Must Read: The Rich Kids Of Lagos (16+)… Part 31-40

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 31

Barely a minute later, Davis sent an address to her mobile phone.Twenty minutes later when the cab man pulled up at the address, she recognised it as the same place they had dropped Gabbo that night from the airport. She strolled in and knew the guards were expecting her, for no questions were asked. She was shown into the house where she sunk into the luxurious leather seats, her back to the front door as she watched CNN without really following. While waiting with her heart in her mouth, Aduke refreshed the blog on her phone and knew that indeed, she was finished. There had been an update to her story. She saw a picture of herself in her current outfit side by side the picture of herself in the red dress. The story read:‘Why is Gabbo’s girl getting a taxi?:
Is it fair that with a multi billionaire boyfriend, our bride-to-be should be hopping taxi rides in LasGidi? You be the judge.The topic had already gathered 107 comments, with most blog visitors cursing Gabbo for not giving her one of his many luxurious cars. She could not believe her eyes. This was really bad.She felt Alhaji’s presence before she saw him because there was an added chill to the room. As she turned around, to check if it was him, she looked into the face of a very angry man. His beautiful eyes had frozen over. This was Gabbo at his angriest! Damn Chijioke! Damn LasGidi! Damn Belinda Splinkeji’s Blog, she was in big trouble.

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 32

Peter concentrated on the Power Point presentation he had been assigned to work on. He intended to do it well because he hoped that this would be his big break. When he had first heard the news that the Oil and Gas Group was going on the Canadian Stock Exchange, he had felt it was a rumour, but with the amount of work and power point presentations sent his way, he knew it was for real.He had also been asked to sign the non-disclosure and confidentiality memo alongside all the other staff. Peter was determined to work hard on this deal because he needed to rise higher than being a P.A. He was aware that The Boss had noticed some of his qualities but he intended to shine on this one.He looked over the presentation again to ensure that there were no typographical errors and that the font size was the same across all the slides. Everything looked good and so he decided to take a well-deserved break in the office canteen. As he strode out of his office, he stopped to pick up his phone, which had been on silent mode, from his bag and noticed that he had seven missed calls from his friend, Kole. Peter decided to ring him back.‘My guy, how far nah’ said Peter
‘You no dey pick phone?’ asked Kole
‘Sorry mehn, I was tied up’ responded Peter
‘You no see my bbm to you?’ asked Kole again
‘No I never see am. I decided to call you the moment I saw your missed calls. So, whats up?’ asked Peter
‘Go and look at the bbm messages first, then call me’ said Kole
‘Okay. I hope say nor be anything serious sha’ asked Peter, slightly worried.
‘Call me when you finish reading it’ repeated Kole
Peter decided to order his food before going through Kole’s message. He was certain it would be a loan request but found out soon enough that he was wrong. He was surprised that Kole had sent him a link to a blog page announcing Aduke’s engagement to his boss, Alhaji Gabbo. Peter could not believe his eyes! His Aduke was getting married to The Boss!!! Aduke had hit it big and had become a celebrity; there were even updates on the story!! He could understand why Kole had sent it; he had been close to Peter and Aduke when they had been a couple.
Judging by the 516 comments, people were interested in this ‘wealthy man meets young girl’ story. As Peter read through the comments, he discovered that his food had lost all taste. He wondered what the effect of this news would have on the forthcoming IPO. Was this why Gabbo had proposed to her? Did this mean Aduke was gone from him forever? How could she not have known that he was only angry with her and that he would have come around at some point?
Peter knew that this was it. He could never work for a man who was married to his love. It had been Aduke’s fault that they had fought. Admittedly, it had taken him a while to come around but the silly girl had stopped begging him. He had needed some more time to ensure that he sorted that Eno issue out, now this. Aduke was gone forever, just when he was coming around.
Peter was deep in thought and did not see Davis, who had come into the canteen for a quick meal.
‘Yo, P.how far?’ greeted Davis
‘I’m okay man. How work? responded Peter
‘Ol boy, na so so drama o! you no hear say Belinda’s Blog carry Boss Matter? asked Davis
‘Mehn, I just read it, my friend just sent me the link. I guess congrats are in order’ said Peter, who tried to act normal. So far, nobody in the office had recognised Aduke as his ex. He had been relieved when he made this discovery.
‘What congrats? The Boss is raving mad! You better don’t try to congratulate him!’ advised Davis
‘Really? Why?’ asked a curious Peter. The groom-to-be should ideally be over the moon that his dream girl had accepted to marry him.
‘Na the girl dey try force hin hand mehn. He’s not ready for all that marriage nonsense. Especially not now’ said Davis
‘How is she trying to force him? asked Peter
‘She was the one that gave the tip-off by herself. But Gaddo will manage the matter properly because he cannot afford any dent on his image. Especially not now when his company is about to go public on the Canadian Stock Exchange. His enemies are many and I’m sure they have been waiting for this opportunity to drag him down. Gaddo is so angry. The age difference will make him seem unserious’ said Davis
‘So what will happen now?’ asked Peter, this was a lot more complicated than he had first thought.
‘I’m not sure. Let’s watch and see’ responded Davis
Peter could not believe his innocent Aduke had fallen to such depths of manipulating a man into marriage. How desperate could she have been to force someone’s hand this way? He had known those friends of hers were bad news from day one. They had corrupted her and made her desperate for money and fame.
As the two men lapsed into silence, Peter knew that he had nothing to lose by hedging his risks. He needed to have something to hold over Aduke’s head if she ever began to run the company and decided to fire the people in her husband’s company. He decided to get his hands on the video recording of that night, so many months ago. He wondered briefly again if Davis knew Aduke was in that video. He had to tread carefully.
‘On another note, Davo, have your guys done any of those their parties recently? asked Peter, as though he was making light conversation.
‘You mean the white mansion parties?’ asked Davis. Peter nodded affirmatively.
‘No oh, they’ve not done another one. The last one was about three months ago’ said Davis
‘Ah… can you help a brother out? I need some cheap entertainment … you know na..’ said Peter, with a false cheeky smile and huge wink.
‘Oh of course. I can send it to you on a CD. I didn’t quite see you as one of those who would watch such stuff. I thought you were made of steel’ teased Davis ‘strangely enough, even The Boss asked to watch the video late last night’ he added.
‘Haaha! all work and no play makes Peter a very dull boy’ said Peter with forced gaiety.
‘True, true. Swing by my office before the close of business’ he said.
Peter promised to do so and the both of them parted ways to their respective offices.

