Travesty (6)

"There's only one side to every story in this city and don't tell me you think the slut may have a valid point. How can someone just heartlessly destroy another person's happiness?" Funke asked dazed. "Where has the child been? She obviously didn't need Desmond before now so why did she steal poor Susan's joy?"

 

Lara nodded as they entered the elevator, all the while her heart thumping in her chest and her mind praying that Tolu had not returned from wherever she went. Funke sounded and looked like she'd kill them both if she found her in her flat. The elevator doors opened to a spotless living room. Lucy must have moved her suitcases into one of the spare rooms.

 

"Good afternoon madams," Lucinda said hurrying towards them. "The food is ready, I was just setting it out."

 

"It's okay, we are not hungry," Lara said dismissively, carefully looking for signs of Tolu and praying for none at the same time. "I'm going to my parents house earlier than normal," she said and Funke stared at her confused.

 

"I hope you are not going earlier to tell them what I've just told you," She said and crossed her arms. "That information is the definition of confidential."

 

Lara grabbed her arm and led her out of the living room, scared Tolu may appear at any minute, "Let's go to my room."

 

Funke jumped on her bed and smiled, "I love your bed. It always smells like what I imagine heaven smells like," She said and sniffed her pillows.

 

Lara forced a smile and changed out of her church clothes. "Surely they are not going to announce the annulment of the wedding yet. That will be too shameful,"

 

"You disappoint me constantly, Lara." Funke said and pouted. "Don't you know where you are. Of course not. Apparently they agreed to fake the marriage for two years. Susan is relocating to New York next month since Desmond can't leave his business in Lagos and she doesn't want to be in the same country with him,"

 

"Wow! My best friend is really a gossip whore," Lara said and pulled one of her silver evening dresses over her head. "There is no way I'd know all this information if you were not my best friend."

 

Funke shrugged. "All is ask in return is that you pray for long life for me." She said and rolled unto her tummy. "It'd be such a pity to die young, life is too wonderful and there is still so much to experience," She paused and studied her friend, "Are you sure you are alright? And isn't it a bit too early to be getting reading for tonight?"

 

"Yes and no. Yes, I'm fine and no, its not too early to be getting ready." Lara said and re-did her make-up in the mirror. "I need to get there early so I can speak to my father alone," She turned to face Funke, "are you coming tonight?"

 

"As much as I would love to, I literally don't have anymore strength in me to smile my way through a three hours dinner," She replied and rolled her eyes. "But don't worry, I'll make sure Tim is there," She gasped and grabbed her phone from her bag, "Speaking of which, I'm sure he'll tell me he has forgotten if I don't get home now and lay out his suit for him like his little maid." She rose from the bed and groaned. "Boys are babies, never forget that and your marriage to Ade may just be successful,"

 

"Boys are babies," Lara repeated. "Got it and thank you for the mighty words of wisdom."

 

Funked laughed and pecked her cheeks, "You know I love you honey, but I really must go now."

 

Lara breathed relief, "It's okay. Just tell Samuel to drop you." She pecked her best friend and watched her leave her room gracefully. She stood still and waited to hear Lucy say goodbye. Once she was sure Funke had left the flat, Lara crept out of her room in search of Tolu.

 

"Lucy, has my friend arrived?" She asked when she saw her clearing the dinning table of all the unused cutlery and uneaten dishes of yam, eggs and beef stew.

 

"No, ma." Lucy replied and Lara exhaled. "She hasn't arrived yet but I have set up Mr Danteta's room for her,"

 

"Why did you do that?" Lara asked with irritation. "She can't sleep in Ade's room, move her upstairs."

 

"I'm sorry ma and okay, ma, I'll do that now,"

 

"Once Samuel returns, let me know, I am going for dinner earlier than normal,"

 

"Yes ma," Lucy replied and Lara left her and went back to her room to finish getting ready. 

With all my love,

Dara Rhodes

Travesty (5)

Elizabeth smiled at her daughter and squeezed her hand back as the pastor ended his prayer. 

"Amen!" They all chorused. 

 She was immediately torn away from Lara by all the people that wanted to 'greet' her and Femi, the same people that 'greeted' them every Sunday. Lara watched her parents smile and laugh with their friends and wondered if they ever got tired of playing the almighty king and queen.

 

"Let's get out of here before those lost causes swamp us with their vile invitations."

 

Lara spun round to face her best friend and couldn't help herself but laugh. "Don't be so mean Funks" She said. "The least we can do is collect the invitations."

