"Mom you called me."
"Yes. Who is she to you?"
Prince Ire didn't bother to look up at his mom. He knew who his mom was referring to already, but he wouldn't succumb that easily. He kept on throwing the chinchin his mom served him in his mouth one by one, still not looking up. "Mom go straight to the point."
"Ire I'm straight to the point. I saw what you and Damola did. I've sent for him too. I don't know why he's not here yet. Ire I don't want trouble. I've told you and Damola several times about this. The quarrel I've endured in this palace is enough. Stop confronting her." The Prince mother raised her voice, not letting her son think she does not know what she was saying. She saw what both sons did to Ada. She knew if Ire had not acted that way he did, the first Queen would have punished Ara severely for what happened at the table. And the King would have supported his lovely wife. But the point was, why was her son concerned. Who exactly was she?
Their Mom does not feel bad about helping a poor girl anyways, she just does not like the fact that Prince Ire confronted the first Queen again.
"Good morning Mom." Prince Adedamola walked in, knoting his red tie very quickly.
The Queen's voice didn't welcome him well at all. "Since I've---"
"Mom!" Adedamola interrupted his mom before she could scold him. "I need something hot inside this stomach. Breakfast please." He shouted for their mom's workers to hear. And immediately with his big hand, he moved closer to his elder brother, covered almost half of the chinchin sitting at the front of Prince Ire. He himself knew he was trespassing, but he did it anyways.
"Bros, how far now?" Prince Adedamola questioned Prince Ire who slapped his hand very quickly away from the plate before all the chinchin were gone.
Prince Ire didn't bother to reply. Immediately he succeeded to chase his brother's hand away, he stood up with the plate and moved aside. "Mom go ahead and scold him." He instructed, using the authority granted to him as the first son of their mom.
The Queen signaled to the worker coming with a plate of food. "Your brother has spoken. Breakfast seized."
Prince Adedamola laughed roughly with a look of, you people must be joking. He ran towards
the plate in his mother's hand. The smoke coming out of the extremely red spaghetti and grilled chicken wouldn't make him concentrate."My Queen," he started in a low voice. "You know your boys can't survive without food in this century. My own is even better mom. I don't go about in the midnight microwaving and opening freezer up and down."
The moment Prince Adedamola said that, chinchin hit his head one after the other causing him to laugh as he dodged his head away from Prince Ire. Prince Ire dropped the chinchin after he had almost finished everything. He excused himself and told the Queen he was coming back, but he never made it back because he knew their Mom just wanted to get information out of him and warned him.
After Prince Adedamire left, Prince Adedamola succeeded to collect his food from the Queen and joined her on the table. He was the only one who does not have people working for him because he rejected the offer over and over again. Every morning, he would come down to their mom's place or Prince Ire's quarters to eat breakfast. He knew he was already late, knowing Prince Ire would have taken his breakfast by eight in the morning and decided to just branch at their mom's house. When information got to him that the second Queen needed his attention, he took his time instead and dressed up fully for work before going over to the place.
He heard half of what their mom was discussing with Prince Ire and decided to shed more light. If he did not, their mom was going to know about it at the end. "Mom, Ire likes that new girl." Prince Adedamola said, adding to the curiosity burning in the Second Queen's mind. "I was the one who put that girl in Ire's quarters. I don't know how he met her, but the last time we followed Ay to get some herbs at that Oshodi market, I saw Ire staring at the next shop and realized he was staring at a girl with so much passion mom. His eyes were on her till she left hurriedly on Opay motorcycle." Prince Adedamola grinned. "Knowing he has interest in someone again thrilled me mom. So, somehow, I took it up. But..."
The Queen laughed. "I trust you. Just that, you and I know if the King realizes she's not of the high status or from any rich background, it won't work. Besides, she's working here already. "
"Mom I don't want you to say that. Be positive about it. That's why I'm telling you because I know you are supportive mom. Children should be allowed to love whosoever they want to." Prince Adedamola dropped his spoon, looking extremely serious. "Dad might have come from a royal family. Got married to women from rich families too. That doesn't mean we have to follow the same footsteps and marry someone we don't like."
