Chapter 20: Chapter 20

5pm Friday, AJEGUNLE

Omolara is chopping some onions as she prepares food for the kids in the kitchen. After Kemi was taken away by the stranger he husband owes money, things have never remained the same in the house. She and her husband had drifted father apart since then. She didn't ask him to leave nor did she leave but she never acknowledges him as any important not even her husband in the house. Peter doesn't sleep in the house most of the times because he couldn't bear seeing his wife in so much pain that he has caused himself all due to his gambling habits. The kids have been asking her why Kemi has never called them and when she's coming back but all she could tell them is that, she will come soon.

Shola walks into the kitchen and leans on on the kitchen counter.

"Mummy, someone is outside looking for sister Kemi."

Omolara turns to her little daughter. "Who is the person?" She asks wondering who could be looking for Kemi. Kemi doesn't have any friends apart from the one that betrayed her years ago in secondary school.

"He says he's sister Kemi's friend. I already told him sister Kemi is not around but he wouldn't believe me."

"It's a man?"

Shola nods, "Yes but he's a fine young man." She smiles emphasizing the last word.

Omolara shakes her head at her little daughter who is already fantasizing about the said 'Young man'.

She drops the knife on the table and rinse her hands before turning to Shola. "Take me to him before you start drooling over someone younger than you." She laughs before walking out of the kitchen as Shola leads the way. Shola reaches for the door and opens it revealing the young man she's talking about.

Omolara stares at the person closely trying to see if she knows him.

"Who are you? And what do you want?"

He turns to her and smiles. "Good evening Mrs. Omolara Afolabi, I'm Jayson Jimoh."

Omolara stares at him closely and then her eyes widen in surprise and shock as she recognizes him.

"You?" She points at him.

Jayson sighs, "Yes Mrs. Afolabi, it's me."

Omolara stares at him in disbelief. She can't believe that the same person who almost raped her daughter in standing shamelessly in front of her house after so many years.

"I don't even have the strength to ask you what you're doing here so please, just go, Mr. Jackson Jima."

Jason sighs, "It's actually Jayson Jimoh and I would really hope you give me a chance to talk to you Mrs. Afolabi."

Omolara scoffs, "To talk about what exactly? My family went through a lot because of you. You almost rap..."

"Mummy, who is he?" Shola's voice startles her as she turns to her realizing she has been there.

"Go inside." She says to Shola placing her hand on her little shoulders.

Shola nods and reluctantly walks inside closing the door behind her.

Omolara turns back to Jayson. "Please leave Mr. Jackson."

"I know I don't have the right to be here Mrs Afolabi, but if you can just give me a chance to redeem my mistake..."

She scoffs, "Redeem your mistake? Where were you five years ago? Why didn't you redeem your mistake then? You did not only almost rape my daughter but you brought big trouble to my family. Your mother made my husband lose his only job at that time and she also made life difficult for my poor daughter. And you, where were you? Where were you and your cousin then who planned the whole thing with you?" Tears start to whelm up in her eyes. "I don't even want to see your face right now, just go and don't come back here!l" She yells at him before opening the door and shutting it behind her.

Jayson sighs and runs his hand on his hair in frustration. He bits his lips before walking over to his car. He slides in and holds the steering but then his phone starts ringing and he turns to glance at the caller before he picks it up and answers.

"Hey man." He says to the caller.

"Yo JJ! Why didn't you tell me you were back in Nigeria? I had to hear it from your lousy cousin." The voice from the other end of the car says.

Jayson sighs and chuckles lightly, "I'm sorry George, got a lot of things going on you see."

"So when are you coming over? lt's been like, ages?"

"I'll come later man."

"Okay man." And then the line goes dead and Jayson puts back the phone before he starts the car.

**********

Meanwhile, Kemi who has been walking back from the consigliere's house, stands at the side of the road, opposite a huge shopping mall, staring at the place in awe.

She sighs, "Definitely, only the rich comes here."