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 33

‘Simi, isn’t Addy back yet? asked a surprised Tessy, who had burst into the apartment with a smile on her face. She had checked every room looking for her friend and finally had to ask Simi who had been sitting in the living room, watching television.
Tessy was excited because her friend, Aduke, had finally joined the Rich Kids League in a legit way and Tessy wanted to keep the friendship strong. After all, one had to keep their goodwill open.
’Nope she isn’t’ responded a disinterested Simisola
‘Na wa for Mrs Gabbo o. She’s all of a sudden scarce eh? and I see she’s already screening her calls too’ complained Tessy, ‘I’ve been trying to call her all day’.
‘Don’t mind her, I’ve been trying her too’ said Simi
‘Na wa o. The wedding hasn’t even happened and she’s already forming busier than the Queen of England. She should not forget that some of us have a full dossier on her’ said Tessy in an irritated tone.
‘What dossier? You have started eh? Please leave the girl to enjoy her engagement’ warned Simi
‘Well, I know the story of their whole relationship’ boasted Tessy
‘We all know the story, Tessy. Get over your excitement’ said Simi who by now was feeling very uncomfortable. She had not thought the Splinkeji post would be so misconstrued. She had also not known the story would go as viral as it had.
‘It’s true what they say isn’t it?’ continued Tessy ‘You find love in the strangest places’
‘Why do you say so?’ asked Simi, whose interest suddenly perked up
‘The whole Gabbo / Addy issue, would you have thought that something so beautiful could emanate from that first night they met? He probably fell in love with her at first sight.’
‘Oh, that night at the restaurant?’ asked Simi, who was confused
‘No, silly. Don’t you remember that night we went out? When I kinda put something in her drink? asked Tessy
‘No, it’s not possible that Gabbo could have been in the club that night. Men like that have private parties Tessy’ said Simi who desperately wanted to puncture a hole in Tessy’s story.
‘Exactly. Private parties. Gabbo was at the Private Party Addy attended. The one she told us about’ said Tessy
‘Shuuutup! You gotta be kidding me!’ exclaimed Simisola, surprised
‘Yep!’ said Tessy who was happy that she had information that Simi hadn’t been aware of
‘Interesting. Ohhhh, I understand the American trip now’ said Simi who knew that Gabbo hadn’t really asked for Aduke’s hand in marriage.
‘Do you see now that love can be hidden in strange places?’ asked Tessy again
‘Yeah whatever’ said Simi as she lapsed into silence. Her brain was whirring. This information could be used to her advantage one way or the other. But she wondered if it would nice to keep using Aduke’s story this way.
**********
‘Hello, Belinda… it’s Anita’ she said into the phone
‘Hi Anita, how is it hanging?’ responded Belinda’s soft voice
‘Why did you pull my story?’ asked Anita, upset that her story had not been published.
‘Something juicier came up, dear’ responded Belinda quickly, guilty that she had sold out on her friend, Anita.
‘You know I had a lot riding on that story, Belinda’ responded an angry Anita. She had acquiesced to all of Belinda’s requests, gotten her some advertisements for her blog and had even paid for some lunches, dinners and event tickets for her.
‘I promise you Anita. Your story will come up on a day when it would make a big bang. I could not let this Gabbo story go to my competitors. It would have been bad for my business’. explained Belinda
‘Ok. We will talk later’ said Anita as she cut the call
In a strange way, Anita understood Belinda’s explanation, but she knew she had to rethink her strategy. It seemed this Belinda route was slowing things down. Anita was tired of having to deal with Simi’s stinginess and needed to make a bang, loud enough to attract the attention of Chief Owen-Browne, Simi’s dad.
She had video tapes and pictures that she would blackmail Simi’s family with. She hoped that they would pay her very well. Once she got enough money out of them, she would pay Rusky off and relocate out of the country. She intended to pay him very well because he had served as a good front. He was often the go-between Belinda, the video guys and herself. He had also taught her everything she knew about secret cameras and recording.
‘Patience, Anita’ she told herself ‘every dog has its day’
To Be Continued 