 

Funke dragged her arm and led her towards the door, "Well, not today. We have things to discuss."

 

Lara looked back at Timothy talking to some of his friends, "Funks what about your husband? Are you just going to leave him?

 

"What about him? Is he a baby? We came in different cars and I told him I was leaving with you."

 

Lara shook her head when they reached the door, "Don't you want to at least say goodbye?" She knew the moment Funks left her, all the people she didn't want to talk to, would pounce on her and start silly conversations but she didn't feel it was alright for her to just leave her husband.

 

"That's your problem," Funke said as she stopped and looked at her, "You are a hopeless romantic. The children are not back till tomorrow evening so we don't have to eat together tonight." She grabbed her arm again, "Come on, let's go."

 

"To where? You just keep saying let's go. Where are we going?"

 

"To your flat of course. We have things to discuss."

 

Richard rushed to them as they descended the church stairs amid the 'paparazzi' frenzy. Lara leaned in closer to Funke and whispered, "Like what?" while maintaining her smile.

 

"Shhh. Not here," Funke replied. "God forbid somebody hears what I'm about to tell you."

 

They both slid into the back seat of Lara's car and once they were out of the church compound, she turned to her friend but Funke pointed at Richard and Samuel in front and shook her head. "Not here either. Wait till we are in your room. I promise you, it'll be worth it." Lara thought hard about what Funke could have to say but came up clueless.

 

"My God, I love Lagos," Funke said suddenly. "The energy, lies and scandals in this city are unmatched."

 

"Don't taunt me." Lara replied dryly. "We are nearly at my flat."

 

Funke smiled playfully and put her hand over Lara's hand. "Alright, I'll tell you now," She glanced at the driver and body guard and moved closer to her friend. "You know Desmond Dorset?"

 

Lara nodded. "Yes, Susan married him yesterday. I was there without you remember?" She said and smiled.

 

"Now is not a time to be sarcastic, Lara. This is very very serious" Funke scolded.

 

Lara sat up in her chair and tried to feign seriousness. "You are really full of it, Funks. Just spit it out already."

 

"Okay, well, the wedding you attended yesterday is already on the rocks." Funke said smugly and blew her manicured nails.

 

Lara furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean? They seemed happy and in love."

 

"And if there's anything you know better than anyone in this city, isn't it that looks are very deceiving?"

 

Lara nodded and swallowed, "What happened or what is happening?"

 

"Well, it turned out Mr Dorset, isn't as single as he claimed."

 

Lara put her hand over her mouth. "No way. Please don't tell me he has a wife and three point five children in London"

 

"At this point, that might even be better." Funke said and smirked. "On the bright side, at least now we know why Tolu Abebe is in Lagos."

 

Lara froze. "Oh my gosh! Is he married to Tolu?"

 

"No honey!" She exclaimed and then whispered, "Tolu has a six year old boy for Desmond."

 

Lara's jaw dropped and she stared at her best friend. "That is impossible."

 

"Close your mouth honey, that is so un lady like. And this is Lagos remember? Nothing is impossible."

 

Lara shook her head vigourously. "Oh Lord, please tell me this isn't true,"

 

"It is darling. And the worst part? Desmond never told Susan so when that little bitch Tolu sent the undeniably cute baby's pictures to their hotel room last night along with the DNA results, in typical Susan manner, she exploded and told her mother to annul the wedding. So that has either already happened or is probably happening right now,"

 

"oh no. This is terrible."

 

"I know. I don't like that Susan girl but my heart goes out to her, nobody should have to go through this. God help that useless Tolu I ever lay my eyes on her, I will kill her. Lara, ha! The heart of man is desperately wicked oh. Apparently, she is very loose, you should hear what the boys are saying about her, all of them had met her somewhere in the world. I guess it's only us girls that wondered where she was all these years."

 

The car pulled into Lara's garage and she felt like throwing up. She stepped out of her car and her legs felt like jelly, the most hated girl in Lagos was probably in her flat right now.

 

"Are you okay?" Funke asked. "I know you like that Susan girl and that was why I wanted to wait till we were in your room, so you could cry for her freely,"

 

"I am fine." Lara replied. "And I am sure there are two sides to the story."

