Fikayo returned home in the evening of the next day. The sweet aroma of her mother’s egusi soup filtered into her nostrils. Why was her mother cooking her father’s favourite soup? To further irritate her?

“Good day, ma,” she passively greeted, as she walked passed her mother who had gotten the door.

“My darling, I am preparing something delicious for you. Just go inside, change and relax.”

She stopped in her tracks and played with the strap of the bag hung on her shoulder. “Mummy, you’re making egusi? Really?”

“Yes, my dear, with eba. Don’t you want that?”

Fikayo kissed her teeth and opened her mouth to give a rude remark but felt a nudge within her to keep mute.

Instead, she said, “Thank you, ma” and made her way into her room.

She prayed in tongues for a few minutes before taking a shower and throwing a tank top and shorts on. She felt at peace but many questions lingered in her mind. She needed to have a talk with her mother like Aunty B had advised; with a cool head not clouded with anger or bitterness. She would pray before having the talk because without the help of the Holy Spirit, she would use vulgar words and may even go as far as hitting her mother.

She let out a harsh breath, picking her phone up to call Aunty B.

“I’m nervous, Aunty B. I’m not sure I can handle the conversation without throwing stones at my mother. I don’t even know. Who then is my father? Maybe he’s dead or in prison? Like, I don’t know mehn. I don’t even know. Like-“

“Sweetheart,” Her voice never ceased to soothe her. She sighed as she listened. “Calm down. Take a deep breath.”

She nodded and took a deep breath.

“You’re not meant to handle life alone anymore, sweetheart. The Holy Spirit is your helper. He’s there with you, even when I’m not there, okay? Release yourself to Him. I’ll pray with you and make sure to call me later to tell me how it goes.”

She nodded without a response. Aunty B prayed with her and her nerves calmed.

Minutes later, she sat opposite her mother in the living room, the sound from the TV filling the silence.

“Fikayomi,”

She turned to her mother. The tears pooling in her eyes stirred hers to produce tear drops as well.

“Mummy,” she whispered.

“I am broken. I am broken, Fikayo. I hate myself for how that armed robber forced himself on me that fateful night. I hate myself for letting your father walk over me because I felt I owed him since he stayed with me even after I got pregnant from the rape. I hate myself for not believing you. I hate myself, Fikayomi. My own daughter, I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t stand up for you. You hate me, I know. I hate myself, too.”

She let out a mirthless laugh, lowered her head and placed a hand on her forehead as more tears poured down her eyes.

“Fikayomi,” her mother knelt suddenly. “Forgive me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you don’t. Omo mi, jo, dariji mi,” she put her hands together and rubbed them in an up and down motion, pleading with loud cries.

“Ah Fikayomi, foríjì mí!” she exclaimed, placing both hands on her head.

“Firefunmi,” she pointed at her sister who stood by the wall at the entrance to the passage.

“Beg your sister, please. Tell her to forgive me.”

Fikayo moved to her mother, went on her knees and held her. They wept together, releasing the toxins of the past, comforting each other in a tight embrace, like they wanted to squeeze out all of the pain in the other person. There was no need for words.

***
“I can’t preach. You are the pastor here,” Fikayo laughed, pulling the sleeves of her off shoulder dress up one after the other.

Sunday service had long ended but some of them lingered behind to clean up the hall, have meetings or to catch up with friends like they were doing now. They usually left church late in the afternoon because Pastor Nnadi and his wife had a stadium full of people waiting to see them every Sunday.

“We all have been called to share the good news, Fiks. We’ve been instructed to go into the world and make disciples of all men. It’s not just the job of a pastor o,” Zoe expressed, searching through her handbag.

She brought out a pack of chewing gum and gave them out to everyone sitting around them who wanted.

“Yes and that’s the exact reason why you have no choice but to follow us for evangelism on Saturday,” Ike said.

“But there’s no LFC meeting this Saturday and you guys went for the monthly evangelism last week now.”

Ike smiled lazily and made to talk but Tari interjected.

“Mama, you’re going with us. I’ll personally come and drag you out of your house. E go shock you.”

“Yes, we’ll all come and drag you,” Tani supported, chuckling.