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 34

Aduke was sitting on pins and needles. She had been waiting to talk to Gabbo for over an hour now.Gabbo had come in, stood there, stared at her for several minutes and hadn’t said a word. He had then sauntered off into one of the rooms in the apartment and slammed the door.She could still hear him on the phone, yelling down the house. The man was really angry. He had not stopped yelling in the hour that he had been holed up in that room. Aduke was sorry for the people who had to deal with him on a daily basis. She was also sorry for herself. Aduke felt so sad because she knew she was the cause of the whole trouble.Suddenly, the apartment went silent. She immediately knew that D.G. had gotten off the phone. When she heard the door open, she knew that her moment of reckoning had arrived.‘Aduke’ D.G said in a very soft voice‘Why did you go to the press?’ he asked ‘Was it because of money, did someone offer you money?’
‘I didn’t go to the press. I have no reason to.’ said Aduke with tears in her eyes. She had known that he would think this, but had hoped that he would not say it to her face.
‘I’ve had to ask you this question because I find it suspicious that you are with me in the first place.’ he said ‘You capitalised on my ignorance of your chosen profession and befriended me. You knew I didn’t remember you from your prostituting days and found a way to warm yourself into my good books and now, because you know I have a huge IPO coming up for my Oil & Gas business, you choose to strike. Tell me, were you paid by Zacharia? He and some others know that you are a call girl. They were at the party that night. Which of them paid you?’ Gabbo spoke with a very quiet but venom-filled voice. For the first time, his northern accent was very audible. His eyes flashed with anger.
Aduke moved as though he had physically struck her, tears sprang to her eyes and they rolled down her cheeks, unchecked.
‘Nobody paid me!. I didn’t even know you were in that room that day! I am not a LovePeddler. I was at that party by error. My friend drugged me that day’ she yelled. Her voice was shaky, filled with more unshed tears.
‘Look here, girl, I watched a bit of your act on the video of that night and you were definitely not drugged. You are a professional LovePeddler! Why did you come into my life, Aduke? Which of my enemies paid you to launch this attack on me?’ His voice was hard as steel ‘I need answers and I need them now!’ said Alhaji Gabbo.
‘Nobody Alhaji. I swear, I’m telling the truth’ responded Aduke
‘Anyway, all of that is irrelevant. I am not going to let a woman, who is barely a child come into my life and mess all my hard work up. I have nurtured that company from scratch and this is my moment of glory. I have worked too hard for this to happen. If my company goes into oblivion right now, you, my dear, are toast’ he said ‘I will crush you to smithereens. I am a great friend but, a formidable enemy. You, my dear child, have crossed the line’ said Gabbo, with fire in his eyes. ‘You should have told those who paid you that this was a task that is beyond you’ he continued
Aduke shrunk into the corner of the sofa and watched as he paced the length and breadth of the room. His anger was like molten heat, washing up the the room and everything in it. She was not left behind, she was burnt into speechlessness. Her eyes were huge from fear. She had never seen this side of Gabbo.
‘You need to remedy this right away’ he said
‘I can, I will go to the blog and tell them this is all a mistake. I would let them know it was a wrong story’ said Aduke quickly, without thinking, hoping to bring him out of this bad mood.
‘Please do not interject when I’m talking’ his words quickly shut her up.
‘I will tell you what to do and you will comply’ he said sharply ‘Is that understood?’
She nodded wordlessly.
‘I have read your background check and apart from your prostituting ways, your family is actually okay. I hear your father is late but your Mother and Aunty are in charge of your affairs. I do not know how they managed to breed a LovePeddler. I hear that there is no current boyfriend and I’m yet to discover who the last boyfriend is. Be rest assured, I will find out all the missing details and would deal with anyone in your life that has a hand in this. I hear your mother and aunty are in LasGidi right now. That would fit right into my plans.’
Aduke was surprised that he knew so much about her life. She was shocked and scared that he knew her mother and aunty’s current location. She was right to be frightened of this man.
‘Here is what you will do. We shall proceed with this engagement’ he said. Her eyes showed her bewilderment. She didn’t think she wanted to be engaged to this monster.
‘The only thing is that you will not be engaged to me, you shall be engaged to marry my son. We share the same names and he is your age mate.’
‘This would work to my favour because I need to help his image. The boy has lost his way and I have been reliably informed that he is homosexual – information that could also hurt my business amongst certain circles’ said Gabbo at breakneck speed
‘We will order the engagement rings and you will wear it proudly, you will show off the beautiful relationship between yourself and Danladi to the world and nobody would be the wiser. Not even your flatmates.’ He ordered
‘Before the day is over, you will move into the guest chalet here and will be monitored 24/7. Depending on the speed and conclusion of this IPO, you will either be free to walk away or forced to marry my son. You laid this bed, you shall lie in it’ said Gabbo
Aduke’s fear and confusion showed in her face. Her first instinct was to yell at him, and say ‘No Way!’ but with his mood, and the way he had passed the verdict, there was no way she could even begin to think of resisting him. She began to think very fast. As she was about to speak, he interjected her again.
‘Don’t even think of objecting. As I said earlier, I know your home, your family and everyone related to you. Do not even try me. I will take you out, one after the other. I would advise you to call your mother and inform her of the great news.’ With that said, he spun on his heels and left the room.
Aduke sat and wondered how she had ever gotten involved with this man. What should she do now? Should she resist this or go ahead with his plans? What would her mother think?