 

With all my love,

Dara Rhodes

Travesty (4)

The next morning at ten o'clock, two suitcases cases arrived at Lara's apartment but Tolu was nowhere in sight. Lara left instructions with Lucy to let her in when she eventually appeared and then went to church. As her car pulled into the spacious car park of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church, her heart fluttered and she adjusted her black vintage pillbox hat on her head. Going to church every Sunday in Lagos was like brushing one's teeth, everyone went to church, you only missed church when you were out of the country. Richard opened her door for her and as she expected, the 'paps' where waiting to capture her on their cameras. She pulled down her blue velvet sleeveless dress so it just touched her knees and smiled for all of them as she went up the stairs to the church hall.

 

Despite the rumours that the church was supposedly the oldest church in Lagos, the floors were cream marble and ghastly chandeliers hung sparingly across the room thanks to its many generous and wealthy members. The stained glasses were replaced with new ones from Rome every Christmas and the pastor was constantly thanking someone for donating the "best organ in the world to the church." Every sunday was an elegant affair and the hall looked more like a venue for an award ceremony in Hollywood than a place of worship. Lara had never been to church on time but Funke told her that a red carpet was rolled out every morning for the early comers or on time members. The only thing that reminded one that they were at church was the thick smell of incense that swayed in the air.

 

The crammed hall was full of all the usual people, politicians, socialites and their little children all dressed in ridiculously expensive dresses and suits with diamonds and gold dripping off their bodies. Even though Lara was two hours late, the first usher that saw her, smiled and ushered her to the front pew where both her parents were seated. Her mother pecked her cheeks as she sat beside her and whispered, "You look beautiful sweetheart." Her father nodded sternly in acknowledgement of her and looked straight ahead of him at the pastor like he was receiving a special word. Ade's mother, who sat on the pew behind them, leaned forward and pecked Lara's cheek and smiled widely like she hadn't seen her in years even though they saw themselves just four days ago. Ade's father was nowhere in sight, but he was probably on a business or pleasure trip, Lara thought. The overpowering smell of her mother and Ade's mother's perfume combined, always made her stomach churn and today was no exception. After all the stares at her dress subsided, Lara settled into her seat and looked round the church to take a quick inventory of who was present today and who she was going to avoid after the service.

 

Funke sat three pews behind her and rolled her eyes when they met Lara's eyes and Lara smiled. She was unconventionally beautiful and what she wore was as important to her as drinking water every day. Her husband, Timothy, sat beside her looking very serious and clean as usual. Nobody really understood how their marriage worked because they were such complete opposites. Funke was this airhead, who only cared about clothes and fashion weeks and Tim was a thoroughly well bred business man who doubled his family's money since he took over the business after he graduated with a first class from New York University. One would have expected him to marry an equally thoroughly bred woman but like so many mysteries in Lagos, he chose Funke. He smiled politely at Lara when he saw her looking his way. Towards the back of the church, she noticed the wannabe girls her age that were over dressed in clothes you could tell were cheap. They all sat up and smiled with too much enthusiasm when they saw her eyes on them. They were not part of the circle because they went to school and university in Lagos but they wanted to belong to the social circle so badly that they tried to be around the circle as much as possible. Since they couldn't afford or get into any of the private clubs or restaurants Lara and her friends frequented, they made sure they were in the same church with them. She smiled back at them and thought of how Funke would have scolded her if she caught her smiling at the people she called the "lost causes"

 

Once Lara had gotten a good view of everyone present in the church, she re adjusted in her seat and tried to focus on whatever the pastor was saying but as it was practically impossible to understand his English, she let her mind wander. She thought about what she was going to say to her father the moment she caught him alone and whether or not she was going to tell her mother and Funke about what Ade did yesterday. The pastor announced that everybody should rise for the closing prayer and Lara muttered "thank God" under her breath.

 

"What did you say darling?" Her mother whispered.

 

"I said thank God." Lara replied and her mother smiled.

 

"Please tell me you are coming for dinner tonight?"

 

"Of course I am. Why would you think I won't?"

 

Her mother shrugged, "Well, you know. You've been saying you are bored and all."

 

Lara smiled and squeezed her mother's hands, "Your parties bore me, but it doesn't mean I'll stop attending them. At least not till I find something meaningful to do"

With all my love,

Dara Rhodes

Travesty (2)

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

Travesty (1)

      Lara DaSilva stood on the balcony of her penthouse, munching on an apple and looking out at the Lagos skyline. The deep orange sun was only just rising out of the clear blue skies above her but the world below her was already bustling with activity. Lagos was her city in a way no other city in the world was. The new moneyed people flocking in from Nigeria's capital, Abuja often irked her and poor non- Lagosians that arrived every day from all over the country made her skin crawl upon sight but all of them played a part in why she loved it so much and she knew that.

