Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Purple place was swarming with people from everywhere. Some had on weird costumes like they were coming for a Halloween show, others had exotic hairstyles featuring all manner of wigs and fascinators etc. Todd with all his fashion sense would never have thought of styles like these and he had never felt so out of place. He and Mitch set up a mini cart at the vestibule and arranged a few pastries in a warming sieve. Mitch heaved a micro fruit juicer machine on their counter and started off with the milkshakes and chocolate drinks. When Laureen shared the roles, she had wanted him to squeeze some oranges and pineapples but the young pastor’s sweet tooth talked her out of it and into something sweet. 

Before long, the others arrived as planned and Laureen took over the vending spot with Dave while the three friends trooped into the grand theater. 

“This is spectacular,” Todd looked around in awe. The interior of the edifice was breathtaking not to speak of the set design built for the production. Mitch thought it looked a little overdone considering the basic design of the place. Keisha couldn’t hide her impressiveness about the place so well especially because of the kind of memories it brought her. Some time ago she thought that was where she belonged but now, she didn’t think she belonged anywhere. 

“How long has it been since you saw the almighty red curtains?” Mitch asked her, still drinking in the magnificence of the hall. He couldn’t help but recall a piece of their past together too.

“Very… long,” she sighed. 

“And how does that make you feel?” 

“Nothing,” she looked back at him briefly and found herself a seat. They both joined her there too. After a short while, the opening performance began. Different colors of satin fabric were draped from the top to the bottom of the stage and dancers donned in eccentric suits danced their way to the stage through the drapes. Someone might think they were depicting colorful birds with all the brightly colored feathers sticking out of their hair and some parts of their clothes. The sound of musical instruments could be heard all over the hall though they were not seen and the dancers moved to their rhythm with such perfection. A few minutes of the opening dance, the curtains subsequently parted, giving way for the main production. Todd had to admit that he was impressed with the well planned coordination of the program. 

The curtains opened revealing several mirrors hung on a wall and there was a girl in white with a black sack over her head bumping into anything and everything. Later, more actors dressed in plain colored suits emerged from backstage and twirled around her. A suspenseful music played in the background while the lighting hushed and glared at intervals within the performance. 

“What’s this supposed to mean?” Todd squinted at the rising and falling of the light’s brightness.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Mitch repllied. Keisha kept her silence throughout  the program and only smirked the more she watched it. 

“I know I don’t get the concept so well but that’s some great set over there. Not to mention the costuming,” Todd added.

“Yeah apart from the part where the lights are piercing my eyes,” Mitch blinked severally.

The performance ran for half an hour climaxing with another choreography to end the first session. Keisha couldn’t be more disappointed. The crew had earned themselves a great hall for a bad show but the others didn’t think so. Seeing how the place erupted with shouts and applauses. When she got up to leave, she finally heard the voice of her last demon. Somehow she expected to see him and her suspicions were confirmed. She turned and saw who was giving the appreciative speech. Todd thought Mitch had seen a ghost and when he saw Keisha, he didn’t think that person was any stranger to her too. 

“You… guys know him?” He paused.

“I wish I could change that,” Mitch intoned. Todd said nothing else and decided to ask all his questions later. The three of them got together with the two at the vendor and Laureen passed them their uniforms for the job. Mitch had that worried look on his face, wondering if this was a wise thing for Keisha to do but no one understood it.

“What? You want to back out now?” Keisha asked, wearing the customized black shirt over her blouse and putting on the black apron which came with it. 

“Don’t you?” He asked. She looked him straight in the eye and scoffed. She picked up her black cap and pulled it over her head allowing her ponytail to fall through its back opening. 

“I can’t wait to see our old friend too,” she smirked and left. Dave was also changed and followed closely behind. Laureen and Todd were lost but they had to nudge him to hurry  and catch up with them. 

****

The Grey room was a huge space with partitions designed for the different groups of performers. There were spaces strictly for change of clothes, others for some props and still some others for the makeup artistry. Keisha and Mitch were thinking the same thing when they got there:  Dwayne had outdone himself. It was almost as if he was finally on top of the game but Mitch couldn’t understand why the performance looked nothing like all the marks of excellence they were now seeing. They were seeing close to about 200 people behind the scenes with each person having a designated task.