“You don’t know my house address na,” Fikayo smiled triumphantly but the smile disappeared when Zoe reminded her of the First Timer card she had filled the first time she attended church service.

She slapped her forehead.

“Ugh, I filled in my address, phone number. Mtchew, is this why you people ask for those details? So you can bully innocent people like me?”

They all laughed in jest of her. Then realisation dawned on her.

“Oh oh oh!” she said loudly.

“What happened?” Ike asked.

“Abi, you’re receiving prophecy,” Tari teased, laughing at her own joke.

“That must have been how Aunty B got my address,” she said absentmindedly, more to herself.

“Aunty B visited you?” Tari inquired.

“It must have been last week Sunday when you fell ill, yeah?” came Zoe’s voice.

“Umm, yeah.”

When she had fallen ill; she wasn’t ready to tell them her truth.

The girls spoke vivaciously about Aunty B’s kindness and thoughtfulness while Ike remained glued to his phone. Then he raised his head and their eyes met and held. He flashed a smile and heart beat hard in her chest. She broke the eye lock and fingered the loop earring on her right ear.

“Guys,” Fikayo called out abruptly in the middle of a shawarma versus pizza debate. It was like an alarm went off in her head.

Tani and Ike turned to her but Tari and Zoe kept on with their argument.

“Guys,” she drawled in an impatient tone. “I think we need to visit Louisa.”

“Louisa?” Tari raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her debate opponent in confusion.

She nodded. “We have to visit Louisa...today.”

“Why?” Tari threw her a questioning look.

***
“We should have just entered keke o or okada. Do you know how much money you just burned on cab fare?”

“Tari, this is not the time,” Fikayo said, a serious expression etched on her face.

Tari put her thumb and index finger together and placed them close to her lips, moving them from its extreme left to the other end to show she had zipped her mouth.

“Yes mama. I will shut up.”

“Must you be sarcastic?” Tani said as Tari banged on the gate to Louisa’s house.

“Mumu, can’t you press the bell?” Zoe fired, pressing the bell and sticking her tongue out at her friend.

“You know your sense is on vacation,” Tari said jokingly, eyeing her.

“At least I have sense unlike some people.”

“Guys, cut it out, okay? You can play cat and mouse later,” Ike chided and they kept mute but gave each other feign angry expressions before breaking out into laughter.

Fikayo shook her head at the duo. Just then sounds of the gate being unlocked reached her ears and the gate flung open.

“Yes? Who you dey look for?” a short dark skinned man she assumed was the security man asked rudely, his face scrunched up.

“Good afternoon, sir. We’re here to see Louisa.”

He looked at the group one after the other. “Who una be?”

“Beyonce,” Tari retorted, cracking them up. “Oga we don talk say we wan see Louisa. Open door for us na or call her. Abi wetin con happen?”

The man’s face contorted in anger as he stared at Tari. She stared back without flinching like she was emitting fire from her eyes to burn his. The man averted his gaze after some seconds.

“Una fit enter.”

They stepped into the compound, a blue bungalow standing in their sight. They got to the entrance door and Ike knocked gently. She could hear yells coming from inside, the sound of glass shattering following. She exchanged worried looks with Ike before knocking again.

“Who is there?” a female voice yelled. 

A loud cry filled the air then ceased almost immediately.

The door opened few minutes later revealing a dark skinned chubby woman who looked to be middle aged. Sweat beads dotted her forehead and her face was contorted in anger.

Why is everyone angry in this house?

“Yes?”

“Ma, we’re here to see Louisa. We are friends from Church.”

She stepped to the side and let them in without a word. They took their seats as she walked away through a door adjacent the couch Fikayo sat on. Fikayo looked around for any signs of shattered glass but found none. She sighed, looking at Tari and Zoe who were speaking in hushed tones. Ike’s elbows were placed on his knees, his hands intertwined. She heard sounds of footsteps and a door opening. Raising her head, her eyes narrowed in a blend of confusion, surprise and worry. She turned to her friends and they all had similar expressions to hers.

“Louisa?” Tari gasped, walking hastily to her side.

...
I haven't updated in about 2 weeks. My sincerest apologies 🙏🏾.

I'll be posting the remaining 4 chapters and epilogue today! That's good news 🤗. Thank you for sticking with me on this journey.