PRINCIPALITIES episode 3

PRINCIPALITIES”

Episode 3

Kim flagged down a taxi and rushed into it.
“Oga hurry up.. Hurry”She said out-of-breath.

“To where madam?”The taxi driver asked looking at her from the rare view mirror.

“Number 22 Abiola Street”She said simply

The taxi driver nodded and sped off.
She palmed her face with both palms and sighed. She couldn’t believe what she had seen, her death mother reappeared as a waitress! She shook in fear.. She couldn’t believe it all, she shuddered at the mere thought of it.
Different thoughts were running through her mind. Her mother died 5 years ago in the Labour room, the baby boy they had expected died too. It had been a devastating time for her family and even tougher for her Father who loved his wife dearly but barely a year later, her father changed into something else, drinking and news had it that, he kept a lot of concubines outside.
He stopped going to Church and forbade her and her sisters from praying or singing gospel songs in his house. His bitterness and hatred for the things of God grew daily and inasmuch as Kim prayed and fasted, it only grew worse.
She came back to reality as the Taxi bent to one side trying to make a turn. It was an unfamiliar route!

“Oga, which road be this?”She asked looking outside the glass trying to check if she knew the route.
No reply!
“Oga, na u I dey follow talk”She asked looking at the driver’s seat.
No reply!
She panicked as he kept driving speedily.
Kim became scared and began to scre-m her lungs out!!
Suddenly, the taxi stopped and the force it stopped with made Kim fall of the seat.
The taxi man looked back at her and smiled wildly. Slowly, his face transformed into that of her Mum.

“I’m lonely Kimberly, come with me”The woman said

Kim fainted..

++++++++++++++++++

CLARA was in the dinning room, munching cookies and yoghurt, watching a comedy skit on her brand new iPhone 11 pro max and laughing loudly. She was just 18 and still in Secondary school getting set for her WAEC examinations. She’s a spoilt child who got everything she needed. The last child of Chief Sylvester, Williams Father, Presh’s Fiance.

Williams walked into the big sitting room and slumped on the sofa frustratedly.
Clara noticed his presence, paused her comedy skit, took her cookies and walked to the sitting room.

“Xup big bro”She said sitting beside him as she filled her mouth with cookies.

“Hi, how are you?”Williams said without looking at her.

“What’s with the long face? Are you alright?”She asked as she dropped her phone on the side stool and drank her cup of chilled yoghurt.

“I’m fine”He replied

“But you don’t look fine. What must have happened?”

“Clara please, I said am fine”Willams said getting frustrated at his over inquisitive sister

“And I said you ain’t fine!”She snapped
“And I know it must be about that so called Fiancee of yours. Gosh! I hate her so much! How can you get married to someone who makes you unhappy all the time? Huh? I don’t even see what you like about her. She’s so classless and churchy and..”

“Will you keep your dirty mouth shut?!”Williams snapped at her.
She flinched and stood up.
“How many times have I warned you to stop saying hurtful things about my Fiancee? We’ll be married in 11 days time and you have to get used to her!”

Clara moved back a little.
“I hate her and there’s nothing you can do about it OK? She’s ugly, classless and stupid!”She said and ran swiftly upstairs as Williams chased her.

++++++++++++++++++

PRESH sat in front of the mirror with her hands akimbo. She had been in deep thoughts ever since her last dream. She didn’t know what to do because she had lost zeal and excitement concerning her wedding which was already around the corner. She couldn’t understand what message the dream was trying to pass to her.
She needed to talk to someone and Kim immediately came to her mind. She hadn’t heard from her bestie for days now and it was unlike Kim not to have called considering the fact that she was also helping her with the preparations.
She flinched as a cold hand touched her shoulder. She turned back sharply and saw her mum. She heaved a sigh of relief.

“Mum you scared me”She said as she stood up and made for the bed to seat down. Felicia followed her and sat beside her.

“Ada, you are my daughter and I know you very well. You’ve not been yourself for days now. Tell me, what is wrong? You can confide in me..”

Presh sighed “I want the wedding postponed”

Felicia couldn’t believe her ears “Whaaaaaat?! Why? Did Williams do anything wrong? Did you find out something about him?”

“No, not that..”

“Then what?”Felicia asked nervously

“Mum, I had a dream..”She proceeded in narrating her dream to Felicia.

“Oh Jesus! Why didn’t you tell me this since? why are you just telling me now?”Felicia asked as her eyes clouded with tears.

“I was just confused”

“OK, don’t worry. Put your mind to rest.. I’ll take it over from here”She stood up and headed for the door.

Presh sighed as her Mum left. How would Williams feel after hearing the news? She had thought hærd about it and since her mind wasn’t at peace with it anymore, this was the best she could do.
Let the wedding be postponed till she was sure of what she wanted.

Her phone rang almost immediately, she pierced at the screen and found an unknown number.
She hesitated before picking up.

“Hello Aunty Presh? It’s Christabel”

“Yes.. Christabel how are you?”She quickly recognized the voice of Kim’s sister.

“I’m not fine Aunty, Sister Kim was brought home by a taxi man who said she fainted in his taxi. Dad is currently not in town and I don’t know what to do.. I and Annabel have tried resuscitating her with water but she didn’t bulge”She cried

“OK just calm down..Ill be there in a giffy” she said and ended the call.

She quickly wore a jacket on top of her short dress, Hung her cross bag, carried her phone and small purse and zoomed out of the room.

+++++++++++++++

KIM opened her eyes slowly and the strong light made her close them back quickly. She tried to remember were she was but couldn’t.

“She’s awake! oh she’s awake!”She heard the voice of her sister whom she perceived is Annabel

“Go on! call the doctor!”Presh instructed as she went to Kim’s side
“Baby girl, thank God you’re awake”

Kim opened her eyes again and met Presh’s gaze.

“What happened?”Presh asked.

Quickly, Kim remembered her ordeal both at the Hotel and in the taxi. She became scared and as she opened her mouth to narrate it, The Doctor walked in.
After a couple of check ups, The Doctor announced that she was fine and could be discharged but needed a lot of rest. Kim insisted on going home and Presh obliged as she drove Kim and Annabel home. Christabel was at home cooking.

After they had eaten, Presh helped Kim upstairs to her room to rest.
Kim lay on the bed and looked at the ceiling in confusion.

“What really happened?”Presh asked again

“After you left the hotel, I decided to take a drink..”

“Wait, after I left which hotel?”Presh asked confused

“Seaman’s hotel nau..Where you asked me to meet you up and you collected my car..”

Presh laughed “Babes are you alright? I called you to come meet me up at a Hotel?”

Kim sat up and looked at Presh confused.
“Stop this joke, you called me up to come and meet you at Seaman’s hotel where you borrowed my car to get your cake from the baker and you promised to return it this evening!!”

Presh wasn’t finding it funny anymore.
“Babe I didn’t call you to meet me at any hotel and I never came to any hotel!!”

“Are you kidding me?”Kim shouted
“Where’s my phone? let me show you my call log and the time you called!!”She fiddled around searching for her phone when she remembered she had lost it in the hotel!!

TO BE CONTINUED…