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 35

It was a shell shocked Peter who sat on the sofa in his apartment. He had just finished watching the recordings of the white mansion party on his DVD player and after seeing the antics of his ex-girlfriend, Aduke, he was confounded. Admittedly, this had not been recorded with professional cameras but it was obvious that it was his Aduke gyrating in her g-string panties and heels, sharing what had exclusively been his with everyone in that room.
Even with his eyes closed, he could see still her body, her pert breasts, her tiny waist and the pink g-string panties that had covered her modesty for only a brief moment before she had discarded it, waving it over her head in obvious glee and abandon. Aduke had been only in her heels for most of the recording, moving from one patron to the next, sharing jokes and giving them lap dances. She had in essence, been the life of that party.
Peter was surprised at himself because he had found the video equal parts repulsive and erotic. He could feel his growing erection and angrily found himself wishing that Aduke was with him to resolve what she had so obviously caused. It would have been mad, angry S£x which would have assuaged his desire and anger at the same time. In fact, he thought, if he had been the hitting type, he would have probably smacked her soundly before proceeding to have hot S£x with her.
What could have made her do this, he wondered. Agreed, her friends had a bad influence on her, but wasn’t it widely known that people often exhibited their most hidden personalities when they were drunk? Had Aduke hidden this side of her personality from him all the while that they had dated? He stared off into space, remembering how good they had been together.
He sadly acknowledged that with her forthcoming wedding to his boss, it was unlikely that they would ever get back together again. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to get back together with her. He was sure though, that he would have liked to have some hot S£x with her. She had been a dynamite in bed and seeing her in that video had brought back old feelings. He ruminated on this until he slept off.
He was startled out of his nap by the shrill sound of his annoying doorbell. He was surprised to see Tessy at the door. She was dressed in a short, free, yellow halter neck dress. Before he could collect himself or button his shirt up, she had barged in, brash as she usually was.
‘Hey Peter’ said Tessy as she stood in the middle of the living room, looking a bit unsteady.
‘Hi’ responded Peter, looking at her closely. It seemed as though she had been drinking although he could not smell any alcohol on her breath
‘Gosh it was so hard to locate your house again, you know the last time I came, I was here with Addy’ she said as she looked around the apartment, acting as though it was her first time in the apartment
‘I would have helped you by describing the way here if you had not invited yourself’ said Peter, who subtly tried to inform Tessy that she was unwanted.
As usual, subtlety did not work with her.
‘So, how far?’ she asked, still looking around
‘With what?’ he responded, confused. He wished he knew what she was on about.
‘The M.O.N.E.Y’ she said, spelling it out, rubbing her index finger and thumb together.
She suddenly turned around to look at him, about to yell that he should not cheat her out of her share of the money when she paused as though she was seeing Peter for the first time, with brand new eyes.
‘Ooooh Peter, is this what you have been hiding under all your stuffy shirts?’ Her eyes devoured his Sekxy body greedily, she stepped forward and ran her finger tips down from his neck, across his taut six pack, stomach, she ran it back, upwards, over his rib cage and towards his neck, suddenly getting bolder.
Peter initially flinched before he stood very still, uncertain of the reason why he was allowing the vile Tessy to touch him this way. Was he just curious or was he still a bit horny from the video he had just watched? For each second Peter remained inactive, Tessy grew bolder, running her finger tips downwards, towards his manhood, which by now had begun to regain its earlier turgidity.
She drew him closer, using the waist band of his jeans and pulled him in for a kiss. As, they locked lips, things got heated up and more intense and she pushed him onto the sofa, following him and sitting on his groin, facing him.
As Tessy began to grind on him, her knees contacted a hard object with soft keys and sounds suddenly rent the air. Unconcerned, she continued to kiss Peter until she realised it was the television set disturbing their moment.
‘Shtt. I can’t do this with this noise on’ she said against his lips, groping for the remote control so that she could turn it off without disentangling from him. When this failed, she had to take the control and face the telly.
As she struggled with the remote, something caught her eye. Peter had been watching a mojo! There were people in various forms of undress, having S£x and a lone dancer on the table, completely Unclad, save for her shoes, dancing. She was the one entertaining all the unoccupied men in the room, some of whom were pleasuring themselves as they watched her. No wonder Peter had been that hard, the idiot had been watching Adult movie.
Just as she was about to tease him about this, something struck her as familiar about the shape of the face in the video. It was Aduke! How and when had this happened? Had Peter been her pimp as well as her lover? Why did he have this video? Before she could ask these questions, he had snatched the DVD remote from her and turned off the player. However, it was too late. Tessy was certain she had seen Aduke in the video.
Tessy looked at Peter for a long time, opened her purse and popped another pill in her mouth. She needed the high. She also had to get to the bottom of this.
‘Peter, what the hell was going on in that video and why do you have it? She asked. Gone was the amorous Tessy, replaced by the usual shark.
Before he could speak, her brain had already worked out the answers and more importantly, the possible ways this could benefit her. She intended to use Peter this time around. All she had to do was to convince him.
As her brain began to calculate ways she could convince him, she remembered that her mother really needed some money for the trip she wanted to make with her hyper wealthy friends. Tessy was not ready to disappoint her mum and it seemed Aduke would be the meal ticket for that. The girl had proven to be a constant meal ticket. With friends like this, you can never go broke.

