Chapter 1: The unexpected reunion

It was a cool Thursday evening, and I sat in front of my small stall, gisting with one of my neighbors. We were arguing passionately about our favorite celebrities, each of us defending our own like we personally knew them.

The noise we made was enough for anyone passing by to think we had won a jackpot.

Eid was the next day, yet the town felt unusually quiet. No excitement. No drama. No celebration in the air.

The economy had really dealt with people. Everyone was simply managing within their means.

Dressed in my faded white top and Ankara wrapper, I continued arguing with my neighbor when suddenly—

Poom!

A black SUV pulled up in front of my stall.

"Do you have cold water?" a female voice asked from inside as the window rolled down slightly.

I immediately stood up.

At least, I had finally gotten a customer.

"Ma?" I moved closer to hear her properly.

"Ki lo fe ra?" I asked politely.

But the moment I saw her face, my mouth fell open.

What?

It couldn't be.

"Omosalewa!"

"Toyosi!"

We both called out at the same time.

"Haaaa! Ore mi o!" I screamed excitedly, drawing the attention of everyone around.

I hurried to her side of the car.

As she stepped out, I couldn't hide my amazement.

Ten years.

Ten whole years.

And life had clearly favored her.

Her skin glowed beautifully, smooth and spotless. She wore a cream-colored satin gown that looked expensive enough to feed my family for months. The soft perfume that followed her made me suddenly aware of the smell of dried fish and provisions around my stall.

My friend had become stunning.

Who wouldn't rejoice after seeing an old friend?

Especially one you shared so many memories with.

"I've missed you, ore mi," I said, pulling her into a hug.

She hugged me back warmly.

"Me too," she laughed. "I never imagined you'd still be in this town. Wow... is this your shop?"

"Yes o. This is my shop. My house is over there," I replied proudly, pointing across the road.

"Eyaa..." she said, looking around. "That's serious." A disdained tone lied in her voice.

Then she smiled.

"Anyway, I came home for Eid. My parents insisted. They said I've stayed away for too long."

"That's good now."

"I'll be around for about a week before returning home. Feel free to come and see me."

My face brightened immediately.

"Really?"

"Of course."

She reached into her handbag and handed me a contact card.

I collected it carefully, almost like it was gold.

"Do you have bottled water?" she asked.

"Yes, but it's not very cold. NEPA has been showing us pepper lately."

She laughed.

"No problem."

"Ope!" I called. "Bring one bottle of water."

My five-year-old son rushed inside the shop.

As we waited, I couldn't stop staring at her.

"Ha! Ore mi, o ti wa fine o." I commented while she laughed proudly.

"Of course, I know."

"Awelewa!" I hailed her.

The way her face lit up, I knew she enjoyed it.

"Joor, sanu fun emi naa. Gba mi lowo iya."(Please pity me and rescue me from poverty)

She burst into laughter.

"Don't worry. When you come and see me, we'll talk."

My son returned with the water.

She collected it and opened it immediately.

Before getting back into her SUV, she pulled out several one-thousand-naira notes and handed them to my son.

The boy's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets.

"Ope! Say thank you!" I cautioned immediately

"Thank you, ma!" He immediately greeted as he smiled brightly.

"You are welcome my boy" she smiled.

"I'll be expecting you tomorrow."

"Definitely. Greet Alhaji and Alhaja for me."

"I will."

Moments later, the SUV drove away.

I stood there waving until it disappeared from sight.

-----

All through that night, I couldn't stop talking about Salewa. Even when my husband came home, I told him everything.

He was genuinely happy for me.

The next morning, after taking care of my children and tidying the house, I called Salewa to make sure she was available before leaving.

I hated embarrassment.

Especially from rich people.

Thankfully, she told me to come over.

So I dressed myself and my children and headed for her parents' house.

By the time we arrived, I almost missed the place completely.

The old house I remembered had transformed beyond recognition.

The compound was now fenced.

The building had been renovated beautifully.

Everything looked neat and expensive.

If Salewa hadn't sent someone to pick us up at the gate, I would have thought I was at the wrong address.

"As-salamu alaykum, Alhaji. Alhaja."

"Wa alaykum salam."

They responded politely, but I could tell they didn't recognize me.

"Daddy, Mummy, this is my friend," Salewa explained. "The one I attended secondary school with. Omo iya Ologi. Her mother used to sell akamu under the orange tree."

Immediately, recognition dawned on their faces.

"Haaaa!"

"Now I remember!"

They welcomed me warmly.

