It was almost 12:00am— 11:46— and people were already gathering in the big City Hall, the venue that Harriet had chosen for her Charity program. The bright, white bulbs that hang on the ceiling gave the gray walls a glimmering aura. Red cushioned chairs with gold–like metal edges and legs were organised in neat rows and columns. If there had been statues of the Virgin Mary, mother of God, the room would have been mistaken for a church. On the stage, there were chairs arranged for VIPs six yards on the left side of the glassware pulpit. The large windows were opened to welcome summer into the room. Balloons hanged in three pairs along the windows; some dangled overhead.
Harriet was pleased that the deco was just how she had wanted it— not, too, flamboyant and not, too, cheap. It suited the occasion. Thanks to Jane, and the teams for the hard work.
Harriet welcomed many people at the entrance of the hall— prompt chats, hugs, kisses, handshakes— as they walked through the two large swing doors. It wasn't the main entrance. The city hall had several room for different occasions. This was just one. Luther stood by her.
"Daniel,"she said, gleefully, when the Diggs appeared at the door. "It's so nice to see you." She gave him a hug then turned to Linda and did the same. "You look so beautiful in this dress, I must admit," she complimented Linda, smiling.
Linda returned the smile. "All thanks to my hard-working daughter-in-law, Rachael, for constantly releasing these," she stated, staring around, not dropping the smile. "This is really a great job, Harriet. I love it. Thank you."
She usually blushed when she was praised. Harriet waved it off. "That's nothing. I'm just giving back to my country what she gave me."
The two women were busy with their own conversation while the men had theirs. Theirs wasn't loud and full of smiles. It was a man–to–man talk.
"This was all Harriet's idea," Luther told Daniel after Daniel praised the whole idea of having a program that would benefit the children. "But it's nice, though."
"Yeah." Daniel agreed with him, scrutinising the room. "She's really helping her family. To be honest, you married the best woman, Senator."
"I'm starting to doubt that," Luther murmured, but it was loud enough for Daniel to understand what he said. Daniel decided to ignore that. He wasn't ready to have the same conversation they had at the entrance of the church again.
"In case you need my help, Senator, give me a call. I'd like to help with such projects." That was a changing–the–topic statement.
Luther needed his help now. His instincts kept telling him that Daniel knew exactly what Harriet was hiding from him. His instincts were almost never wrong, always. One thing that was sure was: Daniel wasn't going to give Harriet's secret out just like that. He was Harriet's good, old friend from childhood.
"Have you noticed anything strange about Harriet?" He asked Daniel as everyone was told by the master of ceremony to take their respective seats. They walked behind Harriet and Linda that were busy with their women chit-chat.
"Women can be unbearably strange. It's Phenomenal," Daniel retorted. He was always extra careful with his words when he spoke with politicians.
"Harriet has been acting strange since the wedding. I think she's hiding something that you know from me. What is it?" He got straight to the point. No need for prolonging the conversation.
"My wife has been acting strange for months now," Daniel said. "I don't think she's hiding something from me."
"You're different."
"You're smart." He walked up the stairs with Luther on the stage. "I've told you, Senator," he began, taking his seat next to Luther. Harriet sat on the left side of her husband. She was still talking with Linda. "Somethings are better as a secret."
That was Daniel right there. He always used that somethings–are–better–as–a–secret shit when he didn't want to tell. Luther saw that as being childish.
Not every goddamn thing was better as a secret, especially for the one, like Luther, who desperately wanted to know what the goddamn secret was. Secrets were for children.
Luther looked at his watch. It was seven minutes past twelve.
"At the wedding I heard Harriet tell you it has happened again. What has happened again?" He asked Daniel whose eyes were on the master of ceremony, Steve Blade, as he spoke.
Daniel smirked. He glanced at Luther then back to Steve. His lips was parted half way when Luther was called up to speak.
Daniel found that strange; however, he didn't pay much attention to that. Somethings were better a secret. The world was advancing daily. But Luther, as the co-host, should have spoken after the others speakers had. Procedure.
Luther put on a smile and walked to the pulpit. He waited for the applauds to cease so he could speak.
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Jane checked the agenda again. It wasn't right. Something wasn't right. Steve definitely made a very big mistake. Luther wasn't supposed to speak just yet.
She sent Harriet a message and waited for her to respond. When Harriet didn't respond ten minutes later, she walked, slightly bending so she couldn't be a distraction to other people, up to Harriet and whispered in her ears that it was a big mistake.
