THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA chapter 2

© Abdulrahman Muhammad

“Bring him to my office.” He whispered to one of his guards and he nodded.

The guard opened the door and the vice and his wife walked in accompanied by his escorts. “Ah, Kemi,” Mr Adewale extended his hands. “I’m happy you’re here, welcome.” He embraced her briefly and asked a guard to take her to his wife’s chamber.

“Sola.” He extended his right hand and they shook. Their hands bounced in slow motion in the air.

“Mr President.” Sola said.

“Oh please, quit the formalities. We are a family now.” Even as both of them hate the sound of Mr Adewale’s last sentence, they couldn’t do anything about it. At least not anymore.

“Wait outside.” Sola said to his guard and he went out and closed the door behind him.

“A drink?” Mr Adewale said as he walked to his dark brown table. He took a stylish glass of wine which always sat on his desk, and removed two glass cups from his desk’s drawer to pour some wine in them. Sola walked to him as he offered him a glass, then they both sat on each end of the desk. They were both dressed in attires, Sola by the way was wearing an (agbada) a big long loose-fitting gown that covered from his neck down to his knees. Sitting quietly for a moment, they glanced at each other from where they sat. Mr Adewale and Sola were best of friends but things changed when Sola became his Vice, and to his surprise, Sola never wanted to heed his authority. He always had another agenda of his own, a chapter, a dark page, no one knows about. Mr Adewale always wished he could read minds so as to read Sola’s mind for a minute and he knew what he would find would be devastating and shocking.

“I didn’t see Taye, is she here?” Mr Adewale brought a topic.

“She’s downstairs, we came together.” Sola answered with a strong voice.

“Oh that’s nice, it’s been long I saw her.” Mr Adewale conceded with a laugh. Later on he sipped from his cup.

“So, how’s the bridge construction for the six states going?” Sola brought up his own topic, his was more serious. They were not going to sit there and talk about his only daughter. He thought.

“It’s going well. As a matter of fact, It’s going very well. You know I was right about giving the contract to Alhaji Bala.” Mr Adewale said. Alhaji Bala was the minister of works.

“Yes,” Sola swallowed a wine down the knot that formed in his throat. “It was a good idea.” He added.

“Wow, I can’t believe this,” Mr Adewale stood from his chair and descended to the window with his glass cup in one hand.

“What.” Sola turned to where Mr Adewale stood.

“That we would be in laws in the future.” Mr Adewale said looking out the window.

“I guess sometimes a man has to surrender to fate.” Sola replied.

“Right.” Mr Adewale drank from his cup again and peered through the window.

Jake was still standing above the crowded hall, it was getting more crowded and he was finding it difficult to locate his sister with his eyes. Although she and her husband looked safe and sound. He quickly spin his head to his right as he heard a pair of heels walking up to him from behind. “Hey you.” Taye said with a hug. Taye and Jake grew and played together, she was 16 when she started having feelings for him. He knew but never took it serious till date, she always talked about marriage whenever they meet and it always made him uncomfortable. She realized he was not into the marriage thingy at the moment, so she left him alone, In fact she had joined his league of “singles who mingle”. Now they are just friends with benefits. Tonight she’s wearing a tight red armless gown that only stopped at her lap, half of her lap down the rest of her body was visible. And a silver purse with red six inch Modato heels, even though she wasn’t a short person.

“Hi,” Jake returned with a kiss on her lips that was painted with red glossy lipstick. “How’re you?” He asked.

“I’m fine. What’re you doing up here by yourself? Don’t tell me you have already spotted someone for tonight.” She joked.

“No! No, I’m looking out for my sister.” He answered with his eyes fixed on Henrietta.

“Oh not this again,” she complained with her hand on his shoulder. “Bisi is a big girl now and she doesn’t need any watching.”

“She will always need our protection, she’s the baby of the house. And I got the order directly from my dad, so I have to obey.” He looked serious now.

“They are securities everywhere, SSS, u name them.” She said.

“So I told the President, but it’s like he’s still not satisfied with all the securities he has,” Jake added. “I’m sure if he could have a hundred more, he would want them.”

“You’re so funny,” she busted in laughter. “I know right, the house is too noisy with them around, you can’t have privacy, you can’t even sneak out without them knowing and telling. So boring.” She finished.

“Are you here with someone?” He asked looking back.

“Nope, father has warned about hanging out with Sam, so I came alone,” she placed a hand on his chest as she moved to face him.

“Not now, I have to__”

She silenced him with a deep kiss. “I’ll be in your room.” She whispered and he glared at her from behind as she cat walked away.

He cleared his throat with a shake of his head to enable him to focus, but his mind was drawing him to the temptation. He was a man, he couldn’t resist, we always find it hard to. “Ten minutes and I’m back, just ten minutes,” he repeated those words as a warning to himself. “I’ll be back Bisi.” He said silently and left in a hurry.

Victoria couldn’t but endure the pleasure of the talkative woman, Kemi had been talking since she entered the room. Victoria was done with her makeup and her dressing, she wore a native too (a see through lace) and a head tie that was wide as a flag. “What would you like to eat? Victoria asked.

“Anything is okay, or what do you have?” Kemi asked back.

