Two Princes and a choice

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bill studied the old lady before him, she was bag of fats, had double chin and avarice gleaming from her very eyes. She had been the land lady of Adam and Ben and was telling him things about them, things he paid a hundred Pounds for. Things he already knew.

‘So where is Ben now?’ he fingered the spoon in his lukewarm tea.

She shrugged and that action made the fat all around her body quiver. ‘He left a month after Adam went to prison. Some old lady came for him. Gave me all the money they owed too with interest even.’

Bill nodded. ‘Can you tell me how the lady looks like?’

‘She was thin, too thin and tall. Her voice was grating and she had shifty eyes like a startled rabbit.’ She described.

Bill tapped his hand on the table cloth, ‘anything else?’

She thought for a moment and then said. ‘Ah, she smokes a lot, draws them into her lungs like fish does with water. Bad attitude,’ she grimaced in distaste. ‘And she was fond of rubbing her thumb and index finger together did it about five times when she came.’

Bill could tell that was the end of it. He pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘Thank you for your time Mrs Durosaro.’

She nodded in acknowledgment,’ ah,’ she suddenly remembered something. ‘There is this girl that used to hang around with them, Hayley I believe she’s called.’

‘Hayley?’

‘Yes, she works at the café on Fashola Street, you can’t miss it. It’s called golden café.’

‘Thank you.’ He left the woman in the tea shop and drove to golden café in Fashola Street.

‘She’s not around,’ the proprietor in rimless glass told him. ‘She called yesterday saying she was going to Ibadan to see a cousin of hers.’

‘Did she tell you when she would be back?’

‘No, but is she in trouble?’

Bill could see the man’s worry but he wasn’t sure if it was for his employee or the reputation of his café. ‘Ah no, I just need her help to clear up some things on ground.’ He told him.

‘Okay.’

‘If she comes back give me a call,’ he placed his card on the counter.

‘I will.’

‘Thanks.’

(((((((((

Melissa flopped down on the divan and sighed loudly for all to hear her frustration. No one looked up from what they were doing. All appeared to be engrossed in their readings and works. She turned her head and sighed more loudly. No one moved. Sitting up she sighed again. Again no one moved. Frowning at her friends and companion.

‘No one is going to ask why I’m sighing?’ she demanded.

Bertha did not look up as she spoke. ‘Because we all know what you are sighing about. Darryl.’

She sighed again. ‘No one is going to ask what he did, no one cares.’ She leaned back on the divan. ‘I might as well brood to death.’

‘Ok, I’ll bite!’ Bertha said closing her book. She placed it on the chair beside her. ‘What happened?’

‘It’s Darryl.’ She said and sighed sadly.

‘It’s always Darryl,’ Hamid commented chipping off wood from his creation. ‘Darryl this, Darryl that. Darryl is in Ekiti leave him be and stop whining to us here.’

Melissa sat up scowling at him.

‘Ignore him,’ Joseph said. ‘Tell us what he did?’

‘Are you going to take vengeance for her?’ Hamid demanded looking at Joseph. ‘I didn’t know you were this passionate about her.’

‘Tell us,’ Bertha said.

‘He hasn’t been picking up my calls since and it’s frustrating.’

‘Ah ha!’ Hamid exclaimed triumphantly. ‘With you pestering him why will he pick up? Smart boy ran off to Ekiti where there are girls with curves in the right places.’

‘Hey – ‘she started.

‘What? It’s the truth. Date Joseph,’ he pointed his file at him. ‘He is dying for you.’

‘Why point at me didn’t you say last night that you were burning with desire for her?’ he smiled benignly at her. ‘Break up with Darryl and date Hamid.’

‘When I’m not mad, Hamid is so not my type.’

‘Hey! Why reject me like that. I don’t totally hate you.’

‘And I totally detest you.’ She turned to the others. ‘What do you propose I do?’

‘Why don’t you go to Ekiti if you miss him so much? It’s not out of the country.’ Bertha advised.

‘Here is another one. Forget about Darryl and date me. I’ll make you very happy.’ He c****d his head and smiled at her.

Melissa made a gagging noise. ‘Joe, are you okay with your girlfriend flirting about?’ she asked him.

‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Hamid rushed to his side and clung to him. ‘Are you angry honey?’ he stroked his head and kissed his cheek. The both girls gagged.

‘I don’t know when the government approved gays in this country.’

Hamid reeled back as if shocked and heartbroken. ‘How – how could you say such a horrible thing?’ He turned away and tucked a non-existent piece of hair behind his ears. ‘Let’s break up.’

The door opened and Roy their senior at school came rushing down the stairs. ‘Hey peeps,’ he saw Hamid pouting. ‘Wow, nice moment I walked into, the scene of break up.’ He sunk into an ottoman. ‘Carry on.’

Hamid was pretending to be crying. ‘I just lost my first love.’ He made crying noises. ‘Did I get it?’ he asked Bertha who scowled.

‘I’m embarrassed to be your friend.’ She told him.

‘What’s to be embarrassed about?’ Roy asked. ‘Hamid is very passionate about what he does.’

‘That’s right,’ he walked over to the table and picked up the statuette he was carving and displayed it. ‘Ta-da!’

‘Who is that?’ Liz asked.

‘Who does it look like?’ he asked them. ‘It’s Joe.’

‘Hey! You are not my first love.’ Joe declared.

‘Damn right you are not. Isn’t Tan your first love?’

‘Hey why most you bring Tan into our discussion?’ Liz protested.

‘He is our prince,’ Roy said.

‘But you and I can be way more than what you are than were,’ Hamid said to Joseph.

‘Please get him off me,’ he begged them.

‘Hamid, I didn’t know you were gay.’

Hamid released Joseph instantly. ‘Hey! Don’t call me what I’m not.’

‘You are pretty when you pout,’ Joseph told him.

‘Thank you,’ Hamid said in a high thin voice and smiled coyly.

‘But Roy where are you coming from?’

‘Home.’

‘Did your parents know you are coming here?’ Hamid asked.

Rou shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Why?’

‘Because your parents hate you coming here. They want you all prim and proper like the British lords of the eighteen century. Makes me wonder if your family was ever related to a British lord.’

‘Which could be a blessing,’ Joseph said.

‘More like a curse, British are so,’ he wore a serious sombre look. ‘Serious.’

‘They just want you took be a responsible someone,’ Liz said to Roy and then added ‘unlike someone,’ she was referring to Hamid.

Hamid scowled at her.

All of them in the room had been friends since childhood, playmates and may be future partners. Tan Aisha and Darryl were also there too but Aisha was a little bit condescending and tan had been away for long. Darryl was the bookie of the group, Bertha also, Liz the fashion freak, Joseph the bully, Hamid the happy one and Roy the script writer, Aisha was the cold one and Tan the leader of the pack. Since Tan was away Joseph had been the leader.