"It's not a mistake," Harriet whispered to her. "Luther insisted on speaking first."
Jane was in trouble. Big trouble. This particular change to the agenda was a pain in her ass. Nervous sweat began pouring down her face.
"You didn't tell me that, why?"
"That reminds me, Jane. Where have you been all this time? I searched for you to tell you to make the changes, but you were nowhere to be found. So I told Steve myself. Where's your phone?" Harriet inquired.
"I think I left it in my car when I went home for... For something," Jane gave an excuse. "I'll be back." She hurried out of the room, not knowing that Harriet noticed how tensed she was.
She had to call him. Tell him that there was change of plans. Their plan was scheduled for an hour from now. They were over thirty minutes behind.
She opened the door and rushed out of the room to call Benjamin. He was going to be mad; well, she had to tell him that a big change had been made.
Where the fuck was the bathroom when she needed it?
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Benjamin saw the doors to the room that the charity program was happening close, but didn't see who had left the room. It couldn't be someone who had entered the room. He was the only one who had just entered the building, so he was sure.
Benjamin didn't pay attention to that. He didn't give a flying fuck. He was there to see her. That's all. Nothing else— not even the opening or closing of a stupid door— mattered.
Jane had smartly planted one of their trusted people at the entrance to do the checking of people entering. Benjamin had walked in normally when he saw the wink of the eye— the sign. Besides, he didn't carry any weapon on him. He didn't need one.
Don't look at them, you wouldn't be intimidated. Ignore their glances. That was exactly what Benjamin was doing. He ignored the men standing at different posts. Some stared at him with menacing eyes, but he turned away immediately. He felt a little bit nervous when he entered the room and found more security inside. He hadn't to worry. His men were a blink away.
Benjamin took the last seat at the back of the room, though there were empty chairs columns ahead of him. He looked at his wristwatch to make sure that it was working properly. His phone began vibrating in his pocket. He pull it out and saw it was Jane calling. He put it back.
Wait. What was going on? He looked up on the stage then back at his wristwatch as if he was comparing two pictures for their similarities.
Something was wrong.
He clearly remembered Jane telling him that Luther wasn't speaking until everyone had; he was going to be the last speaker. Why the fuck was he up there when the program hadn't even gone thirty minutes?
"You better have a good explanation for this, Jane," he grumbled with clenched teeth. He placed his hands on his thighs, feeling the continuous vibration of his phone.
He was boiling with anger when someone sat next to him. It was a woman. He know from the glamorous black heels, the only thing he could look at, that she wore. She had nice legs. He narrowed his eyes to take a glimpse of her. When his eyes had feasted on her young beautiful thighs that were under a silk black dress, he gazed up from the corner of his eyes and saw she had on a black hat too. But her face wasn't covered.
Fuck. It was her. Rachael Blade. What the fuck was she doing at the back? She deserved a space in the front. Something wasn't just right. He could feel it.
She had a beautiful face, though. Perfect face at that. Just like her mother. The sharp chin. The nose. Almost everything.
"You look just like your mother. Beautiful," he said to her. He hadn't planned to talk to her there. But when he told the waitress to give her the second gift in the coffee shop, he desperately wanted to talk to her right there. Change their lives. She was with someone. He couldn't.
Benjamin still had more gifts, more cues, to give her, and her twin brother, Steve.
She didn't speak for few seconds. Her face was straight ahead as if she hadn't heard what he said. "People say I look more like my father than mother," she stated, not sparing him a glance.
"That's because they don't know your mother," he found himself saying, looking straight ahead at Luther speaking. He looked outside the windows and discovered that the guards outside had increased. There were more uniform men than black suits.
They weren't going to make it. Luther was going to finish soon.
Jane lied to them. This was on purpose.
"Everyone in Monrovia knows who Harriet Blade is. Even the strangers do." Her voice sounded beautiful too. She smelled nice too.
"Everyone knows Harriet Blade, yes, but I don't think they know the woman you look like well," he said to Rachael, thinking about warning his men not to make their move again.
She waited for a moment to comprehend what he was really saying. It didn't make any sense.
"I don't see how..." She stopped when she turned to look at him and saw only an empty chair there. She didn't hear him leave. It was like she had been talking to a ghost.
Rachael was sure she was talking to someone. She look back and saw him walk out the doors. He looked familiar. Like she had met him before.
It was ridiculous thinking you'd met a person whose face you hadn't seen. But at least she wasn't talking to a ghost.
He sounded strange. She didn't understand what he was saying. His words didn't come out straight.