was bigger than what Deji had built. Wura was raised never to hate her enemies, but to ignore them until they faded away.

“I don’t have any plans…” Wura rolled her eyes. Her friend was truly concerned about her. At some point, Idongesit had tried fixing her up with some men, but things never worked out.

They fell into silence as Wura rode through the gates of the Keban Café Turkish restaurant. Both women stepped down and strolled through the glass door.

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE
“What are you smiling at?” Halima stared at her best friend and fellow servant, Inna. The young women had been sent out to fetch fodder for the royal ranch amongst other slaves. They had been friends since their entrance into servitude as their parents owed the royal family, and couldn’t clear their debts, so they were sold off to the throne of Qalul as slaves from babyhood. They weren’t related, but they shared a striking resemblance, with Inna’s long hair reaching the middle of her back. It was the soft and fluffy raven hair that made her famous amongst other slaves.
Inna’s dark brown eyes sparkled, so did her skin under the sunlight as she recalled the stranger she’d kissed the previous night at the Slave’s Bar. Although it was a scandalous place for a royal servant to be, Inna’s mother owned the fermented corn drinks that sold there, so she usually sneaked out at midnight to help the woman make sales, and that was when she’d seen him.
“Nothing,” Inna averted Halima’s penetrating gaze.
Halima scoffed, she knew her friend too well. Inna was great at many things, but she couldn’t lie to save her life. She was great at knitting, at braiding hair, at cooking and cleaning, but never at lying.
“What is it?” Halima pressed on.
Inna knew that her friend would judge her for kissing a stranger at the bar, so she’d decided to make it her little secret.
“I am just imagining what our lives would be like when our parents are finally able to clear their debts with the King.” Inna lied. Halima couldn’t sense it this time, she was about to offer her opinion on the matter, when the chief of female servants strolled towards them. At once, both girls cleared their throats and focused on slitting the healthy stems of fresh guinea grass.
The middle aged woman stared suspiciously at the friends before fetching a rusty and old flute from the large furry pouch she carried about. Whenever ever she produced an annoying sound with the object, it symbolized her need for the attention of the slaves.
“Oh not again!” Inna covered her ears as Hauwa began to blow the trumpet incessantly. Once all the servants had quieted, she proceeded to deliver the latest announcement.
“We must return to the palace at once! The Sultan commands it, and we must obey.”
“Why?” They groaned.
Usually, she got pissed off by questions, but she was in a great mood because the one she’d raised all her life was returning home.
“Hussein is coming home,” she whispered.
“Who’s Hussein?” Inna whispered to Halima.
Her friend shrugged, “I don’t know, never heard of him.”
They collected as much as they could and left for the enchanting palace of Qalul; the sacred dwelling of the Sultan and Sultana, and all members of the royal family.
Qalul was a beautiful country. It boasted of cattle and sheep in thousands, birds and pigs in hundreds. Food was plentiful, and clean water wasn’t lacking. Qalul sat proudly upon its surrounding cities like a proud jewel upon a crown. But upon its beauty, it lacked one true thing which every government yearned for; sovereignty. Qalul had been defeated by Yasminat, the reigning world power in those parts; hence it was subject to the superior crown of the Emperor of the golden city, Yasminat.

***
The carriage rolled in majestically through the gates of the palace walls. Inside of it was Hussein, the prince and heir of Qalul, who’d travelled faraway to study. He had spent most of his time in the prestigious colleges at Yasminat, now that he was finished, he had returned home to find a way to help his people. But he hadn’t come alone.
“How beautiful it is out here!” The fair woman grinned. She’d lived all her life sheltered as a true princess and heiress; she’d thought the palace of Yasminat beautiful, until Qalul. The building was a piece of immaculate magnificence. Precious stones of Jade and Quartz adorned its walls, and they were bound to gleam at night, presenting the palace as a sky of its own with stars and the moon. It had a conical roof design which was painted with a navy blue color which blended perfectly with the white.
“I miss these walls myself,” Hussein peered out of the carriage, smiling and holding his breath. He couldn’t remember the last time that he’d set his eyes on the palace or his family. He’d only sent letters through servants all those years, which was how his family knew that he was alright.
“I can’t wait to be part of it, we’ll explore it together,” she winked.
Hussein leaned forward and kissed the hand of the woman that he’d grown to love. Princess Aisha had fallen in love with Hussein right from the first day that she’d set her eyes on him. He was the prize, and she hoped to seal their relationship legally. It would be a productive union for both Kingdoms.
“Same here darling,” he leaned forward and kissed her pretty forehead.
At this time, the Sultan and everyone else had gathered at the entrance of the palace to receive Hussein.
“Hold yourself, people are watching!” The Sultan cautioned his unduly emotional wife.
But she ignored him and rushed to hold her son.
“You don’t understand what motherhood means until you lose your son to distance,” she called after him. The Sultan was a difficult man; difficult to convince and difficult to please, but he had a soft heart when it came to his children, especially the one that was to take after him.