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 36

Anita got up from the bed, rolling away from Simisola who was still asleep, gently snoring. They had just had a heated session and as usual, Simisola, the lazy lover, was sated. All she did today, as usual, was to groan and roll her lumpy self all over the bed, leaving her to do all the work.Anita stared at her with a look of utter disgust on her face. She really couldn’t explain why she was still here with her, apart from the money which was no longer as forthcoming as it used to be. It seemed that Simi now thought she deserved everything Anita did for her, which quite frankly, was a lot.As Anita stared at her, Simi rolled over, her tubs of fat, rolling along with her. Anita knew she had to hurry into the bathroom to brush her teeth, for her tongue had been in the most curious of places.She needed to talk to Olawale, her boyfriend, who had been the mastermind behind this relationship. By now, their savings should be enough to get her out of this irritating situation. She hurried to the bathroom where she quickly brushed and then on to the balcony. She had to place the call before Madam-Clingy-Vine woke up, wanting a cuddle.‘Hello baby’ said Anita into the phone‘Hey ‘Nita, whats up?’ responded the husky voice. He sounded like he had just woken up‘Did you check on our savings like I asked you to? Asked Anita quickly, there was no time to go into niceties.‘Uh – not yet. It has been hard to get to the bank’ responded Olawale a little too quickly‘Waleeeeee! You know why we need this thing baby, I’m tired of this scene. The Belinda Splinkeji thing did not work, I am tired of waiting’ complained Anita‘You need to chill, Nita. We have a goal. We wanted Belinda to break the news so Simi would be on the edge and go running to daddy when we begin to squeeze her. It looks like that isn’t working. So we need a bigger bang. I think we might have to go to her parents directly’. he said‘Hmm…’ responded Anita, suddenly unsure of the plan.‘You say she won’t use?’ asked Wale. This was a question he had asked her over and over‘No, she avoids drugs like the plague. You know what happened to her brother’ responded Anita, testily.‘Yeah, where is he now?’ he asked‘I don’t know, I don’t care.’ Responded Anita. She wondered what his interest in Simi’s brother was.‘I’m working something out. We would definitely go straight to her family. Her dad has political ambitions and he would be too willing to pay so that his daughter’s kinks are not revealed in the public’ said Wale‘Okay sweetie, I’m counting on you. Please be fast. I’ve got to go, I hear her calling me.’ Said Anita in a rush‘Okay’ replied wale‘I love you…’ said Anita, hoping for a similar response‘Okay..’ said Wale.Wale got up, knowing he needed a line. As he brought out the powder, he turned to the Bytch still sleeping on his bed and kicked her.‘Hey, you! Get out now!’ She woke up and wiped the dribble that had formed on her cheek. She hurriedly gathered her things and scurried out of the room. She knew this Wale guy could be crazy.Now that he had his privacy, Wale looked out of the window and remembered everything that the Owen-Browne family had done to him. They would pay dearly, one after the other. Simisola Owen-Browne would be the first casualty.He smiled a very queer smile as his nostrils set to work.

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 37

It still seemed surreal to Aduke as she sat and played out the series of events as they had happened in her mind. Just yesterday, she had been a free girl, running her own life on her own terms. Today, she was being forced to marry some spoilt rich kid whom she had never met.She wondered if Gaddo even had the right to treat her the way he had. How dared he? What was the worst that could happen if she said no? This was not how she had planned that her engagement and wedding ceremonies. She had dreamt of a surprise proposal from Peter. Now she had gotten herself mixed up with this mad man.The minute she thought about Peter, she knew that her life had really deviated from everything she had hoped for. Wasn’t it just a few months ago that she had been in love with Peter? It had been a nice steady life. She had known what she would be doing and whom with. She missed those days.Those easy days have been replaced with a crazy unpredictability. For instance, she hadn’t imagined she might be engaged to a stranger at the end of today. Should she do this thing? Would Gaddo really hurt her mother and Aunty? She was unsure of what to do and the more she thought about it the more she felt she should not. He had no rights to her life and she would tell him this.She could hear him coming now. It appeared the monster was on the phone. The monster did not even respect her that much for she had been left here for too long, uninformed of new events. The cook had come to offer her a meal, but she had been unable to rouse an appetite.He walked into the room, holding a hurriedly bound manual of some sort in his left hand.‘Hello, Zacharia! What a pleasant surprise’ said Gaddo. The ice was still in his eyes, but his voice was warm‘Ah, I see’ he said, giving her an evil look‘Did you call for a particular purpose?’ asked Gaddo, whose scowl suddenly deepened‘Ah, I see, to congratulate me? On the engagement? ah, I see… How is business Zacharia?’ he suddenly asked, totally changing tack‘Why do I ask? Well, if you were busy, you would not be reading cheap sell articles on stupid blogs meant for kids, would you?’ he said, with false genialityAduke was not sure of the response on the other side of the line but knew that his scowl went even deeper‘Yes, she’s the one you saw with me at the airport. I would imagine that there must have been pictures on the article. Not so? He asked aggressively. He could no longer hide his irritation.‘So what if she’s the girl from the white mansion? Who are you to challenge me? Let this be the last time you would ever question my personal choices. Is this clear? With that said, he turned off the phone and faced her.‘Young lady, can you see the disruption you have begun to wreak in my personal life?’ he asked angrily‘Here’ he tossed the manual at her ‘this, has a detail of Hassan’s life, his habits and hobbies – everything. You need to know all those details before you and he are presented to the world as a couple’ he began to walk away before he stopped, realising he had forgotten to ask her a question.‘Do you have a preferred ring design? We need to order one for you right away’ he informed her‘No’ she responded‘Strange. I would have expected you to have a style’ he said sarcastically‘No’ she repeated again‘You made your point, we would ask the shopper to pick something nice for you’ he said, turning away‘No, Gaddo! I will not be rail-roaded into marrying your son! I did not do this thing you accuse me of and I have no intentions to sacrifice my happiness to pay for something I am innocent of.’ she yelled, suddenly emboldened by the unfairness of it all.Gaddo stepped back as though she had slapped him.‘What did you say? he asked softly‘You have every arsenal within your powers to sort this out,’ she continued ‘you can even pay Belinda off to bring down the post, but you would rather use me? No way! I would never concede to this. I need to go’‘Repeat everything you just said’ again, this was said very calmly. The chill in the room suddenly got to her when she looked into his face, it was as though he had suddenly been carved out of cold marble.‘I…..I said, this is not neccesa….’‘Shut up, young woman! No one, I repeat, no one defies Danladi Gaddo and gets away with it. Believe me, you won’t be the first to attempt it, but the others have a sorry tale to tell. I suggest you sit down there and read that document in detail. You would need it very soon’ He clicked his heels and began to walk off. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and pointed a finger at her.‘Just pray that not a word about the white mansion party is said to the media because, that is when you would know that you have bitten off more than you can chew.’ he warnedAs he made to leave, Aduke shouted at his departing back.’You are a selfish son of a Bytch. Who cares what you do to me? Who cares if your IPO never sees the light of day. I’m not even certain that this was not an elaborate ruse planned by your team so that you can explain your miserable excuse of a child to the world. I can tell you this for free, Gabbo, I would never have anything to do with your son and I would only marry him the day hell freezes over.’‘Aduke..’ he said, approaching her menancingly‘No, you listen! I have done nothing wrong and no threat would make me concede to your foolish requests. You are a failure if your IPO cannot run itself. You are a failure if a little gossip would wreck your business and you are certainly a failure if you cannot accept your homosexual son the way he is. We would not be used as pawns to satisfy your sadistic desire to rule the world. Not now, not ever. Count me out!’ this was an impassioned speech made with blazing anger from Aduke, whose arms were flying over the place as she often did when animated‘Aduke..’ he said, trying to hold her flying arms. He was suddenly calm.‘Shut the Fork up Gabbo, I’m out of here’. She walked out of the living room and stormed to the front door only to find it securely locked.

