9th of June.
"Who is it?" We asked in unison.
"Dling dling" Adekunle picked his ringing phone.
"Yes, yes, Okay" he kept repeating throughout the call.
"Well I've got better news, we might be lucky this time" Adekunle said as he drops his phone into his pocket.
"What? What is it?" I asked curiously.
"Let's go and see for ourselves" he wasn't kidding as he began to lead the way.
"Okay" I said as I got up and followed his lead, so did granny.
"They've found the book? And the culprit?" I asked.
"What book?"
"Forgot I hadn't said anything about it earlier, my granddad gave me some books to read here. They are very important history books wrote by the four past kings, one of them have been stolen and we don't know who did it"
"It would definitely be someone who you came with, we don't even know about the book let alone to steal it" he was right, I myself just found out about it few days ago. The number of people who knows about this book is limited.
"Let's go" Adekunle instructed his driver as we were now sat in the car, what is all this suspense for? Why can't he just tell me who it is?
"Is he always here waiting?" I asked the silent question aloud, his driver seems to be always at the entrance of the palace ready to go.
"No, if we have somewhere to go to I inform him ahead of time. I don't want to stress you my love" did he just call me his love? No, focus! Focus!!
"So what were you saying about the books?" Adekunle asked.
"I forgot I didn't tell you about them, I thought you found the culprit" I wasn't still sure if telling him was a good idea, but I would like to have the book back so any means necessary, better him knowing about the book than for it to be given to a traitor.
"That's not an issue, as long as the book hasn't left the country I would find it for you" he said as he pats my shoulders.
Why is he being overly nice to me? Is it pity? Or? No it can't be right? Am I still in denial like granny said? Bit he can't possibly be... Does he like me?
We are already at the base, that was a quick ride. I wonder why we had to drive all the way here and they couldn't just come with him to the palace, at least that's how they punish criminals in Ida.
"Shall we?" Adekunle stretched out his hands for me to hold him.
Is it me or has he changed? He used to be a bit distant from me, nearly talked nor did he make any eye contact prior, so funny how we spent the 2nd of June together and not even a word came out of him, and suddenly he is so nice and a big talkative.
"Good morning your majesty"
"Good morning leftanat Mathew" Adekunle said as we entered his office.
"The prince is here, we can now begin the briefing" leftanat Mathew said as we all grabbed our seats.
"Well it has been a busy week for us trying to get who sent the message we blocked earlier, luckily for us he thought the message was delivered and he decided to update his people"
"So we tracked the cell service and we were able to locate him and he was caught, it was very easy as he was the only one with a cellphone" leftanat Adam took over.
Who is it? Who is it? Spill the beans.
"So Mr. Jim would be held in custody and the jukun's government woud be contacted later today for the exchange" leftanat Adam added.
"Jim? My driver Jim? Neh you guys must be wrong"
"I know it is hard for you to believe it but he is very good at lying and manipulation. He is indeed the one we've been looking for" leftanat Mathew said.
"No, I have known him all my life, he has been my driver for 2 decades now he can't hide his true identity for that long"
"Calm down ma, he was the one with the evidence and we caught him. Also he has been living in the palace for the past 25 years, I think he was in the perfect position to be giving out informations to your enemies"
None of these things make sense to me, Jim is a spy? Is that even possible? They've got the wrong person, now Joseph would be walking free and Jim would be here paying for another man's crime?
"Well if he was seen with the phone I guess that's all the evidence we need" granny said.
She too? No "has he confused to the crime?"
"Not yet ma, but we would get jim to sooner or later" leftanat Mathew said.
"Can I go and see him?" Is he really the reason why I lost everything? Why I lost my parents? Is he?
"You can't, remember we are hiddeing you from the public especially from people that knows you, besides they want to negotiate a switch with him and your grandad, if he sees what you look like and how we have altered your apreance, who knows what he would tell them after the switch?"
"You are right, maybe I should go and see him" granny suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea but I think that's fine, relax and take your time to process the information. Work with logic and not your emotions, I know you've known him for a while but that was all an act, so try not to add sentiment to the situation" he was right, logic and not emotions.
I was just thinking about the version that I thought I knew, and that was all a lie? but is it true? I have been separated from the survivors ever since we came to Nigeria so maybe that's why I don't know he has been doing some sketchy activities. I have also been separated from my best friend and my personal help Grace, I hadn't seen her in a while, maybe that's why I am trying to hold on to him. Because of familiarity? Is that it? I know my parents would be so sad if they found out he is actually the traitor.
Come to think of it, the only time I spend with him is of him driving me places, so he does have a lot of free time in his hands. But he was the one who drove us here, if he was a spy would he help us escape?
Is it really Jim?