****
****
20th of May 2015.
On a
Saturday morning, the cool breeze blasts the skins of the new customers
fingering through their way into the new shopping mall located at Lekki, in
Lagos state. It was a two-storey building owned anonymously. Rumor has it that
Adebiyi Gold was the rightful owner of the place, one of Nigerian’s bachelors
and playboy. He was a tanned man, aged thirty-eight years. A tall and very
attractive man with dashing features. It was the
opening day and quality goods were going to be sold in low prices.
Tiwa Banks,
who had been jogging for more than thirty minutes, became tired, turned her
back and jogged back home. She was a chocolate-skinned twenty-nine years old
woman. She was average in height, had an oval face, brown eyes, including a pointed
nose. Right from her childhood days, she had always controlled her weight to
keep fit, and dress decently. Behind the clothes she wore, Tiwa had a body of a
beauty queen. She had an hourglass shape with round and firm breasts.
At the age
of thirteen, she was already fighting anyone that crossed her path in a
negative way; defend those that were scared to protect themselves from bullies.
Some of her older friends were terrified of her. She never liked intimidation
and deceit.
Tiwa thought
she was in love for the first time when she became eighteen and was in her
second year at the university during that period studying criminology. Her lover
was a single man and an accountant in a bank. He deflowered her on her
twentieth birthday but the relationship ended badly after four years. She
became celibate for two eyes before she opened her heart after pressure from
her family. In between four years, she had two boyfriends but at the end, she
called it off. Her last lover was intimidated by her success at her place of
work. The second one said she was too much for him to handle. She laughed at
their lack of knowledge and indolence.
Her mother
was her best friend. Her father, the owner of where she functioned as an agent
was her dad at home and boss at the office. One thing she admired about her
parents was the years they spent together and seemed to be in love after
thirty-four years of marriage.
She was the
only daughter and second child. She and her elder brother were quite close
until he sneaked out from the house at night five years ago and they never saw
him again except on television. He was a successful and popular RnB singer.
Whenever her
colleagues at the office saw a smile on her face, they attempt to get closer
but the moment a frown covered her pretty face, they distant their selves from
her. Her trouble was more than the sound of an earthquake and her angry eyes
would spark like lightening.
Her phone
buzzed, she peeped at her wristwatch for the time and picked up the call.
“Hello mom.”
she said and smiled.
“Where are
you?” Mrs. Bankole asked.
“I know why
you are calling. I’m coming home now, I hope you are prepared. it’s 10 ‘O’clock
already.”
“I don’t
think I can follow you to the mall again. Your father sent me to somewhere.”
Tiwa suddenly
frowned. “Don’t worry, I will go alone. I only need few items.”
“Can we go
there tomorrow?”
“No.” She
gave a straight answer.
Mrs. Bankole
could sense the anger in her daughter’s meek voice. “You should understand that
where your father sent me to is very important. I will make it up to you. The
two of us will eat lunch at any eatery of your choice after church tomorrow.”
“Mom,” Tiwa
said without a smile. “You don’t need to bribe me.”
“Must you go
today?”
“Yes. The
goods would be below the market rate. I will get them at an affordable price.”
“Tiwatope!
You love cheap things. I will pay for whatever you want to buy.” She was trying
to make her happy.
“I work for
my money and when there’s an opportunity like this, I make use of it wisely. I
have told you I will go alone and I am not complaining. Can I cut the call?”
“Hmmmm… you
can.” Tiwa ended the call and hissed. This was not the first time her mom had
disappointed her because of her husband. If she should count how many times
Mrs. Bankole had done something like this, it was uncountable. She had told her
mother several times that her father had enormous effect on her. He was too
controlling and pushy.
It didn’t
take her a long time before she reached home. Osas, the gateman, a man appeared
to be in his early twenties informed her, her mom had left with the Toyota
Corolla.
“What!” she
exclaimed and surveyed the car park. She pointed at the Mercedes Benz there.
“Why didn’t she drive her own car?”
“Her car no
gree start.”
“What
rubbish!! What does she expect me to drive?”
“I don call
mechanic to come…”
“Just shut
up! Who asked you if you have called the mechanic, did I ask you?”
“Sorry ma.”
“Sorry for
yourself!” She bit the tip of her index finger and spoke to herself. “So how
will I leave the house now? The mall would be rowdy in the afternoon and I
don’t want to go tomorrow.”
“Aunty,”
Osa’s said and she looked at him. “I nor sure say the mechanic go take time. Na
because madam dey in a hurry, if not, she for wait for the mechanic. Make you
dey patient.”
“Amebo!” She
uttered and smiled. “Number one Aproko! No matter how hard I try to make you
upset, you still make sure you say things to make me feel all right.”
He grinned
and rubbed his palms together. “I have to Aunty. I know when you come back from
your journey; you will buy me something and even settle me with money.”
