CHAPTER TWELVE
Next of Kin
Alice walked down the stairs in an all-black designer attire again.
Damn! She really knows how to rock black. As much as I hate this woman, I can’t help but admire her sense of fashion.
“Do you have a bank in mind?” she asked as she descend down the stairs
“No, I was hoping you would take me to a good one” I retorted
“Kylian uses Alxxn Bank in Paris, if it is good enough for Kylian, it would be good for you” She suggested.
Another three hours into Paris… I am too tired for that
“I was hoping we would go into Eureux and look for a good bank”
“You have been clamoring to go into Paris since you landed and now you that you have the chance, you don’t want to” I just stared at her with a blank expression. She lets out a sigh when I didn’t dignify her sassiness with an answer
“The good thing is that they have a branch in Eureux… come this way” she walked away from me and started on the path that we followed from the garage yesterday.
Arriving in the garage, an hummer jeep was parked in here. I smiled when I saw the cool ride, I don’t know the model and I only know the name because Kylie Jenner snapped a picture with a model like this years ago. Cars are never my thing, so I don’t know much about it but then again, I really don’t know much about anything anyway.
Fazya said I get two cars and boat, why am I only seeing one car? The boat is probably on a sea somewhere but where the fuck is the other car
“Fazya said I get two cars, where is the other one?” I voiced out my thought
“Inside Paris” she answered as she opened the door for me.
“Paris, what is it doing there” I questioned her in confusion but she just nudged her head toward the car. I obliged and entered
“Good morning ma’am” The driver greeted me as Alice entered next to the driver
“Morning to you too sir” I responded quickly as the man pressed the ignition button and the car engine rocked to life and it start to move out of the garage
“Why is my car in Paris, Alice?”
“The Seine river flows through our backyard from Paris” she replied
“Seine river?”
“You don’t know what Seine River is?” Of course I do, I have fantasied about having a dinner date leading to a hot moonlight sex on the deck of a cruise moving on the Seine river with Kylian more times than I can count. I am sure she asked me that question just to mock my intelligence and maybe irk me in the process but I am not going to give her that satisfaction
“What does that have to do with my car in Paris” I asked as calmly as I can
“Give or take, it is about an hour from here to Paris on the Seine river. The car is packed in a private parking lot next to a private harbor. It is here for you to move around Paris when the need arise for you to be in Paris”
So that was what the boat was for
“I am guess the boat is at the backyard”
“Yes, on the river” Alice nodded
“What if I am seasick, did you lot think about that?” Can I get seasick, I really hope not. I have seen seasick individuals in movies and it always looked terrible. I always thought it was because they had weak guts
“For your sake, I hope not because that will only mean you have to be in a 3 hours road trip to and from Paris, sometimes everyday. Trust me, you don’t want to be in that situation” She taunted
I hope not too myself. I let out a loud sigh as I let the car carry me down the hill. I looked at the front mirror and I saw the driver watching me
This driver is different from the one who brought me in yesterday. I may have been in a sleepy daze but I could feel his hard look on me throughout my journey to the house yesterday. He openly showed that his despite for me but this one’s gaze is different, softer even. I can see him smile to me through the front mirror
Definitely different
“I am Bewaji Bendel, please call me Bewa”
“I am Jude, ma’am, nice meeting you” he responded with a bright smile
“Nice meeting you too, Jude” I answered with my own soft smile. He looks tall, most of his hair has turned grey but I can definitely see some traces of blonde hair. He is elderly, fifties, maybe sixties and I shouldn’t call him by name but I am in a country where my upbringing would probably be seen as a form of child abuse. So, I am going to do as people do say
When in Rome, act like the Romans
I looked at the driver who looked really handsome despite been old. A man like this in his twenties would have broken a lot of women’s heart. Could he be Isa’s blonde father? I don’t think so, he has the American’s accent while Isa’s English is thick with French accent but there are some resemblance apart from the blonde hair. They both have the same green eye colour. Or maybe, during his playboy days, he came down to France on a vacation, fell in love with Maria and has a secret love affair with her but he had to go back home to his family. When he couldn’t bear living without Maria, he came back to her.
Wow! Bewaji, What a nice narrative. My inner voice complimented. I have seen too many Korean movies
I collected the form to be filled at the bank and groaned loudly
“What is it?” Alice asked. I handled the form to her
“The wordings are in French” I complained
“What were you expecting? You are in a French country” she answered with sass as always
“Can you please help me with it” I asked impatiently.
“Of course, I would. That is what I am here for”
Oh really? I didn’t know that since you have been tormenting me since I met you on that fucking tarmac. My internal voice yelled at her
“Your pen” I handled the pen to her “Your full name?” she asked
“Bewaji Emily Mba….” What am I? Can I even call myself Mbappe “Bendel… Bewaji Emily Bendel”
Alice scoffed at my response
“You introduced yourself as Mbapp…”
“I know what I said and I am saying I am Bewaji Emily Bendel now” I cut in sharply not giving her a chance to mock me. She let it go and wrote it down.
I guess it was a good thing I didn’t change my name back at home. I thought Kylian and I could go to the organisation and change it together. I figured it would be a good way to spend more time together and get to know each other. I was just deceiving myself.
He must have had a good laugh about my ignorance with his family. Alice asked me couples of question and I answered them all
“Next of kin?” she asked. That should be my husband right?
“Next of kin?” Alice asked again
“You” I blurted out
“Why am I your next of kin” she looked at me sharply
“My parent are far away in Nigeria and my husband….” I let out a frustrated sigh “Kylian does not want me. Next of kin are suppose to be people that can be easily accessed in times of emergency and right now, that person is you” I can’t believe I just said that to Alice. It is like as if I accepted defeat and it is really sad.
For unknown reason, I notice Alice’s gaze soften and then she penned down her name without a word
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SATURDAY
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