“What do you mean your sister is gone?” The boy blinked back tears. She turned to her sister-in-law, firmly aware that her head was pounding, that her heart wouldn’t be able to cope with anything else. “Sister Fausa, where is my daughter?” “Calm down,” Fausat stepped forward. “You know you can’t worry too much because … Continue reading Losing Hope 11
The following days were hazy. She dreamt of half-naked masquerades and of rotten corpses. Woke up to her body having heated arguments with nurses and doctors. It felt like some else had taken possession of her, making her cry when there was no reason to cry. And scream when there appeared to be no … Continue reading Losing Hope 10
“How much did we drink last night?” Abike pulled the cover from her head when she realised it was Wale speaking. A half-naked Wale clad in his shorts. His jeans and shirt lay crumpled on the bedroom floor with what she recognised immediately as her pyjamas. A moan escaped her mouth when she peeked … Continue reading Losing Hope 9
Blinking back her tears, she adjusted her posture on the plain, dark-grey chair she was perched on in the interview room. DCI Strong jotted down notes whilst the other detective slammed questions freely at her as if she were Marvin himself. She tried to remember what the duty solicitor said to her before the … Continue reading Losing Hope 8
She crawled into bed hours after the funeral, too tired to feel anything. Wale and Mosun’s quiet voices were audible from the lounge; reaching her in calming bursts. They were the ones who begged her to go to bed. “We will tidy up in here,” one of them said. “You haven’t slept for days,” the … Continue reading Losing Hope 7
She woke up to strong baby kicks instead of the tugging pain she expected in her lower abdomen and a sound that hissed and beeped at interval. The white sheets and tall screens of St. Andrews hospital gave the room an eerie feel. A nurse was standing in front of her bed, asking her something … Continue reading Losing Hope 6
The thought of her daughter carrying her husband’s child even for a second filled her mouth with raw bile. This was what gave her the strength she needed to get off the floor. Doctor Rose was waiting for her at the nurse’s station. They met each other halfway. “I have been looking for you. Are … Continue reading LOSING HOPE 5b
Abike rushed to her daughter’s bed as soon as they got to the hospital. Hurried mumbling was all that the girl’s teacher, waiting in the passageway, got by way of a greeting. She hugged Foluke as soon as she saw her, bombarding her with questions she couldn’t hear herself asking. “Mum, I’m fine,” Foluke said, … Continue reading Losing Hope 5a
Abike stared at the red, plain clock in her room willing sleep to come. She had climbed into bed around midnight, utterly exhausted. Like last night though, her mind simply refused to settle. She couldn’t chase thoughts of Saheed and his family away. Saheed dreamt too much. He dreamt of a future where his … Continue reading Losing Hope 4
Abike watched her children tuck into their chicken-mayo sandwiches. Her son ate as if he hadn’t noticed she was still in her pyjamas. As if it was normal for her to serve them cold sandwiches for their dinner. Her daughter did not take bites out of her sandwiches the way her son did. She picked … Continue reading Losing Hope 3
“Am I okay to make myself a cup of tea in your kitchen?” Cindy, the police liaison officer, asked. She had a tender smile on her face. “Shall I make you one, too?” Abike nodded, partly because the woman’s answers to her questions had been unhelpful and partly because she wanted to be on her … Continue reading Losing Hope 2
Abike saw them as soon as she walked into her house; the hefty, black travel bag and the holdall that often held her husband’s cameras and PlayStation. Yes, his eyes had finally opened, he was leaving her. They had only been married nine months. They were happy. Apart from the recent nights, he had chosen … Continue reading Losing Hope
Andrew was standing between her and her front door. He had stopped walking towards her. But the look on his face wasn’t the friendly one that she’d come to expect from the Portuguese man. Sade knew she needed to stay calm. But inside, her heart was doing somersaults. It didn’t help that the pain ravaging … Continue reading Naija Heels on Cobbled Streets – Final Part
Sade’s tears gushed like rain droplets after a long drought, refusing to cease until Niyi put his arms around her. “It was my fault those men did what they did to me.” Even though the light was off, she knew he was avoiding her eyes. He held her head close to his chest. “I was … Continue reading Naija Heels on Cobbled Streets 16
Ebira – Kogi and Edo State Ohunene’s gaze remained fixed on the masquerade, dazzled by the way his decked limbs and sticks moved to the rhythmic beats of the drums. He leapt, making it seem as if he was floating on air for a few seconds. His skills entranced her. But it was the firm … Continue reading Ochuga’s Girl