Amanda spotted them from a far end and clapped to get their attention, showing them where to set up the meals. Keisha remained low-key as she  went about what they came to do and so did Mitch but some things never go as planned. Amanda found a way to steal Dave from the job while she introduced him to her coworkers. Dave still had his protective gear over his face so they couldn’t tell if he was smiling or not but they deduced he felt awkward. 

“Come, let me show you one more thing,” she grabbed his wrist before he could protest, leaving just Keisha and Mitch behind to handle the whole crew. 

Mitch started setting the mini buffet table and Keisha placed the warmers and the trays on them. She carefully arranged the bread rolls, pies and cookies in such order. Mitch helped in setting up the juicer and the crockeries they’d need to take their food. 

“Where the hell is Dave?” Mitch miffed. 

“Probably receiving a spa treatment,” Keisha quipped.

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you see the way that missy had her eyes all around him when she called us? I wonder what she saw when he’s had his whole face covered forever. Even I don’t know how he looks like,” she chipped. 

In no particular order, the performers walked over to pick up their portion as and when, and the two waiters had to endure the scorning attitude of some. Others were overly pleasant, while some were just rude but Keisha had signed up to keep her cool. Not until she couldn’t help it.

“This donut is terrible!” One performer yelled in her face.

“Sorry about that, you can try any of the other pastries if you like,” she replied.

“Excuse me? Did I say I wanted another pastry?” She raved. 

“I just-”

“Just what?”

Mitch tried to step in but Keisha gave him a hint to stay back. 

“You can suit yourself, ma’am,” she rejoined.

“Oh so we have a waiter with an attitude, yes?” the actor continued and Keisha had her lips sealed. From how she spoke with such rudeness, Keisha deduced she might be one of the starring roles, however  Mitch dreaded every second of witnessing this and doing nothing. 

“What, so now you’re dumb?” 

Keisha smirked at her and Mitch could just tell what was following would not be good. The actor got worked up at Keisha’s demeanor and felt insulted. Other people were coming in but this lady seemed to have an extended version of her performance in front of the food counter: she was standing in the way.

“Erm… ma’am if you don’t mind, can you please step aside so I serve others who are hungry?” Keisha finally said, not flinching the least bit out of intimidation. Mitch was impressed at how Keisha still remained cool and collected. But the drama queen was going  to put on a show, drawing everyone’s attention. 

Some other performers hoped to find Amanda to remedy the situation but she was nowhere to be seen. She obviously had her hands full trying to woo a man. 

“Thank you for this compliment, Amanda but I’m sorry, I’m not up for this kind of relationship right now,” Dave told her. 

“Why not? I’m not asking you for any expensive treatment. I make all that money by myself. I just want you-“

“Please, Amanda. You’re wrong if you think that’s all I’m concerned about. I can afford any kind of treatment for any woman but I’m just not interested in a self-absorbed kind of woman,” he said and excused himself from the closet she had forcefully taken him into. 

He returned to find a fuss playing out in front of where they were supposed to be serving and as expected, his cousin was the victim. 

Before he stepped in, another cast member brought in the director to help calm things down.

“What are all these about?” He roared as he made his way through the crowd to the table.

“Selene, what is all this about?” He asked his star player who was now almost fumbling. 

“It’s this impudent waiter over here,” she cried. Clearly annoyed that a common waiter was going to wreck his show even before it began. 

“I knew I shouldn’t have hired those lowlifes,” he whispered a little too audible to be heard. When he turned to finally let them face his anger, he froze, which got everyone wondering. Then a wry smile drew on his face. By this time, Amanda had found a way to mix up with the people before her boss noticed her absence.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my favourite people,” he chuckled as he paced around them. 

“Selene, you should apologize to this woman right now,” he ordered and the drama queen thought she didn’t hear right. Just now she thought she was going to get an apology from the impudent waiter.

“Dwayne?”

“I said, you should apologize to her, this instant!”

“But why?”

“Are you asking questioning me now?” He bawled but there was a tinge of laughter in it. Amanda slithered over to his side and whispered to him, reminding him that Selene was their star player but he could care less.

“I don’t care if she is. Don’t you know who this woman is? And you dare disrespect her like that?” He pointed at Keisha. She could only sneer at his feigned courtesy. She knew he wasn’t done.

“This is a talent, you people. And none of you would be here had it not been for her,” He added. 

Dave breathed a lot easier when he saw things finally getting back in control but he didn’t understand why Keisha and Mitch looked so serious. Dwayne finally narrowed in on her. 