The Queen smiled. He knew this wasn't about Ara again. She picked up her son's spoon for him. " Please eat. But this one you are looking so serious this morning, what happened?"
Prince Adedamola shrugged his shoulder. "Is this American girl Dad has been talking to me about. It won't work mom." He shook his read, shaking his left index finger along.
•••
Prince Ire was back to his building. He refused to get down from his car, staying behind for a reason. He rested his back on his seat looking at the two laughing and having fun before him.
He was a little bit angry seeing Ara smiling at Ayoola effortlessly. If he was someone else, may be he wouldn't mind at all. While he stood on the balcony, he saw how Ara and Sewa were getting along that he was calm, knowing Ara was not alone and was having fun while doing the work. When he was on the balcony looking down at Ara, he couldn't stop staring at her.
She was beautiful. Her smiles were even more, setting her face on a beautiful Island for people to worship. Her laughters were loud, but they were sounds you become addicted to if you are not careful. He noticed Ara was sweet and was also good at making different funny faces. He smiled for long before realizing he was beginning to smile too much anytime he watched or was with Ara. He didn't want to feel what was gathering up slowly in his heart, but seeing Ara everywhere was a hit to his heart which made him understand he couldn't drive away what he was feeling for her. But at all cost, he knew what to do. And that was to keep watching from distance.
The day he met Ara, he didn't know what drew him to her. He watched her served Ayoola gladly with smiles. Going up and down and made sure everything Ayoola needed was served to him. It wasn't new to him because ladies were always drawn to Ayoola. His cuteness was working for him, but anyone who sees them together would wouldn't deny the fact that Prince Ire was more handsome than Ayoola. What Prince Ire didn't know was, Ayoola discovered ladies loved him more whenever he smiled and because of that, he would always wear his smile unlike Prince Ire who went about with a sculpted face instructed never to smile.
On that very day, Prince Ire actually made Ara hit him intentionally, walking in the same direction she was coming. He wanted Ara to notice him. May be they could have a little conversation from there. He couldn't say why he was eager and really wanted to have a talk with her. But at that moment on that day, that was what he so wanted. He noticed Ara was in a hurry to somewhere and immediately positioned himself where she could hit him, thinking that would get her attention, but he was wrong. Ara hit him and ran without a sorry. Her feet hit the soft rug hardly, giving Prince Ire little chance to watch her from distance as she made her way excitedly to Ayoola. Prince Ire knew he lost again that day. All his effort to make Ara notice him was futile. Now that she was in his house again, she still does not notice him. But somehow, he liked that. She was too low for him realizing where she saw her that day at the Oshodi market.
Seeing Ara at the event he attended for his Dad, the King. He thought Ara was someone classy who had her job and was just doing the ushering job to make extra money with the way she spoke fluently and was even speaking French with Ayoola that day, but he was wrong. She was below someone of his class. Prince Ire held unto the excuse to also fight what he was feeling making himself realize anything with Ara was impossible.
Staring at the two under the washroom, Prince Ire rolled his eyes when he saw Ayoola bringing out his wet curtain from the washing machine. He knew everything was just a pretense to get Ara sleep with him. Ayoola was his friend. He knew him too well, knowing he wouldn't back off until he achieved his aim. Ayoola was good at acting real and becoming what a lady liked just to get her. Prince Ire looked away when Ara smiled sweetly at Ayoola again. Prince Ire wondered how come she couldn't see Ayoola's facade.
He knew what Ayoola wanted, but that was not what he wanted. But then, his friend was acting a bit much serious. Prince Ire shut down what was coming. He didn't want to believe Ayoola liked Ara this time. He also wouldn't want to believe Ara liked Ayoola too. That was the last thing he wanted again. Guy, you've had enough. Prince Ire told himself. He started his Mercedes Benz and drove out of his compound again.
Even though Ara was enjoying her conversation with Ayoola. She knew when Prince Ire drove in, thinking he would come down. And while he didn't, she would cast a glance at the direction of his car till he drove out of the compound again.