"Been stabbed in my heart deeply so much that I learned how to smile while I Bleed."
-Lemzy Dre.

If asked to describe the particular day in question, one could begin with the drizzling outside, the cold, and how lazy the morning felt. A lizard had even managed to enter the house through the torn window screens, bobbing its head at the far end of the wall, close to the ceiling. May did not seem to notice.

Her mind was filled with so many unanswered questions as she weaved Maryam's black hair
into five big braids.

"Have you done your homework?" May asked. It was better starting off a conversation instead of thinking of what horror Monday had planned for her. Another quarrel? More beatings? Who knows? She might be wrapped up like a mummy and sent to her early grave. The thought alone was enough to eat her up.

"I have, since I came back from school on Friday," Maryam answered.

"Are you sure that if your teacher marks it, you're going to pass?"

Maryam nodded, "It's simple addition. As simple as the name implies."

May was impressed. During the weekend, she was too occupied with other things, so she had
little to no time for her daughter.

"Done," May announced, referring to the hair she had just finished making.

"Thanks, Mommy."

"Thank, God."

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful as always my child."

"Thank you."

Edric entered with a small smile tugging on his lips. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"Good morning." May greeted. She bent down to help Maryam with her school socks but it was
mostly to avoid looking at his face.

"Good morning, Daddy."

"Morning, sweetie." He held his hand out to brush his thumb against Maryam's cheek. She
turned her face away from him. The simple act surprised him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm not. I'm not happy with you." She crossed her arms against her chest in annoyance, pouted, and puckered her bottom lip out to show how annoyed she was.

"Why?"

"You always make Mommy cry. Why Papa?"

Edric couldn't utter a word. His mouth slightly parted out of shock. May looked up to see his
facial expression but immediately regretted it when their eyes locked. She looked down immediately acting like she was so engrossed in buckling Maryam's shoes.

"Why, Papa?" Maryam didn't seem to notice the awkwardness her question was creating so she
repeated.

"Uhm," May coughed, intentionally bringing Maryam's questioning eyes to her face.

"Maryam, little kids don't talk about these things. It's something only adults talk about okay?"

Maryam hesitated for a while before giving a nod.

May took in a short breath out of relief. "Good. Now, Daddy wants to leave for work so why not
help him get his suitcase from his room?"

May watched as Maryam obediently walked out to her father's room, oblivious to the fact that that was her mother's way of asking her to leave so she wouldn't ask another question.

"Is that what you discuss with our daughter?"

May closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath and then ignored his question whilst moving her
head from one side to the other so it made a cracking sound.

"I'm talking to you, am I not, May?"

Still no response. It was getting to his nerves.

"So it has reached the extent where you tell my daughter lies about me because you want her to hate me?"

She rubbed her forehead, feeling her head pound with his stupid questions. She just wished he
would shut up.

He took a few steps towards her, "Are you deaf? Answer me!"

She stood up abruptly.

"Stop it!" She yelled then realized that yelling would only cause more problems, so she quickly
added with a quiet voice. "Please... it's too early for this."

"Daddy. Your suitcase." Maryam interrupted, giving him his suitcase.

"Oh! Maryam, go and bring your sweater." May instructed so she would leave again.

They stared at each other like they were competing once she left.

Edric finally lost, blinking his eyes while using his hand to finger comb his full and quite long beard that sat on his chin. He was trying to placate his rising temper.

"You know what? I don't have time for this," he sighed. "This is the money I promised." He
placed a bundle of naira notes on the table in front of him.

The money was enough to surprise May as her eyes grew double it's normal size.

She was about to say 'thank you' when the room door creaked open, distracting her. Bella came
in holding the only umbrella in the house.

"Honey, let's go." She said, not even sparing May a glance while waiting for Edric to join her.

May watched them through the window as they locked hands and went out with Edric holding
the umbrella.

May sighed. How long was she going to keep up with all this? It was becoming unbearable.

The rain began pouring heavily by the time May and Maryam were outside. She locked the door and slipped the key under the flower vase.

"Mummy, how will I go to school without an umbrella? My uniform will get soaked." Maryam complained.

"Don't worry I'll find a way," May told her, bringing out her phone from her purse to dial Iby's.

"But, Mommy, why does it rain anyway these days?"

"It's the raining season."

"So that means the rain would not stop 'till night?"

"Probably," May replied with a tight voice. "I don't know but please, Maryam, stop asking
questions. I'm making a call here."

Maryam remained quiet and watched as her mother spoke over the phone. She stayed quiet,
even as another question rose up. Who was on the other end of the call?

"Hello, Iby. It's raining and I want to take my daughter to school." There was a pause as May listened to the person from the other end. "Yes. I mean no. I don't have an umbrella. Can you help? Yes. Thanks."

May pulled the phone away from her ear, signifying the end of the call, and dropped it inside her purse.

