Tari looped her arm through Louisa’s, lines appearing on her forehead as she frowned, examining her.

“Your cheek is red and swollen. Your nose is bleeding. Ah ahn there’s even a bruise on your neck.”

Louisa chuckled lightly, flipping a hand dismissively.

“I had a little accident. I fell down the stairs. That’s why I was absent from Church.”

The four friends moved to her, Tani and Fikayo by her left while Zoe and Ike stood in front of her.

“Stairs ke? This house is a bungalow,” Zoe pointed out.

“Yeah,” Ike nodded in agreement.

“Where did you fall?”

Louisa looked around and Fikayo could detect her unease.

“Umm,” she hesitated. “I fell in my cousin’s house when I went to visit.”

Tari traced a finger on the area of her neck bruise. Louisa flinched, drawing back and detangling her arm from Tari’s.

“That bruise looks fresh. When did you visit your cousin, yesterday?”

“Tari please, let’s sit. Guys, sit down now. Should I get you guys some drinks?”

They did as she said but declined her offer of drinks.

“We were worried you’ve not been in Church for two weeks now so we decided to come see how you were doing,” Ike said, a soft smile on his face. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. You guys have no reason to worry. You should have been used to me being an on and off Church member by now,” Louisa laughed but was met with unsmiling faces staring at her.

“Guys, what’s wrong na? See, I’m very fine. The only thing that’s even giving me worry now is Waec result o. I cannot fail this second time. You guys should be praying for me o, you know you people are very hot spiritually.”

Louisa laughed but stopped when they kept mute, giving no reaction.

“Ah ahn, what’s wrong with you people?”

“How are you, really?” Zoe asked, shifting on her seat.

Louisa shrugged, “Perfect. How else will I be? I’m very fine. This worried look you all have is giving me concern sef. Nothing is wrong with me.”

She hit the back of her right hand on her left palm, grinning.

Fikayo observed her features, paying attention to the grin on her face which appeared to be real. Her eyes were dull. And she darted her eyes often as though she feared they would read her mind through its window. Fikayo was certain something was not right with her but couldn’t place a finger on it. Her heart was not settled and she knew she needed to pray for Louisa.

***
“Aww, look at your babe o,” Abdul whispered from his position by his right, slapping him on his shoulder.

“Shut up, Abdul,” he quietly said, turning to the entrance where Fikayo stood in blue jean trousers and a black T-shirt with ‘Girl Power’ inscribed on it.

The gold hoop earrings she always had on dangled from her ears as she shook her head at Zoe’s teasing. She hugged Zoe and then, Tani.

“My dear, it is Jesus power today o not girl power,” Abdul joked, moving to Fikayo and bending to engulf her in a hug.

“You don’t have sense,” Zoe laughed, hitting the back of his head gently.

“Aw,” he feigned pain, rubbing the spot in an exaggerated manner. “Why do you girls like domestic violence like this?”

“Hey Ike,” Fikayo moved to stand behind the couch he sat on and raised her palm towards him. He slapped his hand against hers in a high five smiling, although he was slightly peeved she did not offer him a hug instead. He pulled her hand down and held onto it.

“How are you doing?”

“I’m fine, how about you?”

He nodded, “Good.” But he would be better if she hugged him.

Where were these thoughts coming from? He was not used to these sorts of feelings.

She withdrew her hand with a weird smile and he saw Abdul flash him a mischievous smile. He scowled at him, joining the girls’ ongoing conversation. He hoped they had been too engrossed in their chat to have noticed anything. He did not want to be teased or gossiped, especially because he had no feelings for Fikayo. Maybe he had a tiny crush, a really minute crush on her but that was all it was and he’d make sure it did not grow.

“Where’s Koko?” the object of his thought asked, now looking at him.

“Upstairs.”

“Watching Netflix, I’m sure. What of Mummy and Daddy?”

“Mummy has one of her events today so she went to oversee things. Daddy went for a ministration.”

“Is she an event planner or something?”

“Yup, so weekends are usually busy for her.”

She nodded and continued talking to Tani and Zoe.

“Where’s Tari sef? Is she not coming with us?” he heard her ask.

“Ah, that one,” Zoe hissed. “She has bolted o. She’s following her mum to an owanbe to eat free food, in her words.”

Fikayo shook her head. “Nawa oh, Tari Tari. And she was the one yapping about dragging me along for evangelism.”

“That’s Tari for you oh, my sister. Anything free, she must be there,” Abdul chipped in.

He turned to him. “Shey we will not eat before going, Ike?”