Hi Muhammad, do you write fiction?

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Chapter Four

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Chapter 3

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‘Your soup tastes nice, you cook like your mother.’ He rubbed her palms and returned her smile.
Indigo loved it whenever she complimented him, ‘We have never really talked about her, even about my own father.’ She pulled her hands away and crossed them against her chest.
Though she had seen them in pictures, she had always wondered what they were like in character.
‘Not tonight Indi,’ the old man suddenly lost his appetite and got up from the table.
‘Did I upset you Papa?’ he had never acted this way.
He shook his head firmly and marched steadily till he reached his bedroom.
Indigo felt unhappy seeing that he had not eaten half of the soup or chewed the meat in it, she had a strong feeling that she had said something to upset her grandfather. What if he had sensed that she had told him lies?

‘God please take this cup away from me.’ She prayed and gathered the dishes on the table.
So many things went through her mind as she packed the plates. If she couldn’t find herself a job soon enough, her grandfather would get to know she had lost the job at the Shola residence and that alone could plunge him into bad health.
Then there was expensive inhaler, there was no way to afford it. But she was ready not to let her grandfather die.

Indi tossed the plates aside and sank into the chair. Tears soaked her face, worry ate at her heart. She was in dire need of help, but everything seemed to work against her.
She quickly wiped her face when she heard a knock on the door. She was not expecting anyone, so she guessed her neighbor had called to see how her Papa was doing.
She cleared her throat and asked in a sweet voice, ‘Who is there?’
‘Open up, it’s Annabel, I’ve got good news.’
****
Indigo froze as she stared at the clean Naira notes on her bed, Annabel had fetched an envelope from her purse and dropped it on the bed.
‘Why are you acting weird? This money Indi, take it…’ Annabel laughed.
Indigo couldn’t shake off the astonishment that had settled over her, she had told Annabel about her grandfather’s condition but she had not expected this.

‘This is a hundred thousand naira and we both know that is a lot of money, where did you get it from? I can’t take it.’ Indigo insisted. She was desperate for help, but she would never let go of her values to accept help from an unknown source.
Annabel knew how disciplined her friend was, she knew that Indigo was never the type to compromise, so she understood her behavior.
‘Well, one of my rich Uncles who lives in America sent it to me for school, this is just part of the money and I would love for you to have it.’ Anabelle begged her to take the money.

Indigo was not satisfied with her best friend’s explanation as Anabelle had never mentioned anything about her American uncle before now, but she had no choice, she had to take the money and purchase the inhaler as soon as she could but on one condition.
‘I don’t know what I could do without you Anabelle, Thank you so much, but I will pay you back. This is a loan and I promise to pay once I have a good job.’ She promised and she meant what she had said.

