Edo state, BC: Somewhere in Okhun

In an immaculate room, sunlight smouldered Naomi Edokpa's irises as she primped in front of the mirror, her body giddy with nervous excitement.
She'd used the bathroom a couple of times, since her bladder managed to refill in a matter of minutes.

It was past one, by her table clock. Soon the doorbell would ring, annoucing the tall, dark and...average looking reason behind this hassle.

But for now, Naomi couldn't decide between the floral chiffon dress she was wearing and another of smiliar style, only the colours differed. While the favoured violet dress gathered at the waist, beautifully accentuating slender hips from its unobstructive flow to her ankles, the dark blue alternative clung to her arms and bossom uncomfortably.

A size too small, maybe. Wathoni was on the petite side and small-breasted in comparison, so it came as surprise when this gem fit much better than Lucy's choice. Besides, the other dress didn't agree with her very dark brown skin.

I swear that girl would have me walk naked to get a man's attention.

Barefooted, she rushed to grab the only pair of heels from a dilapitated shoe rack-- another gift from Wathoni as well on her sixteenth birthday for future shoes yet to be bought. She quickly strapped them on, feeling taller. Then Naomi reappeared in front of the mirror. Suddenly confident, she struck a pose, holding her kinky hair up, puckering her full lips coloured pink and angling a leg.

"I look deformed!" She huffed. Naomi sneered at her reflection. Why did it always seem forced?

They always teased her rigidity in pictures, which partly contributed to an early adversion towards anything with a camera, especially when she was captured unaware---something Lucy was fond of doing.

All this for a date?! It was the first in three years since her last breakup, and Chris, her date, had been doggedly persistent until she'd eventually agreed, her girlfriends serving as badgering catalysts, favouring him for some reason. Just give me a chance, he had told Naomi while she gathered her things for home one rainy evening at the library.

As trite as it seemed, enscounced in a resturant with the gawking, fumbling guy felt altogether new, both uncomfortable and refreshing.

As soon as we're done, i'll have enough time to--

To do what?

A rap on her door before it was pushed wide open, startled Naomi from fussing with her hair.

"Is he here?" Noami asked William, her younger brother, who was leaning against the door frame, arms folded, eyes glazed over beneath bushy brows. His polo shirt was partly tucked into his khaki shorts, and she thought he looked like a goofy child for once.

"No," he replied disinterestedly.

Relieved, Noami twirled and turned to him fully, smiling self consciously. "How do i look?"

Sweeping his gaze over her figure, William sighed, clearly umpressed. He shook his head. "Is this the best you can do?"

Noami deflated, her smile falling off, a hand on her hip. "What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, glaring at him. " I put more effort into this than my education! More effort than i usually do.At least give me some credit!"

"I agree you did put in a lot of work for today, but it's still far too modest and, quite frankly, tacky."

"Since when did you become a fashion expert?" Noami grumbled, picking up her purse from the bed and walking past him, chin jutted upwards in defiance.

William stepped aside for Noami to lock her door before replying, " You don't need to be one to recognise shabby dressing. What exactly do your girlfriends help with? So far, nothing has improved."

Only he can disparage years of friendship like that. Naomi thought. They walked to the living room, William standing far taller. There was a time when she had been the tallest of her siblings, then suddenly, as if overnight, the boys experienced a growth spurt. Now she was forever gazing up at them, heels or not.

"I'll have you know that Wathoni gave me this dress." Naomi said proudly, flopping on a chair she had pulled over to the window, where a watchful eye could be kept outside for Chris' Sedan.

Across from her, at the dinning table, William had spun a chair backwards and straddled it, his feet riding the spindles. He rested his chin on top folded arms over the top rail, smiling wryly. " Explains the poor taste. It also explains why she's single. And Lucy?" He scoffed. " Don't get me started on that extremist. If you ask me, i say do away with them. Get yourself some useful persons."

" Well, no one asked you." Naomi retorted with an eye roll. The woman from the opposite apartment came out at a fishmonger's hearty yell. She watched them dicker over the price. "Mind you, they are a lot older than you, so i won't tolerate any contemptous remarks about them. It's fine if you don't like them, but that's where i draw the line. Understand little man?"

He was anything but little. William had their father's phsique; even at the early age of sixteen, his shoulders were broad and arms muscular. He was also enviously hairy, already growing a fine beard, which he took pride in primping-- It made him look far older than his age and William prided in that as well, especially when people mistook him for the senior child instead of her, which happened quite often.

When he didn't respond, Naomi shot him a withering look.

"Whatever." William answered begrudgingly.

After an interminible silence, Naomi sighed a deep, troubled sigh.

"What is it?" William asked. He had brought out his phone and was busily typing.