 

Every morning at the break of dawn, she slid out of bed, picked an apple from the pile her maid always set out for her on the dining table and stepped unto her balcony to watch everything around her come alive. It was that routine that she missed whenever she went away to other parts of the world for holidays. The soft breeze blew through her Brazilian weave and she wrapped her slender arms around her purple silk bathrobe. The wind brought with it faint noises from the crowds beneath as the traffic on Adeola Odeku formed. Lara exhaled, closed and opened her eyes, threw her half eaten apple in the bin by the sliding door and walked into her room.

 

She sat in one of the cream velvet arm chairs opposite her bed and stared at the painting above her headboard. Her father bought it from Lisbon for her twenty first birthday present six years ago. It was a colourful painting of a woman carrying a baby on her back leading three small children by a river. The woman looked sad to her, but everyone else that saw it thought the woman was smiling. Lara tilted her head to the right to see why they thought she was smiling, maybe it was the bright yellow and red streaks that deceived them. Her phone buzzed on the small circular table beside her and in between the identical cream velvet arm chair and she picked it up immediately. To her slight disappointment, it was only a reminder that one of the girls she went to boarding school in England with, Susan Babalola, was getting married in three hours. She sighed and returned the phone to it's position on the table beside countless unopened invitations to weddings, birthday parties, dinner parties and even children parties.

 

She folded her arms and thought of Ade, her reluctant betrothed. They had returned from a romantic holiday at his summer house in Côte d'azur two weeks ago and the question they both knew she desperately wanted to hear him ask, had somehow evaded him again. True to the way they were both raised to avoid "unpleasant or uncomfortable" matters, the discussion about where the relationship was headed remained the white elephant in the room. Everybody in Lagos knew themselves, nobody was new. They all attended the same schools from kindergarten to the same boarding schools in England and to the same universities in America. She couldn't even remember where exactly she first met Ade, if it was at her house or at pre-school, but everybody knew they were going to get married. It was settled. The girls were groomed for the boys and the boys married the girls that suited them best like they were choosing expensive suits. She knew her marriage to Ade was inevitable but two things scared her. The first was, why was he taking so long to propose? She turned twenty seven years old last month and had now entered the last batch of people her age waiting to get married. Getting married wasn't going to change much about their relationship except that she would now be called Mrs Danteta and move into the mansion in Old Ikoyi that had been built for them after marriage by Ade's father. Ade was still going to be the elusive partner and she was still going to be the ever faithful and waiting girlfriend.

 

The second thing that bothered her and perhaps more than the first one was, since they returned from France, she found herself in a perpetual state of boredom. Everything about the Lagos glamour filled life bored her. Her parents dinner parties every Sunday suddenly bored her to death, the different weddings she attended every Saturday all seemed to become one endless dreadful party with the same people at different venues eating manageable food and drinking tepid Verve Cliqout or Moet and Chandon. Even her favourite sport, polo was beginning to loose its appeal. When she told her mother her predicament at the last dinner party hosted at the family mansion in Victoria Island, her mother advised her to pressure Ade to marry her quickly and Lara shuddered. Despite the fact that she wanted Ade to propose to her, she didn't think she could marry him in her present state of mind. Surely, there must be more to life. Her life was like a novel she had read at school, she already knew the end. And all of a sudden, it unsettled her. Once she married Ade, that was it. She was going to become the lady of their manor, see Ade about three times a year, have about four children, travel to their summer houses abroad every year, employ nannies to follow them everywhere, send all her children to boarding school in England or Switzerland at age ten then host or attend countless, pointless parties to entertain herself every week. That was going to be her story. That was what happened to all the girls in her social circle. Their grandmothers and mothers had lived that life and now it was their turn to live it and for the first time ever, the thought of playing the main character in a story that she already knew the ending to, repulsed her.

 

"Good morning, madam."

 

Lara turned to face her pretty petite Singaporean maid standing in her doorway, "Hello Lucy, how are you this morning?"

 

"I'm fine madam," She replied and looked down at the newspaper in her hand, "I have today's newspaper and you have a package from Mr Danteta,"

 

"Alright," Lara said and stretched her perfectly manicured hand out for the newspaper. Lucy hurried forward and curtsied as she handed it over to her. "Bring the package from Ade here and don't worry about breakfast today, I'm not hungry."

 

"Okay madam," Lucy said and turned to carry out the orders.

