Three.

Brenda oiled Tinuade's long dark hair as she picked the hand drier, Tinu wanted to wear her natural hair for the next few weeks she wanted a new look, simple pony tail would do.

Her phone beeped, Tinu searched her big brown hand bag for her Nokia phone, she had just received a text message from Cliff, she pressed the o.k. button and read it:

HiangelitsEmeka'sbirthdayandwearehavingabirthdaybashtodayby12 noonplsbethere.
Cliff.

Tinu sighed she wasn't sure she wanted to see Emeka, she wasn't just in the mood to see him kissing some other woman or flaunting his foolish male chauvinist attitude towards her, she toyed over the idea of being a part of the birthday bash.

Brenda packed her hair using an orange hair bond to match the orange short sleeve blouse she was wearing; she paid Brenda and strolled out of the salon.

Just beside it was a card shop, tinu strolled in to pick up a cute plain birthday card for Emeka wondering what she would write in it,

 

“Maybeasimplehappybirthdaywilldo."

 

She drove out of the shopping mall into a very busy traffic.

Tinu drove through Immanuel Street and turned left towards Shonibare estate, she waved at the excited estate security man who apparently recognized her as a movie star.

Driving straight down she turned right, she had never being to Emeka's house however she had passed by it several times with her colleagues, she parked before the large brown gate blaring her horn, an elderly man opened the gate, he also seemed to recognized her as he immediately let her in.

Tinu noticed that the only car that was in the compound were Emeka's, she checked her wristwatch it was some minute past one, wondering if she came too early she relaxed in the car as she addressed the plain card.

A young lady strolled towards her obviously one of Emeka's numerous concubines,

 

"HiTinu"

 

She managed to salute her; she did not look friendly, staring at her as if to say:

 

"HowcanIhelpyou?"
"IsEmekaaround?"

 

Tinu managed to ask,

 

“Nope."

The lady kept the stare, tinu noticed a little girl afar on a wheel chair, she looked ten years old and was Emeka McCauley's replica, and tinu never knew Emeka had a daughter.

She smiled wondering if she knew anything at all about this man that constantly haunted her emotionally.

 

She picked her phone, ignoring the lady who stood glued watching her as if she didn't want to take any chance.

 

Cliff's phone rang for a while, Tinu checked her wrist watch again it was now half past one.

 

Cliff laughed as he picked his phone,

 

“Tinu where are you?"

 

"Where else will I be? ’Am in Emeka's house of course, and no one else is here yet."

 

"Sorry girlfriend its April fools day",

 

Cliff hung up from his end.

 

Tinu sighed, she felt she was actually a fool to think of being a part of Emeka McCauley birthday bash; Tinu did not enjoy the joke at all.

The lady hissed obviously tired of standing still, as she strolled inside, tinu noticed her short jeans pant and her chocolate brown bare back top, she laughed thinking of what Emeka did with all these women.

She waved at the little girl who seemed to enjoy the drama the two ladies just acted, she wheeled her chair towards Tinu, apparently she just realized it was Tinuade Philips after all, tinu smiled wanting to make friends with the little replica of Emeka McCauley.

"Hi young lady,"

 

Tinu was amazed at the extent of their resemblance, but to her surprise the little girl hissed,

 

"Tinuade Phillips, I knew you'd soon be one of his concubines."

 

She was looking at the petit card tinu was addressing to Emeka, she hissed again, wheeling her chair away.

 

Tinu laughed, now she was very sure the girl was Emeka's daughter, at least they had the same pride and rude words in common.

Tinu lay on her cream leather couch toying with the lace of her hair net, tiny drops of tears came down from her eyes, she had laughed so much she felt some pains by her side. She was watching the latest edition of the night of a thousand laughs; she woke up feeling very lazy, she decided to listen to jokes so as to relax before rounding up the script she was writing.
Her door bell rang; she was not expecting anybody and she wished she could be all by her self throughout the day. She stopped the C.d player and strolled lazily to the door peeping through the pigeon hole, she realized it was Babajide Cliff.
She was not sure she wanted to see him, she was yet to get over the stupid prank he had played on her last week Reluctantly she opened the door,

"Hi tinu, why haven't you being picking my calls?"
Tinu strolled back to her couch ignoring him; Cliff sat beside her, "Are you still angry over what happened last week? Honestly am very sorry"

Cliff hugged her from the side,
"It’s ok Cliff"
Tinu managed to say, looking away from him”
"I've being calling you since last week, Emeka has just finished writing a movie and we have a mini auditioning in his house today, he wants you to be there."

"No way Cliff,"

 

Tinu objected vehemently,

 

"There is no way I will drive into Emeka's house again."

 

Cliff smiled,

" Alright, I will drop you there right away, we have a meeting with non-cast members before the auditioning, am a bit late for the meeting we could go together right away but you'd have to wait for the meeting to end before auditioning starts, and that will be in three hours time."
Tinu thought it was a nice idea; she strolled to her room to change her dress.
She never seized to wonder why Emeka wanted her to be a part of his movie even though he hated her guts so much, well maybe he recognized that she was a good actress and he obviously wanted the best for his film.