"I don't know. "

"Is the date bothering you? Cancel it then."

No, that's not it.

" I'm not owing you money or anything, right?"

William spared her a glance.He grinned mischievously. "Of course, you are. Over fifty thousand."

"That's a no, then." Noami murmured, trying to recollect the activities she had planned for today. A list was usually prepared beforehand. Two days prior, she'd written everything that required attention in the coming week and tacked the pink paper to her board---she was certain of it. Except, it hadn't been there this morning.

I'm sure there's something ---

"He's here." William announced suddenly. He was standing in front of her and looking out the window at a black Sedan that had just rolled into the compound.

At the sudden intrusion of his voice into her thoughts, Naomi shook her head, blinking as though in a daze, whatever it was scattering beyond reach.

"Is something wrong?" William asked when she squeezed her eyes shut and pinched her nosebridge.

"Uhhh...i'm not quite sure." Naomi gave him a wan smile. "Maybe all the late nights are finally catching up with me." She stood and moved toward the door, swaying a little.

Her hand was on the door handle when the knock came. He didn't use the door bell . She thought it amusing.

A bigger hand closed over hers. Naomi looked up and saw the worry on William's face. "If you don't feel up to it, just reschedule. The doctor said not to push yourself."

"I'm fine, William. Really. It's nothing serious." She rubbed his arm affectionately, reassuring him with a smile. " It's nice when you show me love." At that, William shrugged her off, once again nonchalant, making Naomi laugh heartily.

Another knock.

"Just a minute,Chris!" She yelled in response, then gave William a meaningful look, her voice stern. "Not a word to mum and dad, all right?I know you crack like an egg under pressure, but please, they musn't find out about any of it. They worry too much.Let them sort out their problems without unnecessary interruptions."

"Fine." William acquiesced, worried regardless. "Do you have your phone?What's the name of this resturant and where is it located? This guy looks off. I'm not taking any chances." He saw his sister's smug smile. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy."

After supplying the information, Naomi told him to lock up properly if he had intentions of going out, and that if their parents called while she was out, a simple 'I went out with a friend' would do, nothing more.

William was about turning away when he remembered something. " Are you going over to babysit Jane's children after?"

Again, Naomi paused, her brows furrowing. " That's on Wednesday."

"Today is Wednesday."

For a moment, Naomi just stared at her brother, who had a brow cocked. Then she gasped, wide-eyed. "I'm supposed to be there now!"

"Are you saying you forgot?"

"Totally! This is just horrible!" She said, groaning, flinging her purse on the nearest couch. " I couldn't find my notes. I-i-i must have gotten the days mixed up. I need to get changed immediately!"

She tried to get past him but William held her back by the wrist. " Calm down!You shouldn't overreact, it's not good for your health. See, there's a dressed up guy waiting outside. What are you going to tell him? Why not just call her and cancel. I'm sure she'll understand."

" I did that the last time because of my appointment, and I'm not doing it again. I can't risk getting replaced--we need the money. Tell Chris i'll call him later to apologise and fix a new date." Her heart was hammering, filling her chest with pain. Air began whooshing out of her lungs in gasping breaths.

Naomi bent over, hands on her knees, while her flustered brother hovered, uncertain of how to handle the situation.

"I can't do this anymore. I'm calling dad right now." William said decisively and brought out his phone, but only got as far as dialling the number before it was slapped out of his hand.

He sounded frightened. He sounded like a child, and she hated it."Don't you dare! I'll--" but the pain became unbearable, seizing her tongue.

Clutching at her chest, Naomi's knees buckled, and she would have slumped to the floor if William hadn't encircled her waist in time, pulling her against him. He began to yell for help, by then, Naomi had lapsed into unconsciousness.

*****************

Along Benin-Lagos expressway

Majid Adeleke was fraught. His wife had admonished him several times for overspeeding, but as he sat behind the steering wheel of an old model Audi car, his hands itched restlessly to disregard her words.

But he was rendered impotent by the traffic jam. The ranting of disgrunted individuals around him alluded the cause to be an inept motorist's negligence, an accident, or some heated altercation that happened when drivers butted heads. Bottom line: nobody knew for sure.

I can't believe i overslept!
He berated himself, resisting the urge to strike the steering wheel. He had never done that before, and when he had confronted his wife who had failed to rouse him, the woman had just the right excuse, refusing to be held culpable.

"How was i supposed to know? I told you i'd be leaving early to the shop, so i woke up, got ready, and left."

So he had himself to blame, then. Surely, the children would have used public transportation, because he had slacked off, but Majid wanted to apologise to Jane in person since her line was switched off. And also to offer his condolences. Not too long ago, the news had been relayed by a sombre reporter on radio. Majid had never met the man, his employer, as he was always 'travelling'--Jane had been the one to receive him on his first day, and every other day before she left for work, just to see the boys leave for school.