 

Lara hated it when her staff called her "madam" but she didn't stop them. In Lagos, some battles where better left un won. She unfolded the newspaper and groaned at the bold headline at the top of the page, Femi DaSilva declares ambition to run for presidency again. She shook her head and picked up her phone immediately to dial her mother's phone number. She answered on the first ring.

 

"Hello sweetheart, has Ade proposed?" Her mother asked in one breath.

 

"What?" Lara asked and furrowed her eyebrows, "No mother, he hasn't. I just got today's newspaper. Daddy didn't tell me he was going to run for presidency again."

 

"Oh," her mother's voice went flat. "Is that why you called me? You know your father, sweetheart, he does as he pleases, when he pleases and however he pleases. That one is not my business," She paused. "Anyway, how is Ade? He should have landed in London by now."

 

Lara blinked rapidly, she had forgotten he travelled last night. "Yes mother. He should have, I need to call him," She said. "Oh and today is Susan Babalola's wedding."

 

"I see." She said. "Where are they having it?"

 

"I think it's at the Oriental hotel, the security detail have the address," Lara said absentmindedly. She couldn't believe she had forgotten Ade had travelled.

 

"Those people are so classless." Her mother said with her usual air of superiority. "Who has their child's wedding in a hotel run by Chinese people? Ah, on your wedding day, the whole of Lagos will see how a wedding should-"

 

"Yes mother, you have been saying that since I was born," Lara said and closed her eyes, "I just called you to find out why daddy didn't tell me about his presidential ambition and like I should have known, you don't have a clue either." She opened her eyes.

 

"Lara sweetheart, your problem is that you are too concerned with the mens affairs" Her mother said and sighed. "That has been your problem since you were a little girl but I managed to chase it away. Don't concern yourself with the politics of this country. That is for the men, I don't want you to go worrying your pretty little head."

 

Lucy entered the room and dropped a small brown box on the table. Lara nodded at her and she disappeared. "Alright mother darling, I love you but I really must go now. I think my make up artist just arrived and you know how long it takes to get ready for a wedding."

 

"Oh dear," She said, "I'm sorry for keeping you. Go and get ready and send my regards to Susan's mother, Sola."

 

"Okay mother, bye," Lara said quickly and hung up before her mother could say anything else.

 

She placed her phone on the table and exhaled. Looking at the little brown box Ade sent her, she crossed her arms. What was driving her father's ambition? Surely he wasn't interested in running the country at age sixty five and after he had been in power for eight years nearly seven years ago. She remembered the years her father was president and shivered. She had just turned twelve years old when he won his first term, and after four years in the Presidential Villa, she hoped, no prayed he wouldn't win a second term but somehow he did. Once his terms ended, the villa was moved from Lagos to Abuja and she was overjoyed they had left before that happened. She couldn't have imagined living in that Abuja that was over run with Northerners. Still, those eight years her father was president were the worst years of her life.

 

"Madam, Kemi is here," Lucy said as she re-appeared in the doorway. "She wants to know if you are going out in the morning or evening today"

 

"Tell her to wait," Lara said with slight annoyance at her maid for interrupting her thoughts. "The wedding is this morning," She glanced at the little clock on the table, "The church service has already started, so I'll miss that and go straight to the reception," She said more to herself than Lucy.

 

"Okay madam." Lucy said and walked away.

 

Lara watched her leave and suddenly really felt like screaming at the top of her lungs. She picked up Ade's package and studied it closely. "I should call him," She said quietly but instead, she put it back on the table, picked up the newspaper again and flipped straight to page seven. That was the photo news and gossip column page. She scanned the page quickly and was grateful there was no picture of her on it today and no mention of her name in the article. She smiled at a picture of Ade embarking on his private plane last night. The paparazzi always irritated him and his irritation showed in the pictures. She studied his beautiful face and well built body in one of his custom made suits and smiled again.

 

Ade's father, Ade Sr was her father's best friend and he was the next president after her father. Unfortunately for him, he was so unpopular with the Nigerian public that even though he rigged the elections, they rejected him after his first term. He did everything her father did so after twelve years of basically the same dishonest and wicked government, Nigerians were fed up and took the seat from him. Before he was president, he was the Governor of Lagos State for eight years. Growing up, Ade often told her that he hated politics and wasn't interested in any part of it. But on his twenty third birthday, his father gave him a birthday present that changed her relationship with him forever. He made him the permanent commander-in-chief of Nigeria's State Security Service. It was so secret that no one else but her knew what he did. Everyone else thought he was an idle rich boy and he milked that image, travelling to the most exotic places at every chance he got. Lara couldn't turn to any of her friends for advice when he disappeared for three weeks straight without a word for 'work'. She knew he wasn't lying about what he was doing but as they got older and he drew further away from her, she began to doubt that. There was a time she was madly in love with Ade. Before that birthday, they were inseparable and she was so optimistic that their story was going to be different. Now, all she knew was that she loved him. Not like a lover anymore, but like a friend that she's been tied to for life.

