Episode 3: Kiki’s Saloon Series.
The world didn’t change. Instead, we humans changed. We became cruel to our neighbours, we became greedy and then when we don’t get our ways, we blame the world. When God created the earth and the universe, it didn’t intend that things should be challenging, but humans are always ingenious at creating difficulties for themselves. In the process of trying to make life and things more comfortable, we instead mess things. And then blame everything except ourselves.
It was another weekend after the whole rigours of the week. I decided to spend a few more hours in bed and rest adequately. But a terrible noise kept disturbing my rest. I tried going under the blanket, but it was the same, I even tried covering my ears with a pillow, still didn’t work, got my earpiece and tried playing music, that also failed. With anger, I stormed out of bed, to know why some people will be creating this amount of noise early on a Saturday morning. But nothing prepared me for the sight I set my eyes on, as soon as I stepped out of my apartment. I saw a vast crowd gathered in my compound at. First, I thought I was still dreaming, till the cold wind gushed through my skin, did I realise that it was real. I rushed back in to wear something thicker. With my mind in disarray, with one question lingering 'what the hell is going on?’
(Later that Saturday)
I had just finished my laundry and was resting when I got a call from Kiki, telling me to come over to the saloon that she’s opening a new brand of body care creams. After what seemed like an endless back and forth, I succumbed and promised to be at her shop soon. It’s funny how you make friends with a person, from just being strangers. After last week Kiki approached me and asked for my number I wondered what it was for, but I gave her nonetheless. And since then she had been texting or calling me every now and throughout the week. This new venture of hers, I wondered in my mind who gave her the money; she probably struck gold with another wealthy man, I thought to myself. After what seemed like a long drag, I got ready and left home.
By the time I got to the saloon, I could barely recognise the whole place, and it seemed like the entire place was transformed overnight by some magician. With many people both inside and outside, some I remembered from my previous visits to the saloon as customers, others I never saw. I found a quiet corner and sat there for some minutes my mind drifting to this morning’s events.
(Morning)
My landlady Aunty Bisi was at the centre of the whole issues as I realised when I joined my neighbours to find out what was happening. Ummi, the lady at the front flat gave me a bit run down of what happened, and in her words. Our landlady was barren, but she was rich, she married, both herself and her husband knew themselves since they were kids and even after they were married and tried for years to give birth, without any luck, her husband still didn’t bother. Nonetheless, soon enough, after visits to consultants around the country, it was quickly found out that, the problem was with our landlady, so she did what every other woman would for her husband. She sought out to find a young lady who her husband can impregnate, and then both of them would collect the child from the lady and train the child as theirs. And they found a lady who agreed to that, and the husband went in with her, a few months after she gave birth. But that was when the trouble began. The young lady refused to give the child to our landlady and her husband, for years they fought the custody battle, but since there wasn’t any legal agreement our landlady and her husband lost the fight. Soon after the lady started disturbing our landlady’s husband for child care support that he must do his duty, she had thought to make rich out of them since, and they were rich but unknowingly to her, the husband wasn’t rich, t was the wife. But because of the sort of closeness that existed between them, no one knew. So our landlady, always gave her husband money to give her for the child’s upkeep, although both of them were sad, our landlady was happy that her husband had a child. Still, this lady was a thorn in their flesh; she always had one issue to nag about. Unfortunately, the last year before I moved in, our landlady’s husband died; tragically. And our landlady thought that it was over with the silly lady, at least she was going to continue living her life. Till this morning when the lady came here, claiming that this house is hers, our landlady’s husband promised her the house before he died. She came with many thugs, but people in the area resisted them and chased them away before I woke up. She was even saying that, if our landlady dies, her son will inherit everything, since she’s barren. But she was chased away. Now it’s just people who are trying to figure out ways to stop her from coming to harass the poor old lady. However, a lot of these people are just gossipers who are here for new stories. By the time Ummi was done, I couldn’t help but feel sad for our landlady, and she was adorable and gentlewoman. Unfortunately, I missed the whole events I would’ve loved to see the lady’s face.
(Back to the present)
Soon I heard, my name, I saw Kiki walking down to me, I managed to fake a smile as she hugged me tightly. Shouting 'everybody sees my bestie.’ I was shocked and shy, wondering when we became best friends, she grabbed my hands and ushered me inside the saloon, it looked like a clubhouse when I entered. She found my seat close to her and told me to sit that the event would soon start, then she walked off. I asked the guy serving to give me a bottle of water, and as soon as I gulped out of the water, I began overhearing two ladies behind me speaking;
Lady 1: what this lady did to that poor woman
this morning is terrible.
Lady 2: I heard she’s even planning to take the case to court that the woman and her husband cheated her and took advantage of her.
Lady 1: really, that’s a bit too harsh, if you ask me after all that woman did for her, she was even the one that opened this saloon for her. I heard it was just to compensate her for the troubles of pregnancy. The woman asked her what she wanted since she was from a low-income family. She said she wanted a saloon because she enjoyed making her, the older woman took her to a prominent hair institute paid for her after she was done, the woman then bought this land and set her up here, furnished the whole place and gave her millions of naira. What more does she want?
Lady 2: That woman’s mistake was not drawing up an agreement for her. Our friend also knows that, and she’s milking it. The woman didn’t need a reason to draw any agreements because she trusted her and saw her as a daughter. Now imagine she betrayed the woman terribly.
Lady 1: I can’t even accept such nonsense; we both know our friend is greedy. Let’s just be looking she will soon eat the one that will choke her.
Lady 2: you’re right, let’s continue looking and pretending, let’s continue hailing the fool, her Waterloo is soon.
I couldn’t believe my ears, and I was parched. This was unbelievable as I wanted to turn back and ask the ladies to stop gossiping and mind their business, but I was curious, and I wanted to be sure that they’re not talking about the person I think it is. So I turned to the ladies, faked a smile and asked them what the name of the person they were talking about was. At first, they were shocked that I overheard them, then they looked at me well to ascertain who I was, after a few seconds they replied; in unison ‘that’s her’ pointing at someone coming towards me smiling, they spoke again saying
‘Her name is Kiki.’