Two Princes and a choice

Chapter Seventeen

It was sunset already and it was getting dark pretty fast. Hayley had been wandering up and about Challenge for the past three hours and she was hot and sweaty. She had taken off her checked shirt and tied it round her waist leaving on the t-shirt. She had had late lunch in a diner thirty yards away from her Taiwo’s place and that had cost her ten Pounds for just a sandwich and bottled water.

She had to find a place to sleep soon before it gets dark. But the problem was she doesn’t have enough money. She had on her thirty Pounds, which were not enough for accommodation let alone money for transportation back to Lagos. She would need exactly three hundred Pounds for that alone and fifty extra for accommodation.

And she was getting tired, her legs getting painful. She checked the time on her cell, it was seven thirty. She’ll have to find a cheap motel. It got dark completely. The street lights came on the deep orange glow illuminating her path. She’ll have to go back to Taiwo’s house as much as she hates that. And if she had a shred of love for them left for them. She would help.

****

‘I’m sorry but I’ve been told not to let you in.’ Dawud said and truly it was sorry, ‘madam’s orders.’

Hayley nodded. ‘I get it thanks Dawud.’

She turned and walked away. So much for love and family. She’ll have to find a cheap place to spend the night and think of how to get home.

But how could she do this to her? To them? she was so devoted to her when they were living together. Did living in luxury change her? How could she? And to call them a beggar, people who had taken her in at that? What kind of relative was she?

Her hope of vacation was ruined. She had to return to work. She shouldn’t have come but it was better she was the one that witnessed these not her mother. It would break her heart to pieces.

Hayley was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she did not see a group of drunks cross over to her side. It wasn’t until they are a few feet away did she hear their drunken noise. She looked over her shoulder at them. They were five and had their arms on the other’s shoulder, each holding a bottle.

‘Hey miss!’ one called and Hayley hurried on. The last thing she needed right now was to have drunks paying attention to her. She walked fast hoping they’ll lose interest.

‘Miss!’

She could hear them right behind her and walked fast without appearing to run. They were drunks; they’ll stumble and fall soon.

But they didn’t, they kept on coming for her. She cut sharply into a building and climbed up the stairs into the coffee shop above. She waited at the door counting and at the count of fifty went back down the stairs. The steps were slippery and uneven and she was rushing. She took a false step lurched forward and stumbled down the remaining stairs with her suitcase. She sat up biting back a groan and holding her head in her hand. She stood up and a stab of white hot pain shot up her legs. She winced and groaned. This was getting bad.

Hobbling outside the building dragging the suitcase behind she cautiously peeped left and right and half limped through the streets. Her ankle was sprained she knew and it was making walk difficult. She had to find a place to rest.

‘There she is!’ she heard a drunken yell. ‘Hey miss.’ Hayley winced at the voice. They weren’t gone.

She increased her pace as fast as her damaged feet could carry her and cut into an alley she slunk into the shadows. They came into the alley looking for her. Well done Hayley you’ve led them into a dark and secluded place. She told herself. Well done. Couldn’t today get any worse?

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. They were walking through the alley, staggering and stumbling and singing obscene songs. They came nearer.

Hayley felt an arm round her waist and a scream rose up her throat, her hand instinctively curved and she swiped back.

‘Shh, settle down,’ the person spoke out of darkness restraining her flaying hands and pulled her down to a crouching position. ‘They’ll go away,’ he whispered.

The drunks paraded the area for a while.

‘Aww, nuts,’ one said and kicked something metal. It flew into the darkness and landed against Hayley’s forehead cutting it and spilling coke on her. She winced at the pain.

Tan held her closer. He had entered this alley a few moments before she had and when he had heard the drunks decided to help.

One of them lurched forward and emptied his bowel right before them. Vomit poured down before them splattering on their shoes, the hem of their trousers and some on their shirts. Hayley closed her eyes and held her breath until the ordeal had passed.

‘They’ve gone,’ Tan said and stood up.

Hayley opened her eyes, released her breath. She inhaled the abominable scent of barf and almost reeled. She staggered up. ‘Yeah, thanks.’ She winced in pain as she rested on her sprained ankle.