As she stands looking at the building, a black Ferrari pulls up in front of her and she stares at the car wondering who it is. For an unknown reason, the car looks familiar to her an it's as if she has seen it closer before. She tries to look through the glass but she couldn't see a thing because it's tinted. Just as she moves to walk away, the car horns drawing her attention. She turns to it again as the glass at the back seat winds down and her eyes widen in shock as she sees it's the underboss. Now, she knows she's completely f**Ked.

"What are you doing here?" He asks looking at her from head to toe.

What is she going going to tell him now?

"Em..I em...I came to buy... I came to buy clothes." She manages to come up with an excuse as she points to the huge shopping mall building.The only thing she has been wearing is the gown Ron has given to her. It's not a maid's gown though but it looks way old fashioned.

He furrows his brows at her, "It seems they're invisible because I can't see you with anything."

She looks down at her hands and realizes she's actually not with anything.

She bit her lower lips before speaking, "I... I haven't bought it yet."

Lexis looks at her, his eyes giving blank expressions as usual. She couldn't tell if he was angry or not.

"Why?" He asks her curtly.

"They...They em..." She didn't know what to say. What is she going to tell him?

"I see." He nods. "Get into car."

Her eyes widen in surprise. Why would he ask her to get into the car? Is he going to drop her at the nearest dungeon or what?

"Get your ass in the f**king car Kemi." Lexis says again this time frowning deeply. She quickly nods and runs over reaching for the door but it opens upwards on its own before she could open it. She stands staring at it, forgetting that she's supposed to enter the car.

Lexis sighs and shakes his head. "Get...in."

She quickly slides into the car and the door closes downwards. She sits close to the door dreading to move closer to him while he relaxes into the seat and gestures for the driver to continue. Robert is sitting at the front and is shooting hard glares at her through the mirror but she avoids his glares even though she knew he was sending he cold glares. She just looks through the glass in silence.

The driver drives into the shopping mall premises and Kemi wonders if that was the underboss' destination or if he just wanted to give her a ride?

The driver drives into the premises and parks at the garage. The back door opens and Kemi remains sitting. Should she come out or not? What is she going to do, roam about the mall?  Lexis comes out through the other door and lowers his head to look at her in the car.

"Are you getting down or not?" He asks her.

Kemi quickly comes down from the car through the opened door. Robert also comes down as well and he walks over to where Lexis stands.

"Come with me." Lexis says to her before he starts walking towards the building entrance with Robert following him. Kemi quickly follows them from behind. As soon as they're inside the building, a woman in her late 30s, wearing a black suit walks towards them alongside a salesgirl. Kemi looks around and could see not even a single person buying anything. Why should such a huge shopping mall have no customers?

"Welcome Mr. Alexander Lawal, I'm Margaret Hassan, the manager here." She smiles broadly at Lexis who only stare at her with a straight face.

"Are the items ready?" He asks her.

She nods quickly, "Yes sir, they're on the second floor, please come with me."

Margaret starts walking away alongside the salesperson while Lexis and his bodyguard follows them from behind. Kemi quickly runs after them walks beside Lexis looking around the mall. They reach the elevator and they all step into the second floor. Kemi looks around and sees different sets of rings and other jewelries. The salesgirl goes over to bring a ring box and hands it over to Margaret who opens it revealing a golden ring before she shows it to Lexis. He takes the ring from the box and puts it on checking it out.

"This is the most recent edition and it's the only one in the country. It's just as your prescribed preference." She says smiling broadly.

Lexis nods. "Good." He says before removing it from his finger and placing it back in the box. Margaret takes it and hands it over to the Robert.

"We also have the wrist watch." She says gesturing for the salesgirl to bring them. She obeys and goes over to bring other products. Two other salespersons accompanies her and they show the watches to him. He picks the limited edition one and three others. Margaret takes them around and he checks some other products out.

He points at a lip silver ring, "Let me see that."

Margaret smiles, "There're only three of the rings in the country. One is worn by the model, Jefferson Williams, the other is other was recently bought by..."

Lexis rolls his eyes and cuts her off, "I hear you Margaret, let me have it."

Kemi chuckles lightly. She too was finding it funny as the manager kept talking about people who have bought it. She finds it unnecessary. The salesperson brings out the ring and gives it to him. He takes it and looks at the ring before giving it back and they put it back into the ring box and hands it over Robert.

