Two Princes and a choice

Chapter Sixteen

They were waiting for him. Tan could see them waiting. Palace guards stiff and stern in their Ankara tux and cap. Tan groaned inwardly, he had specifically told his mother that no guards, he was old enough to come back on his own. Seeing them there, he knew his mother had asked them to bring him directly home from the airport. Too bad, he wanted to tour the ancient city of Ibadan.

He moved towards them and they both bowed. Then without pleasantries led him to the black BMW limo waiting outside. So much for being discreet, Tan thought.

The chauffeur opened the door for him and he slid in. While the porters loaded his luggages into the black sedan behind.

The car began to move. They were heading directly for Lagos. But the reason he had chosen the plane that lands at Ibadan was to explore the city to his heart’s content. Lagos can wait.

‘You will take me to my residence in Ibadan,’ he instructed.

‘But your highness, the queen instructed us to bring you straight home.’ One of the guards spoke.

‘I and my mother have discussed it and I will be taken to the residence at Challenge.’

The men nodded.

Tan relaxed on the seat and sighed. He was still having headaches. Yesterday, before he had left Jon had thrown him a big send of party with of course plenty of drinks and girls. He had gotten drunk but not drunk enough to get onto the plane. He had suffered terrible headache throughout the journey and it had only subside a little. He couldn’t wait to get home and have a long shower and long nap.

He had had a great deal of fun in good ol’ US of A made friends, enemies as well, he had gained popularity at school not because of his grades or because he was the son of a king. Well, it’s partially that. Despite that he did not touch drugs; he gets in to troubles and that made police men are on lookout for his face. But it was fun and he’ll miss his friends.

(((((((((

She was here at last. Hayley smiled happy. She was in Ibadan; she felt the urge to kiss the soil, whoop for joy but settled for smiling. She walked away from the stop to where the white with blue lines taxies are waiting for the travellers dragging her traveling bag behind her. She approached one. The driver put the bag into the boot and she got into the back seat.

‘Ring road please,’ she told him and gave him the piece of paper where the address was written.

He sped away. Hayley watched the moving scene outside. The moving greenery lining roads, the arrangement of flowers. The topiaries. Ibadan was beautiful but it does have the slums.

Hayley texted her mum that she had arrived. She checked the time; it was three in the afternoon. Leaning against the seat, she thought of Taiwo, she would have changed, gotten fat she hoped. Her dada said women are liable to get fat when they get married. Except her mother, she was still as slim as the day he two of them had met.

She had so much to ask and discuss with her cousin. It had been eight years since they’ve been apart. Taiwo used to live with them after her parents died in a car crash when she was sixteen, Hayley was almost six then she left when she was nineteen to seek greener pasture. Her parents had given her blessings and money; almost all their savings and she had given her tears. Two years later she had called to tell them that she had met a man she was marrying in Ibadan. They gave her blessings also.

(((((((((

He caught them unawares. They weren’t expecting him. He too had to intention to visit them, his plan had been to take a shower, sleep, eat and call people but the thought of his old school teacher and his kind but strict ways had made him feel nostalgic and he sought them out. Now he was standing in their spacious living room, and he and his wife were both staring dumb struck.

His teacher now turned school principal with a very fat salary of 30,000 Pounds per month was now growing a paunch, his hair thinning and greying, if he calculated well, he should be in his middle forties after all he was his primary school teacher until primary four and that was six years ago. His wife was young and quite pretty but was a little short.

‘Terence!’ his former teacher boomed and laughed patting him on the back. ‘Nice of you to visit, I must say you took me by surprise. You were always surprising me.’ He said laughing. ‘This is my wife, Taiwo.’

Tan shook her outstretched hand. ‘A pleasure to meet you.’

‘Likewise, I’ve heard so much of you from my husband. He won’t stop going on and on about you and how the students were nothing compared to you. I’m very honoured that you’ve decided to grace our house.’

‘The honour is all yours. I must admit teacher, you have a splendid house.’

‘Oh, this, pfft.’ He waved his hand. ‘It’s nothing compared to the house you are living in in America or the palace.’

Tan smiled.

‘Sit down, Terence; what would you like to drink? Since you are all grown up now I think you’ll take drinks like grown men do. I’ll bring out one of my finest brandy for us to drink.’

****

The taxi stopped right outside Taiwo’s house. Hayley alighted and the man popped the boot for her. She retrieved her bag and paid the fare of eight Pounds. Standing in front of the high brown gate she looked up at the white mansion behind those gates. She had seen the picture of this house once; Taiwo had sent it to her mother’s phone about two years ago.

She pressed the door bell and waited a few moments later she heard the latch clang open, the gate was opened revealing a slightly short sparse man in wrinkled buba and soro. He was squinting up at her.

‘Hi, Dawud,’ she said.

His fleshy face broke into a smile. ‘Hayley, how are you?’ he had met her once, when he had followed his mistress to Lagos with her first born a few years ago.

‘I’m fine, is my cousin around?’

‘Yes, come in I’ll tell her you are around.’ He said.

Hayley stepped in, ‘Thanks a lot Dawud.’

He left her and went into the house. Hayley stared about her surroundings. Plants filled the place, in shrubs, in bushes, in vines, in pots and flowers also.

****

Larson, Taiwo’s husband had just gone upstairs with Tan when the gatekeeper came in to inform her of her cousin’s arrival.

