"What do you need the money for?" His eyes were red like he was drunk on spirits, but really her father was only drunk on his anger.

"Ha? Egbami ke?" Ireti's mother shook her head while clapping simultaneously. "Is it not my money? What do you mean what do I need it for? Didn't you say you were going to pay back? When you collect the money you're expecting, give me what you owe me o!"

"Better shut your dirty mouth!" He roared. "Do you know the sacrifices I've made for you and your children. And you're here shouting because of how much?"

Ireti rolled her eyes and sighed, wishing her earbuds had not spoilt so she could block out the argument. It was not the first time this week they had fought over the loan he had taken on her mother's account with promises of paying when year ended.

Her grandfather had died and the burial was a few months ago. As the first son, the responsibility fell to him naturally. Here was the problem though— her father never had savings. His income was at the end of every year; a mighty huge sum that could go a long way if invested properly but all he believed in doing was settling the bills he couldn't avoid, avoiding the ones— like the loan he took, he could avoid and then spending the rest... In ways that made it seem like his village people and spirits took it away from him. In fairness, he did give his village people some.

He took the loan to sort out burial arrangements with her mother's bank, the agreement being that he would pay back the money at the end of the year but of course, he did not want to now that she reminded him. The year was coming to an end in a few weeks and he was avoiding that payment by exerting his authority as "man" of the house.

Ireti would have preferred the word, "chicken".

"Tell me, what sacrifices have you made?" The tears were so close to pouring from her mother's eyes and she understood the pain. Having her salary deducted by the bank every month that the rest was barely enough to provide for the five of them.

"Why are you even making mouth because of it? Have you not finished paying the loan? Hasn't the bank stopped deducting your salary?"

"Does that mean you should not pay me back?"

"Tell me what you need the money for."

"Are you trying to tell me I cannot have savings? Money that I worked for."

"Better shut your dirty mouth," he hissed. "Because you're earning change monthly, you want to prove that you're something."

"Ika ní yin ọ," he's mother laughed, shaking her head. "If I had known...I would have allowed you to go through humiliation on your father's burial. After all, it is what you did when mine died."

Her mother was not wrong though, her father had not contributed a dime to her mother's fathers burial but that wasn't the humiliation. It came from the fact that he refused to attend the burial because God showed him something the day of the wake keep which he attended. And of course, he never even wanted to attend the wake keep but had to because her grand aunt had called on the day of the ceremony.

Her mother had rallied round during his own father's burial, done everything she could in support but her father never did anything in return.

"Who humiliated who?" He advanced towards her mother, making Ireti momentarily scared that he would attack physically. "When on the wake keep you were acting like a slut! Why would you be hugging another man in front of all those people? Is that what the church taught you? You're hugging Demola and Solape in my presence. If you don't know, you're embarrassing yourself in front of the church."

Demola was her mother's stepbrother, Solape was her mom's younger brother. Not step brother.

Ireti turned to her younger brother who stared with a blank expression. He was barely nine and she badly wanted to know what was going on in his head. Her father was leaving a bad example for him and she wondered what kind of man he would grow up to be. Someone like their father because that was what he was taught, or someone different from his father because he saw the hell his mother faced.

"Come, the fun science guy released a new video," She said, taking his hands and leading him out of the living room while their parents argued back and forth. She took him to her room— the one she shared with her sister who was supposed to be on holidays, but she has decided do stay back in school. If not that ireti's hostel was being renovated, she would have stayed in her own university as well. She shut the door, drowning out the noise a little and put her phone on the loudest volume as they watched.

"Someone is calling you," Gabriel pointed at the phone screen that showed a caller ID suddenly. "Who is sugar ant?"

"It's Tobi." Tobi was the sister she shared a room with. That was her nickname because she had an unhealthy obsession with sweets. "My sugar!" She exclaimed as she picked the call, not expecting to be met by frantic sobs that were not even her sister's.

"Um... So I saw you as a recent person on Tobi's phone. Her mom and dad aren't picking."

Of course they weren't, they were too busy arguing.

"Hope no problem?" Ireti's heart was in her mouth as she asked, moving away so that Gabriel couldn't hear.

"Um... Can... Can I just know who I'm speaking with?"

"I'm her sister... Ireti."

"Oh... Ireti." There was a hint of recognition at her name. "I... My Name is Adaora, I'm hostel neighbors with your sister... we're good friend's actually. Tobi... I had to rush her to the hospital this night. I don't know if she's going to make it."

Ireti wanted to erupt, with all the emotions flooding her but she needed to be calm, for her brother's sake. She closed eyes and took a deep breath. "Why? What happened?"

Several thoughts were whirling in her head. For what reason could her sister be dying?

"I was supposed to go to the club with my boyfriend... I was at his house but did not like my outfit so I said let me get something else from my hostel to wear. Thank God he followed me o..." She broke into a series of sobs and sniffs. "Ah, God!

"Calm down," Ireti said even though she was the one who needed those words. "What happened..."

"I don't know if she told you about this Emmanuel boy..."

"Go on." Ireti knew about the Emmanuel because her sister was a yapper. She turned every two minutes interaction with a stranger into an hour phone call with her.