Anabelle laughed it off, ‘Don’t be proud Indi, you still need another hundred thousand to buy the next one. Why don’t you accept this gift and forget about paying me back? What are friends for? I promise you that this money is from my uncle, you’ll get to meet him soon, I promise.’ She touched Indigo’s chin firmly and gave her a peck.
Indigo felt relaxed, she couldn’t contain the excitement that bubbled within her. She packed the notes and began to spray them, one after the other on Anabelle’s forehead.
‘I am a rich girl. I am a rich girl!’ She hopped on her feet.
‘Indi?’ Anabelle called out softly.
‘Yes?’ Indigo arched a brow, ‘What is it?’
‘I have something else for you,’ Anabelle quickly drew out a paper from her purse and handed it to her friend, ‘I found it in the classroom, I think it’s legit. I have been to that place once.’
Indigo ran her eyes over the paper Ad. It was an advert for a waiter at a famous Coffee Shop in town, “Davina’s Coffee Shop.” But she didn’t like the idea of walking as a waiter here.
‘The pay is small, what if I went back to the Shola Residence and begged Moremi to help me with a job? Don’t you think that’s better?’
Anabelle understood that her friend needed a lot of money for her school and to cater for her grandfather’s needs.
‘Hey, it’s just for a start. Why don’t you try it out? It’s better than working as a maid. You get to have some free time and there are shifts, which will afford you enough time to attend lectures.’ Anabelle tried to get her friend to see the good side of this job.
Indigo slumped on the bed, she had to stop complaining. Her friend had done more than enough for her and she had to be grateful for what she had.
‘I am sorry if I sounded ungrateful, but you really helped me. Thank you. You deserve a whole pot of goat peppersoup.’ Indigo teased.
Anabelle wrinkled her nose and began to sniff the air, ‘It’s something on fire for me already?’
Indigo moved closer to her and began to tickle her, Anabelle laughed till tears fell down her face.
‘That’s for ignoring me in the morning.’ Indigo released her and ran towards the door.
‘You are so crazy!’ Anabelle wiped her face with the back of her palm and continued to stare at her best friend who was filled with mischief. She was glad Indigo was happy again. She loved Indigo with everything in her, it was rare to be friends with someone with such a beautiful and pure heart.
She was about to ask after her grandfather when she noticed a black patch on Indigo’s neck, it was a tattoo. She had never seen it before.
‘Why are you looking at me?’ Indigo knew her friend’s eyes were on her neck, but she couldn’t tell what Anabelle was looking at.
Anabelle abandoned her purse and walked towards the door, Indigo thought she was coming to play a prank on her, and was ready to run, but stopped when Anabelle asked her to.
‘I never knew you had a tattoo…’ Anabelle allowed her fingers to search the skin of Indigo’s neck.
The tattoo didn’t look modern, it was rare. The black patch seemed like a micro sized mammal and she didn’t know what to make out of it.
‘I thought you did, yes I do.’ Indigo nodded, feeling surprised, that her friend had not seen the tattoo before.
She noticed the black patch on her skin since she was six years old. She had been terrified at first, out of curiosity, she had grabbed a little eraser to wipe the black patch off, but her Papa had caught her in time.

‘My grandfather explained that my father took me away from my mother when I was a child. When he later returned me here, they noticed the black patch. So I guess, my father did this to me.’ She felt the place where the tattoo was.
‘So what does it mean?’ Anabelle stroked the skin covered by the black patch.
‘Papa said it was a cow and ended the conversation. I never asked him anything else.’ Indigo explained.
Anabelle was satisfied with the explanation, she decided to let go of the matter as she knew how sensitive Indigo was whenever her parents were mentioned.
‘You know what baby? Let’s get to the kitchen, so you could get me that delicious pot of Pepper Soup.’ Anabelle grinned, and began to encircle her tummy with her fingers.
*****