"Mummy, is someone coming to pick us up?" A curious Maryam asked.

"Yes. A friend of mine. His name is Iby. He'll come to pick us up in like ten minutes' time, okay?"

"Okay."

"Thank you so much for coming to our aid. If it weren't for you, we would have been drenched
by now." May said, closing the door by the passenger's side.

"It's nothing." Iby smiled. "I pray to do more in the future."

May looked behind her. Maryam was in the backseat of the car engrossed with the novel she'd
been reading. This time May got to see the book's title, Precious Little Darlings.

"Maryam..." May drawled. "Have you greeted my friend?"

"Oh! Sorry." Maryam looked up from her novel in time to catch her mother giving her the 'behave yourself' look.

"Good morning Uncle."

Iby simply nodded. His eyes concentrating on the road ahead. The rain was beating on the
windscreen, making the surface moist and hard for him to see through, but they managed
thanks to the windshield wiper.

"I'm sorry for my daughter's misbehavior. She isn't always like that. It's just the book she is
reading-"

"May, it's okay."

May forced a smile. It wasn't okay at all. She really wanted her daughter to be on her best
behavior and since it was her first time meeting Iby, greeting him without being reminded would have impressed him.

She snapped her eyes back to Maryam. "And will you put that book inside your bag? What is
wrong with you, sef? What is with all this reading?"

"Haba, May. Give the child a break. You are complaining she's reading too much but when she
stops reading now, you'll still complain. Just let her be." Iby defended on behalf of Maryam,
earning the daughter's smile.

She also wondered why her mother was being so cranky about the whole issue.

May breathed out, dropping the topic. She rested her back on the chair and hugged herself. She
gradually relaxed.

Their conversation drifted into silence.

Iby's eyes were on the road, his hand moving the wheel as he swerved past the roundabout.
Maryam was still reading her novel, laying in a sleeping position while May busied herself with looking at passers-by, feeling relieved that she and Maryam weren't the ones running for cover until the rain stopped like them.

Some women wore black nylon, some shower caps, a few others had their jackets over their heads to protect their newly plaited hair from getting wet, and some had their heads protected under their umbrellas, minding their business.

People started making conversation with others who had an umbrella, just so they could get in. Some were lucky, some not so much.

May shook her head. Amidst all of them, the only people she pitied were the kids with no
guardian in their different school uniforms clustered on the roadside, running up and down to find shelter.

She knew she was lucky. If it weren't for Iby, she would have also been a victim.

They pulled in front of Maryam's school building. There was a signboard at the side of the gate
displaying the name, 'GATEWAY SUCCESS GROUP OF SCHOOLS' with bold letters. Underneath was their motto: knowledge is power.

Maryam jumped out of the car happily, carrying her backpack. Fortunately for her, the rain had
subsided.

"Thank you, Uncle." She gave Iby a smile.

He returned her smile, "You're welcome."

"Uhm, start moving, you're already late." May chipped in. "Stay out of trouble. Listen to your teacher, and take care of yourself."

"Yes, Mommy," Maryam said, waving as she walked to her school gate.

Iby and May watched her retreating figure, waving back.

"So... I know I said I wanted us to meet at two today but," he trailed off. "Do you have anything going on now?"

May thought for a while. "Hmm... I think I do but it can wait."

A lopsided smile graced Iby's brown lips, exposing his set of pearly white teeth. "My house it is, then."

The danger zone. That was the first thing that came into May's mind once Iby drove the car onto
the rough-looking street.

Young boys and girls around May's age were dressed in immodest rags. Some stood in
small circles either with a cigarette or a bottle of whiskey in hand. The deadly glares some of the ladies gave her as the car past them sent chills down her spine.

She just hoped she hadn't made the wrong decision following Iby to his home. He is still a stranger.

This part of the state looked like it hasn't rained yet. A cloud was forming a dark circle overhead,
so perhaps it might fall sooner or later.

"Do you have anything of value here? I mean, this area ain't safe."

May shot him a panicked look. "What do you mean? You could've told me your area wasn't safe so I wouldn't have bothered following you here."

"Calm down. You're safe." Iby asserted, running a hand through his locks. "As long as I am here
with you, you're safe."

"Then why did you sound like you were giving me some sort of warning if you know that I would
be safe with you?" She queried in one breath.

"Well... I didn't mean it that way. What I meant to say was that you should clasp your purse tighter to yourself to avoid being mugged again." He drove past a group of people playing chess
in front of a beer parlour. "But I haven't seen any idiot here that could see me and you together
and still decide to rob you."

May rolled her eyes. Admitting in her head that all that he had said made no sense. "So what are you? A lion?"

Iby gave her an amused look for her sarcastic comment and then broke into a short laugh, using
one fist to cover his mouth while the other worked with the wheel.

"You have no idea."

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