"Robert will handle the bills." He says before he turns to Kemi with a grin. "She wants to buy clothes, do attend to her."

Kemi's eyes widen in shock. What did he just say? Does he think she has money? She thought he had forgotten about that.

She turns to him with widen eyes. "I...I don't." She couldn't even finish what she is saying before Margaret grabs her wrist.

"You're such an angel. Clothes are downstairs, let's go."

Kemi freezes in discomfort and she feigns a smile at her.

Robert walks away with the salesperson carrying everything Lexis had bought. Margaret is still holding on to Kemi's arms as is she would run away if she lets her go.

"Can...Can you let me go?" Kemi manages to say and that's only when Margaret lets go of her. She leads them to the elevator and press the button. Just as the elevator slides open, Margaret's phone starts ringing and she takes it out to answer it.

"Please excuse me." She says to them before answering the phone.

"Hello, I'm at work and very busy now. Please call me...What?" Her eyes widen as she yells the last word.

Lexis turns to her."You will meet us downstairs Margaret. Sort your problem out."

Margaret nods quickly, "Yes sir, l'm sorry."

Lexis steps in and Kemi quickly step in with him. He presses the ground floor button as soon as the door of the elevator closes. Kemi stands far from him looking at her finger as she wonders what she's going to do. She's not with any money, so how would she buy the clothes? Lexis didn't even glance at her, he just kept his straight face as he stares at the elevator door.

Suddenly, the light in the elevator goes off and it starts shaking hard. Fear grips Kemi as she couldn't see a thing.

'What's happening?' She wonders as she moves her hands through the elevator wall looking for anything to hold as support. And then, the elevator shakes again making her fall to the ground hitting her head on the wall.

Lexis also staggers backwards with his back against the wall.

"Oh God, oh Jesus, save me, Oh God" Kemi starts chanting as her voice shakes in fear. Lexis sighs turning to her direction even though he couldn't see her clearly in the darkness.

"Can you shut the f**k up woman?" He yells at her. He is starting to get annoyed by her cries.

Well Kemi didn't listen. She is scared that this might be how she dies. She cannot just die like that without seeing her family and in an elevator for that matter! She had read about how elevator breakdowns, kills lot of people and the thought sends shiver down her spine.

"Oh God I don't want to die, please Jesus." She keeps saying in fear.

Lexis sighs he just ignores her and tries to find something he can hold for support. He runs his hand on the wall looking for something to hold but didn't find anything. He dips his hand in his pocket and brings out his phone. He puts on his phone light and uses it to find the buttons in the elevator. As he sees it, he presses the button to call emergency and someone answers on the other end and they pick up on second dial.

"Hello, how may we help you?"

"There's something wrong with the elevator, it broke down." Lexis says with so much calmness that makes Kemi wonders if he's not scared of dying. They are near their death and the man is this calm?

"We're very sorry about that sir. Are you hurt?" The voice asks.

"No." Lexis says curtly.

"Okay sir. Um.. Could you tell me..."

"I said the f**king elevator is damn faulty! Are you f**king fixing it or not?!" He yells loudly banging his fist against the wall of the elevator that Kemi finch from shock. She can't help but wonder if shouting would help their situation at the moment. Can he not calm down and talk to them?

"Yes...Yes sir. We will get to it quickly." And then the line goes dead.

The elevator shakes again and this time Kemi screams loud before bursting into tears.

"Oh mummy." She continues to cry like a baby.

Lexis points the phone light at her and frowns "Can you shut up?"

She ignores him and still keeps sobbing, hugging her legs together. Lexis sighs and shaked his head before he sits down on the floor and rests his head on the wall.

"I wanna sleep so please lower your voice. I need quiet." He says to her and she turns to him in disbelief.

"Wait...How...How can you sleep in this situation? Do you trust those people enough to relax like this?" She blurts out amidst tears.

Lexis turns to her and points the light at her face again. She covers her face from the light and frowns at him. And then, the elevator shakes again, and this time very hard that she screams loudly before running over to where Lexis sits. She sits clutches a part of his shirt and glues to him while curling up as she sniffles.