They walked out of the alley. He handed her the suitcase.

‘Are you going somewhere?’ he asked looking down at her swallowing his surprise that she was that street girl/ cousin.

She shrugged. ‘Nowhere in particular. I’m here to visit someone who I should go back to. Thanks for saving me from those drunks.’

‘It wasn’t actual saving. If I wasn’t there and you kept quiet, they’ll have gone.’

‘So who is the person you are visiting?’ he asked.

‘My cousin, I have to get going. Bye.’

‘Do you think after that big fight she’ll let you back?’ he asked her.

She stopped and turned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Your cousin, Taiwo do you think she’ll let you stay after that big fight?’

‘You were heard? But there was no one else except. ...’ she trailed off.

‘I was upstairs and I heard your shouting. You were pretty loud.’

‘Are you a friend of theirs?’

‘An old student of her husband.’

‘I see, but still there is no one else. So I have to go. Bye.’

He watched her walk away, her shoulders slumped, her head bent and was limping slightly. He watched her until she had disappeared. He should go after her and make sure she was safe. And that was making him feel burdened.

*****

Hayley knew it was hopeless to come back here again but she had nowhere to go. This was the only place in Ibadan she could lodge in.

‘Dawud,’ she called knocking on the gate. ‘Dawud!’ she called again. She was sure he could he hear her but he had his instructions. Sighing dejectedly, she rested her suitcase against the wall and sat on it, her knees drawn up to her chin, her ankle gave her pain and she shifted the leg. She burrowed into the corner. This day is getting much worse. She’ll be safe here she hope.

Dear lord, please don’t make arm robbers or any other agent of darkness or people he can use to do his bidding come here. I beg. Keep me safe, keep my family safe, and keep my friends safe. Amen.

Tears stung her eyes, she thought of this situation. She came here to have a better life but it ends up the same. She caught a whiff of vomit on herself and felt nausea crawl up her throat. She heard a car and looked up to see it coming; she closed her eyes because of the head lamps. It stopped right before the gate.

Probably her husband or one of their friends. She should get out of here she decided, find a motel. She stood up and drawing her suitcase behind her walked away half hobbling. She was surprised when the car was coming after her. Not again! She thought and walked faster. She looked over her shoulder and still.

The car stopped too. Hayley turned.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked him.

‘Some certain girl went off and l had to find her.’

‘Oh.’

‘She still did not let you in?’ he gestured to the gate.

Hayley shifted her on her feet, ‘yeah.’

‘So what will you do now?’

She sighed. ‘I don’t know, keep on walking.’

‘Will you like to come to my house?’ he asked.

Hayley was shocked. ‘Huh?’

‘It’s not safe for you to stay out here alone.’

She hesitated, ‘huh, I have a friend in Ibadan I could stay with thanks for offering.’

Tan’s eyes narrowed to slits, ‘are you lying?’

‘No, I really have friends I could stay with.

*****

‘Did Tan call you? He has arrived in Oduduwa.’ Yemisi informed her husband. She was at her dressing table rubbing face cleanser on her face.

‘Yes.’ James replied turning a page of the health magazine he was reading.

‘That boy, I asked him to come home straight but he insisted on taking a little detour. Why can’t he listen to me?’

‘Because he is no longer a boy, he is a man now and should cut the strings that tie him to his mother’s apron.’

Yemisi scowled at him. ‘What do you mean by apron strings? Is it wrong for a mother to obsess over her child and want to see him every day?’

‘You will realize it’s wrong when he marries.’

Yemisi snorted. ‘You are the most insensitive man ever.’

James looked up at her. ‘Then why did you marry me?’

‘Because you have your good qualities too,’ she told him.

‘Did you tell Aisha that Tan has returned?’

‘Yes, she is going to meet him tomorrow.’

‘And do you think Tan will like it?’

‘Of course, he’ll be touched.’

‘You forget Tan is insensitive towards women.’

‘He takes it after you.’ She opened a side of the quilt and slid under. ‘You always like to have your way.’ She hugged him. ‘And that’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with you.’