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 38

Aduke tried the door again and realised that it was indeed securely locked. She also noticed that there were no keys dangling out of the key hole. Jeez, she was really locked in! As her brain kicked into gear, she contemplated her next move. Should she begin to bang the door or start to yell?
Even though it was a private residence, she suspected that the mad Gabbo would hate anything that would put him in bad light in front of his domestics. Perhaps she should capitalise on this.
Gabbo walked slowly to the entrance way and looked at her, back turned to him, head tilted as though she was contemplating the next havoc she wanted to wreak in his life. He was certain the little minx was thinking up ideas which would further complicate his otherwise peaceful existence.
As Gabbo stood there, arms folded on his chest, he looked at her silently and admitted that he respected this little wild bird. It was a grudging acknowledgment, but he knew it was there because there were only a few people that he felt this way about. This little wild bird never shied away from a fight and would keep quiet to allow him threaten her before she struck back. She had more fight in her than some of his lily livered GMs at work. She could face him even when he was at his most irate. This young lady was no push over. It was a grudging respect which he was unwilling to let her see.
As Gabbo looked at her, Addy spun round, ready to yell for her rights, she was surprised to see Gabbo standing behind her, watching her silently. She quickly recollected herself and faced him squarely.
‘Open this door Gabbo, I need to go. I have spent too much time here already’ she said.
His response to this was the lift of one eyebrow as though he was unconcerned with her heroic display.
‘Gabbo, open this door otherwise I would…. I would kick it down’ as she said this, Gabbo burst out laughing. He could not hold the mirth that had been bubbling under the surface since she called him out. He was surprised because instead of the anger he had expected to feel towards her, it was this emotion, a light, almost benevolent compassion that he felt for her. He really liked this little woman. He knew he was not going to strike back at this little girl for he had grown very fond of her.
He had to think of a way around her stubbornness and ensure she does not take his kindness for granted.
‘You would kick it down?’ he said softly, looking from her to the door and back. She was very tiny when compared to the huge entrance door of heavy, carved wood and so, he burst into laughter again. This door was a struggle for Bassey , his cook/steward to open, much less this tiny woman.
‘We are glad we could make you laugh’ she said sarcastically. ‘I hope you would pay for the comedy show and all my time that you have wasted’ she said still angry, with flashing eyes.
Immediately, Gabbo’s mirth disappeared, once again replaced by a deep furrow between his brows.
‘You are a much better person when you are not thinking of financial gains, Aduke. I must give it to you though; you are a very focused person. Your head never stops thinking about money does it? Yes, while we are on the topic, please call your blogger friend and get her off my back. Let her know your plea to get her off the hook did not work. Tell her that there would be no kid’s gloves the next time. Nobody messes with Danladi Mustapha Gabbo and gets away with it a second time!’ his eyes suddenly flashing with a renewed spark of anger.
He walked off and left her there, at the entrance. Aduke faced the offending door again and knew she had been foolish to think she could kick it open. She decided on another plan. Perhaps, she could exit from the back door. She therefore decided to look for the back door. As she explored the floor space, she realised the door most likely to lead to the kitchen was also locked. At that point, she gave up, went back to the front door and sat there. She checked the time and realised how late it was. She was very surprised! This useless drama had been over played, she needed to go home and get herself together.
As things were, she was not certain that she had a job to go back to. She knew she needed the job because that job had kept her afloat. It had catered for her day-to-day running costs and she would miss it greatly. In the excitement of the moment, she had not even checked her school’s online portal for messages on registration for this semester. She had really messed up.
These were the things Peter had been so great at. It was he who would have reminded her not to get carried away with real life. Sometimes, he had also helped her choose courses too. Now, no Peter and possibly, no school. She hoped her fears were unfounded and made a mental note to check tomorrow.
The allure of the moment had cost her so much and she needed all the help she could get to get back on her feet. She realised that her only option right now was to either go back crawling to Aunty Tokunboh or concede to Gabbo’s requests. Whilst the option of crawling to her aunty left a sour taste in her mouth, she knew that it was the only choice she had. Nobody would ever force her into marriage. She reminded herself that she is not a slave.
Aduke looked at her phone again and marvelled at how useless her friends and roommates were. Apart from their missed calls since this afternoon, nobody had tried to reach her again. Nobody had even sent her a blackberry message, not even Tessy. She might as well be dead. She decided that when she regained her freedom, she would move out of that apartment. This was no friendship, they were useless friends.
