Tayo said, "Folake, your whole uniform is soaked. That man has no heart beating inside his expensive chest."
Folake replied, "Thank you, Tayo. This cloth will dry, but I will not forget one single drop tonight."
Lara answered, "Kayode, go and tell that girl sorry. What you did tonight has shamed even me before everyone."
Kayode said, "Apologize to a waitress, Lara? Poor people should thank me for any attention I give them."
Folake said, "Finally, the last guests are leaving this ship. The loud party is over, and quiet is coming back."
Tayo observed, "They are all gone now, Folake. Only we crew and that proud guest remain on this quiet ship."
Kayode demanded, "What a sweet night, Lara. Everybody on this ship now knows who is the richest man here tonight."
Captain said, "Enough tears, Folake. Tears never served anybody. Dry your face and think like your father's daughter."
Tayo said, "Cry it out, my sister. I am here with you. Nobody will mock you inside this small room."
Folake murmured, "Tayo, he poured champagne on my head like I am nothing, like my life has no value at all."
The seed of an idea grew in the silence between Folake and Tayo. Offshore lay an isolated island that appeared on navigation charts as a small stain of green surrounded by blue. In daylight it might have seemed like a place for a postcard, but the crew knew that empty shores could become dangerous quickly. Folake pictured Kayode there without an audience, without staff, without anyone to command. The thought frightened her and comforted her at the same time, and that confusion would shadow the days that followed.
Tayo said, "Listen, this cruise will pass a deserted island tomorrow night. No houses, no boats—only sand and palm trees."
Folake answered, "Show me that island on the chart again, Tayo. I want to see how far it sits from people."
Tayo said, "The small boat is quiet and ready below. It can carry one man to that island shore without any noise."
Folake replied, "And when he wakes on that empty beach, he will finally feel how small money becomes without people."
Tayo said, "We must be careful and patient, Folake. One wrong move can spoil everything we are planning this night."
Folake murmured, "Then we wait until he is deep asleep one night, and the sea will carry our plan quietly forward."
The following night, Folake lay awake while fragments of the party returned in their original order. She heard the commands again, the faint protest from Lara, and the laughter that had followed the falling champagne. The words had become so distinct in her mind that she could almost place each speaker in the room. None had been forgotten, not even the ones spoken by people who had wanted to help.
Her memory returned to Kayode's voice: "On your knees, girl, and clean it!"
Her memory returned to Lara's voice: "Kayode, please, let her stand up now. Everyone in this lounge is staring..."