“Eat when you get to your house.”

“I think we should leave now guys. It’s almost 3 o’clock,” Zoe said and they agreed with the exception of Abdul who still insisted on eating before leaving.

“You should have followed your fellow foodie to that owanbe,” Fikayo said, earning a frown from Abdul. She laughed, throwing her head back. She was so beautiful, Ike thought, as he watched her laugh and tease Abdul.

***
“We’re five, how are we going to split ourselves? Or is everyone going solo?” Abdul asked. They were standing in the scorching sun outside the mall.

“I’ll pair up with Fikayo. Zoe and Ike can go together while Abdul stays alone,” Tani suggested.

“Yeah,” Fikayo nodded in agreement. “I want to go with Tanito.”

“It’s so weird being called ‘Tanito’. Everyone calls me Tani.”

“I prefer calling you ‘Tanito’ or ‘Tanitoluwa’. ‘Tani’ just sounds like ‘Who’s that?’ in my head,” Fikayo said to Tani while Zoe and Abdul argued on how they should be split.

Tani chuckled, placed her right hand on Fikayo’s shoulder and rested her head on it. She was a few inches shorter than her.

“See, Zoe and Abdul, you guys should go together since you’re such best friends. I’ll go with Fikayo and Tani will go alone or she can join you guys if she likes,” Ike cut into their argument.

They snapped their heads to him. Abdul had a smirk on his face while Zoe frowned.

“Huh? Nope!” she refused vehemently.

“We’ll go inside the mall and fish some souls for the good Lord,” Abdul said, grabbing Zoe’s hand and pulling her along as he began walking away. 

“You’re stuck with me, Zozo.”

“Don’t call me that,” Fikayo heard Zoe retort.

Tani, Ike and Fikayo held hands and prayed shortly before walking about the large compound.

After some minutes, Ike urged her to go preach to a girl in a white crop top and mini jeans skirt leaning on a black car and pressing her phone.

She shook her head, her heart beating in trepidation.

“You’re going to do it...alone. Tani and I will be around. The Holy Spirit is with you, you don’t need to be afraid. He’ll teach you what to say and how to say it. Don’t think about it too much.”

“Ah, Tanito, you can’t leave me,” she looked at her with pleading eyes. Tani hugged her, chuckling. “You’ll be just fine, sweetheart.”

Fikayo laughed shakily, her nervousness evident. “You sound like Aunty B.”

“Well, call me ‘Aunty T’.”

They left her standing there, walking away to her left. She took a deep breath and prayed in tongues under her breath till she stood in front of the dark skinned girl.

“Hey,” she greeted and the girl raised her head.

“Um Hello, my name is Fikayo. You look really nice.”

The girl smiled pleasantly to her surprise.

“Thank you. You look nice, too.”

Okay, a compliment. That’s a good sign.

“Thank you,” she smiled back, relaxing a bit. “So, do you live around here?”

Fikayo, really? Is this how to preach?

“Yeah I do. I live in Festac.”

“Oh that’s nice. I just wanted to tell you how much God loves you.”

The girl gave her a blank look and it made her perturbed because she couldn’t depict how she felt.

She felt a nudge to keep speaking and she did so.

“God loves you regardless of what you’ve done, even if you feel your sins are too grave to be forgiven, he loves you and has already made provision for your forgiveness. God is not angry with you...no matter what you have done in the past. He’s willing to receive you and wash you clean. If you believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again for your sins, you will have a new life in Jesus, a clean slate. Your sins will be forgiven and you will have eternal life.”

The girl’s eyes began to moisten and she reached out to hold Fikayo’s hands.

“I walk around with emptiness every single day. I feel totally worthless because of all that I have done. I feel too filthy for God to accept me. But here you are, telling me God is willing to receive me as I am, despite all my wrong doing.”

Fikayo felt bold suddenly. “Yes, he’s willing. All you need to do is believe; believe he loved you enough to die for you so you can be righteous and justified. Christ will fill up the emptiness in your soul. Christ will wash you clean and make you righteous. You will live for eternity, Amaka.”

The girl’s lips parted in astonishment.
“I didn’t tell you my name! How did you know my name?”

Fikayo’s heart was racing in excitement. Her body shook slightly as she stared at the girl in surprise.

“It just slipped out of my mouth.”

“Fikayo, I believe. I want this new life.”

Tears poured out of her eyes. Fikayo engulfed her in an embrace and prayed with her, thanking Jesus for His saving grace.

Fikayo invited her to Church and they exchanged phone numbers.