09:12 pm, September 7
Tokyo, Japan.

Eartha stabbed at the dish with the fork again, absently.

Her husband glanced up at her from his own meal. He'd noticed something had been bothering her since they arrived from work an hour ago but he hadn't asked, hoping she'd tell him at her own time, but he was beginning to get worried. She wasn't forthcoming with anything, so it was left up to him to ask her.

'Heart.' He dropped his fork and placed his hand over her outstretched one on the table. 'Is everything okay? Is something bothering you?'

Eartha looked up at him, pursing her lips. Took you long enough to realize, she said silently.

'Do I look like I'm okay?' she asked, instead.

Mide paused for a second, he hadn't been expecting that kind of answer. Was she in a dour mood today? He tried to remember when this had really started. She'd looked fine all day, at least to his knowledge, even when the conference meeting had dragged on hours longer than expected. They'd managed to secure a supply contract with a sideline conglomerate company and that'd put a big smile on her face. So, it must have been something that happened on the way home.

'Okay, what's up?'

'Well . . . I was just having a bad feeling again about leaving Adekunbi back in the village.'

'Oh, come off it! You can't be serious. She's totally fine.' He flicked a hand dismissively as though to dispel her fears.

'And why are you so sure? When was the last time you spoke to anyone in the village, ehn, tell me, Olumide?' Eartha had become intense all of a sudden.

Mide aspirated a sigh. 'Tangerine Tea,' he started mellowly. 'You know I tried Mother's phone the day before yesterday but it was switched off. She's okay, nothing could possibly go wrong with her back at Mother's place.'

Eartha lowered her gaze and turned her palm from under his so that her hand was now above. She rubbed absently at the back of his palm with her thumb.

'Sorry. I'm sorry, babes.'

'It's okay, she's okay, Rainbow Drip. Do you want to go to bed now? I'll clear the dishes.'

'Thanks.' She smiled gratefully and pushed back from the table. She stopped to smile at him once more and was gone. Her smile was sad.

Mide sat still for a few minutes, staring at nothing then stood up and packed the dishes to the partitioned kitchen.

He emptied the dishes of the Chinese takeout and loaded them into the washer. When he was done he contemplated going to sleep, but then something still bothering him, he went to the lounge room and pulled out his laptop from under the glass-topped coffee table and made a video call to Nigeria.

After what seemed like an hour his brother's face appeared on the screen. He was busy tearing into a fat, fried drumstick.

'Hello, how do you say hello in Japan? Aloha? No, that's Hawaiian. But then . . . '

'Femi,' Mide said in greeting.

'Hello, little brother. Shouldn't you be catching some zz's now?'

Yeah, but I've still got work. Are you at home?' He peered around the screen like it was possible to see beyond his brother and his plate of poultry.

'I'm at Mother's. Is everything alright?' Femi asked not looking the least bit concerned from his plate.

'At Mother's? God, that's a relief. I was thinking of how to ask you to go to the village.'

'What, bro? Why?' He glanced up.

'Eartha was worried she hadn't spoken to Adekunbi since we left her.'

'Oh, she's actually doing fine, o. She's even gone with Mother to the market.' Femi picked up a chicken wing.

Mide choked on his saliva. 'Wh— what? How could Mama let Adekunbi go to the market with her? That's dangerous, she's never been to one before, what if . . .'

'What if what? Millions of children go to the market every day, some on their own, and nothing has happened to them.'

'What do you know? It's not like you send your own to the market.' Mide's words were laced with cynicism.

'Whatever.' Olufemi scowled. 'Tell Eartha I said hi.' He started reaching for the keyboard.

'Wait! Don't you dare. You have to wait till they come back, you think I'd make this long-distance call just to watch you stuff yourself full of fat?When will they be back?'

Femi shrugged, his mouth full of food. 'It's not my fault you never liked chicken.'

'When will they be back?' Mide reiterated.

'Anytime from now.'

'And why're you at home, stuffing yourself? You should have at least taken them to the market. And why do you have all that to yourself? There must be at least three chickens on that plate.'

'What can I say?' Femi smiled. 'I'm the one who has time to visit the woman who gave birth to us.'

'Oh, you know I'd come if I had the time.'

'And I am the Queen of England. Olumide, if you swore, I still wouldn't believe you. Ìwọ, when was the last time you visited the village minusing when you brought your daughter?'

