After the storm

by Osar Adeyemi

  Akeem laughed. "You're talking like a politician now, aren't you? Maybe we should sponsor you to run for a position in the next elections," he teased.

  She giggled. "Yeah. Just imagine me fighting for women's rights, campaigning around the villages, etc."

  "In your six-inch heels, too…that would be great."

  "C'mon, give me some credit. I'll swap the heels when appropriate. Wear flats when I need to, and wear the heels when I need to dazzle."

  Akeem smiled. "You should join my mum in those political meetings she goes to. And with you in politics, I'll be guaranteed of at least one more reliable contact in government."

  "Yeah, and I'll give you the fullest advantage," she replied. Her eyes grew serious as she traced her finger along his jaw. "I never imagined that I could ever like someone so much," she said softly.

  He smiled, maintaining eye contact with her. "I'm one lucky guy."

  "But I'm really wasting my time, aren't I?" she asked in a matter-of-fact way.

  He was a little startled and shot her a quick look. Her lips were still smiling, but her eyes were serious. "What're you talking about?"

  "Me. You. Yemi. You still like her, don't you?"

  "We're separated."

  She laughed softly but mirthlessly. "Separated, but she's still got your heart firmly in her hold."

  "Lois…"

  "Don't try to deny it." Her tone was not accusatory, just a little sad. "I may be playful, but I'm not blind or stupid. It's been well over a year since we started dating, Akeem, and you're no closer to drawing closure on your marriage than when we first began." She looked away from him. "I saw your reaction to her at the restaurant. You could barely keep your eyes off her. Neither could you hide your jealousy that she was with someone else."

  Akeem shook his head almost in frustration. He did not like the hurt he saw in her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her. Not for Yemi. So what if she had gone to see his mum in hospital? He had learnt from Sara that she was now "born again." So that was her just trying to be a good little Christian. It did not mean that her feelings towards him had changed.

  "Yemi is about to divorce me. She's already filed the papers."

  She raised her brows slightly. "And yet you still keep a life-size painting of her in your study?"

  He stared at her. She had never given any indication that it bothered her. "The painting used to be in the sitting room downstairs. I had it removed after we split." The explanation sounded lame even to his own ears. Why had he not had that painting moved into storage instead of his study? "Believe me, Yemi has no feelings for me, and I don't have…"

  She placed a finger on his lips, cutting off the rest of his words. "Don't lie to yourself, Akeem." She swung her legs over the edge of the sofa. "I don't know about her, but I know you're not over her. Far from it." She smiled sadly as she touched his face one more time before leaving the room.

  ∞∞∞

  "Did Senator Dankaro tell you when I can see him?" Akeem asked, trying to keep his tone calm. He wasn't exactly pleased at the cancelled appointment, but he wasn't about to show his true feelings to the personal assistant. He had shelved many important things to be in Abuja for the meeting with the minister, only to have him cancel at the last minute.

  "He didn't, but I will give you a call as soon as I'm sure what his itinerary will be."

  Akeem thanked him and disconnected the call. He called Hasan. They were both in Abuja on separate business missions but planned to fly back to Lagos together that afternoon.

  "These politicians can be so unreliable!" Hasan sounded exasperated on the phone when Akeem told him about it. "How could he let you fly all the way to Abuja only to cancel the appointment?"

  Akeem smiled wryly. "They've got the power. Anyway, I'm on my way to your hotel. We may as well do some catching up, and I want to hear all about your new project."

  He thought about the cancelled appointment on the way to NiconNoga Hotel where Hasan was staying. He had come a long way in dealing with people in the corridors of power. He would contact the personal assistant again when he got back to Lagos. He knew the minister would see him eventually; He was aware that Akeem had too many connections to be ignored or messed with.

  Akeem was looking forward to catching up with Hasan. An arm of Hasan's company had just won a major government contract to construct some national roads, and he was excited about it. Julius Berger and some other heavies had also bid for the contract, but Hasan had managed to push his through.