“You love
money. I hope you won’t be used for money one day. You will bring counterfeit.”
Both of them laughed. “Anyways, I have to go inside and get ready but I don’t
think I can wait for the mechanic. I will take a taxi.”
“Are you
sure ma?”
“Yes.” She
replied. “When did my dad leave the house?”
“Immediately
you commot go for morning exercise.”
Tiwa nodded and
went inside the main building to have her bath. After getting set to leave, she
went into the kitchen to get some fruits from the fridge and ate. She locked the house with her own key, went outside and waited
for a taxi.
*****
*****
Fine-looking
Adebiyi Gold was dressed in a Dolce and Gabbana’s suit, grey tie and sophisticated
shoes. He wore a necklace, with a big cross pendant, and an earring in his left
ear. A hand chain and wristwatch decorated his wrist. The accessories he wore were
original gold. He was checking out items to buy in one of the wristwatch
sections at the new mall.
Despite the
busy crowd, some of the women admired him. He made eye contacts with some of
them, winked and flashed dashing smiles. He had planned to ask his personal
assistant to get their phone numbers from two women that attracted him. Most
times, light-skinned ladies with small boobs, wide hips and fat buttocks
tickled his body.
Tiwa arrived
and strolled directly to what she wanted to buy. The things were perfume, cosmetics,
a wig and jewelries. It took twenty-five minutes to get everything she needed. She
decided to survey the beautiful shopping center.
A small boy
not more than six years old left his mother who was buying some beauty products.
She screamed his name to stop, but he continued; he was hopping around catching
fun. He raced to the side where Adebiyi stood, stepped on his left shoe and hit him by
his arm accidentally. A gold and silver wristwatch fell from his hand. A young
man, his assistant rushed to pick it up. Adebiyi eyes turned red and he dragged
the little boy’s collar and turned him to face him.
“How dare
you!” Adebiyi Gold yelled at the frightened boy. “Didn’t your parents train you
well?” He let go of the collar.
The boy only
stared at him in fright.
“Instead of
you to be at home reading your books, you are here jumping from one place to
the other. I don’t know why children behave like this. You are all clumsy and
careless.”
The boy’s
mother ran to them. She knew who he was and began to plead on behalf of her
son.
“What if he
smashed the wristwatch?” He asked her. “What would you have done?”
Eyes were on
him but he didn’t care. Tiwa was about to move to the counter for payment when
she heard what was happening. Her heart told her to intrude on the matter but
her head said she should walk away. She recognized Adebiyi Gold. She didn’t know
him well but had seen him in newspapers, blogs and magazines. She knew he was a chronic womanizer and a wealthy bastard.
“I’m really
sorry sir,” The woman said. “It will never happen again.” She looked at her
child. “Apologize now!”
“I am sorry sir,”
he pleaded innocently.
“You have to
wait for your mother to tell you the right thing to say? Are you so daft?”
“He is just
a child.” Tiwa said and went closer. “He is still growing and learning the ways
of life.”
He glared at
her stunned! “And who the hell are you? Who asked for your opinion?”
“Leave the
poor boy alone. He has apologized already. Do you want him to lick your feet?”
“I think you
should leave here and mind your damn business.”
“I will when
you apologize to the boy for calling him daft.”
“What?”
“Please,”
the woman said to Tiwa. “You don’t need to do this. I think you should leave us
alone.”
“I will not.”
Tiwa said. “This man…”
“This man?”
Adebiyi said sarcastically and raised his upper lip. “I am not this man, my
name is Adebiyi Gold!”
“And you
think I care about that?”
The people
staring at them started to murmur between their selves.
She added. “You
were once a child. I assume you were daft too.”
Jaws
dropped. Mouths opened.
“How dare
you?” He questioned her. There was a scorn on his face. Even with that, he
still appeared eye-catching.
She introduced herself as Tiwatope Bankole, an agent of BIA. “If you believe all children are daft, including you when you were his age, then don’t say sorry.” She continued to stare at him angrily.
She introduced herself as Tiwatope Bankole, an agent of BIA. “If you believe all children are daft, including you when you were his age, then don’t say sorry.” She continued to stare at him angrily.
He chuckled,
shook his head and stared at his confused assistant. He laughed and walked
closer to the boy. “I am sorry kiddo for calling you daft. I am sure you are an
intelligent boy in school. Always listen to your mom, okay?”
“Okay sir.”
He collected
some money from his wallet and gave it to the boy. His mother and he thanked
him. Adebiyi glanced at where Tiwa was standing, but she was already gone. The shoppers
began to go back to what they were doing. The woman didn’t move, she wanted all
eyes away from them until she spoke.
“I want to thank
you for everything you have done for me.” She said to him.
“Excuse me?”
Adebiyi said in a confused tone. “I don’t understand you.”
