Cassie quickly withdrew her hands from her sister’s shoulder, ‘Elvis contacted you? How long were you going to tell me that?’ She scoffed and stepped back, feeling upset that her sister would keep such a heavy secret from her.
A tear ran down Elena’s face, ‘You won’t understand, if he comes here, our lives maybe endangered. Elvis was working with very powerful drug lords before his arrest. Now he has been pardoned, he must tread carefully.’ She explained the reason she hadn’t shared the information with her sister
While the Benjamin sister were still talking, Tamar Benjamin, their mother stepped out of her room and descended on the steps slowly and gently, like a serpent that was watching its prey.
She knew her daughters were talking about Eno, her eldest child whom she never agreed with. She missed Eno greatly, and she was very happy that she would spend this yuletide season with them. Her excitement increased by each step taken, she had plans for her daughter, and she had already set them into motion.
‘What are you two bickering about? There’s a lot to do!’ She rolled her eyes as she landed at the foot of the stairs.
The sisters went quiet at once.
‘We were talking about dad.’ Elena hissed angrily. She had a temper and could be very rebellious at times.
‘Elena!’ Cassie gritted her teeth.
Mrs. Benjamin raised a hand, ‘No, let her speak!’
Elena’s hear thumped in an uncertain rhythm as she looked her mother in the eye.
‘How do you think Eno would feel coming home to find out that dad isn’t here to welcome her? And how would she feel knowing that you have sold her off to some arrogant King?’
Cassandra understood the first line, but the second didn’t sit well with her. She looked from her younger sister to her mother, and realized something had been brewing between these two and she wasn’t even aware of it.
‘Excuse me, what is going on here and what arrogant King are you talking about?’ Cassie faced Elena for more explanation.
Elena scoffed and ran her thick fingers through her curly hair, ‘Why don’t you ask your mother? She didn’t divorce dad because of his financial situation alone, she hated him for disagreeing with her.’
Tamar’s mouth went dry as she stared at her lastborn. She couldn’t believe this girl still had delinquent tendencies. For heaven’s sake, she was no longer a teen!
‘What is she talking about mum?’ Cassie drew in a deep breath, expecting the worst but hoping for something different. She knew her mother was a greedy woman who hated to work. She could sell off her daughters just to purchase the latest jewelry in town.
Tamar avoided Cassie’s accusing gaze, ‘Your sister is thirty six years old. Eno is a very beautiful woman and she has found purpose for her life…’ she paused.
‘Why don’t you just hit the hammer on the nail?’ Elena moved away from the scene angrily, and returned to arranging the table.
Tamar s----d in air to calm herself, ‘You girls should all be married by now, but if your sister fails to get married, you two may not see the need to. I got married very early, though to a miserable man, but I have plans for you girls.’ She smiled, expecting them to understand that she wanted the best for them.
Cassie was impatient with her mother’s explanation, ‘Mother, can you just tell me what I need to know?’
Tamar closed her eyes, ‘Okay, your sister has always been betrothed to the King of Lagos, but she doesn’t know that. His parents helped her a lot in school though she doesn’t know that. I thought he would’ve forgotten about her after many years apart, but he didn’t. He just returned from Amsterdam two weeks ago and he has been pestering me to visit his wife. This is one of the reasons I pressured your sister to come home.’ She averted her daughter’s eyes.
Cassie scoffed, ‘I don’t understand, what do you mean by “your sister has always been betrothed to the King of Lagos,” please explain it to me mum.’
Mrs. Benjamin blinked away the tears that had gathered in her eyes, knowing that her kids would judge her for the decision she had taken in favor of them all.
‘Your sister had always dreamed of being a medical doctor. I couldn’t just fold my arms and do nothing like your father. I worked so hard to see her dreams come true, but I knew the meager salary I earned as a Civil Servant wouldn’t take her anywhere.
So…I told one of my rich friends about it and she said she could help me. The first day the King and his wife saw the picture of Enobong, they fell in love with her and so did their son, Yemi. They said they would fund her education on one condition which was a marriage between Yemi and Eno whenever she was done.