Emmanuel was one of those strangers, but the interaction was nothing good. He had seen her during the holidays before this at church. He was one of those brothers in the choir who always flocked around girls. He was friendly and asked what hostel she stayed but Tobi was skeptical about telling him because all hostels were off campus but within the same vicinity. She did not want any disturbance but told him her hostel to avoid him hounding her.

He usually pestered her whenever he saw her but she was quick to avoid and dismiss conversations. She remembered Tobi telling her he asked if she lived alone  and if she was going this holidays and ìrètí had scolded her on it, but in Tobi's defense, there was no use in lying. Almost everyone in her hostel knew she lived alone so it was easy for him to find out since he was in a hostel close to theirs.

"But we came and he was coming out from her room," She sniffed again. "And me I know Tobi very well... She does not use to give people face."

"Okay?"

"I sha saw he was trying to hide his shirt so I just jokingly teased... Like him and Tobi now... But my mind was telling me to just check on her because she said he was creepy..." She coughed and sniffed again. "That's how I entered her room o... Ah God!" Adaora was crying hysterically, almost like she could not be stopped, but eventually she continued. "That's how as I opened the door, this boy suddenly wanted to run. My boyfriend— Alex now held him. As I opened the door I saw Tobi... She was naked... Blood... There was knife on the floor... Ah ọmọ. Imagine we didn't come back? Or imagine I was alone? He would have gone like that because all the hostels are scanty."

Don't break down, Ireti told herself.

"Where's she now?"

"The hospital... Not school own o. This private hospital nearby like this sha."

"Wow... Um, okay. I'll... I'll... What can..." She did not know what words to say ans she was trying so hard to fight the tears that were sitting at the rim of her eyes. "Can... She's not conscious?"

"Not at all..."

"What's going on with the bills? Can you maybe send an address for the hospital as well."

"Okay. This number is on WhatsApp right?"

"Yes."

"What hospital address?" Gabriel was quick to ask when she put the phone away from her ears. "Ire, what happened?"

"Tobi is kind of sick," she lied and then looked away immediately. She could still hear her parents yelling in the living room, although now, it was more of her father's voice and not her mother's.

Ireti had no idea how she was going to break the news to her parents. One thing she knew not to do was interrupt then whenever they had arguments. She sighed and then debated on whether to text her other siblings or to interrupt her parents fight.

She decided on the latter.

"Tobi is dying." Ireti's voice was flat, lacking any form of emotion when she uttered those words as soon as she got to the living room. She still couldn't believe it herself. Her sister who was synonymous to an angel had been brutalized that way by a member of her church.

"Ehn?" It was her mom that exclaimed. Her father only blinked at her. "What did she tell you?"

"I didn't speak to her. Her neighbor called and said they've taken her to the hospital. As at this night."

"Blood of Jesus! But she wasn't sick, how, why?" Hee mom was pacing around the living room now, looking for her phone where she kept it.

Ireti was not exactly sure if she should mention the situation surrounding her sister's death or let her parents find out themselves. Rape was a touchy subject; a word she did not want to utter but what difference was it going to make when they were both going to find out later.

"She was raped by a church member," she continued flatly.

"Whose fault is that one now?" Her father roared. "Shebi we have always warned you people not to go to corners with boys."

"It happened in her fucken room!" Ireti snapped at him, her skin crawling in irritation. "He raped her and almost killed her in her own room. What do you mean whose fault is that?"

"Better watch the way you speak to me, you foolish thing!" Her father's hand connected with her face immediately, sending her flying across the room. She hit her head painfully against the wall. "Is that my fault? Why would she bring a boy into her room?"

"You don't even trust Tobi," Ireti laughed, shaking her head. "Of all people bring a boy into her room? Do you even know your daughter at all? I may not know what happened but it is quite obvious he found a a way to corner her. Maybe she went out and as she was coming he cornered her into her room and it happened but you're here, still finding a way to blame her for it."

"This—"

"Shut your mouth!" She screeched, taking the nearest cushion and flinging it at her father. "Your daughter was raped...dying and you're looking for who to blame instead of thinking of how to get to her?"

"You don't disrespect me in my own house you bastard!" He roared, knocking everything on the centre table away. The glass vase flew, landing close to Ireti as it shattered.

"You're a very foolish woman!" This time, he was referring to her mother. "When you refuse to listen to me as the head of the house. Did I not tell you to tell your daughter to come back home? And what did I say about her living alone. God showed me a bad dream about her staying back for the holidays—"

"May you burn in hell." Ireti's voice had unveiled disgust and hatred as she spat at her father. "Why would she want to come back home to a father like you? And when you even said she should come home could you afford the flight money? After all you're the same person that had a dream that there would be an accident on the road so she should book a flight... Or were you just looking for ways to avoid your responsibilities."

"Ireti shut your mouth!" Her mother screamed. "You don't talk to your father like that!"

"Father?" She cackled. "Like it's the first time he has opened his mouth to call me a bastard. I don't—"

She didn't see the belt coming, the sharp metal hook grazing her face painfully. It wasn't going to end there until he felt like he had taught her a lesson.

"Is this how you will be talking to your husband in the future? You have no respect for authority! You're just..."

She drowned out the words, feeling dizzy each time the belt connected with her skin. She would cry, but not now. Never in front of a man.