  But besides that, it would be good to just spend some time with Hasan. He didn't know why he needed company these days. It must be some sort of hangover from his split with Lois. He still toyed with the idea of going after her. He knew he could get her back if he really wanted to. She loved him, and all she needed was reassurance that he was truly over Yemi.

  He smiled cynically. Yemi, his soon-to-be ex-wife. They only had three months left on their agreement, and he had made up his mind that he would let it go through. She was still acting "funny" these days, though. She had actually tried to prolong their conversation on the phone a few days earlier, which was very strange. She normally just dispensed information about Aleena and ended the conversation abruptly after she was done. It had to be all that born again stuff Sara had told him about. But who knew what would happen when the fad wore off?

  "A. K.!" Hasan hailed him as they bumped shoulders when he arrived at his suite. He looked admiringly at Akeem's suit. "Nice cut. Alexander Amosu?"

  He nodded. "Yeah…the guy is good. I'd recommend him any day." He looked around the room as he sat down. "What have you been up to?"

  "Nothing much. Been on the phone with my office. A few things crept up that needed sorting out. Should I order something for you to eat?"

  "No, thanks. I've had lunch already." Akeem stretched out his legs. He needed a good workout at the gym to release all the tension he felt. "Can't wait to get back to Lagos. Got a lot to do, but wish I had been able to wrap up everything I came for," he said, thinking of the cancelled appointment.

  "I know, but they are like that sometimes. Did he fix another appointment?"

  "His secretary said he would call and make another appointment with me."

  They talked about business. It was a good season for both companies. Hasan's phone rang. "It's Fayona," he said before taking the call.

  Akeem picked up one of the newspapers on the centre table. It was filled with news of the upcoming elections. Chloe's dad, Senator Ola-Daniels, was gaining ground, much to the chagrin of those who had been before him. Akeem liked Ola-Daniels, but he still preferred the policies of the other party. However, he felt that he might need to extend a hand of friendship to him. He would make sure to send a personal donation to his campaign team when he got back to Lagos.

  "Okay, baby, let the pastor know that I'll see him by the weekend," Hasan was saying to Fayona. "No, we will stop by his house on our way back from Shona's on Saturday. We're still going there, right?" He winked when he saw Akeem looking at him. "Guess who's here?" He laughed at something she said and then held the phone away from him. "She said to invite you for lunch on Sunday, is that okay?"

  Akeem ran his itinerary for that day through his mind. Nothing much. Aleena was going to be with Yemi. He nodded, and Hasan continued with his call.

  "So you're still in on all that church stuff?" Akeem asked Hasan later when he was done.

  "Yeah…and really enjoying it, too. You should try it." He laughed as he saw Akeem shaking his head even before he could complete his statement. "Honestly, it's been amazing! I never knew I could have so much peace even in the midst of my crazy schedule!"

  "I've got all the peace I need," Akeem replied. "I have to talk to Fayona. She's turned my friend soft."

  Hasan laughed. "By the way, she said she's making your favourite on Sunday and for you to turn up on empty or else…"

  Akeem smiled. "Will do. Fayona's food is too good to waste."

  Hasan eyed him slyly. "I know another
lady who cooks very well too. Her name is Yemi Kadiri. Would you know her, by any chance?"

  "Not sure, but I've got a very good cook at home by the name of Bassey Ekeng."

  "I've eaten several types of food from acclaimed chefs worldwide, but no one does it like a loving wife."

  "The key words there are 'loving' and 'wife,'" Akeem pointed out. "Mine doesn't love me. She's about to divorce me."

  "Go after your wife, A. K.," Hasan said sombrely. "Pursue her like you did at the beginning. She's bound to give in."

  He ignored Hasan's comment. "Tell me more about this new project of yours. When do you start exactly?"

  "We're planning to…" He stopped. Akeem's phone was vibrating.

  Akeem looked at the caller ID. It was the minister's personal assistant. He mouthed the minister's name to Hasan, and the latter raised his brows questioningly. Akeem shrugged; he didn't know why the assistant was calling either. Probably to fix another appointment.