‘Two days, give me two days.’ She licked her lips seductively, knowing how effective this act had worked in the past.
Her lip gloss accentuated the perfect curve of her mouth. It highlighted the fullness of her lips, which were very sexy to look at. Phillip lost focus the moment he remembered one of the passionate moments they had spent together in Brussels, when he had taken her along on a business trip.
‘Moremi…’ he was struggling with his willpower and his desires.
‘Come on Phil, two days wouldn’t hurt you, would it?’ She asked.
‘No’ Phillip agreed.
‘Good, we have a deal then.’ She straightened her skirt and jumped to her feet, she had to start her research immediately, so there was no time to waste.
She grabbed her handbag and flashed him one last smile before making for the door.
‘Are you just leaving like that?’ Phillip was thoroughly aroused the moment he caught sight of her firm and robust hips which revealed themselves in the tight skirt that she wore.
An impish chuckle from Moremi’s lips filled the room, her trick had just worked on her old friend.
‘Tell me why we never dated Phillip? Why were we so comfortable sleeping with each other?’ She asked.
Her question was surprising, he had never asked himself this question.
‘I don’t know Moremi, I guess we will never love ourselves the way we love our ambition, so why waste time at all on love?’ He asked.
She felt it a rhetorical question, so there was no need for an answer. She pulled open the door and walked away without as much as another glance.
She almost bumped into his younger sister who was breezing through the corridor that led to Phillip’s office.
‘Moremi!’ Chalya was surprised to see her, she didn’t remember fixing any appointment today for her brother’s lawyer.
‘I would prefer it if you address me formally, Barrister Shola.’ Moremi eyed her disgustedly and strolled away before Chalya could say a word.
Chalya had expected this, ‘Typical.’ Chalya listened to the tapping sounds of Moremi’s heels and wondered why her brother had brought the devil back into their lives.
She stormed angrily into his office, ‘Why are you even working with her? I don’t like her around you, she is so rude and full of herself.’
Without further explanation from his sister, he could tell that Moremi was the subject of her complain. The two just never got along and he knew why.
The truth was this; he liked Moremi as a person, she had a beautiful heart but her soul was easily embittered and her mind was filled with jealousy. He couldn’t have that, he couldn’t be around that.
Moremi had failed to understand how important his baby sister was to him, she had no mother and he tried the best he could, so Chalya wouldn’t feel that void. But Moremi hated that, she wanted to have him all by herself and that was not possible.

‘I know you two had a brawl, but I am not interested. You’re grown now, you should learn to ignore certain things. She is a very good lawyer Chalya, I know you may not believe that. I will never choose pleasure before business. Moremi is great at her work and you have to be patient, till all these is over.’ He advised, but Chalya wasn’t surprised anyway.

‘Why was she even here before her appointment?’ She snorted.
Phillip shrugged, he had been surprised to see her too.
‘I told her about the rent for when the renovation is over, she wants to do a research on the building and the tenants first, so she could advise me better.’ He replied.
Phillip had expected his sister to say something in return or to ask more questions as she was very inquisitive.
He could see the corners of her mouth tightening, she did this anytime she was worried.
‘What is it Chalya?’
Chalya had never been comfortable around Moremi, she always felt Moremi was a pretender and had this perfect demeanor whenever Phillip was around.
‘I don’t like her for this job, I don’t trust her. But if you insist on using her, fine! I will be supportive.’ Chalya answered, she had a plan of her own. This project was not Phillip’s, it was their father’s and she needed to be a huge part of it.
‘How much is the rent?’ Chalya asked her brother.
He offered her a laconic reply, ‘Half a million.’
Blood pumped in her ears, maybe she had not heard her brother right. Wasn’t this supposed to be a low-cost building? She felt uncomfortable arguing with him and she couldn’t tell their father about it, that would make Phillip mad.
‘It’s fair, don’t you think?’ He had a feeling his sister didn’t like the sound of that.
‘Yes, it is fair.’ She grinned, but deep down she cringed that her brother would offer the houses at such a high price for low income earners. Where was his empathy?
*****
Indigo had returned home with her grandfather who was better than she had met him at the hospital. The doctor had given him some drugs that would offer him relief for a few days, before the shortness of breath returned. She was restless. Indigo was distraught by the thoughts that plagued her mind and numbed her bones.
If each inhaled costed a hundred thousand Naira? In a year, her grandfather needed about a million and two thousand Naira to survive. Where would she get that sort of money from?
She had lost her job and she was just in her third year in school. Everything was taking a wrong turn and she felt afraid of what the future would look like.

‘You have been quiet my child since we returned from the Hospital, you have not told me what the doctor said to you.’ The old man dropped the spoon with which he swallowed the hot pepper soup that his granddaughter had prepared for him.