“Ah, we have everything,” she paused. “Hold on, Wasila!” she shouted for her maid.

“Yes ma.” Wasila entered the room quickly and bowed as she greeted Kemi.

“Ekale, salafia ni?”

“Adupe ma.” Wasila answered curtseying.

“Tell her what we have.” Victoria said.

“Em, we have elubo with egusi, vegetable soup, goat stew, moin moin, ogi, jollof rice, fried rice___”

“Just give me elubo with vegetable soup.” Kemi interrupted.

“Yes ma.” Wasila said and went out.

“Mo mbo.” Victoria quickly rushed out. Leaving Kemi sitting on the king sized bed, she then removed her shoes and laid her back on one of the soft white colored pillows.

The President and the Vice President had a lot of discussion about a lot of things and the development of the country. They both knew it was all they could talk about that wouldn’t make the conversation boring or stepping on one’s toe. “I think the party has began,” Mr Adewale swallowed the last wine in his cup and walked to his desk. “We must be needed downstairs.” He said.

“Of course.” Sola replied and drank his own wine then stood up and followed Mr Adewale down the stairs. The Vice, Sola. Was not a man of many words, although he talks when surrounded by people who loves him and his opinions. But he had never trusted the President, Mr Adewale. Who he always thought wanted to see his downfall, Mr Adewale however always thought the same too. But now that they have joined union with the two families, (the Adewales and the Solas). He thought it would end their misunderstandings and hatred. Could foes become friends? Mr Adewale thought to himself as they both entered the crowded hall, shaking and waving the families and well wishers that had come to the wedding party.

“Thank you very much.” Mr Adewale laughed with the minister of women affairs as their hands clasped together in greeting. “Thank you for coming.” He said to the others that lined up. Even though he could barely stand because of the crowd, pushing and the press trying to capture the moment altogether. The SSS were doing their work of protecting him and his family, walking shoulder to shoulder with him as he shook the people his hand was able to reach. Sola did the same and sat on the front row V.I.P seat that was covered with white cloth to the ground, two glass cups, soft drinks and bottled water, with a memo that he opened and began to read the events of the evening. The mothers also came down the stairs and they both sat close to their husbands. The Solas were by the left and the Adewales were by the right, suddenly the lights deemed and the spot light was on the bride and the groom who were sitting in front of everyone. It was dark but visible to the eyes, moreover the shots from the paparazzi’s was enough for someone to find his lost needle on the floor.

The M.C had talked for a view minutes and invited the President to come up and speak. He did. Applauds filled the air as he walked up, just standing there with smiles written all over his face. He paused and looked at his wife and then to the bride and her groom. “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,” he boomed. “I want to thank you all for coming, and I want to thank God for this gathering, for sparing our lives to see this wonderful moment, and also to my foreign guests who came from far and near____”

The incessant mourning from inside the room was making the guard standing by the door irritated and uncomfortable. The event had started, but Jake and Taye had lost track of time. Do they even care? The guard wondered. No they don’t. He thought again. The noise died down finally, and he could hear as they both laughed drunkly together, as much as he hated it, he had to tell him the event had already started. So he opened the door a little to find Jake zipping up his trousers, the guard only showed his head in the room as the rest of his body stood outside. “They have started.” He announced.

“And finally to my son Bola, who you all call Jake. You know we Yorubas always have more than one name,” Mr Adewale joked and the room was charged with a brief laughter. “It’s true,” he continued with a cup in his hand. “I’m very happy with the man he’s turned into today___”

Jake and Taye rushed out through the hall as they heard people clapping and laughing. They definitely knew they should be there or it was going to cause alarm. “The president is so going to kill me.” Jake confessed as he put on his left pair of shoe and went downstairs. Which was filled to brim with people, he couldn’t see Gloria, he surveyed the hall but it was just too crowded to see a single soul, he saw faces quite alright but not whom he was searching for.

“Cheers.” The president said and Gloria quickly snatched the cup from his hand. Everybody paused in surprise, who was the drunk young lady who could barely stand on her feet? They all began to wonder and murmured to each other, the spot light was directed at her immediately.

“A toast again people,” Gloria said with her hand raised up and the people followed. “To the President, a very good and caring man,” she looked at him. “May you live long enough to see your enemies fall.” She said and drank all of the red wine. A second was all it took for the microphone in her hand to fall and then the glass cup followed quickly to the ground too and shattered. The president moved back a bit, the crowd became silent, they all froze as Gloria began to choke and fell to the floor. They all stared in anticipation, no one drank from their cups anymore, suddenly the crowd was noisy and some wanted to see what was happening. The paparazzi’s were taken photo shots as usual, Mr Adewale was in the middle with Gloria, he was protected from the crowd by his SSS, they kept pushing the crowd back and they also returned. They just wanted to see what was happening at the middle that was surrounded by securities. A minute later after trying to wake her up, Gloria started shaking very fast, with white and red foam coming out of her mouth and eyes.

“Who did this?” Mr Adewale asked with curiosity. “Talk to me Gloria, who is it?” He urged her to speak but she couldn’t. She only pointed to the crowded hall filled with people who were in shock. Then she rested her head slowly on his arms as her breath seized. She was dead.