  "Mr. Kadiri, Honourable Dankaro can see you today after all," the assistant said when Akeem connected the call. "He has an hour free this afternoon at 1:30 p.m., if that is okay with you."

  Akeem looked at his watch, it was almost noon. He was definitely going to miss his flight to Lagos if he saw the minister. "I'll be there," he said.

  "I think it is better that you see him," Hasan agreed when Akeem told him what the personal assistant had said to him. "Who knows when you will get another appointment with him?"

  "I know," Akeem said. "Why don't we both push our flights back to later this evening so that we can still fly back together?"

  "Hmmm…could work. Fayona's handling an event and won't be home until much later anyway."

  Akeem grinned slyly. "At least we know she won't be pining for you." Fayona had recently started an events planning business. Both Sara and Fayona had been motivated by Yemi's success in her business, and that had prompted them to start their own businesses too.

  "Go get your wife back. Then you can talk to me about pining."

  Hasan called his personal assistant to reschedule their flights. While he was doing that, Akeem placed a call to his driver and asked him to return back to the hotel. He didn't want to take chances with traffic.

  He had been right not to have gotten himself into a twist earlier on, he thought to himself as he made his way back into the minister's reception office about an hour later. Things always worked out with a little bit of patience.

  Just as he was waiting to be called in for his appointment, his phone beeped. It was Hasan.

  "Sorry, A. K., I'm going to catch the earlier flight after all. Some things have come up, and I have to get to Lagos on time today so that I can start dealing with them first thing in the morning."

  "Oh, all right then," Akeem responded, his eyes moving towards the door. The assistant was already motioning to him that the minister was ready to see him.

  "The other flight is still on as scheduled by my office. See you in Lagos, bro."

  "Take care," Akeem said and disconnected the call, before walking into the minister's office.

  ∞∞∞

  A few hours later, Akeem glanced at his wristwatch. He was happy that he had decided to stay behind for the meeting. The minister had been amiable, and the meeting had gone very well.

  But now he had over four hours to kill before his flight back to Lagos. That had been the earliest flight Hasan could arrange on such short notice.

  "Take me to Navagne, please," he told the driver. He would just relax at the club before leaving for the airport. He didn't have any luggage to check in and would only need to go through security.

  He ordered drinks when he got to the club and sat back to relax. He leafed through his copy of the Times magazine. Glancing up casually a few minutes later, his eyes were arrested by a tall, slim lady making her way into the lounge. Similar height and build, but it wasn't her. He kicked himself mentally, angry at his thoughts. What would Yemi be doing here anyway? he asked himself, feeling irritated. Someday I'll be able to purge that lady completely from my system. He took a sip of his drink and forced his mind back to the magazine.

  "Mr. Akeem Kadiri?"

  He looked up. It was the lady he had seen earlier. "Hello?"

  She smiled. "Whoa! Thought it was you. I'm Shola Dougherty," she said, extending her hand towards him.

  He clasped her hand while giving her a quick look-over. Pretty lady. "Pleasure meeting you."

  "I'm a huge fan of yours!" she gushed. "I think what you're doing in the telecoms industry is amazing!"

  He smiled. "Thanks, you're kind." He could see the look of interest in her eyes as she looked at his bare fingers.

  "Can I join you? I came to see my brother. He owns this place. Just checked on him but he's busy at the moment."

  "Of course you can." Akeem pulled out a chair for her. He had some time to kill. What better way to spend it than with a pretty lady? "You live in Abuja?" he asked.

  "That's correct, but I also have a home in Lagos."

  He listened to her talk about herself, all the while thinking that her resemblance to Yemi ended in her height and build, because Yemi would never chat up a strange guy, even if he was the president of the United States.

  Her brother came into the bar a little while later. He came over to say hello to Akeem, but Shola didn't seem interested in seeing him anymore. Akeem was amused to see the look that passed between Shola and her brother. She was a pretty lady, but he didn't think he was going to pursue it any more than that. He was still thinking of going after Lois. He was fond of her, and she got on well with his daughter. They could work something out.