She couldn’t tell him the truth, the doctor had advised her to let him know about his medical condition, but she was not ready to tell him yet, not now, till he was fully recovered.
She leaned against the table and touched his wrinkled arm, ‘Papa, the doctor says you will be fine in no time. He just asked me about your wife, and I explained to him that grandmother died some years ago.’ She lied.
The old man grabbed his spoon and stared into her eyes, she had never lied to him before, ‘Why was he concerned about my wife?’
‘Erm, Papa, he knows that I am a student. He was worried that you will have no one to take care of you.’ She smiled.
He wanted to believe her. By God, he really tried, but he knew Indigo more than he knew herself, so he let her wallow in her deceit. He knew he wasn’t alright, but he just couldn’t say what it was that troubled his system.

Chapter 2

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Her flawless skin glazed like fine clay, her small brown eyes held an alluring power that swept him off his feet. He couldn’t think of anything else apart from the swell of her hips, and her perky small breasts that were very silky to touch.

She wore a very clingy dress that outlined her apple figure, she looked so perfect, so trim.

‘Are you going to say something or?’ Moremi winked, closing the door behind her, she walked straight to the table and pinned her hips on it. She had taken her time to dress properly for this meeting and it paid off.
He was speechless, her full reddish lips pulled him into a stream of desire, he tried to get his mind off the times they had spent with each other in the past. He tried to shut the memories of them having torrid and rough sex, or kissing passionately in a public place.

‘Come on Phil, don’t just stand there and stare, say something, has been five years or six?’ She ran a tongue over lips, sensually, she knew the power she wielded over him and she was going to use it to her full advantage.
Phillip cursed himself for not being strong enough to resist her charms, he knew his sister Chalya wouldn’t end her teasing, should she find out Moremin had visited him.

‘I…we don’t have a meeting today.’ He blurted out, then peeled his eyes from her chest.
‘I know.’ Her reply was subtle.
She quickly jumped off the table and began pacing his office, in wonder of the decoration and the paintings that were engraved on the wall.
‘You always had a good taste when it came to interior design.’ She noted.
‘Thanks, my sister did it.’ He replied, Chalya had many talents, and one of them was designing and playing with colors.

‘Chalya is it?’ Moremi had met his sister twice, she never liked the little brat. She always had this annoying smirk on her face whenever she was with Phillip and she seemed like a spoilt child.

‘Yes, Chalya.’ He replied.
‘Would you like something to drink?’ Phillip raised his phone, he was about to call his sister to arrange some drinks for them both.
Moremi shook her head, ‘Oh no, I just wanted us to talk about your plans for your father’s property, Hajjo Estates, You know, you don’t have much experience in this sort of thing and you may encounter some problems, but I can deal with them, I have done this for three years now. I can wrap my finger around it.’ She returned to the table, pulled a chair and settled in.

He had not seen this coming, ‘Problems? From whom?’ He scoffed. As far as he was concerned, the only person that would have been a blockade to his plans was his father, but the old man had agreed, so who else could stop him?

His confident reply made her laugh, she was right about Phillip. He was a billionaire and a successful manager of PIE, but he had no knowledge when it came to renovating houses.

‘What are your plans Phil? Just be plain with me, let me know how to advise you.’ She asked.

‘Well, my father had two major properties, the High Cost Estates and the Low Cost houses, we all know both crashed after my mother’s death and because of poor management. Most of the houses in the High Cost Estate were abandoned, but people continued to leave in the low cost houses because the prices were low and they had no need for maintenance. These people were poor and mostly wretched, so they were comfortable with leaking roofs, plumbing problems and lack of electricity. I want to change that.
I want to renovate the whole building, and offer it to them at a higher price, whoever cannot afford to pay rent, can go elsewhere.’ He explained.

She liked the idea, it was reasonable, ‘How much would be the rent?’
He shrugged, ‘I am trying my best to make my father something out of what he created with his sweat and blood, I know this is a difficult thing to do but it has to be done. I have a lot of plans for the low cost buildings, it would require a great deal of money and time. So, The tenants that are still interested in living in those rooms should keep about half a million Naira.’

