Hotel Palava episode 20

Hotel Palava

Episode 20

Tosin’s POV
Taye and Kehinde didn’t go to school, I had plans to go see Henry.
I called him before I arrived. When I got to his office, I saw a beautiful lady in front. “Morning pretty” I said and she smiled at me.
“Good morning” she answered looking at the twins. “You must be Mr

. Henry’s sister”
“Yes I am”
“How are you Ma?” She asked and I smiled.
“I’m fine and you?”
“I’m fine Ma. How’s your husband?” She added and I almost laughed. “He’s fine” i answered and my twins turned over to me in shock.
“I hope Henry is in”
“Yes Ma’am”
“Please drop all those formalities. Call me Tosin” i smiled and she chuckled. I walked in the office with the twins questioning me about my so called husband.
“It was a little lie”
“But Mommy you said it’s not good to lie” Kehinde noted and I laughed. “What did you do this time again?” Henry asked rising up and I laughed.
The twins rushed to hug him.
“Your secretary asked me how my husband was and I told her he’s fine. These two talkatives will not allow me rest on the matter.”
“Mommy lied” Kehinde reported to Henry.
“Liars will go to hell fire,” she held strongly and Taye busted into tears

. “I don’t want Mommy to go to hell fire” then she hugged me.
“She’s always so emotional” I complained placing my phone on the table and Henry laughed.
“I met your secretary”
“Adesuwa”
“Adesuwa?” I asked, the name sounded familiar. Then it hit me! “Wait…when the Adesuwa become your secretary”
“Yesterday”
“You’re a horrible brother and you couldn’t even tell me!”
“I’m sorry.”
“She cleans up nice. She looks really pretty” “I’ve been having headache from Jummy and mom because of her”
“What does mom have to do with this?”
“You won’t believe what happened yesterday. Mom came here making a scene. She saw Adesuwa and I together and she thought we were going to k-ss.”
“She demanded I fire Adesuwa”
“And she’s still here? The Henry I knew would have done all in his power to obey his mom’s wishes.” “She still your mom you know”
“Can you believe mom came to my house to threaten me. She said she’ll take” I paused whispering to him. “She said she’s going to take my kids away from me”
“She’s bluffing”
“That woman is capable of the worst!”
“I don’t think so”

***
On my way out, Taye complained about forgetting her wrist watch. “You’re always forgetting something” I snapped then I realized I’ve forgotten my phone too.
I dare not say anything. The kids would use it against me. “I’m going to uncle’s office. In the name of God, stay in the lobby and don’t move a muscle till i come back. Capiche?” I asked and they both nodded.
I came down a while after to find out my kids weren’t at the lobby anymore.

Adesuwa’s POV
Listening to Mr. Henry complain about his girlfriend and mother that night, I felt bad for him. I felt bad that he had to be stucked with two strong-headed women.
He probably didn’t have anyone to give him the soothing words he needed. I felt better when I made him laugh.
I never knew I still had that soft side in me. I thought Odion destroyed it. After he left the house, my aunty said something that bothered me at night.
“You don dey date your Oga ni?” She asked and I told her I wasn’t dating him. “Besides he’s already with someone” I added and she sank in thought.
“Ade no vex oh, but as expert for cheating matter, you supposed know say i sabi men very well.” She assumed and I nodded.
“Those kind of men naim we dey call easy to catch. The only thing wey fit drag man come to commot for him house come girl house we no be him girlfriend na frustration”
She paused.
“I mean serious frustration. Men like this easily fall in love depending on how you play your cards”
“I’m not playing towards making him fall for me”
“Well if you no play, just commot hand for the matter, if the person wey pursue am commot for house na mad person. You have to be careful or else them go wound you” she was definitely speaking out of experience.
I didn’t want the situation Aunty Maggie painted in my head happening. Was I making Mr. Henry fall for me by being close to him?
I wasn’t so free around him the next day at work. I tried not to over smile or joke about things and events. The only time I smiled was when Mr. Henry’s sister and Fatai stopped by.
Mr. Henry requested my presence in the office. We quietly watched Fatai read the agreement, “This is really tempting” he sighed and I wondered if he was going to accept the deal or not.
“But?” I asked him and he grunted. “Urgh! My customers at Rashidi Bello street. What would I do about them?” “That’s where the benefits comes in for the hotel. You’re free to still keep your business running with other personnels but you’re to run the kitchen affairs in May hotel. People who wants to eat something from you would have to come to the hotel” I explained and he gro-ned.
“Fatai we’re not forcing you to do what you don’t want to do. You have every right to be to reject the offer” Henry said humbly.
“Fatai you have every right but you have to think of this very well. The figures on that thing is worth more than your gain in a month.”
“I’m loyal to my customers”
“See it as w¡dening your horizons”
“I’ll have to let mom know first”

