Tammy's POV
"I think we should go back. Tammy please." Esther whines from the backseat of the car.
Nancy who was riding shotgun with me hadn't uttered a word since we started the drive two hours ago. The dented nightstand had held a clue, someone had been in my room and I knew it. Someone had tried opening the nightstand and I think the fire ball was the key, only that we had no idea what goes into it and right now we were going to Bahama's way to locate the mall Vicky had bought it from.
"I know what I'm doing, the map says 1km left and then right that's what it says." I scoff keeping my eyes on the road.
"And that's the same thing you said earlier on, can't you get it we're going to get lost and it's past noon. When will we get back to Lakeview?" I was getting tired of her insistent complain.
"Esther just shut up I'm driving." my mom will freak it if she knew I was away with her car. Ever since I learnt driving I had ridden her car just within Lakeview, which was a norm for other teens with driving skills but it was my first time being far from home and I had no trouble getting lost.
"Fine do as you please but just slow down so I can ask a passerby for directions and forget this stupid map. We're going to get nowhere."
"Fine." I park by a corner. "Ask a passerby and then prepare extra answers if the person happens to be a police officer."
This is Nigeria and the legal age for driving is eighteen that's when you officially become an adult and we were just under seventeen. Not to mention that they were random car muggings reported lately in other parts of the state.
"Just drive." she concedes reclining on the seat.
"Aren't you_"
"Shut up and drive." she shuts me down. I take a glance at Nancy who was still mum.
"Nancy are you okay?. you've been unreasonably quiet all through." I least expected an answer because we've asked her before.
"Bahama's way is right after that corner." she points to a Catholic Church in a hoarse voice.
"Good radiance." Esther exclaims. "You finally talked, was thinking you've gone deaf and dumb already."
"Shut up girl." I scold her.
How did she know about this place, the burning question was on my mind but when I turn to look at her she had gone mum again.
I pull over at a park in front of the mall, the bustling and bustling of the mall made me remember LBC back in our community. Ademola's plaza was as big as LBC; they were varieties of outlets ranging from boutiques to household supplies and cooking wears nothing like an antique shop in sight. We got down and walked quickly to the first guard we see.
"Good afternoon sir, please we're looking for an antique shop or a furniture house." I ask my eyes darting around. I get that feeling of been watched and I turned to my friends, they felt it too as we all darted our eyes around the mall missing the guard's explanation.
"Sorry we didn't get." I turn to face him wanting to get out of this place.
"First floor east wing that's where the furniture shops are, opposite are the antiques." he explains hating to repeat himself twice.
"Thanks." we say and head towards the building.
"Crap I forgot where east is." I had two heads turn to me immediately.
"Have you been flunking geography?" Esther gives me the mommy's look.
"Nope, but I never really gave a damn about it. Just reading for WAEC." I shrug.
WAEC requirement were five credits and and being an 'A' student geography and maths were my only fear, the rest I could handle just fine.
"That's it." I point to a shop where they sold antiques.
We get in and the smell of pinewood and ointments hits our nostril. I had a vague memory of ointments but could easily perceive one when I see it. We walk around the shop for some minutes going through the once priceless possessions of people. There was a old table which dated as far back as the early nineties.
What do people want with this?.
I run my hands on the smooth polished table top thinking of the generations before; they were good users of resources. Leave this precious piece with our new day generation and watch the demise of a generational legacy.
"Tammy, Tammy." I raise my head looking at my friends who signaled me to come over to the other side. I meet up with them as Nancy places a a finger on my lip and points to the door. At the front desk was Faye talking to the sales representative, standing alone without her entourage.
"What is she doing here?" I mouth to them turning back to see her looking in our direction and then leave smiling.
"Did she see us?" Esther asks breathing a sigh of relief.
"I don't think so." Nancy shakes her head.
"What was she doing here? You think she followed us down here." I peer from the window watching her get into her car. "She drove herself."
I look to see their shocked faces. Faye was the daughter of the presidential candidate and its never been seen for an offspring of such a high reputation to move without her entourage.
"Something is definitely wrong here. I'm going after her." Nancy marchs out while we run after her like trotting chickens.
"Nancy wait." I call out, I've been a witness to her bad driving and wasn't going to let her bash my mom's car. I wouldn't hear the last of it.
Luckily she waits and rides shotgun again as Esther took her place at the back. I pick up speed as I follow Faye's car from behind, we had no idea where we were going but we just tailed her hoping to know what's up.
I pull over at an eatery when she does creating space to avoid being seen but enable us watch. We watch as she gets down form her car and stride majestically to the eatery, raking a hand through her hair as she did so. I turn to see Nancy biting her lips, that girl knew all the steps to kill Nancy's modelling career.
"Let's go in." Esther alights in full bossy mode.
Oh evil bitchy Faye, you don't know what you've done.
We walk in casually and sit at a booth to the far end of the eatery. We had barely relax when a waitress got to our table to take our order.
"Uh Uh." I understood Nancy immediately. We hadn't come prepared, to avoid suspicion I run through the menu and place an order.
"I'll have strawberry shortcake and a plain medium size hollandia yoghurt." I smile at my friends who're yet to make up their minds.
"Make that two please." Esther orders looking around the eatery not bothering to lift her menu.
"Uhm! I'll have lean chicken nuggets and chilled water." Nancy says sweetly to the waitress who took our orders and left.
"Nancy." we call out at once.
"What?"
"You're starving yourself." I glare at her.
"I ordered something, your meals contain too much calories."
"Oh please, you never eat more than a handful and then you run of to the restroom." I hear Esther whisper.
"Nancy are you bulimic?" I lower my voice to match hers.
"Of course not, I eat everyday just as you two but never as much. So." she shrugs like it wasn't a big deal.
"I just hope you know what you're doing." I've noticed her visits to the restroom moments after eating but never paid attention to it. If she was bulimic she needed help and I was going to help her.
Soon the waitress came with our orders and a napkin which she hides under my dish before leaving. We turn to stare at her retreating figure before shifting our attention back to the hidden napkin.
"I've beard of secret messages in napkins. Maybe the gods have chosen us." Nancy laughs lowly.
"Yeah, gods of doom." I chip in.
I had just unravel the napkin when we heard a voice. We turn around and see Faye smirking at us.
"Well well well, if it's not the three misses of our community I wonder who it'll be. Luckily the people don't know you or else." she looks at me with disdain knowing I understood what she meant.
Thankfully my arrest was only on Lakeview news and we were far from there.
"What do you want Faye." I roll my eyes.
"Yea. Where are your friends?", Nancy stretch the word 'friends' in a mocking tone.
"Oh, them. They should be good. And to answer your question." she slides in the booth beside me. "I want to make a deal."
I look at my girls and then back at her like she's gone crazy, well obviously she had because why would Faye Williams, queen bee of Jacob high, daughter of the presidential candidate and my arc enemy be sitting beside me and wanting to strike a deal.
"Hmmm. And what's this deal?" I hold my breath waiting for the worst because with Faye things are bound to get crazy.
"In exchange for finding out how to open your nightstand you'll come with me to my father's campaign dinner alone."
WTF
How on earth did she know about the nightstand. What else does Faye Williams know.
Thanks for reading even if I know we're all prepared for Faye's father campaign dinner.