I agreed because I really wanted her to get better education outside. But I asked that the betrothing remain a secret between I and them, because if Eno knew about it, she would change her mind about going to school outside.’
Cassie felt weak by her mother’s confession, ‘But what about the scholarship…I don’t understand…’
Tamar brushed the tears off her face, ‘I went to a typist who helped me make that up. I knew that was the only way Eno would accept to school outside, I made it look like she had been considered for a scholarship when in truth, the King’s household had been funding her education.’
She had been lying to the Royal family all these years about Eno, but they were tired of waiting. Yemi wasn’t getting any younger, and he wanted to get married to the beautiful woman he had seen in the picture.
‘I told you! I told you that she is a devil. She is going to sell us off to me because of money.’ Elena mistakenly dropped one of the ceramic plates which shattered the silence in the room.
Tamar bit her lip angrily, ‘Enough! If it wasn’t for the goodhearted King, your sister would never have gotten a better education. None of you here would live in this beautiful house. You should be licking my feet in appreciation.’ She folded her arms into a fist, ready to fight anyone who would stand in the way of her promotion to Queen Mother.
‘But mum, have you thought of Eno’s happiness? What about her life in America? What if she has fallen in love with someone?’ Cassie asked in a gentle voice.
Tamar smiled, of all the daughter’s she had, Cassie had always been the thoughtful and pragmatic one.
‘Darling, I don’t care if your sister has a man in her life. The gold from the King’s court flourished her body and made her destiny come through. She has reaped enough benefits from the Royal House, it is time for her to payback.’
‘But what if she doesn’t want him?’ Cassie asked.
Tamar shrugged, ‘She has no option, but to want him.’
Elena sat in a corner brooding over her sister’s fate, resentment for her mother growing within her.
‘You are the worst mother in the world!’ She yelled.
A sharp pain struck Tamar in the heart as her youngest child said that, but she decided not to take her too seriously.
‘Thank you Elena for that compliment. I forgot to add that the King would be joining us to welcome your sister…’ she paused as she noticed confusion in Cassie’s eyes.
‘I don’t understand, is Yemi a king?’
Tamar laughed, ‘Not yet darling, he would be, once your sister agrees to marry him.’
Elena hissed loudly, ‘I would not be welcoming my sister then. I can’t stand you or that stupid King.’ She ascended the stairs immediately.
Cassie sighed and folded her arms across her chest, she couldn’t believe this was happening. It seemed like a freaking movie, only that it was taking place in her house.
‘Why didn’t you tell Eno about this? She believed she worked to hard and that was the reason she earned the “schorlarship,” you made a fool of everyone mother. Is this the reason you divorced dad?’Cassie wondered.
Tamar nodded, ‘Your father was a weakling, and I was always the only one taking decisions for the family. I have my flaws, but whenever I make use of my God given perfections, I do it for the good of everyone.’ She moved closer to Cass and placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘I know this is too much for you to ask, but I want you to help me convince your sister to marry the King.’ Tamar begged.
Cassandra looked away, she knew that would mean betraying sisterhood.
‘I can’t do that.’ She released her arms and shifted away from her mother.
‘Of course you can, please, help me.’ Tamar begged. She knew Eno was closer to Cassandra, and would do anything that her sister advised.
Cassandra stared into her mother’s eyes. She had to know just what exactly the woman was after. If her mother was telling the truth, then her sister would be in danger for not keeping to her own side of the agreement.
‘Only on one condition,’ Cassie raised a brow.
‘And that is?’ Tamar couldn’t wait to hear it.
Cassandra like her father had fallen in love with the business of Fashion Designing, to her mother’s utmost disappointment. Her father had the best of ideas, but he didn’t have anyone to fund them and so he became a tailor instead.
She wasn’t ready to let go of her dreams. Though she had been to the University, her first love was Fashion Designing and she had started her own brand which she named, “Sandra Hills.”
‘You are going to support my fashion designing dreams and you would introduce your rich friends to me.’ Cassie replied.
