(Season 1) DEEP. Episode 1

If you have not read the short story I posted on Wednesday, click All that glitters

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The link for the Synopsis of this story, click  here 

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20^th 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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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PRESENT DAY…  July 25^th 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.”

“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.

*****

2^nd 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.”

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To be continued on Wednesday.