3months ago...
Ara could remember vividly the second to the last ushering job she went for. Their coordinator was so specific and scrutinized them all before selecting some of them for the occasion. She made mention she was doing it that way because where they were going, she needed beautiful and tall ladies. And not just beautiful alone, but ladies with nice stature and the ones that were eloquent in speaking.
Almost everyone working for her sounded really good to the extent some even had to train themselves because they knew she was always getting good jobs that paid really well. She was known to deliver the best girls who offered the best. This time around, their boss had to be specific and asked if anyone of them could speak other languages apart from English and Yoruba. She went ahead asking if they could speak Hausa, French, Spanish, Italian, German and many other languages that they all started laughing, thinking she was actually joking, but turned out she wasn't.
They would go for about two, three days at times and get close to seventy thousand or more than that mostly. Working with her was good. Ara eventually got selected. She didn't even tell their boss she could speak French because she was always ashamed of speaking it. Whenever she tried to speak in French and some people realize she could speak, they always made her feel like she was proud or somehow made her think she was making them feel inferior.
The last time Ara talked to her mom about her education, confessing she would like to study French in UI (University of Ibadan). Her mom taught she was speaking gibberish, asking her what happen to other courses like nursing, medicine. Telling her she better had a change of mind if she wanted her Dad and her to send her to school which they were yet to conclude when.
When Ara realized her mom was against it, she could not even open her mouth to tell them she wished on becoming a Translator by working for a company, or a flight attendant. Whenever she watch or listen to certain set of big people speak in other languages, she wished and dreamed of becoming an expert in one. Ara couldn't get the means of going to the university immediately, so she heard being a flight attendant sometimes, you don't need a degree but the training is very important. She decided to go for one, only for her dream to crash again when she was told the training cost about four hundred thousand naira.
She wanted to collapse. She was like...Ordinary flight attendant!
That day, she knew nothing comes easy in life. Is either you pay the price, or accept anything that comes to you. Is just like going to the market to buy a certain thing you love but unable to pay the price, then someone comes and give you a rotten one. Just always remember you have a choice. After that day, Ara landed a job with a popular ushering agency. The moment they saw her. Her intonation, her vocabularies, her physical looks and her attractiveness, her stature and her smile landed her the job with ease.
After she got selected, their boss told them they were ushering for Kings, chiefs and important guests that would be coming to Nigeria for a meeting. They were to spend two days and that was the first time she slept in the popular and most expensive hotel in Nigeria. Five star hotel.
•••
Ara walked out of her room she was staying in five star hotel immediately her boss called her to bring the dresses they were wearing the next day to be ironed. Ara was like her right hand. She
carried the heavy red bag walking very fast, knowing if she got there late, her boss was going to get angry. Her phone kept ringing but she didn't pick. She sighed, hoping one day, her boss was going to be gifted from heaven the gift of being patient and understanding.
But she had to hit someone again.
"Jeez! I'm really sorry." She quickly apologize, looking above her only to be taken by surprise with the killer smile that blessed her heart.
"I can only wish we jam this way again in my dream." The guy said without any hint of being angry.
That brought a smile to Ara's face and caused her to relax. She ended up chuckling, giving out little of her sweet sound that widen the guy's smile even more.
"A minute please," the guy pleaded, turning to the young boy that ran towards them. Then he spoke in French "avez-vous obtenu l'herbe? (Have you gotten the herb?)"
The young guy shook his head. "I could not find it around here sir."
"dis moi que c'est une blague! Parte-moi en francais. Why are you taking the class if you can't speak it! (You've got to be kidding me! Speak to me back in French. Why are you taking the class if you can't speak it!)"
"Non. (No.)" The young boy responded in French from the little he could recollect. Ara smiled. She understood how hard learning a language different from your native one can be. She understood everything they were saying and decided to come in to stop the guy from scolding the young boy who was lost by the way the guy next to her was blowing French with ease.
"If there is someone who can drive him to the Oshodi market, I know where he could get any herb you want." She stunned the tall guy before him.
The guy turned to Ara with another pretty smile of his. "You understand French?"
"I understand small. Still learning." Ara smiled, giving the boy the direction to where he could get the herb they needed. Where Ara described for them was just on the same line with her parents shop at the same Oshodi market where they sell. She knew there was no herb people requested for that they won't get there. While she was still smiling at the guy before her, she saw her boss staring at her with the look of Are you kidding me! Using me to talk to someone!
She immediately excused herself before the guy could ask for her name. "Please I have to go now." Then she ran with the big bag on her right arm to lessen the anger of her boss.
The next day, they started the work they came for, dressed in a short white gown. That day was the day Ara saw Kings and more important guests known in Nigeria and outside the country.