*****

‘Are you immigrating? You are just going to Ibadan.’ Aisha’s mother Tosin asked.

Aisha weighed the two shoes she was holding in her hands deciding on which one to take. In the end she dropped the two into the suitcase. Her room was in a state of palatable disarray closet open and clothes about, clothes, books on her bed.

‘That’s the last of them, are you planning to take your whole room along?’ Tosin asked.

‘You never know. A situation might crop up and I have to settle down.’

‘With Tan? You do realize he is coming back to Lagos soon. Why can’t you wait till then?’

‘I want to go.’ She snapped the case close and zipped it up.

‘Why must you go? Can’t he come down here?’

‘Because I must play the role of a doting fiancé who misses her man a lot. I have to play act to see this through.’ she told her.

‘Say hi to him for me and don’t forget to call when you get there.’

‘Okay,’ she said without looking up.

She heard the door close and sighed. She was just going to Ibadan out of duties nothing more then why was her heart betting fierce with anticipation?

*****

Hayley slammed the door shut and shuffled out, her ankle hurts like s**t. She stared up at the large family house that her friend Hibiscus lived in. She heard the door open on the boy that had helped her side and he came out as well. Hayley took out her phone and dialled her number.

‘Hey, how’s it going?’

‘Not much,’ Hibiscus answered. ‘Why are you calling me in the almost middle of the night? I thought you’ll be at your work place.’

‘Funny story I’m outside your house, can you come out?’ she hung up. ‘She’s coming,’ she informed the boy and he just nodded.

A minute later, she heard the door opened and a girl with golden brown hair which looked gold in outside light and golden skin. She was holding her phone and in a bright yellow floral prints pyjamas. Her eyes widened in surprise and delight and she rushed over to hug her.

‘OH my God!’ she exclaimed in delight. ‘It’s been long since I saw you.’ She turned around and noticed Tan. ‘Hi,’ she greeted.

‘Oh Hibiscus this is the person who brought me here, err this is my friend Hibiscus.’ She introduced.

‘Hi thanks for helping,’ Hibiscus said, ‘hand over the luggage I’ll take it in.’

Hayley hefted the luggage out for Hibiscus and turned to Tan as Hibiscus walked away, ‘thanks for the help.’ She held out her hand for a shake.

‘No p,’ he took it. ‘I should get going it is already late.’

****

Tan inserted his code and the door clicked open, pushing the door open he led the way into his house. The lights came on as he whistled illuminating his way. He climbed down the stairs but stopped at the landing to look around the place. The place was a magnificent creation of white bricks and glass huge and round. The stairs was curving. Below just a couple steps away from the stairs was an arrangement of sofas and single chairs with throw pillows of different colours in a rectangular, a glass table between with a lamp arching above. A couple of paces away on a raised platform were the dining room.

The ceiling was high, very high to the roof. And upstairs was an open study. You could easily look down into the living room. Tan tossed his keys on the glass table and sank into a sofa. His body ached and he was tired. But today was interesting he congratulated himself for not going straight to the palace to be sunk into a world of boredom and proper social behaviours. He needed free space and there were things in the palace that could choke a man.

His mother the queen, responsibilities, Aisha and there was the engagement coming up. He knew he could never avoid what he was born for so he’ll just take some time to relax before getting sucked back in the inevitable world.

Massaging his head he reminisced on the old times with his junior high school buddies and his former girlfriend and then back to today’s event. To say he wasn’t surprised about what he had seen in his former teacher’s house. His mother’s family was an example of the most disrupted families, they never get along and his entire aunt’s Tabitha’s effort to bring them together was all in vain.

His dad had told him their dislike for one another stemmed from issues that happened when they were twenty. Whenever he asked what it was his father would change the subject to the weather, his mother would snap at him telling him not to slouch and his aunt would look sad. So he stopped asking.

Tan’s mind focused on the girl he had helped today, he hadn’t gotten her name not even bothered to ask. He wasn’t a fan of girls but something about her snagged his attention, was it the way she walked on a bad ankle or her persistence or her naïvetés of thinking that her aunt would let her in after that incident.

Exhaling loudly Tan picked up his car keys and marched upstairs to his room.