On Monday, Tomini woke up at 5 am. It had been raining. The weather was so cool and she wanted to go back to sleep. She did go back to sleep, pulling her blanket over her head. She would sleep for only five minutes then get up to prepare for school.  It was her mum’s loud voice that woke her from her sweet sleep.

“Stand up, Tomi. It’s almost 7’o clock.”

She jumped up from her bed on hearing that. “Oh my God!”

Her eyes darted to the clock that was hung above the curtain on the other side of the room. 6:45! Oh Lord! She had to be in school latest by 7:45. She brushed her teeth and took a quick shower. She did not bother laying her bed like she always did. There was no time for that now. By 7:10, she was running down the stairs into the living room.

Her dad usually left the house very early in the morning so that he could beat the traffic. She was sure he was gone already. She went into the kitchen, where she knew her mum would be. She met her washing dishes and felt slightly guilty. If she had woken up early, she would have been able to help her mum out.

“Mum I’m leaving.”

Her mum turned to face her, wiping her hands with a hand towel.

“In this rain? Rara o (No o). I’ll drop you off.”

“Okay ma.” She turned to exit the kitchen.

“Won’t you eat?” her mum asked in Yoruba.”You must eat, Tomi. You’ve not been eating well. I don’t like it.”

Tomini simply nodded her head, moving to rest her body on the kitchen counter. She watched her mum take out a bowl of stew from the fridge and place it in the microwave.

“Mummy, I might be late if I eat.”

“Then I’ll pack it into a takeaway. You must eat young lady.”

Tomini kept silent, her thoughts drifting to the events of Saturday. Maybe she should have gone home straight from school instead of following her friends. She wouldn’t be in her present situation if she had. Her mum’s voice brought her back.

“Is this rice okay for you?” her mum said, holding a takeaway plate containing white rice.

“Remove small.” Her mum complied.

“Bring the stew out of the microwave,” she instructed after a short while.

Tomini did so and she put some stew and a piece of meat over her rice. Afterwards, her mum went upstairs and came back down with the key to her dad’s other car.

The ride to school was quiet, except for the sound of the downpour of rain and the wipers that went back and forth against the windshield. Tomini brought out a note from her bag and began to glance through the last topic absentmindedly. She did not touch her food and surprisingly, her mum made no comments on that.

Soon, they reached her school and her mum stopped the car in front of the gate.
She bent in her seat and stretched her hand out to grab the small umbrella that she had kept on the floor of the car. She hung her bag on her left shoulder and opened the car door.  Carrying the nylon bag that contained her food in one hand, she opened the umbrella before stepping out and closing the door.

Her mum rolled the car window down and warned, “Make sure you eat, Tomi.”
She nodded and waved at her mum before walking through the school gate.

…
It was break time and Tomini had managed to avoid Michael thus far.  She thanked her stars that He was an Art student and therefore was not in her class. She didn’t go out to the dining to eat lunch. Instead she ate the food she had brought from home. The rice was already cold but she ate it anyways.

Few minutes to the end of break period, Tomini saw Michael walk into her classroom. Immediately she noticed him, she lowered her head on her desk and pretended to be asleep. Maybe he would leave if he saw that she was sleeping. She was wrong.

She felt a tap on her left shoulder and raised her head hesitantly. She looked at him for a moment before fixing her gaze on her desk.

“Hi,” she managed to say. Her voice was low as she felt embarrassment engulf her. There was suddenly a lump in her throat and she swallowed hard. Michael did not return her greeting as His eyes darted around. He turned the empty seat in front of her desk to face her before sitting down.

“Tomini, you have some explaining to do.” She could hear the edge in his voice.

Tomini took in a deep breath as she looked around the classroom. There were a lot of people present, most of them seeming to be occupied with eating or talking or some other activity. She wasn’t naïve to think that everyone would mind their business and keep their ears out of their conversation. She was almost sure that someone or more heard Michael’s previous statement. It worried her. No one wished to be the topic of gossip in school, not just because one needed to protect his or her privacy or keep one’s reputation untainted. It was also because when gossip spread the story would be modified, as one person will tell a different version to the other, either adding to the story or deducting.

“Cat caught your tongue? Why aren't you talking?” Tomini was brought of her reverie by Michael’s voice. She didn’t know Michael to be one who made rude or sarcastic remarks but then again, anyone would be mad if in his shoes. Most wouldn’t even be this calm.