“Beautiful as always…” he ran a finger down her cheek.

“And how I’ve missed you,” he intoned but his gestures told otherwise. 

Keisha’s heart raced crazily in anger but she was just too good in reining in her emotions. This was a man who set her on the journey to her death and every second with him felt like a curse.

“I’ve never had any woman like you, Keish. Why did you leave me, Keisha? Is it because of that little game I played with the tabloids? Oh c’mon don’t tell me you’re still not over that?” He whispered. Mitch was fuming at this moment but Keisha had held his trembling fist behind the table. 

“So … you’re with him now?” He shifted his attention to Mitch as he looked him up and down.

“I thought you’d do better than… this? Unless you’ve forgotten how he played all those girls who were there then. They were all shameless enough to leave after he left. Seriously, a dog is more faithful than him, Keisha. He doesn’t deserve you,” he continued in his monologue. 

“Well played words, Dwayne,” she sniggered.

“But whoever I choose is entirely my business, not yours,” she added.

“Indeed. But I’m just saying you deserve better. And how are you a waiter now?” He changed the subject.

“I didn’t see you the time I came to that motel. I would have had you cast into the show, immediately,” he got a serious look on his face as if he was concerned.

“You mean that sorry look of a production? No, thank you. At first I was impressed you could pull off a place like this but I got disappointed at what you had spent hours on, trying to put on on that stage . Looks to me like you weren’t smart enough to steal well,” she teased, which pressed on his button but he wasn’t going to let her have that gratified look of seeing him agitated.

“Touché. So, what are you saying? You can do something more spectacular than this… from those ashes?” Dwayne threw his arms around the place and wore a wide grin on his lips. Keisha looked him dead in the eye and smiled. And then she  cast  another look  round the team and saw some of them with their phones, recording the moment. It reminded her of three years ago when she was being chased by journalists asking her questions about what was in the papers. Apparently Dwayne had reported in an interview that she bought scripts with her body only to deceive everyone else that she was the playwright. She earned herself a number of nicknames from that time- The Queen Jade and The Pirate Jade.

“So what’s it gonna be, Queen Jade?” He asked again, calling her that name to spite her.

“I am going to produce the most spectacular show you have never seen and we’d have it right here, just so that everyone here can compare yours to mine on the same level,” she raised a brow. Dwayne locked eyes with her for a moment and smiled. Mitch felt light and heavy all at the same time. Light because Keisha still maintained her strength, heavy because of that challenge which sounded like their doom. 

“That’s what I miss about you,” Dwayne said.

“I just hope this time, you don’t come crawling up my bed trying to shag me into bailing you out of this challenge,” he spouted. She heard the faint whispers around her and knew he meant that to humiliate her again. They all waited for her response but someone else spoke.

“It’s a pity we can only take your word for the so-called flings you claimed to have had with our young lady. If you knew she was so low yet had an affair with her anyway then what does that make you?,” Dave finally spoke up. 

“This cock-and-bull story would have paid you much more credit than what I’m hearing people say about your first show,” he added and a few giggles followed after that. Keisha smiled at him but motioned for him to say nothing more.

“While I hate to disappoint you that that’s not going to happen, I  have to be diligent enough to come up with an original play by this hand so that all of you can see what Her Royal Queen Jade, me, is capable of writing. So with that said, I challenge everyone here to come watch the original play of the plagiarist,” she finally said. 

There were those that were impressed by her composure and there were others who felt the threat in her words. Dwayne was going to be one of them. He never thought she’d be creative enough to leverage on her past reputation to drive the attention to her show, should she have one. It was now beginning to look like a lost battle but he didn’t want to accept the defeat just yet.

“This place cost a million bucks. How are you going to get it?” He asked.

“I thought I already had the fame for doing anything to get what I want. That’s what I’m going to do-anything, and I don’t care what you think I’ll do,” she retorted. 

Chagrined, yet unrelenting, he still went on to make bad jokes about her till the three left the room back to their vending spot, where Laureen and Todd were stationed. The look on their faces did the talking and before they could ask what the problem was, Dwayne and a few of his people barged in on them and continued with the humiliation. This time, someone had managed to pull out the papers from years ago which showcased Keisha boldly on the cover page but she said nothing and Mitch advised that they pack up and leave. After such a night, they knew they had no more business there the next day.