The next day came. Bisola sat in the living room, waiting for the yam she was boiling with Titi get done when she looked at Itunu again.

Yesterday, when she was with Bode and saw (or thought she did) Itunu behind the door, she wasn't even sure. And she wouldn't have really thought she saw her if it wasn't for the way Itunu was acting towards her today.

Nobody else could see it, but Itunu had been avoiding her gaze since. She was fidgety towards her and avoided talking to her. She didn't call her "pregnant woman" today. Whenever Bisola tried to talk to her, she pretended as if she didn't hear.

So, Bisola thought, she must have seen them last night.

So? So? She was only a child that didn't understand anything. She better not have been judging me in her mind. Bisola wondered if she should feel embarrassed, because she truly didn't. She knew Itunu wouldn't dare tell her husband.

Or would she?

Bisola kissed her teeth. She had to keep this situation under control, and fast.

Bisola walked into the kitchen to check on the yam. Titi was washing some plates in the sink. Bisola walked to the gas cooker, opened the pot of yam, saw that it was almost done and closed it back.

"Titi, go and bring some eggs from the store."

Titi nodded and left the kitchen.

She walked to the store---it was outside the house, an extra building beside the house--- and was about to enter when somebody touched her shoulder.

It was Bode.

She was frightened at first, but then she smiled. "Ah, Bode. You scared me."

"How are you?" He said.

"I'm fine. You're just enjoying."

He knew what she was talking about. She was doing all the work while he was having fun pretending he was sick.

He tried to take her mind off that, "You look beautiful today, like always." And then he stole a squeeze at her breast.

She slapped his hand away, but she secretly enjoyed it and wanted to stay for even more. She even considered it. But then she shook her head, "Bode, no. I have to get eggs. Mummy Dami is waiting."

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Bisola was alone, breathing in the scent of her food when she saw something.

Just then, Titi walked in.

"Titi," Bisola said, "You didn't tell me that Tamilore had a timetable. Does she use it?" The timetable was drawn on a cardboard. Bisola ran her hand over the surface. It had stew and ewedu stains on it and Bisola touched the ripped edge.

"When Oga and Madam first got married she used to use it Ma," Titi said.

"Okay," Bisola nodded. "Oya, come and break these eggs."

* * *

Later that day, Itunu was delighted when she saw her phone screen lit up,  checked the caller ID and saw that it was her mother. She picked the call happily.

"Finally," her mother said. "I've been trying to call you since all these days," her mother dragged out the "all these days, "And finally it goes through today. How are you?"

"I'm fine Mummy. How are you too? How's work? When are you coming back?"

They talked for a while, with only a few minor interruptions from the bad network. And then they were silent for a while.

Then her mother said, "The last time you called me, you were trying to say something. About Hameed, I think..."

"Yes, yes Mummy." Then her voice lowered, "Mummy, Hameed is missing."

For the first two seconds her mother did not say anything.

"Missing? What? H-how?"

Itunu sighed, "We woke up on the morning after his naming ceremony and couldn't find him."

"And nobody could tell me this?"

"Mummy," Itunu said, "Everybody has been too worried to call anybody. Besides the network in Ijebu Igbo. So much has happened. The police came and locked---chained the whole house, said nobody can go out."

She paused, wondering if she should tell her mother what she saw last night. Something told her to leave it out, so she did.

"Wow," her mother said. "This is so terrible! God! Who could have done this to us? A new baby!"

Itunu stayed silent, unsure of what to say.

She lowered her voice again, "I'll be back in two to three weeks."

"Okay Mummy."

"So you mean if I want to come and take you now, I can't?"

"You can't, Mummy. The police themselves were the ones that locked the house," Itunu said.

"Wow! But how come? Is there an outsider in the house? Did they not see the boy before they slept? You know what, let me call Tamilore. You don't worry. Itunu, I'll talk to you later." With that, she hung up.

* * *

A day passed after that. Itunu was in her room, getting ready to sleep. She had changed into her pyjamas and was now on her bed. She picked up her phone and began scrolling through her social media.

She opened her twitter, went to Messages and saw that she had a new request. She clicked on it and saw that it was from an account with username "Bso4462256".

"Whatever you may have seen, I don't care. Just keep your mouth shut, if you know you like yourself and your life."

Her mouth fell open after she finished reading it. Immediately, her eyes glanced to the door. She had not locked it. She rushed to it and locked it.

Who could have sent her this message? Or was it just a prank?

Whatever you may have seen...

She had seen something two days ago, something she forcefully pushed to the back of her mind because she couldn't believe it was real.

Mummy Dami and...and...Bode?!

Was that real, or was it a dream?

That night, she had gone to the kitchen for water. She had a cold and she didn't want water from the fridge, she wanted to take ordinary pure water. She stopped when she heard voices. Mummy Dami and Bode, in the kitchen.

She would have thought it to be a normal thing if it wasn't the low tones they were both speaking in. She decided to peer through the pee hole, and she saw them embracing each other, a pregnant Mummy Dami in Bode's arms.

It was truly disgusting. How? How did that happen? Her child was in this house! Her husband too! What was she looking for in a house help, for that matter? Itunu could not believe it. She was sleepy, so maybe it was a dream.

Itunu read the message she just received, and wondered if it was sent from her aunt. She didn't think it was a dream anymore.

Meanwhile, Tamilore was in her room, thinking about something.

There was a day she had woken up crying. She was in the living room, and Tiwa was pacifying her.

Tamilore remembered smelling Kola's perfume on her body. Its scent was so strong, that it had to be that she used the perfume, or he hugged her for a long time...and Tamilore knew Tiwa would never use a man's perfume.

She was perplexed. What is going on in this family?

* * *

He was in the bathroom, under the bright, white lights. He had peeled off all his clothes, leaving nothing at all. He stared at his body, grimacing.

He cringed. His whole body was a mass of red and orange burnt flesh. The rot had spread to all parts of his body. He could hardly see any brown skin anymore. And God, it hurt like hell. He imagined what would happen if he tried to pour water on his body.

Yet, he was forced to cover it up, to make sure nobody knew about what was happening to him. He couldn't dare tell anybody.

His friend had warned him of what would happen. How did he let this happen? Why did he do this to himself? He felt tears rolling down his cheeks, and then he began to sob. This is death, he thought. His whole body ached like hell. He wondered what this would graduate to, few days from now.