"You've added weight o," Alhaja observed.

I smiled.

She wasn't wrong.

We might not have much money, but my husband always made sure there was food at home.

"Are these your children?" she asked.

"Yes ma."

"Beautiful children."

"Thank you, ma."

Later food and drinks were brought out and my children ate until they were satisfied before running off to play with other children in the compound.

------

Later that afternoon, Salewa called me upstairs.

"OluwaToyosi........!" She cued as she took me to her room

"Ore mi..." I also whined as I followed suit.

The room alone was bigger than my entire sitting room.

Everything looked expensive.

The bed.

The wardrobe.

The curtains.

Even the air smelled rich.

"Ore mi olowo," I teased. "Cash Madam."

She laughed.

"You've never stopped this your hyping habit."

I laughed too.

She wasn't lying. That brought me back to the memory of our secondary school days.

Back in school, I could hype anybody.

Me, I don't like begging directly.

But if I hype you well enough, something must surely drop.

Salewa, on the other hand, had always been different.

She believed her beauty alone was enough to get people doing favors for her.

And somehow...

It usually worked.

"You know me now," I said. "I no fine like you. I can't use shakara collect things from people."

She laughed.

"So what are you saying?"

"You are Omo Alhaji. Omo oyinbo pepper. Fine girl."

"Continue." She smiled softly.

"You use beauty to collect your own. Me, I use mouth."

She burst out laughing.

"You are not serious."

"Ehn ehn... tell me the truth. What are you eating that is making your skin glow like this?" I whined.

She smiled.

"Allah's grace."

"Allah's grace ke? Ore mi, iya ma n je mi. Look at me."

"Which suffering?" she teased. "Didn't my parents just say you've added weight? Even your black is shining."

"Ha! Salewa, don't mind Alhaja. Na packaging."

She laughed.

"Everybody is packaging na. Even me."

We both laughed.

Then she became serious.

"How is your family?"

"We're fine."

"And your husband?"

"He's fine too."

"What does he do now?"

"He's an okada rider."

She blinked.

"Seriously?"

I nodded.

"You actually know him."

"I do?" She was amazed.

"Yes. He used to carry us to school then. Tall man. Dark. He lived behind our house."

She stared at the space for a few seconds before her eyes widened.

"Wait."

I smiled.

"Boda Kunle." I called his name to her ears.

"What?"

"Yes."

"Boda Kunle?"

"Exactly."

For a moment she looked genuinely shocked.

Then she sat upright.

"Toyosi, you're joking."

"I'm not."

"No."

She shook her head.

"No, no, no." She shook her head vigorously then frowned.

"What?"

"That uncle?"

"My husband." I said amidst confusion

She stared at me as if I had just confessed a crime.

"How did you end up marrying him?"

The smile slowly disappeared from my face.

"What?"

"You mean......my husband?"

"He loved me. I loved him too."

"What?" Her voice rose.

"Toyosi, why?"

I blinked.

Confused.

"What do you mean why?"

"He was already much older than you. Plus he's not even rich!"

She stood up.

"Toyosi look at you!."

"Out of all the men in this world, that's who you ended up marrying?"

"Haghhhh" She screamed out loud as she walked away from me.

I sat quietly.

Not knowing what to say.

------

"You were smart. You had your whole life ahead of you."

Her voice softened slightly, as she came back to sit with me.

"You didn't even finish school."

I looked down.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

And for the first time since seeing her again, I felt ashamed.

After a few moments, she sighed and sat beside me.

"Look, I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier"

I remained silent.

She took my hand.

"I'm not insulting you because I hate you."

Her voice was softer now.

"I'm angry because you're my friend and you don't deserve all this."

I looked at her.

"Toyosi, you deserved better."

Tears began gathering in my eyes.

She continued.

"Back then, Boda Kunle treated you like a younger sister. Everybody saw it and we all respected it.

She shook her head.

"And now you're married to him with children."

I swallowed hard.

"Are you honestly happy with your life?"

The question hung heavily in the room.

"Look around."

She gestured toward the window.

"How many of our classmates are still here?"

I didn't answer.

"Most of them moved on. Some are abroad. Some own businesses. Some are doing amazing things."

She looked directly into my eyes.

"And you can still do something with your life too."

I stared at her.

Confused.

Curious.

A little offended.

But also interested.

Salewa squeezed my hand.

"There's still time, Toyosi."

Then she smiled.

A strange smile.

The kind that made me feel she was about to suggest something that could change everything.

ToToBeBeContinuedContinued...