"F-fine,I'll tell her."He sighed. He had tried to bury this part of his life for as long as he could remember. He had always tried to forget his problems ,it was easier that way. Maybe she was right and he was a coward after all.
"That night I snuck into the palace looking for her because I was worried. I hadn't heard from her in so long and the next thing I hear was she was getting married. I knew she had to have been forced into it and if she wasn't,I had to be sure, I had to see for myself. "He said to Apeke and sighed as if the words felt too heavy to say.
"I called out to her with our usual signal. She didn't respond at first,so I thought she didn't hear me. I called out to her again,still no response. As I was about to do it again I heard a sweet voice call my name.
'Alani?' She said and I turned back.
'What are you doing here? Do you have a death wish?'
'I came for you. I wanted to make sure you were doing well. I was worried.'
'Why?'
'Why? You haven't left the palace for so long and now you're getting married?'
'What's wrong with that? What's wrong with me getting married?'
'I never said anything was wrong with it. I just want to make sure it's what you really want.'
'Why? Do you think I'll wait for you ,forever?'
'Asake, please. Stop this before you say something,you'll regret.' I said and she sighed.
'Look, I know you're conserned but it's better if you just stay out of this.'
'I can't do that.'
'Look, I'm leaving the palace. I'm running away and I don't want you to be in danger because of it. If someone sees you here word would spread that we eloped together, or worse that you kidnapped me.'
'Then let's run away together.' I suggested.
'What?' She said , sounding surprised that I even considered it.
'Have you lost your mind? You would be killed the moment they find us.'
'Then we make sure that they don't.' I paused and smiled at her.
'I heard you're quite good at running away. After all,you've done it quiet well until now, haven't you?'
She seemed to consider it for a minute before agreeing with me.
'Fine but you're not coming wearing that.' She smirked at me.
'Oh, please don't make me dress like a fisherman again?'
'You need a disguise,else,they'll know it's you.'
"Fine.' I agreed reluctantly.
'Let's go.'
'I need to take some things first.'
'I'll wait for you at the usual place.'
"We went our separate ways with the thought of reuniting later in the day. I went to the humble place I had learnt to call home at the time. I was surprised to see my neighbor who had been so nice to me wailing in agony. I moved closer to her and asked her what happened and she told me that she had lost her little girl." Alani looked up at his audience and he could see Asake wasn't believing him,she probably thought he was lying and he couldn't blame her.
"I moved closer to her and tried to console her. It hurt me to see her like that. I was distracted,I swear. Asake,I didn't mean to be late." Asake looked at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"You must take me for a fool. Keep talking I'd like to hear your explanation for the other things. Or have you forgotten that's not all you did that day?"
"I'm so sorry,Asake."
"I don't want you to be sorry,I want you to admit what you did. Let your sister see the monster you really are."
"It was an accident."
"Alani..!"She yelled ,she was tired of excuses.
"..explain."
"It was almost the next day when I had finally gotten my neighbor to sleep. I had already told her I was leaving. As much as I wanted to stay I had already made a promise to a friend and I wasn't keen on breaking promises, she understood. I told her I'd find a way to visit her. She had no one left,she had already lost her husband,long ago when she was with child,her child was all she had left. I knew I couldn't just leave without turning back." He cried, remembering his old friend. He remembered the last time he had seen her,she had asked him to leave,saying she didn't want any trouble,she had believed the rumours too.
"I got to our meeting place as fast as I could and I was heart broken to see you lying almost lifeless."He said looking into her eyes.
"You were bleeding and when I tried to come close to you,you coiled away from me. You looked at me like I was filth,I disgusted you. It was heart breaking.
'What happened? Who did this to you?' I had asked.
You looked at me with contempt and laughed.
'You actually have the guts to ask me that?' You said as I moved closer to you.
'Don't come any closer or else I'll kill you.'
'Kill me? I don't know what's gotten into you but you're hurt,you need to see a healer.'
'I'm not going anywhere with you! Did you know what those men even did to me ?'
'They raped me,you bastard.'
'What?!' I moved closer to you,trying to give you a feeling of comfort.
'Don't come any closer.'
'Wait. Is that why you're acting like this? You think I had something to do with this? How could you even think that I would do that to you? What could I possibly gain from this?'
'The throne. There was an attack on my family,you were behind it, weren't you? You were going to pretend like we had gotten married and you were the only one of our family left to rule.'
'That is insane. I had nothing to do with all this.'
'You liar! Just admit it!'You said and attacked me with such surprising force that I fell to the ground with you towering over me. You were strangling me,I had to do something.'
"Say it! Tell her!"
"I pushed you. You were going to kill me,I had to and you know it."
"Let's say your lies have been true up until now. Tell me what did you do after you pushed me? You knew I was unconscious,yet you left me there to rot!"
"I didn't leave you,I took you to a healer. He said you were dead. He told me you were dead!"
"Lies! More lies!" Asake said,covering her ears.