‘Excuse me ma’ a voice penetrated her thoughts. ‘Oga said I should show you your room’ it was the cook who had earlier offered her lunch, Bassey.
‘My room?’ she was incensed. DG expected her to sleep here and did not have the common decency to tell her beforehand?
‘I didn’t plan on sleeping here. Open the door, I need to leave’ she said
‘Madam, that is beyond my scope ma. It’s Alhaji that will open the door for you ma’ he responded gently, hoping she would not pull him into the middle of whatever issues she was having with Oga.
Aduke realised she needed this man on her side, so she backtracked. She decided to play nice
‘So, where is this room?’ she asked
‘This way ma’ he responded, with a smile of relief, pointing her in the direction of the room
‘Wait’ said Aduke, feigning a renewed interest in the apartment, ‘This is such a lovely place. Can you show me round?
‘Yes Madam’. He said, happy to be able to concede to this request
Aduke quickly got tired of the man’s effusive ways. At this rate, he was going to introduce her to the curtains and vases! She needed to know where the kitchen was so, she could sneak out at night!
‘….here is my office, the kitchen!’ said the Bassey proudly
As Aduke cast her gaze around, she understood why the man was so proud. He had kept his fully equipped kitchen in pristine condition. She was however not interested in the equipment, she had eyes only for the back door. The minute she saw it, she was happy. She would plan around it.
‘Madam, would you change your mind and have something to eat now? Asked Bassey
‘No, Bassey. But I would appreciate it if you could leave some snacks in the fridge for me. I have a tendency to eat in the middle of the night’ pretended Addy
‘Ah that is fine, Madam. Shall I show you to your room now? asked a happy Bassey
‘Yes, thanks’ said a happy Aduke. She now had a plan and life is so much easier when you have your plans well marshalled out.
As she stepped into her appointed quarters, she marvelled at the taste of whoever had designed the room. This was a room fit for a princess. Everything was in shades of soft pinks and gold. The bed had been turned down invitingly and Addy decided to lie down for a bit, just to ensure that Bassey also went to bed before carrying out her plan. Her eyes had closed before her head hit the pillow.

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 39

Wale stood at his balcony and looked into the dark night. He could taste the bitter bile of revenge on his tongue and knew that it was only because payback time was now very close.Olawale Adegunwa had never known his mother for she had died during childbirth. His father had been a great dad until he decided to marry a new wife when Wale was ten. This new wife saw the bond between them and decided to separate them. She asked that Wale be sent to live with his aunt. When his father objected, the lady ensured that she made Wale’s life difficult until he pleaded to be allowed to live with his aunty.His mother’s sister, Aunty Carol loved Wale like her own. Unable to have her own kids, she had offered him the best she could afford. She had been a teacher at Infinity High School, a school exclusively for the rich, and ensured that Wale attended the school while she paid Staff Price for School Fees. This was where Wale had met all the children of the rich and famous. It was here that he also met Goriola Owen- Browne who became his best friend.The two boys were very close and often, Wale would sleep over at their house. The Owen-Brownes were happy that their son had a close friend and would often take Wale along for summer holidays, with his aunty’s consent. Even though Gori had gone on to University in the United Kingdom and Wale had gone on to the University of Ibadan, they remained very close and he was a regular visitor at the Owen-Browne residence.In his third year at the University, he was home with Gori who was home on vacation and insistent on going out clubbing. Wale was unable to join their friends because he was stooling that night. Till date, he was unsure of what had happened but he recalled that Wale’s parents had woken him up, worried about a call they had received. Gori and his rich friends had been apprehended by the police for having hard drugs in their car. They had called their friend who was the commissioner and had been advised that the case was serious, because the police men involved had quickly escalated the case. Chief Owen-Browne had been unable to afford the shame this would have brought his company and had set a plan in motion.He had pleaded with Wale to save his family name, and promised Wale that if he changed roles with his friend, Gori, they would quickly sort the issue out and Wale would be a free man. The Chief had also assured him that he would be rewarded handsomely for his effort. This had never happened.Gori remembered the years he had suffered in detention. The Owen-Browne’s had abandoned him in jail and it had taken his aunty several years of running around before he had been released. He had come back as a changed man, his university career, truncated. He was thankful for the talents he had been blessed with. He had begun to write in prison and today, he had been published under a pen name.The Owen-Brownes had never looked back to check up on him and even now, three years later, still did not know he was out. Anita had come in handy and the time to use her had come.