Fatai’s POV

It was a tempting offer, Mr. Henry and Adesuwa brought to the table. I was going to be making more than twice my profit in a month. I wasn’t sure whether to take it.
I cared too much about my customer. If I was going to make any decision, I thought I should let mom know.
As I walked through stairs, I heard someone crying, it sounded like a voice of a child. I followed it and i saw a little girl crying and knocking on a door.
“Hey” I said to her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her and she pointed at the door. “Who’s in there?”
“My sister, the man pushed her in,side” she answered. “How old is this your sister?” I asked and she sobbed.
“We’re the same age” she answered and I started banging at the door. “Open the door this instant!” I shouted.
“I swear to God if you hurt that girl, you’ll spend your life time in jail” I knocked again. I was in panick, I didn’t know what to do.
I sighted a fire extinguisher and I thought of what I could do with it. I’ve seen where it’s been used in movies to break knobs. I took it off and I crossed my fingers that it worked. After three trials, the knob broke and I managed to push the door open.
Guests had already shown up to watch the show.
I entered the room where I found the little girl in bed. She didn’t move, she must have been knocked out of consciousness. A man that should be in his late thirties was on his knees close to the bed.
“I haven’t even done anything to her. Please don’t call the police” he begged and I held him up giving him a punch on the face and he fell.
“Kehinde!” The girl called out shaking her sister and I raised the man looking at his face one more then I punch him again.
“You’re going to jail” I held him down.
A lady walked in afterwards. “I demand to know what’s going on here” she asked. “Someone should call security or call the manager and get that child help”
“Please, I’m the assistant manager, what’s going on?”
“This thing here?” I gazed at the man in irritation. I hated pedophiles, they’re the worst! “Tried to rape this little girl”
She immediately moved towards the girl carrying her out and her sister followed. Suddenly I heard someone making a rukus outside, probably the mother.

***
I saw Mr Henry walk towards me making a call then he hung up. “Hey” he muttered. “I’m sorry about this” i apologized.
“Sorry for what?”
“The troubles”
“You just saved a girl’s life. You saved my niece’s life” “Are you serious? Why did the mother allow them walk around the hotel without supervision?”
“She left them at the lobby” he answered. “They’re not the most obedient kids” he picked up an incoming call.
“Mom not now” he added then he hung up.
“I’m glad you came in today”
Suddenly two policemen walked up to us. “Mr. Henry” one of them cleared his throat. “We just came to inform you that, erm.. the man we arrested just managed to escape” the police announced and I raised my brow in shock.
“Are you guys being serious right now?” I asked, “How is it possible that a lazy person like that, a man that cannot even defend himself just bypass you guys that way”
“What are you insinuating?” The other policeman asked and I moved close to him.
“You two know very well what I’m insinuating” I answered and Mr. Henry pulled me back.
“Are you talking to an officer of the law like that?”
“I’ve always said this and I’ll still maintain this that you guys are the real criminals” I snapped and Mr. Henry apologized then pulled me away.
“Are you trying to get yourself arrested?”
“Can you believe that guy paid himself out? That pedophile is out there now probably looking for another kid to scar for life”
“Just let it go” he added and I sighed.
“How’s your niece?”
“She’s at the hospital” “I would really love to see her”
“I’ll give you an address. I don’t know if Tosin would be thrilled right now to see any stranger ” he answered and i boarded a keke over to a private clinic.
I walked into a room where I found a lady laughing with her two kids. They were watching something on an iPad. They seemed engrossed in whatever they were doing.
I knocked on the door and the Lady frown at me. I totally understood why she frowned.
“Who are you?” She asked and the little girl pointed at me. “Mommy he’s the one who broke the door” she answered and I waved at her. She waved back.
Their mother stood up walking towards me.
“Thanks for saving my little girl” she began and I shrugged. “It was the only logical thing I could do. Besides I hate pedophiles, when I saw her knocking I knew there was something wrong”
“I just” she paused in tears.
“I don’t know what could have happened if you didn’t show up”
“Nothing happened. We have to be grateful to God that nothing horrible happened”
“I would have hated myself” she cried cleaning her tears with her hands, then I handed an handkerchief to her and she stared at it as though it was unclean.
“It’s not dirty and I’ve not really used it today. I know I’m a stranger but you don’t have to worry about disappearing too, I’m not diabolic” I answered and she chuckled in the midst of her tears then she collected the handkerchief cleaning the tears.
“I’m sorry I’m acting silly”
“Any mother would cry. It’s totally understandable, especially when you were careless with them” I blamed and she scoffed.
“I left them at the lobby”
“With complete strangers. Mam the lobby isn’t really a church, even kids are not too safe in churches. What’s your excuse?”
“They don’t listen, they’re in this mess because they didn’t listen to me. They never listen. You don’t know my twins, they’re so stubborn” she argued, her voice was breaking already.
“People are going to look at me that way right? Like I’m a careless mother who doesn’t care about the well-being of her kids but I do. I love my kids”
“No one is judging you”
“You’re judging me, it’s in your eyes! The nurses are even giving me the judgy eyes”
“I’m sorry” I apologized.
“I’m really sorry, I have no right to say what I just did. I’m just really pissed off at that animal” I answered looking at the girls.
“How’s she?” I asked and she shrugged.
“She’ll be fine.

. Kehinde is stronger than Taye. I’m glad this didn’t happen to Taye she would have broken down” she answered.
“The doctor said she needs to be spoken to” she added and I gave it a thought.
“That sounds like therapy, but at this age?”
“She’s lucky she has a guidance counselor as a mother. I’ll do it” She answered forcing a smile. “What are you supposed to do?”
“Tell her the truth that people like that exists and she needs to be very careful.” She paused in tears. I knew it was going to be very difficult subjecting a child to such at that age.
“That’s going to be very difficult” “She’s curious, she’ll want to know why the man dragged her in, they’ll both want to know. I have no choice” she answered and I looked over at her once again.
“She has a strong sister too. She’s a hero” I added and she immediately busted into tears hugging me and I slowly patted her.
Meanwhile I looked around for her husband. I didn’t want to get punched for hugging another man’s wife.
“I’m sorry” I pulled back.
“Your husband must be on his way. I don’t want to get blamed for….” I stalled, “Good bye Ma’am” I said then I waved at the girls. Only one of them waved back. I guess Taye did.

To be continued…