His brother was speechless, knowing Olufemi was right but he wasn't going to admit it.

He heard the opening and closing of a door and Femi looked away from the screen. 'Oh, look, here they are. Ẹ kááàbọ̀ mà.' He touched his free hand to the ground from his sitting position in greeting.

'Ẹ kúulé, ṣé daada la bayín?' Grandma replied.

'Bẹ́ẹ̀ni ma,' Femi replied. 'I thought you'd return earlier, ma?'

'Bẹ́ẹ̀ làń bini o, it was this child o. When we were done buying all we wanted and were on our way home, that's how I hailed a bike just for Eniiyi to refuse to get on. I was frustrated, no matter how much I coerced her she wouldn't get on. How can a ten year old be scared of okada when unborn babies ride it?'

Femi smiled at his mother's overstatement.

'Mama?' Olumide finally said.

'Olumide?' Mother's face appeared on the edge of the screen immediately followed by a much younger face.

'Daddy!' Eniiyi exclaimed, surprised and pleased but then remembered to scowl. It was his fault she was here and had had to go to the horrible place called market and was now dirty and sweating like a Christmas goat.

'Good afternoon, ma,' he said in greeting. 'Adekunbi, how are you?'

'Olumide, this is your face, and we thought you'd forgotten us here.'

'Au contraire, kò ríbẹ̀ ma,' he quickly infirmed. 'I have tried your number many times this week but it either didn't go through or was unavailable. It was even Femi I called this night and I was surprised it went through in that place.'

'Whatever you say.' His mother said. 'Say hello to our wife for me.' She stood upright and yawned. 'I think I'd go take my bath and midday nap now.' She turned to Femi. 'Tell Taiwo to sort out the foodstuff and pound yam for this afternoon.'

Eniiyi's face now filled the screen. She looked very curious and bewildered. 'Where's Mommy?'

'Oh, in bed.' Mide picked up the system and made for the bedroom.

'Daddy, it's night in Japan.' She stated the obvious.

'Nine twenty-six ,' Mide confirmed as he pushed open the bedroom door.

'What?' Eartha was up in bed, reading through some pink files under a bedside lamp.

'It's Adekunbi.' He thumbed  the light switch with one hand and light flooded the room. He squinted in the new light and finally went to sit beside his wife.

'Mommy,' Eniiyi said when her face finally came into view. 'When are you guys coming back?'

'Adekunbi, God, why do you look like that?' Her mother was properly dismayed. Which mother wouldn't be? She still had on the same braid as the last time she laid her eyes on her and it had bits of stuff clung to it with sweat. The poor girl looked like she'd just come back from chopping firewood. The very thought sent a chill of horror up her spine. She couldn't put it past them in that village to make a little girl do such tasks.

Eniiyi smiled and stretched to allay Mommy's fears. 'I'm okay, don't worry.' Then she winced, scowling as aches wracked all over her body. 'It's your fault I'm in this place! Why do you bother to ask how I am when you don't really care? I don't even want to talk to you again, leave me alone!' She started to stand up, but Uncle Felix pulled her back down.

'Àwé, calm down, o. You can't walk out on them like that.' He held her to the chair.

She struggled against him. 'But I hate them, they don't like me. They put me in this place and then . . .'

'Adekunbi, that's not true . . .' Eartha started.

Eniiyi turned her fiery gaze to her. 'It isn't? Really, it isn't? Then why did you leave me here after I begged you not to? Why did you leave me in this nightmare of a place? Do you know how hard it is for me to try to adapt to a place that is unadaptable? And why didn't you go back for my tablet?'Her voice broke but she still managed to look fiercer.

'Pea Blossom, you . . .'

'Liar, you're . . . liar! . . . hate . . . never see . . ..gain!' The video was going fuzzy and distorted. The network was starting to fluctuate.

'Adekunbi!' Eartha cried as if in pain and started to reach for the screen when suddenly it went blank and the disconnect tone beeped.

Mide stared silently as his wife tried to call back but he knew it wouldn't go through. It was the network at the village acting up again and it could go out like this for hours. They'd only been lucky to call in it's rare moments of activeness.

He draped a calming arm across her shoulders and drew her to him. She was crying. It seemed like she was turning into an automatic watering system these days. Press an emotional button and she spilled. He gently rocked her to stop her crying he himself looking worried.

He really needed to do something about this, whatever it was, and fast.