THE RICH KIDS FROM LAGOS PART 40

Aduke opened her eyes to a beautiful morning. She was upset as the memory of all her carefully orchestrated plans immediately came to her. She had overslept!
‘Shtt’ she said as she startled, jumping out of bed
‘Is anything the matter?’ she heard. She knew that it was Gabbo
He had been sitting on the visitor’s chair in the corner of the room. She had not seen him there. How long had this mad man been there watching her sleep? She cast a cursory glance on the bed to confirm if he had slept in the same bed with her and was relieved that this was not so. The other side was very neat.
So, when had he come in? How long had he been there? She could vaguely remember that he had touched her cheeks when she was sleeping but had thought it was a dream. Had it been real? How come he was here, in the same dove grey jalabiya she had dreamt of?
‘So forcing me to remain here isn’t enough. Am I to have no privacy too?’ she asked, irritated at his intrusion into her personal space
‘You grind your teeth when you sleep’ he said, in a soft voice, as though she had not spoken
Mortified, she decided to keep her anger as a shield ‘And why should that concern you?’ she asked rudely
‘It’s called Bruxism. I read somewhere that it is a sign of psychological stress from repressed emotions’ continued Gabbo, who ignored her again ‘What emotions are you repressing, my wild bird?’
‘What emotions am I repressing? Don’t get me started, Gabbo. I need to leave’ she said
‘Yes, you will, once we have a landing on this issue. However long that takes. Your continued outbursts aren’t helping. There is a new toothbrush and a change of clothes in the bathroom. Hurry, your visitors would soon be here’ as he said this, he left.
‘What visitors?’ he had left, so her questions were left hanging in the air
Aduke hurriedly freshened up. She wanted to see who these visitors were. She saw the new clothes in the bathroom and had a choice between a dress or a tee shirt and a new pair of jeans. She decided on the new tee shirt on her old jeans. She was not willing to take more than she could repay from this psycho.
As she emerged from the bathroom and walked into her room, her mother walked in from the door. She was followed closely by Aunty Tokunboh and Danladi.
‘Mummy, what are you doing here?’ she was shocked to see her mum
‘Aduke, ki lon shele gaan? What exactly is going on?’ asked her mother. Aduke could see the sparks of anger in her mother’s eyes. She knew that look and was sure her mother could erupt at any moment.
‘Nothing mummy. It’s all a misunderstanding’ responded Addy
‘What kind of stupid misunderstanding would make your phone unavailable for the whole of yesterday? Do you know how worried we have been? What manner of stupidity is this? What exactly is going on here? asked her mother in rapid succession
‘Mummy, I can explain’ said Addy
‘Oya, start now’ said her mum.
‘Ma’am, why don’t we all move to the dining area and discuss this over breakfast? I will explain the phone signals. It was caused by the cell phone jammers I had installed in the house. None of your cell phones can receive signals right now. It is a safety precaution I use for added safety around here’ interjected Gabbo
‘Jammers? So it was you all along!!! And I thought nobody cared??!! But wait, it doesn’t add up! You spoke to Zacharia on your mobile’ said Aduke in wonder
‘I spoke to him on my mobile land line. Not a cell phone. Given the present circumstances, I did not want additional evidences inadvertently going out to the press’ responded D.G
‘Evidence? Press? Ohhh, so you still think this leak is from me Gabbo. I see. Due to you paranoia and lack of trust, you made another human being suffer. Can you see how worried my mother was? Yelled Addy
‘I’m sorry ma, said Danladi, who faced Aduke’s mum. ‘I think we should meet over breakfast and resolve this issue’ he said civilly.
‘Heeey, don’t talk to me. Have I spoken to you since I entered this place? So, you think you can lure my child with your money and then come and talk to me? Is this how your people get married where you come from? You just see a girl and without courting her, without meeting her family and just move her into your house? You seem like a matured man, tell me, is this how your people do it? She asked Gabbo, giving him the evil eye
Aduke was amused to see that Gabbo was uncomfortable as he shifted under her mother’s cold stare. Finally, something could hit him. Good for him!
‘And you, is this the reason you have been running up and down? Because this man has some money? You have decided to throw away all your home training. Is this why you allowed him to pluck you like someone without roots and install you in his house, just like that? I do not approve of this union until you answer the question I asked you in your aunty’s house. Where is the other young man? What happened to him? He was such a good boy; he treated you with so much love and respect. He even visited me in the village. Aduke, before we delve into this rubbish, where is Peter Owhoko? Asked her mother angrily
Aduke cast her gaze on the floor as her mirth disappeared. Why was her mother like this? Did she have to embarrass her in front of Gabbo?
Gabbo looked at the old lady and wondered why the name sounded so familiar. Who the hell was Peter Owhoko? Wasn’t this the same Peter at the office or was this just a coincidence? He had finally unravelled a huge part of the whole mystery. Hell was about to receive a new occupant. Peter must pay for his deception. Aduke would pay too.
He had to call Davis quickly to set things in motion. Nobody sets Danladi Mustapha Gabbo up and gets away with it.