Chapter 14
Just as Fatai said, the black Highlander was outside his apartment by 7am. Frank was officially dressed and ready, with his back suit, white shirt, but no tie this time. The first few minutes of the ride had him and the driver talking about yesterday’s encounter, and then the car became quiet. The silence got Frank paranoid. Kiki had been so calm about the whole thing yesterday, but he didn’t know if he would be able to keep his calm around Fatai any longer. Even if his change in demeanor could be ruled as effects of post-traumatic stress disorder from yesterday’s incidence, what would happen if Fatai Lion remembers to ask him again how he knew Kiki; what would he say then. He wasn’t a good liar and wished the question of how he knew Kiki never came up again.
Traffic was light, and the SUV was driving at top speed. Frank guessed the driver was following instructions given to him by Pascal or Fatai. It was weird not being in the convoy; he always felt safer. Frank, relax. A voice in his head said, and he sighed. He looked out the window and admired the greenery on the median strip. The other side of the road had heavy traffic, and as usual, cars were impatiently trying to form a new lane. The duality of the two roads made Frank think of how life was; the rich and the poor; the poor live in a crowded world, and the rich are few, just like the number of cars on his side of the road. With how imbalance it seemed, it was totally balanced. There can’t be a world with many rich and a little poor. Even America has 20% of its population controlling more than 90% of its wealth. Frank was on his way to the other side; the rich side, but he felt like Kiki might have messed that all up.
As much as he liked her, and wished he could be with her for the rest of his life; she was a forbidden fruit he had eaten, which he didn’t think was wise to continue eating. If they were characters in one of his books, they would have run off to a foreign land to live happily ever after. But this was the real world, not fantasy. In real life, things don’t usually go the way you want. In the real world, you always pay for your actions.
He had been so deep in thought and hadn’t noticed that they had gone off the main road, and were going through the quiet GRA area of Ikeja. Frank wanted to ask why they had gone off course, but thought the driver was trying to beat traffic. But there is no traffic on this side of the road, Frank thought to himself.
When they slowed down on a quiet street, his heart beat quickened. Henry turned around to say something about Fatai wanting them to meet at one of his homes for a quick rundown of assassination attempt before they head over to the police station. Frank nodded, trying to hide the mini panic attack he was having. He took a few deep breaths as Henry properly parked beside a beige colored wall. The pinging sound cars makes when a door opens sounded louder than usual as Henry opened his door. Frank said a short prayer before getting out of the car. His paranoia was getting the best of him.