Fortunately again for her, she saw the guy who knew how to bless hearts with his killer smile. She was the only one who served him through out the two days they were there. When Ara saw the people that were present, she knew it was an opportunity for her to finally see the King of Lagos everyone talked about, but to her disappointment, it was announced he never came but sent representatives which only appeared to be one representative. The second person was no where to be found.
When the meeting they had was about coming to an end on the second day, she quickly looked out for where to eat and relax a bit. She was just stepping down the delicacy she ate when one of the people they ushered together came to call her that the guy she had been serving wanted to see her and he was about leaving. Ara didn't care if it suited her to run or not, but she knew not everyday they get to collect tip from people like that.
"Ouch!"
She hit a hard body whose cologne made her dizzy with a rush of an electric feeling which she instantly dismissed. Ara didn't even bother to say sorry because of what she was after. She hoped whoever the person was wouldn't take his anger on someone else. Ara rubbed her forehead and listened to her brain that couldn't wait to collect the tip awaiting her. She finally succeeded to reach him. He introduced himself to her. She wouldn't lie, she liked Ayoola Gold. From the day they met at Five star hotel. They exchanged numbers, but later, she found out he was the son to the Minister of finance.
Ara thought they were going to become good friends, but when he called her, all he wanted was for her to be his side chic, promising her a new house, a new car and everything she dared to ask. Ara thought if she wanted to walk that part, she would have started a long time ago. Not even with him, but a man old enough to be his father.
"Considering my offer?"
Ara jolted from her thoughts, her mind returning back to the palace filled with important guest dining with the King already. She was lost in her thoughts that she couldn't remember picking up a spoon to serve Ayoola whose voice shook Ara's hand and splashed the salad she was about serving him on his body.
The first Queen who wanted no mistake and always wanted to appear disciplined got up and hit Ara's face instantly. She didn't care how many people were present. She wanted to act the discipline woman who handled their workers well like people talked about. "Where do you get her from? We don't want this clumsiness in the palace. Get lost!"
Ara's face fell with shame. She almost cried, but needed to still apologize to the Queen and Ayoola who held her hand to support her. The hall was dead quiet, giving the workers and everyone to stare at Ara. The Queen turned to Ayoola camly. "Ayo please, my son..." The Queen called him that way because he was always part of the family. "Don't be offended."
"But I am." Ayoola dusted the salad on his body, looking up at the Queen. "Ma, you actually just hit my friend. And I think you should know someone is holding a grudge against you right now."
The first Queen looked at Ara with more hatred. What nonsense! She thought. Ara was not the first worker she has ever slapped for being clumsy. Why was she getting such response for hitting Ara for her stupid act?
Prince Ire looked calm. Deep down he was affected, the more reason he told Ara not to serve anyone at all, but he knew what to do. He knew the King was trying to keep calm as well, but he won't let him enjoy it. He signaled to someone out of the first Queen workers to serve him. One of them, eager to serve Prince Ire started coming, but he waved her away. He pointed to someone he knew the first Queen liked a lot. Ada responded and walked towards Prince Ire even though the first Queen had instructed them to be careful of him. Prince Adedamola who sat close to his elder brother knew what to do, but still had his vibrant looks on as everyone ignored what happened.
As Ada got to Prince Ire, lifting the spoon of garnished and well prepared fried rice, Prince Adedamola slightly hit her arm and the spoon of rice went flying across the table, landing the spoon on the King's face after giving almost everyone a taste of one grain each.
Everywhere was dead silent. Everyone was on their feet except from Prince Ire, Prince Adedamola, and Ayoola. The Queen immediately threw away the spoon, cleaning the King's face and saving it from more embarrassing looks. The King Rose in anger, unable to understand what the nonsense was about. He was suddenly fed up over the unorganized party. "Ada what nonsense! Are you just serving in the palace! Is this your first time of holding a spoon! Tell Mama T I want her out of this palace and that's final! Enough of this please!" He walked out, without a glance at Ada who was on her knees pleading with tears.
The Queen somehow understood Ayoola's last statement. She looked at Prince Ire who didn't act like he knew anything. He emptied the pineapple juice in his glass, stood up, and finally made contact with the Queen's blazing eyes, sending her a warning look in return. They
understood each other and she thanked him for successfully ruining her party. He bowed disrespectfully, which meant...You are welcome ma. That is what you get anytime you come for me.
Prince Ire drew his chair back and left everyone who also couldn't wait to leave the disorganized gathering already. Behind him were Sewa, Florence, Grace and Ara who the first Queen now had her eyes on.
Ayoola understood his friend, Ire, who didn't consider him one anymore. Ayo knew that was the Queen's payback for hitting Aramade.