Poor woman.

His phone began ringing. Majid reached for it on the dashboard. It was his wife. The traffic eased, and he glanced up just as the car in front of him jerked forward then moved slowly. A car horn blared repeatedly behind him, followed by an impatient voice yelling at him to close the gap and cursing his sluggish reponse.

He put his head out the window. " Don't insult me!" He barked."E neva rish lyk dat!" Embroiled in a heated moment with the offending man , he let the call go unanswered. An unmarked jeep took advantage of the tarry and cut in, something Majid didn't notice early enough, and so when he finally relented, he moved too quickly.

His bumper collided with the back of the Jeep, jarring him forward in his seat.

"Mogbe! I've gotten myself in trouble." Majid declared woefully, casting the phone aside and wondering how he could extricate himself from the ugly confrontation about to happen.

When three uniformed men emerged from the vehicle, he knew things had taken a turn for the worst.

Soldiers!

While two inspected the extent of damage he'd done, the third approached his car. It wasn't the man's grim face that had Majid cowering behind the wheel and breaking into cold sweat, neither was it compensation money he earlier felt aggrieved to pay.

Something dangled from the man's right hand.

A bullock whip.

He would be beaten within an inch of his life.

*******************

Outside ETYN supermarket

"That's horrible!"

Dorcas Amechi heard her friend's shocked gasp and was impelled to look up from crosschecking the content of the bag in her hand. The woman's pace had faltered, straggling behind her with a phone pressed to an ear.

"What happened?" Dorcas mouthed as she walked back, seeing the woman's wide eyes, but was denied an immediate response-- her friend communicating silently for her to wait.

"Is she alright?" Dorcas asked after Rosemary ended the call. The woman looked distressed; it was worrisome.

Rosemary gave a melancholic sigh. " Funke is fine." She said softly.

"Then why do you look troubled, as though someone just died?"

"Someone did, though. Two of our students lost their dad. Alex and Jeffery. No wonder they didn't show up for classes."

It was Dorcas' turn to stare wide-eyed. " It's a lie!" She had been puzzled when the children were absent today, and as soon as classes ended, she'd tried and failed to reach Jane, whom she was in close rapport with nowadays, because of Alex's special needs. She had planned on visiting after work, but somehow, other entanglements had preoccupied her mind.

"I wish it was," Rose mary said, giving her wig an unconscious brush, " but she heard it on the news. What could be more truthful than that?"

Still reeling from the shock, Dorcas glanced at her watch. There was enough time before her husband's shift ended. If i hurry now, she thought, i'll make it back in time to prepare his meal.

"I'll see you later. Tell Funke i'll stop by on my way home." Dorcas told Rosemary as she handed over the shopping bag in her possession.

"Where are you off to all of a sudden?" Rosemary inquired, perplexed by her friend's unwarranted haste.

"I need to go see them."

"Right now?!" Rosemary asked incredulously. " Why can't you wait until tomorrow, then we can go together?"

"I'm expecting my mother-in-law , so i won't be available for quite some time. There are events i need to attend as well, meetings i have to preside over, places i must be at. If i don't go now, i'm not sure what other free time i'll have."

"That's true. " Rosemary said thoughtfully."Since that's the case, let's go. The children won't be back until five."

Sombre, they walked side by side towards the main road, where they stood waiting for a safe time to cross over and board a bus. While Dorcas kept watching cars whizz by, Rosemary rummaged her hand bag, intently searching and mumbling to herself.

"My purse!" Rosemary cried in dismay. " I can't find it! Oti o! My village people have succeeded!"

"Have you checked the shopping bags properly?" Dorcas asked, taking a bag from her and searching carefully.

"Yes,i-i-i have. Everything is inside, Dorcas. My ATMs, house key, Philip's school fees..." Rosemary lamented, her voice rising hysterically.

"Calm down, Rose." Dorcas soothed. " You probably left it in the supermarket. I know it was with you when we entered."

"I really hope so." Rosemary handed Dorcas her things. "Abeg no vex, i'll go ask the attendant. I'm really sorry for this. It won't take long."She implored and bustled away at a near run, hitching up her billowy skirt.

As Dorcas idled in wait, a thought occurred to her:She should inform her husband, just in case it took longer than expected. With a decisive nod, she dropped the bags, fished out her phone from her hand bag and began dialling his number.

Off in the distance, a car approached and was soon hurtling down the road, swerving out of control.

The screaming should have alerted her, but she had placed the phone on her good ear.

Authour's note:

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