“I am a
single mother and I was among the women that benefited from the donations you
gave out last year. I know you can’t remember how many children you gave
scholarship. Anyways, my son is among them.”
He widened
his eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Yes sir.”
“I gave
scholarship to children that were brilliant and unable to pay their school fees
last year. This is a small world.” He smiled widely. “I am happy to help.”
She thanked
him and left with her son.
What a small world, He thought. Adebiyi loved to support single women, widows and children but it was not in his plans to have a child, not now or in the future. He didn't want kids.
He spoke to
his assistant. “I want you to find out everything about that ugly agent. Find
answers and ask my manager for assistance. No woman has ever interrupted my conversation
like that. She intimidated me in my own building.”
“Okay sir.” Samson
said.
****
When Tiwa
narrated everything to her parents in the evening, they queried her for that.
Mr. Bankole said he was highly disappointed for speaking to the rich bachelor
rudely and that she should have collected his contact for him.
“You don’t need
his help father.” She told him.
****
Tiwa and
Adebiyi met after three weeks in a seminar. He expected her to greet him but
she snubbed him. Ever since that day, whenever they were invited to a
conference or an event, one of them would be present and the other one won’t.
Adebiyi Gold mostly did not attend. He would rather send a cheque for his absence.
They didn’t want
to see eyeball to eyeball.
****
PRESENT DAY… July 25th 2016 (Morning)
Sunrise
Newspaper Major Headline: Agent Tiwatope Bankole escaped death with a huge fight.
Pointline
Newspaper Major Headline: Officer of the law Tiwa Banks beats criminal
to death.
Thislife Newspaper Mayor Headline: Popular agent of BIA, Tiwa Bankole crushed a killer to death
with her fists.
*****
“Come back here Tiwatope!” Her father yelled at her. She was
walking away. She stopped and looked at him. There was a plaster on her
forehead.
“What have I done again?” She asked.
“You left the hospital without the doctor’s approval. You
have not completely healed.”
“I can’t stay in the hospital for more than three days. I am okay,
nothing is wrong with me.”
“Your mother is worried about your health.”
“She is always worried.”
“I know I can’t stop you from going back to the office but I have
to give you two weeks off. Go on a vacation.”
“I reject your offer.” She said.
Mr. Bankole, the owner of BIA sighed. “What you did was risky
and thoughtless.”
“I had no choice father,” Tiwa said. “He thought I wasn’t
strong enough. If I didn’t get there on time he would have killed that boy
after murdering his mother. At least, I was able to save someone.”
“You killed him.”
“It was self-defense!”
“You have to stop thinking you can save everyone. Your mother
and I cannot lose you. You are the only child we have.”
“I am not the only child.” She said. “You have a son.”
“I can never be a father to a faggot.” He said in an angered
tone and walked out on her.
Mrs. Bankole came out from the kitchen and spoke with her daughter. “Don’t mention your brother in front of your father.”
Mrs. Bankole came out from the kitchen and spoke with her daughter. “Don’t mention your brother in front of your father.”
“Why?”
“You know why. He left us.”
“He left us because we didn't believe in him. My brother is not gay.”
“Have you forgotten he left a note and wrote about his sexuality?”
“There are two things father hate in this world, injustice
and homosexuality. Temidayo lied he was gay because he wanted father to leave
him alone! Father was controlling him and he wanted Temi at the BIA. My brother’s
dream was to be a singer. When he told father about it, he laughed at him and
called him a sissy! Father wished he were in my shoes, he wished I was the singer
and Temidayo the agent. Not everybody is the same. Father cannot control me
because I am just like him.”
“If Temidayo is not gay, he should not have left you out. He
would have continued to communicate with you instead of blocking you on his Facebook,
twitter and Instagram accounts.”
“He did that because I was not there for him. I was a police
officer at that time and I was planning to apply at the NIB when father
convinced me to work for him at the BIA. I focused more on my career and failed my
brother.”
Mrs. Bankole burst out crying. She missed her son so much and
wanted him by her side. Tiwa hugged her mother.
*****
2nd of
August 2016.
“I wonder
what this woman feels like, a wrestler?” Adebiyi Gold questioned himself in his
private office, in his mansion, sited at Abuja. He was gazing at the front-page
of Pointline newspaper. A glass cup of whiskey on the table.
“You have
been going through that paper for the past one week. It is over.” A man wearing
a black suit said. He was standing by the door side. “You should get over it.”
“But I
can’t. This woman makes me sick!”
“It’s her
life and not yours. You should let it go.”
“What does
she thinks she is?” Adebiyi asked. He dropped the paper on his desk, gulped the
remaining content of his alcohol, stood and walked to the window side; he
placed his hands behind his back. He looked at Mr. Popoola. “She risked her
life. What if that criminal was strong enough to beat her back and eventually kill
her?”
“But she
survived.”
