"Hi," She said, removing her shade and smiling. "Hello" Lanre replied and smiled too. They both shook hands and Lanre was offered a seat.
" I am Margret Davies but I am popularly known as Mag D" the woman introduced herself.
From Lanre's angle of assessment, she should be a woman in her late fifties or early sixties.
Despite the makeup, she still has a wrinkled face. Her cheeks seemed to sag and her entire body looked weak and aged.
But she had heavy makeup on and wore a golden necklace and earrings. She had a gold ring on her finger and seemed to be a perfectionist.
Lanre gave her a brief assessment and looked away calmly. He took the seat opposite Ms. Mag D and was not yet done fixing herself and allowing Lanre to introduce himself.
She took out a mirror and examined her look. She touched her nose and applied a little blush on her saggy cheeks, murmuring that she needed to look good.
Lanre was getting irritated already. Doesn't she know she needed to do all these before he arrived? Does she think she's as young as a woman in her twenties?
Why is she dressing so sophisticated and trying to imitate a young woman? She is suffering from the dysmorphic disorder.
But does she even know it is a mental disorder? He sneered and sat with his fist supporting his chin while he looked at the woman in front of him.
He wondered if she knew something about that woman's death? The woman that is likely to be his mother. He waited until she was done and looked up at Lanre.
" I am Lanre Obi," he introduced himself. He remained quiet. Ms. Mag D then looked at him well and glanced at herself before asking.
" You said you were doing research. And you think I might be of help. So tell me, how may I help you?" She asked, adjusting her styled hair to be sure it's still in place.
"I'm glad you were able to spare some time to keep an appointment with me. To be sure I am talking to the right person, aren't you the director of the city orphanage in the year ** to**?" Lanre asked.
Mag D squinted. Why was he asking her about the workplace she left Many years ago? Anyways she answered yes.
"Though actually, my research is simple. I hope you cooperate well with me," Lanre stated.
Mag D became uncomfortable. Why is this fellow sounding like a detective? She hopes what has been forgotten and left behind will remain buried.
" You go ahead and start what you are here already" Mag D hastened him. She is beginning to be uncomfortable with the young man's presence.
Lanre smiled. Why the haste? he thought. Didn't she spend a few more minutes redressing herself and appearing with too much makeup?
And he waited for her. Now, she has to wait and answer his questions carefully. "When you were the director of the city orphanage, a baby was brought to you who was born one month old.
He was brought by an anonymous woman who didn't leave her information. I want you to tell me who that woman was?" Lanre asked.
Mag D raised herself to sit up and yelled at Lanre "who the hell are you? Are you truly a student on research or want to interrogate me?" She demanded.
"The interrogation is the research I am here for. I want you to give me appropriate answers. Then I will go my way and compile my final findings" Lanre sounded like a student truly.
"I don't know about any child brought to the orphanage" Mag D declined. She will never agree to know a thing about that boy or his mother.
"A large sum of money was donated to the orphanage and a message followed that it is the price for the child's life.
The source of the money was traced…" Lanre was going to continue when Mag D stood up hastily. " It's enough, I am no longer granting you an audience. You may leave now"
" I would advise that you sit down and cooperate with me, ma'am. You knew Who that person was after the source of the money was traced.
Why didn't you let someone know as well? What happened after that woman came saying the child was hers and you sent her away only for her to be knocked down by a reckless driver I heard.
You better sit down and tell me only the truth if you don't want to get to the police station and your long-forgotten secret would be exposed.
I will not say a word of it to anyone. Otherwise, all the evidence of your secret calls and meeting privately with that fellow will be exposed.
You called that certain person and said things like the boy's mother was here. What are you guys going to do" Lanre bellowed?
He would pass for a detective. He talked like he had been into crime investigation and had succeeded in unraveling many secrets.
Mag D gently took her seat. She stared at the young man seated in front of her. He knows a lot of things. Things that many people in the orphanage at the time did not know.
If she keeps denying it, it may end up being taken to the police station. All her years of reputation would go down the drain.
"Are you a detective?" She asked. She might be in trouble if this fellow decides to say anything about what he already knows.
"What difference does it make if I am a detective or not?" Lanre asked. He had a poker face. He was indeed behaving like a detective.
"I will tell you everything I know. But you must promise me something" Mag D demanded. She wants to be sure her secret is safe with him.
"Spill it Ms Mag" Lanre ordered. He wasn't interested in informing the police. He just wants her to tell him so he can find his family, that's all.
He can't possibly go to the police and say such things and he wouldn't want to appear to be a civilian before the woman.
"Don't hurt me or tell anyone about this secret. I have kept it in my heart and lived with it all these years…" Ms. Mag began