"You are lying! I don't believe you. You just don't want your sister to see as the true monster you are,right?"
Alani looked at her but kept quiet.
".. Right? Right?! Answer me." She said and grabbed his collar.
"Why are you so desperate for his explanation if you believe he is the monster you say he is? Why should anything he says matter?" Apeke said.
"I just want him to admit it."Asake whispered. It was bearly audible but they heard.
"Maybe, there's nothing to admit..."
.
"What do you even mean by that? She should be here." Apeke's mother said.
"Fabumi,please,calm down. You are not the only one who is worried about her but this won't solve anything." Ajani said.
"So,what would you have me do? Sit ducks while my enemies win? I'm sure that witch,Abeke has something to do with this."
"Who are you calling a witch?" Abeke stormed in.
"Ok, that's enough,you two."Ajani said, trying to put an end to the brewing fight.
"Abeke,what are you doing here?" Fabumi asked.
"I thought I would be treated like royalty in my daughter-in-law's house. Hmm? Omowumi,is this how you treated your mother? No wonder she killed herself. Or was that your sister? It's hard to keep track of your family drama." Abeke smirked,knowing she had hit her where it would hurt.
That's what you get for trying to steal my son away from me. She thought yo herself.
"Abeke! This is hardly the time nor the place for this. So please just tell us why you came here."
"My son is missing."
"And you couldn't have led with that? Your son is missing and you still pick a fight instead of helping us find him?"Ajani said, perplexed. He wasn't sure he even knew the women he married anymore.
"I'm surprised she even noticed he went missing."Fabumi said.
"Enough!"Omowumi yelled.
"Who are you to yell at me girl? Didn't your mother teach you to respect your elders,oh,right,she died before she could."
"Please,I know you hate me and each other but we have to work to find Alani and Apeke. You know,your children?" Omowumi said.
The wives sighed, realising she was right.
"I think we should wait till morning,for all we know ,Alani could be with some friend." Ajani said.
"Maybe ,but you know Apeke would do no such thing."
"You're right. We'll search the paths for now and check the houses they could be. We can't rule out that possibility."
"Ok."
They decided to start searching for them from the path they took when leaving Omowumi's house.
They searched till dawn, grateful for the natural illumination of the night sky. They had searched the paths and found nothing. It was time to check the houses now.
Omowumi was worried,to say the least. She was terrified of what could have become if them. If it was only Alani that had gone missing,she might have thought he went back on his vow and went drinking or simply went to a friends place but Apeke wouldn't just leave without informing anyone. Something wasn't right and she was going to find out what.
...
"What are you up to?"Adelaja asked Jumoke. He had suddenly grown thirsty,in the middle of the night and in his quest for some water he found Jumoke sneaking in like a thief. He was surprised and amused. He had known Jumoke since he could walk and he knew one peculiar thing about her is her ego,she wasn't one to sneak around. She hated having to hide . So ,he was intrigued at what could make her feel the need to sneak around.
"What are you doing here?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Can't I visit my husband-to-be?" She said, getting defensive.
"Not in the middle of the night,you can't. What demon possessed you to visit me at this time of the night?"
"What demon possessed me? I should be asking you that. What's wrong? Are you not happy to see me?" She said as she put her arms around his neck,tracing her ring finger down his chin.
"Didn't you miss me?" She whispered in his ears.
Adelaja chuckled at the back of his mind. He knew exactly what she was doing,she was trying to distract him and it was working but it wasn't working enough to make him blind to the truth.
"I'll be in my room."She walked away seductively.
"Don't tell me you fell for that." Adeniyi demanded pushing himself off the wall he was initially resting on.
"Do you make a hubby of stalking people,or just me?" Adelaja replied.
"Don't flatter yourself, it's not just you." Adalaja chuckled. He knew what his friend did could hardly be called stalking. He liked to keep tabs on what happened in the kingdom but it was simply,him being careful.
"I don't believe her. Something is off. "
"And how exactly do you plan on figuring that out?"Adeniyi said,making himself comfortable on a chair.
"Sure,make yourself comfortable, it's not like I need to sleep, right?"
"Fine ,get your sleep,no one needs to hear you whine about it in the morning." He said and gave Adelaja a look, warning him to be careful. Adelaja nodded in response.
...
Hypocrites often twist stories to their own benefit,bending the truth and making it seem like they are the heroes when in fact they are the monsters you should be most afraid of.
People often fear the monsters in the stories told to them as children but at least it is clear that they are evil,the greatest evil is the one that hides under the pretext of good.
Adelaja couldn't bring himself to sleep that night,he was baffled by the actions of the one he was so used to calling a dear friend. What exactly was she up to? He had been hearing rumors,none of which were good. He didn't know whether to believe them or not. He could still remember the sweet and innocent smile she had always had for him and only for him but over time , something happened that made even him scared of that smile. It began to look like an obsessed smile that made even him,scared,he had no idea what extent she was willing to go just to keep him.
He wasn't sure he was willing to find out.