Prince Ire turned to his brother who was busy on the phone. It was about two hours since he got back to the palace but decided to visit his younger brother's quarters. After taking a quick shower and ate some food prepared by his brother, he finally had the strength to talk. "Hey, Damola I did something today. Do you think it's stupid?"
"I think I'm not a wizard to know if what you did is stupid or the best decision you ever made in your life. Goal! Hahaha!" Prince Adedamola jubilated over the score he had from his game and immediately returned his attention back to it.
Prince Ire got up with annoyance staring down at Prince Adedamola. "Are you really listening like that?"
"Multi-tasking is my new course. I'm practicing."
"You are stupid. Are you a woman?" Prince Ire snatched the phone away from him and immediately switched it off. "I need your advice Damola. It's urgent. I can't think by myself."
Prince Adedamola who had spent hours sitting with his phone finally had time to stretch. "Thanks for snatching that phone though. I need to be somewhere this evening."
"Are you not going to listen to what I have to--"
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Prince Adedamola quickly interrupted his brother. "With the look of it, you didn't come back with her because you screwed up again."
"Forget it." Prince Ire threw Prince Adedamola's phone back to him angrily. He was getting pissed off by his brother's attitude. He couldn't even understand why he had to run to him in the first place. He couldn't really get what was wrong with him. He was good at making his own decisions but now he couldn't think on his own.
Prince Adedamola quickly got to his feet and ran to the entrance of his room. "Bro calm down." He said regretting what he just did. He didn't mean to piss his brother off, but he was tired of his brother neglecting his feelings. His brother deserves to be happy and that was what he wanted. He knew how much he really cared for Derin who suddenly left him. And since then, he had been on his own. He knew they were brothers but had different characters and were different in many ways. They might be princes with so many rules and regulations. Princes with what the world wanted for them. Princes with so many admirations and perfect future from family and friends. But still, they were just like everybody else called human who can't be so perfect. And can also greedy for a particular something. Which might cost a lot.
Prince Ire already picked up his shirt. "Just get out of my way." His voice was firm and determined. He looked like he wasn't ready to listen to anything.
"Calm down!" Prince Adedamola raised his voice this time. His eyes fixed on his brother. "What's your problem? If you want me to tell you it can never work, then I will. She's just a beauty without class. No BSC. No Masters. Never own a Rolls-Royce. Never left this damn country! Never dine with Kings. Never dine with big men. It will be damn hard for her to fit into your life. She's from the slum your sport car can't even be parked. Her dad never had PhD. Not even Masters talkless of having BSC. Her father was never opportuned to learn French talkless of dreaming to speak Spanish in his life time. Her mom is just a caterer, a baker! When your mom was one of the best lawyers before she became a Queen. Now I understand why you think it's impossible. But that's foolishness. You wanna know why? Because you had every chance to become who you are today. While those people we think don't deserve us are actually fighting for their chance and we don't really know what they might actually become if they get one. There is still a future after this. Ire, this is our parents future. We. We are their future." Prince Adedamola stopped, breathing heavily.
But it seemed like he still had something to say. "Ire, those poor hustlers our lives are better than are fighting for the future they weren't born into. Those people are fighting a dangerous war. They can amount to join us at the table we thought we owned. A man or woman of focus is unstoppable! Damn unstoppable!"
"Our parents want the best for us but also want to protect their future. We should do the same. Get ourselves a future we will stay happy in and not regret for the rest of our lives."
Those words sank into Prince Ire's memory. He stood still. Shocked. Speechless. He had never heard his brother say something as sensible as this. He couldn't utter a word. Instead, he slowly took a seat on Prince Adedamola's bed. His mind blocked from every other thoughts. How? He couldn't explain how he wasn't strong enough to hold that tear that suddenly fell from his eye. With his hand scratching his head, another tear fell from his eye again.
But what's wrong in liking a person and holding back? Prince Ire asked himself.
Nothing. He answered himself again. But it's stupidity when you like a person and not try to become friends, but instead...you are hard on them. Letting pride come in between you two.
Slowly, Prince Ire ended up on Prince Adedamola's rug. He couldn't help but think about it. Relationship had scammed him so many times. Many times he thought he had found someone better only to discover some had lied about their lives. Having their best lives, but from homes you would never believe they came out from. He didn't see anything bad in them becoming successful, but why lied about their parents. Homes. Families. But to tell himself the truth, were they really successful or acting successful? At the end of the day, many of them will become a burden to the extent that to live by themselves will become hard in reality.
Prince Ire picked up his phone and dialed Ara's no. First ring. Second ring. Third ring. He got no response. He decided to wait till the next day.
••••••
Ara who had managed to stop crying after discovering the money her mom had been saving for her decided not to pick her calls. But then, when it rang for the third time, she thought it could be her mom, her dad, or her sister trying to reach her to know where she was. She reached for it in her pocket and saw it was Prince Ire calling. As she was about swiping the green circle, the call dropped.
Making her way back home, everywhere was bubbling with songs blasting from the speakers standing outside the barbers' shops and even cassatte sellers. Everywhere was busy with people coming back from work, heading to their various homes. While some were rushing to take a bus, some tried to buy what they could cook or eat.
Ara could barely hear what people were saying because of how loud the songs were.
🎶 This is not a regular song oh mama...
From the depth of my heart ❤️ I wrote this one...
You are my super hero you fight a lot for me...
You gave me everything oh, thank you Mama...
Mama you are the best...🎶
As Ara moved forward, another song reached her while she was about crossing to enter their street. She really missed the busyness of her street. Songs coming from one sho to the other.
🎶 You want to be chopping my money, calling me honey, whining my body, girl you are up to something...
Up to something...
Immediately she crossed the road to their street, her phone rang again. Thinking it was Prince Ire, she quickly brought out her phone only to see it was her friend, Doyin.
She picked up, trying to sound fine. "Doyin how far? Good evening."
"My love." Doyin screamed with happiness. "Samuel just told me he saw you. I've missed you ehnn. What time should I block you tomorrow morning so I can follow you to the palace. Wait...what happened to your voice?"
Ara finally get to smile. "Doyin I really can't talk now. And don't bother coming to block me cause I won't be returning to the palace anymore."
"Ehnn! You say what?" Doyin shouted through the phone like something bad just happened. "Oremi don't do this to me. I already told some people I will be live at Mumusi palace tomorrow. Ahhh! Don't let this happen."
Aramade couldn't help it. She finally laughed. "Doyin, that won't be happening because you will be live in your house tomorrow or you join me at Mom's shop. I'm listening to mom this time around. My stay at the palace is over. I won't be going back."
_________________________________
Guys, what just happened?
😂 Ara must be joking.