Lexis frowns at her, "Move backwards, I don't wanna hear your cries."

She didn't say anything but simply rest her head on the wall. There was no way she was moving backwards. Since he is not scared, she will clutch to him for support. She cannot die in an elevator all of a sudden.

"Are...Are they really coming?" She asks him after a moment of silence, hoping he would answer her. Well, he doesn't answer her and just rests his head against the wall.

"What if they don't come? People die in elevators you know." She says further as she sniffles.

He shakes his head and chuckles and she turns to him with a disbelieving look. He couldn't possibly be laughing in cases like this.

"But it's true" She presses on.

"You don't know how you sound like right now." He finally speaks.

She didn't say anything but only sniffles. The only thing on her mind right now, is how to get out the elevator.

"Did you make everyone in the shopping mall leave or is it always like this?" She suddenly asks.

"Yes." He answers.

She looks at him wondering which of it he's saying yes to. "Which of it?" She presses on.

"Were you always a slut?" He asks, suddenly taking her by surprise. She swallows hard. How could he just ask her something like that, so bluntly?

"I'm not a slut."

"Then what are you?"

She bit her lips and sighs. "Does it matter?"

He shrugs, "Not really?"

She sighs, "How long will I be your maid for?"

"Until you're no more useful?"

She purses her lips, "0h, I see..." "Will I still be auctioned?"

"Do you want to be?" He asks instead.

She sighs. Can he just give her a straight answer?

"Well do I have a choice?"

"You work for me now, and I don't auction my workers." He says.

She nods still not trusting his words though. "Why...Why did you... Why did you kill that man?" She finally asks the question that has been bothering her for days. She felt there was no need to kill that man that day, he could have simply punished him if it was really necessary. How can one end another's life with so much ease? Where did he put his conscience? Or does he not have any?

"Do I have to give you a reason?" He asks instead with his eyes still shut.

"No but I just thought..."

He cuts her off, "Your opinion does not matter."

She nods and didn't say anything for a while before she sighs and speaks, "I don't know how things work and it definitely has nothing to do with me but... Don't you think it's better to punish than to kill? I mean, some people do not deserve death."

He turns to her even though he cannot see her clearly, "So you mean he didn't deserve death but punishment?"

"I can't say anything in his stead since I do not know him or what he did but no one deserves to die. You can't create a human so why hurt one?"

He scoffs. "Is that so?"

Just then, the elevator shakes again and Kemi grips his arm in fear as she trembles.

He shakes his head, "Such words coming out from a scaredy cat like you. How impressive." He says with sarcasm.

She quickly lets go of his arm and composes herself. "I want to live, unlike you."

He twitches his lips, "You're right. Some people do not deserve death, they need to punished for the rest of their lives. Punished so hard that they will beg for death..." He shut his eyes. "—but will not get it.

Kemi stares at him but could not make out his facial expressions well because the light coming from the phone is not bright enough but she can tell that from the way he sounded, he meant everything he said.

"You have no idea what that man has done. He deserved death and not punishment because his crime is not as bad as others."

She furrows her brows in confusion. She does not understand what he's saying.

"It doesn't matter, killing is bad and it makes you the bad person." Her voice shakes as she talks. Her mind starts displaying that scene in her head and it's making her shake in fear. If this man could kill someone like that, he can do same to her anytime.

He scoffs, "Does it make me that bad person then?"

She shuts her eyes,"It does. There might be people who would wish to see a different side of you so think about how they would feel." It felt weird that talking with the underboss does not instigate so much fear as talking with the consigliere does. The man is mysterious and as much as she dares not to, she wants to know why.

He tilts his head at her, "What people?"

She opens her mouth to say something but then, the light in the elevator comes on and the door slides open.

Kemi looks outside the elevator and sees Robert staring at them along with several security men. Finally!!

"Boss, are you okay?" Robert asks looking at Lexis without sparing Kemi a glance. Kemi, realizing that she's still sitting close to Lexis, quickly stands up from the floor of the elevator and runs out while Lexis stands up and walks out of the elevator as well. He slowly glances at Kemi and just as she looks at his direction, he quickly looks away.

Xoxo