Chapter 4

12 October 2009.

Abaji, Abuja.

07:01 am.

Owolabi Residence.

"What do you mean?" Akilah asked, surprised."you won't actually throw me out, will you?" She asked calmly.

"Oh no, I won't..." He said. Akilah heaved a sigh of relief.

"...Isma'ilu and Nuhu(the gardener) will."

"What?!"

"Yes you heard me right. Isma'ilu! Nuhu!"

They both came running.

"Take this woman's belongings and throw it outside the house" He ordered.

Nuhu was surprised. "But sir, she's your..."

"I don't care, do what I asked you to do..."

"... Don't worry about it" Akilah interrupted "I will pack my belongings and leave right now"

She said and started packing her belongings.

Within an hour, she was done and as she dragged her luggage to the door, Chief Owolabi said "I will send you the divorce papers". She ignored him and went to Lolade and said "I will miss you,my child". and hissed at Chief Owolabi. She then took her exit.

Lolade was already very tearful so Chief Owolabi bent on one knee, looked into her eyes and said "Why are you crying,Lola?"

"Where is mummy going to?"

"Don't worry, she's traveling to somewhere to buy a baby doll for you".

"Serious, Daddy?"

"Yes my child, stop crying. Let's go and eat breakfast, my child" He said, rubbing her head.

Meanwhile, outside in the compound of the Owolabi Residence, Akilah was pulling her luggages to the gate and all the maids, the cook, the gateman, the driver and the rest of them felt bad. They would really miss her and they really didn't like what Chief was doing but who were they to talk? Chief would fire them and most of them valued their work because it was their only source of income.

Finally, Akilah was outside the gate. She picked up her phone from her handbag, dialled Ibrahim's number and said

"Hello Ibrahim...I am fine....I want to meet you now, My husband has ditched me...Wow, that's good. " Then a while later, A huge jeep stopped in front of her. She stepped in and the car drove off.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

Seven years had passed since the day Akilah had left the Owolabi Residence and a lot of things had happened. Lolade who was now 12 years of age was in Junior Secondary school 2 and had grown up to be a very pretty girl. She was also on top of her class and was lavished with money. When she was 10, her father, Chief Owolabi was made the Assistant manager of the company and he inadvertently became richer and made life too comfortable for her. Lolade's life was so posh, she didn't need to brush because her father had already bought her an imported electric toothbrush which helped you brush your teeth. All you had to do was hold it up to your mouth.

Lolade then went to bed. Her father bought her a massage bed and employed four night guards to watch her. One stood outside the room, one beside the bed, another inside the toilet of the room and the last one in one corner of the room.

After she woke up, she greeted them and they responded and left her in her room to pray on a very expensive velvet rug ,then she used her electric toothbrush to clean her teeth, Then her mouthwash to make her mouth smell nice. Then she headed to the skincare room for her 7 step skincare routine which was only 12 rooms away from hers.

After she was done, she headed to her personal bathroom which had a 24 hour bathroom guard, she stepped into the bathroom which had a bathtub and also a jacuzzi both the size of a mini swimming pool. When she was done, she signalled the bathroom guard to go away and come back at night.

After she dressed up she headed to the dining room where the cooks had displayed a lot different kinds of food on the 24-foot table ranging from Nigerian foods like Moi Moi and Suya to Chinese dishes like Spring rolls and Mapo Tofu and her father was usually there eating already so she greeted him and they talked about what was there to talk about. Then her father told her that he was going to work and he had to rush, then he pecked her and told her goodbye. Then he left in a hurry.

The cook came to pack the plates and put them in the dishwasher.

She usually spent the rest of the days watching TV, being on her phone and other things till her father came back home but today, she just didn't feel like doing those. It wasn't just because today was a Sunday and she hated Sundays, It was different. She stared at the two bodyguards guarding her in the 1st sitting room where she sat. There were just so many guards in the whole mansion and she wondered if they ate or used the toilet or even slept. And they always stood upright wearing glasses and suits and they barely moved or talked. All they did was say "Hm" and nod.

She picked up a cushion and closed her eyes. She had dreamed about her mother in the morning and tears came to her eyes as she went to a flashback a year ago.

She had finished dressing and came to the dining room to eat and she saw her father eating doughnuts and a glass of iced tea, his new favorite breakfast.

"Good morning Daddy."

"Good morning my princess, I hope you slept well and those guards guarded you well because I am not paying them to sleep alongside you ".

"Yes Daddy " She smiled and settled down and the Cook gave her the menu for that morning. Lolade saw three food options:

Assorted Meats and Aperol.

Amala and Achi soups.

Vanilla ice cream and Assorted Nuts.

I would have gladly gone for assorted Meats but isn't Aperol an alcoholic drink? Well I will tell him to bring Assorted Meats and Iced water instead. And she did just that.

As they ate, Lolade asked her father the question that had been bugging her for a long time now.

"Daddy"

"Yes, my princess"

"You told me a long time ago that Mummy was traveling somewhere to buy a baby Doll for me, so where is she and why has she not come back ?" She enquired.

Chief Owolabi was shocked. Why? After all these years, she remembered her mother? What do I tell her now? He thought.