Taiwo burned with indignation, those beggars. She had purposely not answered her aunt’s letter of help because she hoped that would deter her from coming. Now, her house was being besieged by her daughter. Did she want to get her thrown out of this place? Live in the streets?

‘Tell her I’m not around,’ she told him. ‘And tell her to go.’

‘But I’ve told her already that you are at home.’

‘Tell her I’ve gone out if you don’t want to start walking again.’ She threatened.

Dawud understood the threat. If he did not do as she says she’ll sack him and he’ll have to start all over again, looking for job. ‘Yes, Madam,’ he left to deliver the message to smiling Hayley. ‘I’m sorry Hayley, she’s not at home.’

Hayley’s smile dropped, ‘what are you talking about? You just said she was at home a few moments ago.’

‘I was mistaken; it seems she had gone out earlier.’

‘That’s okay; I’ll wait for her inside. Tom is around right.’ She made past him but he blocked her way. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m sorry but I’ve been told not to let you in. Please leave.’

‘Leave?’ Hayley’s face creased in confusion. What’s wrong with Dawud? He just asked her to come in, told her to wait that she was in and now he was saying other things. Did Taiwo’s husband ask her to leave?

‘Madam instructed me not to let you in.’

‘Ok, can I see him?’ she says absently about five seconds later, her brain caught up what he just said. ‘Did you say Taiwo asked you not to let me in?’

‘Yes, now please leave don’t make it harder.’

‘So she’s in.’ she said more to herself.

‘Please leave now my job’s at stake.’

She didn’t hear what Dawud was saying only that her cousin had ordered her gatekeeper to usher her out. She stepped round him but he blocked her path. She shoved him away and half ran to the house, drawing her suitcase behind.

Taiwo was dropping a tumbler on the glass table when Hayley stormed in. she looked at her surprise and indignation written all over her face. ‘You!’

Hayley also was shooting daggers. ‘Yes, me. So you were at home.’

‘So what if I was?’ she retorted.

‘Why did you ask Dawud to throw me out?’ she demanded.

‘Because I don’t like intruders and beggars and if that boy knows he job well he’ll throw you out!’

Hayley couldn’t believe her ears. ‘Beggars?!’ she gasped and scoffed. ‘Who was the beggar ten years ago?! Who was the beggar mum and dad gave all their money to?’ she shouted tears running down her face.

Taiwo snorted. ‘Behaving exactly like one. Your mum and dad should have taught you better not to behave like one.’

‘Your mum and dad shouldn’t have brought a treacherous b***h like you to the world. They should have taught you better than to forsake people who helped you.’

Taiwo slapped her. ‘Go! Just go!’

Hayley held her smitten cheek, ‘Not until you pay back the money mum and dad gave you!’

Taiwo scoffed arms akimbo. ‘You chit! What an audacity! Out before I call the dogs on you!’

‘Go ahead call them. After all a beggars end is at the hands of dogs because of their kindness and not being able to overlook a lame bitch.’ She dared.

She slapped her hard, her ring cutting Hayley’s cheeks. ‘Out!’

‘NOT UNTIL YOU PAY ME YOU b***h?!!’ she shouted.

‘You want money? She took her wallet and removed five 5 Pounds notes and tucked it into her hand. ‘Take and go. I have given you money.’

‘You are really unbelievable; we sharpened your teeth and now you are using it to bit us.’

‘I have no time for your lectures; go before my husband come downstairs.’

‘Let him come! But I’m not leaving here till you repay your debts you bastard!’

‘You do realize that I’m your elder!’ she pointed out.

‘You just lost that right you b***h!’

‘Little tramp!’ she sneered. ‘GO!’

Hayley threw the money at her. ‘I’ll go but remember this Taiwo. You’ll leave to regret it.’

‘You are cursing me now.’

‘It’s not a curse, you are a Christian right? Then you know what you sow you will reap.’

She turned and left.

Taiwo snorted. ‘What a tramp?’ she looked up and gasped.

The Prince Tan was staring down at her, an odd sort of look on his face.

‘How … how long have you been there?’ she asked.

‘About ten minutes ago,’ he smiled lopsidedly.

He had heard shouts from downstairs and had left the study. Tan was in the toilet and had come to witness the scene of the gently calm wife slapping an agitated girl. It was very surprising when he had listened to the rest of their heated conversation.

‘She was just one of the street girls I met yesterday. I helped her and you know street girls….’ She laughed nervously.

Tan slanted a brow. ‘I thought you were family.’

‘No we aren’t,’ she denied.

Tan nodded slowly. ‘Right?’ he descended the stairs. ‘It doesn’t really concern me,’ he told her but it does worry him. To see family fighting always bother him, but this woman with her innocent face was a selfish b***h like her cousin or street girl had called her and a liar. ‘Tell teacher I had something to take care of so I left. Goodbye and thanks.’ He turned to leave.

‘Wait,’ he paused in his tracks. ‘You won’t tell Larson about this. I mean he doesn’t need to know, it’s between my cousin and I.’

‘I thought she was a street girl, don’t worry I told you it doesn’t really concern me so bye.’

The gatekeeper Dawud was looking perplexed.

‘Open the gates,’ he told him.

He went and did just that.

‘That girl who came, who is she?’

‘Madam’s cousin from Lagos. It was pretty surprising when she asked me to ask her to go. But she has gone now. She was looking like a wounded bull when she left and crying also.’

‘Which way did she go?’

Dawud pointed.

‘Thanks.’