Lara stepped out of the bath and dressed in her yellow lace iro and buba quickly, it was already eleven thirty and the reception started at noon. She never got anywhere early because of all the preparations she always needed to do and because traffic is synonymous with Lagos. She walked into her spacious monochrome living room with her red gele under one arm and saw her make up artist, Kemi sitting in the leather arm chair beside the white grand piano with three suitcases of make-up by her feet. Kemi rose immediately Lara walked in and greeted her nervously. Lara acknowledged her greeting and sat on the long black sofa. She laughed at Kemi to herself because even though she came to her flat every Saturday, she still behaved like every time was her first time.
"Who chooses yellow and red as wedding colours?" Lara asked jokingly trying to make her feel slightly more comfortable.
"Ma, I think they are nice colours," Kemi said as she put the base for foundation on Lara's face.
"I guess so," She replied and smiled. "Those shades of orange and blue the Adebisi's used for their wedding last week was so much more horrendous, right?"
Kemi cracked a laugh and Lara smiled again, she had accomplished her mission. She didn't say another thing till her face was done and her gele firmly tied on her head. Lucy kept peeking into the living room and Lara pretended she didn't see her every time she did. She treated Lara like her little baby and while some times, Lara was grateful for her watchful eyes, most times, she could do without it. An hour later, Lara was finally ready to leave her flat. She had a private elevator that opened into her living room and a guard who seemed like he was always in it. She put on her red soled pumps and her little black Chanel bag hung on her shoulder as she stepped into it. The guard greeted her like he normally did, stiff and a little too formal for someone she saw everyday and she returned his greeting warmly. When she stepped out of the elevator and into her private garage, her driver, Samuel, was waiting by her Bentley. He bowed immediately he saw her and her bodyguard, Richard, who was already sitting in the front of the car, jumped out, greeted her and opened the back door for her.
She slid in and the mobile police car that preceded her everytime she went to formal events, started moving. They pulled out of the dark garage and the sun shining bright in the sky blinded her eyes. She dug out her sunglasses and Ade's package that she stuffed into her bag before she left her flat tumbled out of it. She quickly put on the sunglasses and opened the brown packaging to reveal a tiny blue Cartier box. Shaking her head vigorously, she opened the box with more force than intended and inhaled sharply when she saw the huge diamond ring encrusted with about one million tiny ruby stones staring at her. She studied it as it glistened in the sun and a lone tear rolled down her face. Then she immediately grabbed her phone and called Ade who answered on the third ring.
"Hello babe," he said, sleep etched on his voice. Lara opened her mouth but no sound came out of it. "Hello? Babe? Did you get the ring? So will you marry me?"
Another tear ran down her face and she used her silk handkerchief to wipe it away carefully before it messed up her make up. She shook her head and looked out her window, little children begging were pressed against it. She turned away from them, breathed in and spoke, "Adelowo William Danteta, this is not the way to propose to a girl," She exhaled. "Didn't Eton or Harvard teach you that?"
"I should have known you'd find a problem," He replied flatly. "You always do. Well, I have proposed, what else do you want from me now?"
"What has happened to you Ade? What has happened to us?" She said, her voice shaking.
"Look Lara, I was asleep." He replied and sighed. "I had a rough night and I have a meeting tonight so I need sleep. Can we talk about this some other time?"
"I can't believe you Ade," She replied quietly. "I was actually dreading speaking to you. I should have called earlier but I really didn't want to. Can you imagine that? How can I be dreading speaking to the person I am meant to be marrying and I didn't even know this is what you were planning."
"Alright Lara," he breathed out. "You have too much drama for one human being. I am coming back to Lagos in three days. Do you think you will be able to survive without committing suicide till then? We'll talk about everything then but right now I'm too tired for you. Do whatever you want to do with that ring, I'll bring another one with me. I got a reminder that today is Susan's wedding so I'm guessing you are on your way there, send her my best wishes and I'll talk to you later," He said and hung up without waiting for reply.
Lara threw the phone and ring unto the empty space beside her and folded her arms. "Unbelievable. Un- freaking- believable. Ade has really outdone himself," She said to herself. She looked out her window, they were in traffic again and the children begging surrounded her again. She opened her bag and pulled out her white envelope filled with crisp clean notes that she was meant to use on the dance floor of the reception and wound down her window and handed it to the first hand she felt against hers. She knew she wasn't meant to ever do that, but the anger surging through her strangely exhilarated her. The children fought over it immediately the envelope left her hand and her car lurched forward like Samuel was trying to get her away from the scene and she smiled to herself. She didn't feel like going to the wedding anymore but she had gotten dressed and there was no where else she could go looking the way she did.
"We are nearly there, ma," Richard said and Lara sighed and looked out at her city. The hawkers, beggars and the roadside sellers all looked so terrible with frowns on their faces, as they chased after cars and sweat dripped off their bodies like oil. Paradise and hell sat side by side comfortably in Lagos, great affluence and great poverty were best friends in this city but somehow, she'd only ever seen one side.
To be continued tomorrow.
P.S: I just realized I haven't said this. Please bear with my writing. I wrote this quite hurriedly because I didn't want to miss/forget the important parts of what was unfolding before me. Also please note that this is the first story that I'm letting people read which hasn't been edited by an editor or copyeditor so try not to be too harsh in your judgments and just try to enjoy the story. Merci!
Have a great day, y'all!!
With all my love,
Dara Rhodes
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