Moremi pondered on this for a while before giving him her response.
‘Why don’t you give me some time to think about this? I want to be a part of your dreams, I want this to happen. As your lawyer, I am in the best position to tell you all that you need to know and do.’
Phillip had not expected this from her, he was a very strong willed person and he never went back on his decision. He had already made up his plans, hence, he needed no interference.
‘Moremi, I have already made up my mind. There’s no going back here. I know you are my lawyer and I know you are very good at what you do, but, this is my call.’ He tapped his chest with a finger.
She wasn’t arguing with him or fighting for supremacy on this project, she just wanted to do a little research on the neighborhood first before they started work.

Chapter 1

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***
By the time she had arrived Bethsaida Hospital, her grandfather’s condition had normalized, so she was allowed to see him.
Indigo’s heart was ripped apart as she saw the frail figure on the hospital bed fighting hard to breathe, to live, now her grandfather. She was terrified of a life without him. She had not met her parents, he had raised her alone and had thought her to depend on him.

‘Papa!’ she rushed into the room. She didn’t care about the drip on his arm, she cared that he was still alive and could recognize her.
‘Papa, I am so sorry.’ She wept on his chest.
The old man knew she was afraid of losing him, he knew how much his granddaughter loved him. He knew how she was dependent on him. He cursed this strange sickness, he cursed this infirmity.

‘Don’t cry Indi, have faith child, I will not die.’ He caressed her corn rowed hair gently.
Hearing this, Indigo lifted her head up, ‘How can you tell me not to cry Papa? Don’t you know that you mean the whole world to me? You are my sun, my moon and my star. If anything happens to you Papa, I will be plunged into utter darkness.’
The man beamed with a smile, she looked so beautiful just like her mother was before her untimely death.
‘I promise you my angel, I will carry your children before leaving the earth.’ He stretched his hand, while she drew nearer so he could have a touch.
While they were still conversing about his health, the doctor walked into the room with a file that contained the results from her grandfather’s test.
‘Good day Dr. Arongwa,’ Indigo quickly jumped off bed, she was expectant of positive news.
‘Welcome Miss Hassan, I would love to have a word privately with you in my office.’ The man said.
She didn’t like the sound of his voice, she stole one glance at her grandfather, who by the nod of his head encouraged her to go with the doctor.
‘I will be back, be good.’ She rushed swiftly and kissed his face.

Five minutes later, she was already seated in the doctor’s office waiting for him to tell her just what exactly was wrong with her grandfather.
‘We ran different tests on your grandfather, and from what we discovered, he is suffering from Emphysema…’ he opened the filed he had carried and pulled out a sheet containing the results and placed it in front of her.

Her hands felt giddy, sweat rippled on her bare skin as she read the contents of the sheet.
‘Doctor, please I don’t understand any of this.’ She dropped the paper on the table and pushed it towards him.
‘I know this is hard for you Miss Hassan, but you need to be strong for your grandfather. We have already started treatment already, but you must pay some money for it to be continued.’

‘I don’t still understand.’ She held her breath, knowing what could come out from his lips could be the worst.
‘Emphysema is a long term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath due to over inflation of the air sacs of the lungs which in turn leads to shortness of breath, incessant coughing and wheezing. If not treated, could lead to death…’

No, this wasn’t happening. Her day had started out fine, but from what she saw, it would be the worst day of her twenty six years on earth.
First she had lost a job at the Shola residence, now she was about losing her grandfather, but she was not going to let that happen!

‘What is the way forward?’ she licked her mouth nervously.

‘We have inhalers for the first stage of the infection, which relates to your grandfather’s condition. He would need an albuterol inhaler to help him breathe fine. Concerning, the blood he gushed out earlier, we have already given him some antibiotics and cleaned his system, he would be fine in two days.’

She liked what she heard, this was better than she expected.
‘How much will this cost?’
‘One albuterol inhaler is about a hundred thousand Naira…’
‘What?’ Her eyes grew wide, maybe she had not heard the doctor well or maybe she was starting to have hearing problems as her ex-boss Moremi had insinuated.

‘It is not expensive Miss Hassan, it’s even cheaper here.’ The man replied.
Her heart sank a she thought about the money she had in her account, it was no way near a hundred thousand.