 

As she stared at the picture of her future husband, pity rose up in her not just for him but for the both of them. She rose from her chair and threw the newspaper on it and when she stepped into her oversized bathroom, her phone rang. She smiled and answered it without looking at who was calling.

 

"I am still alive, Funke" She said as she pulled off her bathrobe and stepped out of her night dress. "I'm just getting into the shower so if you don't mind, I have to go."

 

"No, Lara!" Funke exclaimed. "Have a bath please. I have juicy gossip for you."

 

Lara rolled her eyes and smiled again, "Don't you always. Tell me at Susan's wedding. You know I need to start getting ready now or I'll probably never get there."  

 

"Just have a bath," Funke said, "And you know I have never liked that Susan girl. I would be too annoyed to talk at the rubbish wedding if I was going."

 

"What? You are not going?" Lara asked as she ran her bath water and poured in her lavender bath oils. "Funksy, how on earth did you get out of it?"

 

"You're my best friend, you know me," Funke said. "I told her I'm taking the kids to Dubai for the weekend and that they have been looking forward to it since they got back to Lagos from summer."

 

"You little devil," Lara said and laughed. "I wish I had kids to use as lies."

 

"Don't worry, you will very soon but hold your horses on the kids train. The moment that train arrives, you'll wish it waited," She said. "And it's not a complete lie. The kids just left for the airport. The only difference is that I'm not the one taking them."

 

Lara smiled and slid into the bath, "Okay, what's the gist?"

 

"Can you remember Tolu Abebi?" She said. "That mixed race girl that went to primary school with us but mysteriously disappeared after year six? Well, my trusted news sources have just informed me that she landed in Lagos this morning from Los Angeles,"

 

"What?" She said. "Why is she back? What was she doing in Los Angeles?" Lara sat up in the bath and pictured the pretty little girl that was her table partner in Corona primary school, the most exclusive in Lagos. Nobody knew anything about her family, other than her mother was German and her father belonged to one of the founding families of Nigeria. Her parents never attended any school function but her maids were always decently dressed at the parent teacher meetings. All the other children laughed at her and bullied her because she was so quiet and severely dyslexic but Lara liked her.  

 

"Well, we shall find out over the next couple of days but I just thought it was interesting that she'd come back when the elections are about to start and we are all preparing to leave town for the next six months," Funke said.

 

"Yeah it is." she replied dryly.

 

Funke exhaled. "Okay, what is bothering you now Lara?"

 

"Funks, my father wants to run for presidency again," She paused. "And I am scared he is going to win."

 

Funke laughed, "Phew, thank God that's what is bothering you. I thought you were fighting with Ade again and I was already preparing a speech." She breathed in and out, "Why is your father's life affecting you? It's not like you are going to live in the Villa with him when he becomes president now. I know how terrible the last time was for you but you are older now and you have your life now. In a couple of months, you'll be married and starting your own little family."

 

Lara nodded and closed her eyes, "You're right," She said. "But it's still bothering me."

 

"Sorry sister, but Tim just walked in so I have to escape to the spa now and you have a wedding to attend. By the way, I saw that picture of Ade on page seven and he looked mighty fine," She chuckled, "Bye sweety," She added and blew a kiss.

 

Lara smiled, "Thank you for the gist and bye honey."

 

She dropped her phone on the little beige persian rug and sank back into the bath as she let her mind roam. She had forgotten that they'd all have to leave Lagos soon and even though she knew she almost didn't have a choice, she didn't want to leave this year. Funke had been her best girl friend since pre-school and she called her every other morning with the latest gossip in Lagos on her tongue. Her family was new money, her father, Emmanuel Wilson was an entrepreneur. He married an ambitious middle class woman and they started an oil services company that only grew in leaps and bounds partly because Nigeria became the biggest oil producer in Africa and partly because they made sure they were around the right circle. His father, Funke's grandfather, died dirt poor, still Funksy was the biggest snob Lara knew but she loved her. When they were together, Funksy was funny, real, honest and carefree, a true best friend.

The story continues tomorrow.

With all my love,

Dara Rhodes