The Accountant

Episode 57

Nike walked aimlessly in her room pondering on the information that just got to her. She had dreamt of being the wife of a prince back then when her affair with Deji was as hot as hell. Becoming a queen of an Ooni was something she had never thought of. She knew how the Ife Kingship title works due to her relationship with Deji. Unlike some other Yoruba kingship titles where the son of a demised king automatically inherits the throne, the Ooni of ife was rotated among the four Ruling Houses.

This setup has made it almost impossible for the son of a ruling king to become a king.

Now, she was going to be a queen. She needed to get married also. She chuckled at the thought of

matrimony. She wasn’t going to marry herself and there was no man in the picture. Guess the Ife throne has to be on hold for now.

She heard a knock on the door. Turning the door knob to open it, she saw Deji Adelowo standing at the doorway.

‘’I know you asked to be left alone, but that was over an hour ago. We need to talk and it can’t wait.’’ He said with a gesture for her to step outside.

What could it be this time? She thought. Today was going to be the most memorable day of her life. She

was held hostage by her boyfriend. Well, almost boyfriend. She got to know the woman she cherished

the most in her life wasn’t her biological mother. She got to know the birth mark beside her belly button was only unique to the members of the Adekanbi Ruling House.

The gods couldn’t be wrong, they had chosen her to be the queen. She had always loved and respected the Ife tradition. Her mother, no, her guardian had always encouraged her to get accustomed to the tradition.

These thoughts were running through her mind as they made their way to the balcony.

‘’Before you start. I need to apologize for not listening to you when you asked me to stay away from Peter.’’ Nike expressed in an aw shucks manner. ‘’I didn’t know he was like that.’’

‘’Of course you didn’t, but you need not to apologize for that. I’m the one that should be apologizing.”

‘’Why would you do that?’’

Deji suspired, then said, ‘’I’m sorry I didn’t believe you all this time. I’m sorry I didn’t give you the opportunity to explain your side of the story.’’

‘’What do you mean? I’m confused.’’ She uttered with a puzzled grimace.

‘’I just found out you were set-up with Alani. My mother was the master planner.’’

‘’Oh.’’ Nike’s eyes widened.

‘’I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry. I knew she didn’t approve our affair back then, but I never knew she could go that length to end it. I agreed to studying abroad after the incident. I had no better way of surviving the heartbreak I felt than to stay far away from Ife.