"Ma'am, I came to your room, but couldn't find you." My handmaiden said as I walked down the stairs that led to the living room.
"Did you check the restroom?" I asked.
She paused, then, she shook her head. She rarely checked me out in the restroom. I didn't know her reasons for that, but she just didn't bother herself with that.
"Now, you see why you didn't find me." I walked past her. "I was invited to Yapi's party, but I don't want to go alone, can you put the Mere Marie charity organization manager on the phone."
"Okay, ma'am," Maria said and made for the phone on the desk. It was a wired telephone and shouldn't be of use in today's responsibility, but it was here because class was a priority. Wealthy people always get attracted to it whenever they visit me.
I made to my study table by the window and sat down. The curtain was leaning by the sides of the window, and the glasses were opened, so, there was enough air gushing in and cooling me off. A lot was on the desk, letters I was yet to read, invitations I was yet to check out. It was time for them, though.
"Bonjour." Said Maria. "Ma madame veut vous parler."
"Tell them I need them at my place right away," I demanded.
"Won't you go to the office today?" Maria asked.
"Can you be reasonable for heaven's sake?" I retorted.
"Okay." Maria said and returned to the call. "Ma madame vous veut chez elle, venez en personne ou envoyez voz garcons."
She waited for a while. I assumed the head of the organization was talking to her. She nodded and thus came her words.
"Ok, passe une bonne journee." Maria dropped the phone. "She said she would come in person."
"Very good, but you shouldn't have asked her to send her boys." I took the first parcel and opened it.
The sender was inviting me to a birthday party. Of course, I do attend birthday parties, when necessary, but I just don't have much time now that I'm over laddened with so many duties. I tossed the parcel and the letter into the big basket next to my desk. In the basket were gifts and invitations and letters I'd read and dumped.
"Madame, vous avez un visitor!" that was my gardener, he hardly talked to me because I always spoke English, and unlike my driver and my handmaiden, Maria, he didn't hear one bit of any English word.
"Laisse-le entrer." I replied.
The visitor marched in. It was a military officer in his full military regalia, but he was unarmed and seemed to have come with his boys.
"What?" I asked.
"The general is waiting outside in his car." Said the officer. "He asked if you would come on a date with him."
I felt the urge to laugh. That awful moron was my father's mate. He didn't even know how bad his dentures look with old age.
"Tell him I'm busy," I replied.
"You declined the general's invitation?" his brows went up.
"Is that a problem?" I asked.
"No, not a problem, but I was ordered not to get back to him without you." He stood like a statue.
This was one thing I hated about being part of anything that had to do with force. Hierarchy was the first thing and obedience was a watchword. For the sake of the soldier, I rose to my feet. I had not worn a good cloth, just a soft gown I got from Senegal, and a flat slipper.
"Lead me to him," I ordered.
The soldier led the way, and I followed. The general should have been waiting anxiously in his car to have me join him like a jobless girl in the streets who can easily be swooped off her feet by jeeps even if she was not willing.
"Ma'am, where are you going." My driver was just stepping out from his quarter.
"To meet a visitor," I replied.
He followed me to my gate, and out there were a couple of military jeeps. At first, I felt threatened. Maybe he somehow realized I had stolen his phone. maybe he was here to arrest me. Well, I every right and connection to resist him.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"This way." The soldier led me to the general's jeep, and the glasses were whined down so the general could see me. He was in one of his military suits with barges and stars and every military décor.
"Sita Kouassi." He called me with a smile. I smiled back, pretending to blush at his old funny smile. "How good you look this morning."
"Good morning, sir." I greeted.
"You don't need to." He said, his eyes were at work on my body. "Come on, I am here to pick you up for a date. We can just hang out, to the bookstores, I heard you like books, and to the place of the poor and needy. I heard you like them so much."
Once again, I felt the urge to smile. he might have been a well-decorated military general, but he was not good with words, and all that can be blamed on the fact that a man of force sees no need for the use of words.
"What do you think?" he raised a brow.
"I'm engaged already, general," I replied.
"Come on." He shook his head. "Am I not bigger than your engagement?" he asked.
"Sir, I will respectfully turn down your proposal for a hangout," I replied. "I have a lot of things to take care of, and I should be at Yapi's party."
He laughed as soon as he heard Yapi. "You will attend that man's unplanned parties?"
I raised a brow. I never knew Yapi's parties were never planned. He just said it right in my ears, and it caught me hard.
"That fellow wants you to join the party, that's why he keeps throwing parties and inviting you." He leaned in on the window. "He wants you to replace his spoilt face."
I smiled and he laughed.
"Funny, right?" he sat back in his seat. "I believe you won't turn down my bouquet, the very same way you turned down my cheque."