#kazeem

Yasmina.

I guess you want to know how I got here... its only fair, I’ll probably be executed so someone should know my story. I am royalty now, but it wasn’t always that way... I wasn’t always royalty. I was just a girl working at the street market, I wasn’t anything special.. I didn’t have fine silks or robes, I didn’t have jewellery or even any money like I said... I was just a girl, a girl who fell in love with a prince, a girl who was lucky enough to be loved back.

Then I became the girl who changed the rules, who defied tradition. The girl who was now a princess. It wasn’t a whirlwind romance or anything like you read in those romance books, what Kazeem and I had, went against all tradition it was forbidden, our love was beautiful and rare like a ghost orchid but it was forbidden. He was a prince he was required to marry a woman of the same calibre, a blue blood like him. And that wasn’t me. But he did it any way he married me. But this story isn’t about our forbidden love and how we defied tradition... It’s about the part that comes after happily ever after. Because in fairy tales you never know what happens to the princess once she gets the prince.

Kazeem sat at the foot of the bed in deep though admiring his daughter serene and content in her crib, unaware of the chaos that was unfolding around her. He envied her but more than that he loved her more than anything... 

“Oh little one I am so sorry you have come into the world when it less than perfect for you. I wanted nothing more than to give you the world. But now everything is ruined... i have my part to play but there are many others too... your mother included.” 

Kazeem sighed. “I must apologise for what I have done and will do. But my father has told me time and time again there are times when duty must come before love.” 

Duty is a funny thing an author once said “Do not forget duty. But choose love when you can.” How can one choose love when duty has sullied it. It was duty that hurt them, how can they ever go back from that? The lines between love and duty are now blurred and there is no returning from it. 

Kazeem sat there lost in his thoughts as he watched his daughter while she made soft cooing sounds in her crib. She looked like her mother, but more innocent and pure and it made him sad that being born a princess life she could never be her true self, she would have to give up things, parts of herself all in the name of duty. 

“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right, even though think it is hopeless.” Kazeem prayed silently as he watched his daughter sleep. He needed all the courage he could get to make the decisions he needed to make. 

*Baby wail* 

Kazeem came back from his meeting, the first thing he did was seek out his wife, he was angry. How dare they till him to cast her aside and get a new wife? He wasn’t going to do that. No. He found her in their royal chambers lying on the bed and his heart clenched he loved her so much he couldn’t bear to think of being with another woman, sharing the desires he’d had with his wife with another woman. That would crush her and he didn’t want that… he loved her too much to hurt her in that way. 

Yasmina stirred as she felt Kazeems hand on her and turned to look at him, he looked weary, and it saddened her he had stuck by her even though she couldn’t give him what he needed to become king. Tears sprang to her eyes and Kazeem wiped them away before they could fall saying “No.. don’t cry. It will happen for us. Okay? The Gods will bless us.” 

“I won’t do what they are asking me and you have nothing to worry about because you are my princess and my future queen nothing will change that.” 

When Kazeem wasn’t in his room looking after his daughter he spent his time out on the balcony, watching the city's people as they went on with their daily living oblivious to the drama hidden behind the walls of the palace. He envied them, wishing more than anything he could just be one of the city’s people, an overjoyed new father with nothing tainting his joy, but that was not his life. 

He sighed as he watched people buying at the market, parents holding their children’s hands, the vendors calling people to come buy from them and he smiled, he loved his kingdom and its people, his people. 

He was so engrossed in the sights before him taking his mind of all the things he needed to think about it wasn’t until his father cleared his throat announcing his presence that he was aware of he had been joined. “You need to make a decision Kazeem.” He as he turned to face his son studying his features intensely.

Kazeem’s features did not change and he did not turn to look at his father, there was a long-held silence as Kazeem continued looking out at the city “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be like everyone else? Think how simple things would be...” 

“There is no sense in wishing for a life you cannot have.” he snapped feeling impatient as his sons' nonchalance, “You are running out of time Kazeem. A decision needs to be made.” 

By Adebola Isimijola, LagosBarr. Alhaji Olanrewaju Kazeem has been inaugurated as Chairman of the Technical Board of the National Anti-Doping Centre (NADC), with a pledge to uphold integrity, transparency and fairness in Nigerian sports.Kazeem was inaugurated alongside the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre, Alhaji Mainasara Ilo, and other members of the Board by the Secretary to the…