Love In Silhouette

❇「Chapter 3」❇

A person once said to me that he could make nothing of Love, except that it was friendship accidentally combined with desire. Whence I concluded that he had never been in Love -Samuel Taylor Coleridge

(Table-Talk)

"Madam good evening ma, how was your trip?" An elderly woman stood atop the short flight of stairs beaming at me as I approached. She had a kind smile that lit up her face in the most alluring way. It became even wider reaching her eyes as I came closer.
Her permed graying hair was pulled back neatly into a French braid and I could see she wasn't young.
Maybe in her late sixties. Despite that, she wasn't fat like most Nigerian ladies around her age. Her figure was round but firm and she had a gentle aura around her.
It seemed like I was going to like one thing about this place.

She's probably the head of the staff.

"It was fine." I found it difficult to frown with the way she looked at me and so I returned her smile with a little one of my own.

Troughout the ride home in Seyi's car, I kept dreading the moment I'd have to pass through the large black gates.
My feelings were in no way exaggerated because the moment I crossed the gates and I stared at the magnificent structure standing proud and tall before me, my heart sank even more. But this lady seemed to have put a damper on my ill feelings.

"My name is Mrs. Onawale but you can call me Mrs. Wale." She extended her hand in a handshake and I took it nodding. Her grip was firm but friendly.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Wale. Are you the head staff?"

"Yes madam I am." She smiled. I guessed right then.

"I know you must be hungry after your trip. Would you like to settle down before eating or eat before settling down?" The burly woman continued as she slid open the glass doors for the two security men behind me who helped my luggage out of Seyi's car to take them in. They pushed the lot through the door and into the ante room which the glass door led into.

"Just leave them there, thank you." I nodded to them and they bowed slightly before going back through the still open doors.

We entered the room and she slid the doors back shut behind us.

"I think I'll settle down first, I'm not really hungry since I just had lunch with my friend a few hours ago." I pulled out my phone to check the time.

8:59 pm.

"But you could prepare the food. When I'm done I'll come down to eat." I flashed her another smile and she nodded as I slid my phone back into my pocket.

"That's fine but what would you like so I can tell the chef to start preparing it?"
Hmmm, something light should settle for the night. If I get hungry later, I can always take a snack.

"Fried yam and eggs would be nice." I shrugged and she smiled nodding. I took a step towards my luggage at the corner where the security men left them in a neat pile and took a hold of my travel bag which was on top of the others.

"Would you like me to call the maids to help you take those up to your room?" The elderly woman smiled sweetly at me and even though I was going to say no, her smile made it difficult to resist her and so I nodded.
For some odd reason, I wanted to carry them up myself.
I say odd because this is actually my first official time of stepping foot in this house.
The first time being about a week before the wedding.
Mother and Father ordered me out of my room because according to them, we needed to "at least say a word to each other" before saying I do on the altar.

After the wedding, we went immediately on the honeymoon. Our luggage and all was already loaded on the private jet beforehand so we didn't need to get back to the house for anything.
This explains why I literally don't know the way to my room.
Thank God she just offered to send someone down; at least whoever he or she was could show me the way to my room.