“And that
makes her a hero!” He spilled out and hit his right leg on the wall.
His adviser
eyebrows lifted up. “You are angry instead of praising a worthy woman.”
He pointed a
finger at him. “That is the problem. A big problem. Tiwa Banks my ass believes she
can get away with anything. Instead of her to call for backup, she took the
situation into her hands and killed a man.”
“She defended
herself and the child of the victim that the ruthless man killed. Agent Tiwa
did what I felt was right.”
Adebiyi
sneered. He gazed at him with his raged eyes. “She did nothing right. She is
not a man. She should have waited for a male to do that for her. How I wish he
gave her a permanent scar to teach her a lesson.”
Mr. Popoola peered
at him confused. “He should have given her a scar? You are supposed to celebrate
that she was able to kill that man before he got to that child.”
“I am happy
the killer did not walk free. He is dead and forgotten.”
“So forget
about how agent Tiwa fought and won. I know you are still upset about what she
did in the past. It’s over a year now.”
“I know.” He
rubbed the pendant of his neck chain. “I want to get back at her and I am
thinking of so many ways. I haven’t come to a conclusion. She must have forgotten what she did at my mall.”
“It is not
necessary to pay her back. Just let it go.”
“It’s not
possible.” Adebiyi said. “She disrespected me. No woman on earth has the right
to do that. I mind my own business to avoid insult but she didn’t. She spoke to
me as if we were age mates."
“Pride,” Mr.
Popoola said. “It will never take you anywhere. Be careful, in the future, you
might lose something worthy, something of value because of your arrogance. You
believe it’s sexy to be that way but it is not. You are a good person. You help
people in need. That is the major reason I like you. You hate to see people suffer. I have told you several
times, pride is a disease. You are the only one that can cure yourself.”
His boss
gave him an overall stare and rubbed his lower lip mildly. He chuckled faintly,
walked to his Mitchell gold club chair and sat. “Your big mouth won’t take you
anywhere. I don’t need your opinion and tactless advice any longer. You can go
now. Inform the chef I won’t be eating dinner.”
“Okay sir.”
He bowed down his head a little, strolled out and shut the door.
Many years
ago, Adebiyi left the country after he retired as a detective in his late
twenties. No one knew the major reason. He came back five years later as a multi-millionaire. He invested
some of his money and became wealthier.
Mr. Popoola was
a year younger than Adebiyi Gold. They were childhood friends but separated
after their graduation at the University. When Adebiyi came back from oversees,
he searched for his longtime friend. Popoola was a widower, lost his wife to cancer.
He had two male children. Adebiyi helped to sponsor them abroad, employed Mr. Popoola as
his manager, gave him the permission to counsel him if he had done something
wrong. He was the only one that could talk back at Adebiyi but to a limit.
Adebiyi Gold looked at
the newspaper again and glanced at her photo one more time. “I have to teach this
woman a lesson. She should know there is a big difference between a man and a
woman. I am coming for you Tiwa Banks.”
****
To be
continued on Wednesday.
Hehehehe! The Gold man just couldn't resist madam tigress' charm.
ReplyDeleteCheck out denial stage lmao!
This is sure going to be a helluv of a ride, and am in for it.
Well done my all time entertainer.
XOXO!!!
She added. “You were once a child. I assume you were daft too.” Lol This her statement cracked me up no be small. She get mouth
DeleteThanks for your comments.
DeleteThis story is kpokporus... hehehehe
ReplyDeleteI will follow bumper to bumper! Mehnn you are good! Another fantastic story. I raise yansh for you *in jenifas voice*
Thanks.
DeleteI love this story already!
ReplyDeleteI miss reading Temitope long comments. Wetin happen? Where is Vivian, Amariee abi na Amala. Iphy (strange name), Nma, debra or zebra, Jolly saft, akuoma.. so many names i cant remember.
Thanks... I wonder where they are o. Lol
DeleteOluwa mii ooo.... Sunshine, I miss dropping my lo g epistle too. Bn having issues with my browser.
ReplyDeleteFinally , I'm back. I've missed everyone, was so sad I had to complain to Carina.
ReplyDeleteDEEP.... This is really gonna be deep. I sense the hurt, the danger that Comes with Teebanks kinda job, heartbreak, hatred, love nd victory at the end.
Tiwa, ow I love that name!! She wants pple to believe shez tough but inside shez very fragile.
Adebiyi Gold, feeling like sm sorta treasure or god.
Waiting patiently for the next episode before I write my long epistle.
Thumbs up Carina, u never disappoint.
Hey pretty.. I'm glad you were able to solve your browser issues. Welcome back. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteNice story. Have been super busy. No tym for blogs. Bt am bck now. Guess i will hv to wash my hands and grab some popcorn and alomo to be able to decode Carina's suspense.
ReplyDeleteWaoooh,nice one ckj...I really love this.
ReplyDelete