She knew Eno may never forgive her for what she was about doing, why not make the price for the betrayal worth it?
Tamar hadn’t expected that, ‘Is that all?’
‘Yes,’ Cassie nodded and Tamar shrugged, ‘Done.’
Cassie was about to ask more questions about the Lagos King when the door flew wide open and a tall man who was the handsomest creature she had ever set eyes on walked in dressed in pristine robes.
‘Oh my God,’ Mrs. Benjamin held her breath as she beheld the Majestic presence of the King.
‘Who is that?’ Cassie wasn’t comfortable with the angry scowl on the man’s face as he seemed like an angry person.
Tamar exhaled slowly, ‘King Adeyemi Adeola Lasisi.’
She found it difficult to pull her eyes away from the man that had taken a seat beside her. Her flight was going to be delayed by two hours and she would be stuck in the waiting area with this nosy stranger.
There was something familiar about his beady eyes, and the scar that travelled from his forehead to the end of his left brow. She felt like she had known this man her whole life, even though she was meeting him for the first time.
‘Excuse me?’ She pulled in a drag from her cig and blinked when he had threatened to take away the cigarette from her.
‘You heard me, smoking isn’t good for a lady.’ The guy replied in a teasing voice.
She snorted, ‘Balderdash! It is none of your business what I do with my life?’ She shifted away from him, angry at his misogynistic statement.
Eno knew it would be difficult to fit into the Nigerian Society after more than a decade of being away. Back in the States, she wasn’t judged for being a single lady and no one cared if she smoked or didn’t. Everyone was about their business, and she hardly interacted with her neighbors.
Obviously, from his accent and his mannerisms, the man beside her was Nigerian and his reasoning made her sick.
‘Okay, I am sorry if I came off wrong, but smoking is bad for the health regardless of gender. I know I am not supposed to be giving a grown woman lectures on how to take care of her body, but there is something about you…’ Sam trailed off as he felt his phone buzz.
‘Excuse me, I’d love to take this, it is important.’ He rose to his feet and abandoned the waiting room immediately for a less noisy place to take his call.
Eno sighed with relief at the exit of the ugly guy which she considered a nuisance. She quenched the fire of her cigarette and rose to her feet. She needed to flee this spot before he returned, because she had experience with such Nigerian guys before, and it never ended well.
They always asked for her phone number, which didn’t sit well with her. Eno was not ready to get hooked to any guy, her job was her lover and she wasn’t prepared to let go of her career on the altar of love.
Just in time, an announcement was made and she tilted her head closer to the speakers so she could hear it very well as the noise in the airport had tripled with the arrival of new flights.
Her heart thumped with excitement as she learned that her flight which was earlier delayed would leave in thirty minutes time.
‘Yes!’ She quickly grabbed her box, and hurried out of the waiting area.
She knew her family was waiting for her return, and she missed them too. She couldn’t wait to set eyes on her youngest sister Elena, who had been very little at the time of her relocation to America. She also missed Cassie, the sister she was closest too, and who understood everything about her.
Eno thought of her father, and how proud the man would be of her achievements. But the thought of her mother ruined her happy mood as she knew the woman wouldn’t let her rest when it came to the topic of marriage.
‘God help me,’ she licked her lips while moving over to the counter to have her things scrutinized by the officials.
‘Where are you Samuel?’ A croaky voice at the other end asked.
‘Iowa, I am sorry for the delay but gather the boys around. I just learned of a new development and we have to work together this time.’ Sam replied.
The man at the other end fell quiet, wondering just what it was Samuel OJonugwa had discovered this time.
‘Did you hear me Elvis? I need your support and that of the boys. We have to fight together for our community to avoid being exploited like the lands of the Niger Delta.’ He murmured.
Elvis was curious about this new discovery. ‘Can you just break the ice and tell me what you have found?’ He asked his best friend.
‘Have you wondered why the Deidre Geological Company has suddenly taken interest on our lands? The people living in those rocky slums have not gotten any attention from neither tier of government, and this company just comes up out of the blue. Think Elvis, think!’