  An hour and a half later, it was time to head to the airport. He exchanged phone numbers with Shola. It was then that he remembered that his phone had been on silent since his meeting with the minister. He picked it out of his pocket to reset it, only to find several missed calls from Fola.

  "Akeem! Is that you?" Fola sounded agitated when he returned the call.

  The guy was calling his direct line. Who else could it be? "What's going on?" He had never heard Fola sound so ruffled in all the time that he had known him.

  Fola sounded relieved. "There's been a plane crash! Your assistant said you changed your travel plans, but I had to make sure. The plane that crashed was the original flight you were scheduled to take…"

  Akeem's heart froze. "Hold on, Fola," he cut in abruptly. "Are you sure of what you are saying?"

  "It's on the news! Has been flashing every few minutes for a while now. Where are you?"

  Akeem could not answer. Some soft music was playing in the car. "Change to a news channel, Peter," he almost shouted at the driver.

  His heart was thudding hard against his chest. He opened his briefcase with shaky hands and brought out the initial boarding pass to confirm the flight number of the plane he had been meant to catch.

  "Where are you, Akeem?" Fola asked again. His voice sounded faint over the phone, as Akeem was no longer holding it to his ear.

  He could not answer. He waited impatiently for news of the crash. There was a commercial going on and then just afterwards, the news flash came on. He strained his ears to listen and then looked at the flight details on the boarding pass. His heart stopped momentarily.

  "Akeem, are you still there?" Fola asked again.

  Akeem's head felt woozy. He didn't know when he disconnected the call to Fola. "Take me to NiconNoga hotel," he said shakily to the driver.

  It couldn't be true. Hasan could not be on that flight! He dialled his number frantically several times on the way to the hotel. It kept going to voice mail.

  "C'mon, Hasan, pick up your phone!" he said desperately over and over again. "Pick up, man!" he repeated as he kept redialling the number.

  When he arrived at the hotel, he almost ran into the reception in his haste to get in. From the sombre looks on the faces of the staff at the reception, he knew they were already aware of the plane crash too.

  "Please, I'd like to see
Mr. Hasan Idris," he told the receptionist and gave her Hasan's room number. He was hoping against hope that he would be told to go right up.

  The receptionist checked the computer. "I'm afraid Mr. Idris has already checked out."

  "About what time did he leave?" Akeem asked, still clinging on to hope. Hasan had two plane tickets after all. He might have just left for the airport a few minutes ago and wanted to surprise Akeem.

  The receptionist seemed hesitant about giving him information about a customer. She looked towards a guy who appeared to be a more senior member of staff. The guy nodded.

  "He left here about four hours ago," she replied.

  Akeem gripped the edge of the reception desk tightly. The room seemed to be closing in on him.

  "Are you okay, sir?" the guy that appeared to be the head receptionist asked.

  He nodded even though he didn't feel like it. He held up a hand in silent thanks to the lady who had given him the information. At the same time, his phone rang again. It was Fola.

  "Akeem, are you okay? Are you still in Abuja?"

  "I am," he replied, inhaling and exhaling deeply. The faces of Fayona, Jayden, and Farah swam before him in slow motion. How would he face them?

  The reception staff was looking at him, their faces registering concern and curiosity.

  He forced his feet to move towards the entrance.

  "Akeem?" Fola was still on the line. He was sounding worried.

  "Fola, I think my friend, Hasan, was on that flight."

  Chapter 25

  Yemi tried to keep herself busy in Fayona and Hasan's house. It was the only way to keep herself from breaking down in tears. Sara and some other close friends were doing the same. Everyone was doing stuff, tidying, serving drinks, and whatever else needed to be done. Hushed voices. Averted faces. Eyes reddened from frequent trips to the bathroom to cry secretly.

  She looked over at Fayona. Many times Fayona simply stared into space; other times tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks. Yemi bit her lower lip. How would Fayona cope with the loss of her adoring husband?

  She had heard about Akeem almost taking the same flight, and the news had shaken her to her very core. He had been in and out of the house several times that day, trying to help coordinate things for Hasan's funeral.