Travesty (3)

She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, they were pulling into the driveway of the Oriental Hotel. She sat up and gathered herself together. She stuffed her phone and the huge ring into her bag and checked her makeup and smile in her small face mirror. The car stopped at the entrance and Richard opened the door for her and as she stepped out, she smiled at the lights from all the cameras around her as the cameramen all shouted "Madam Lara DaSilva or Lara DaSilva over here!" Richard warded them off and led her into the gigantic lobby. Chandeliers hung everywhere and the marble floor shone as stewards served glasses of champagne and d'eovres. She smiled politely and kissed everyone's cheeks as they made their way into the hall.

 

The table with her name was right at the front of the hall and because she had forgotten to cancel Ade's reservation, the seat beside hers still had his name on it. Daisies and roses sat at the centre of all the tables and red and yellow silk drapes hung across the room. She and Ade were the only young people on her table and as the elderly people filled all the other empty seats, Lara wondered what the planner was thinking when she set the seating arrangement. Nonetheless, they were all her parents friends so after they asked her where Ade was and she said London, they settled into easy and light chatter. The music by the live band blared over the speakers too close to her and gave Lara a throbbing headache but she smiled and waved or smiled and hugged whoever spotted her. The stage had two huge golden chairs that were set up like thrones surrounded by about ten dozen roses.

 

The main doors closed in preparation for the couple's entrance and Lara already wanted it to be over. She smiled and clapped as the couple made their way to the front and when Susan saw her, she stopped and hugged and kissed her cheeks like they were good friends. She looked like a little girl trapped in a candy shop, the excitement on her face was plain for all to see and Lara couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealously at how happy she was. They shared a room in year ten at their boarding school in Taunton for one term and while she didn't love her, she didn't mind her either. She thought Susan cried too much and suffered severely from the poor little rich girl syndrome. Her husband or the man she was marrying wasn't really in the Lagos circle. His family had money but they lived in London instead of Lagos thus even though he moved to Lagos when they all moved back after university, he still wasn't fully accepted. The circle looked down on people who lived in London or New York or Paris no matter how much money they had and although it was a very small circle, it was divided into two groups, the political dynasties that ruled the country and the social families that threw the best and most frequent parties.

 

Lara's family, the DaSilva's were the leading political family and Ade's family, the Danteta's were the leading social family. Ade's Sr was the first person in their entire lineage to delve into public politics. The entire family believed they were higher than the politics of the country even though everyone knew they got all the money for their lavish and ludicrous parties from the behind the scenes politics. All the other families in the society fell under either family and unfortunately, Susan's husband, Desmond, didn't belong under either.

 

She congratulated Susan and Desmond and he thanked her with his strong posh British accent that only excluded him further. Once they seated on their thrones, the crowd settled and the ceremony begun. The M.C, Flavour, had officiated the last seven wedding receptions Lara had attended and when he strolled unto the stage in his Armani suit, she rolled her eyes. She had really hoped, he wouldn't be the one at this wedding again. She only ate the finger foods and drank water, she wasn't feeling festive at all, yet she smiled and carried on talking and laughing with her elderly table mates. She kept her eyes on the time and the moment she had spent three hours at the reception, she kissed everyone on her table goodbye and lied that she had a meeting with her mother. They all sent their greetings to her and she snuck out of the room as inconspicuously as possible, returning waves and blowing kisses back till she was out of the hall. She exhaled and as she spotted Richard walking towards her, her heart sank, she wanted a moment to herself.

 

"Lara DaSilva?"

 

Lara fumed that somebody wanted to engage her in meaningless conversation again and contemplated pretending she didn't hear but her curiosity to see who owned the sweet and strong voice over powered her, so she turned. A tall, trim fair skinned pretty woman wearing a black evening dress stared at her with a smile playing on her lips. Lara, didn't recognise her but there was something strangely familiar about her and she was sure she wasn't at the reception, she knew everybody there. She tilted her head sideways and smiled a half smile, "That's me but I'm sorry, have we met before?"

 

The lady stretched forth her perfectly manicured hand for a handshake and smiled again, "I'm Tolu Abebi. I knew that was you, you haven't changed much."

 

Lara's mouth dropped as she stared at the woman in front of her, "Oh my gosh! Tolu Abebi?" She said finally and shook her hand firmly, "It's been forever, we were ten years old the last time we saw each other! I mean I just heard you arrived in Lagos this morning and now you're here," She said and smiled.

 

"You heard I arrived in Lagos? I don't remember announcing my arrival," Tolu said jokingly.

 

Lara laughed, "Oh, you know." She said shrugging, "This is Lagos, everything you do here is announced," Tolu laughed back and Lara smiled, "I'm really pleased to see you again Tolu. What are you doing here?"

 

Tolu blinked rapidly and smiled, "Well, my father is from Lagos you know, I think that makes it mine too, Lara,"

 

Lara laughed again, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean what are you doing in Lagos, I meant that what are you doing in this hotel now? You look like you are attending a dinner party, but the wedding i just left is the only event here today,"

 

"Oh, no, I'm staying at this hotel, I was on my way out actually," She replied and winked, "Believe it or not, I'm here on a mission and every second counts."

 

Tolu's strong charm drew her in and Lara was certain that if everyone in their class that bullied her saw her now, they'd be just as drawn to her as she was. "That sounds very interesting." She said and then said something that surprised her, "If you don't mind me asking, would you like to stay at my flat? I know I haven't seen you in donkey years and you are not sure if I'm a serial killer but my flat is relatively new and awfully lonely and I have about four extra rooms," She said all at once.

 

"First of all, I would love to stay at your flat, secondly, I am certain you are not a serial killer, I have heard your name almost twenty times since I've been in Lagos in all the most glamorous places and it's not even been a full day and lastly, I am very sure your new flat is awfully lonely," Tolu replied and smiled.

 

Lara smiled back but was taken aback a little by her confidence and certainty. She hadn't expected her to accept the offer and a tiny tiny part of her told her to withdraw it but she was in a weird mood today, so she ignored it. They exchanged numbers and Lara said she'd send Samuel to pick her up the next morning. They hugged before they parted, and Richard appeared at her side the moment Tolu was gone. She smiled at him genuinely for the first time that day and he led her to her car.