“Michael, can we not have this conversation here? Let’s go outside.” She spoke quietly. She stood from her seat and gestured with her hand for him to do the same. They walked the long hallway, stopping at its end. It was not the most private place but she would have to deal with that.  There was a railing n between the walls, and the view of the compound next to the school could be seen.

Tomini rested a hand on the railing, looking into the next compound. She did not feel like crying, but she could feel the rapid thumping of her heart against her chest.

“Michael, I’m so sorry about what happened. Look, I don’t even know how to say this. This is very embarrassing for me. On Saturday evening, I came back home quite late from Zainab’s house. When I got home my dad asked me where I had been and I told him the truth; that I was with Esther and Zainab. For some strange reason that I am yet to fathom, he didn’t believe me and started talking about how he was so sure that I was out with a boy and all that.”

She paused to suck in a breath. Michael had been quiet, simply watching her as she spoke. She had expected drama, expected him to yell, insult her and probably not even listen to her explanation. Then again, Michael had always been a gentle soul, quick to smile and hard to provoke. She could see that he was angry from his grim expression but he hadn’t done or said anything to show it. His calmness calmed her and fueled her with courage to continue.

“Next thing he asked me to kneel down and collects my phone,” She swallowed. “I don’t know I guess he was reading my chats. And I remember that your chat must have been at the top cause you were the last person I chatted with on Friday night before I went offline; when you asked me to bring my math note cause you wanted to study a different note asides the one you guys’ teacher gave to you. See my dad can be…I don’t know crazy? He must have read only the last text where you wrote ‘Thanks dear’ after I agreed to bring the notes on Saturday. Then he blew up saying I was messing with a boy blah blah blah.” She removed her hand from the railing, looking up at Michael, wondering how he could be so collected.

“Then he called you…” she stopped.

Michael gave a slow nod, dipping both hands into his trousers’ pockets.

“This feels like some Africa Magic movie to me,” he said. Tomini laughed despite herself.

Michael had an easy smile on his face as he said, ”I can imagine how you must have felt. I mean I was shook when your dad started cursing my entire generation but I’m just wondering how you must have felt. To be honest, I was very confused and angry after the call, Like it just came out of nowhere.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, Tomini. It was totally not your fault.”

Tomini couldn’t help the smile that crept up her face. “You’re such a good person, Michael.”

He grinned.”Were you afraid I’d start running away from you?”

The bell rung and Tomini suggested they head back to their respective classes. They began walking back.

“I might start running away from you sef. Before your father finds me and cuts my head off.”

“Haba,” Tomini laughed heartily.

“I swear this is like Nollywood. Maybe your dad is Pete Edochie. He’ll come to my house with a cutlass and start shouting from the gate ‘Where is that boy that is following my daughter? Today I will cut off ya head’” He said the later part in a fake Igbo accent.

Tomini couldn’t contain her laughter.
“Guy you’re sick.”

…

Tomini left school in a lighter mood. A million and one thoughts had run through her mind since Saturday, and none of them had been that Michael would be as understanding and calm as he had been. She hadn’t expected him to react in the way that he had. She walked home alone, her only companions being her thoughts.

Maybe her dad would give her back her phone soon. She wasn’t sure. He was very unpredictable. Perhaps she could get her mum to beg him on her behalf. She had become very much attached to her phone that being without it made her feel incomplete. Quite a number of times yesterday, in between chores and studying, she had felt the need to reach for her phone and fondle with it only to remember that it was not with her. It sucked.

Home welcomed her with a sweet aroma. She dropped her bag on a dining chair and hurried to the kitchen in a bubble of excitement.

“Mummy,” She put her arm around her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She had a huge grin on her face.

“Tomini, you’re happier than you were when you left for school,” her mum said, stiring the pot of stew on the gas cooker.

“How was school?”

“School was good, mum,” she grinned.

“How are you?” she asked her mum.

“Just a bit tired. I went to the market today with your aunty, Bamike. We went to buy the aso-oke for her traditional. Wo, this Èkó (Lagos) market waka waka is stressful, jare. And Bamike was so indecisive. We spent more time there than we should have.”

“When is the wedding again? December right?”

“Yes, first week of December. I can’t wait for it to come and go o. Bamike is a difficult bride to work with,” her mum replied, now washing dishes at the sink.

“I thought there was a wedding planner? You don’t have to do all this wahala. It’s unnecessary.”

“Wedding planner or no wedding planner, it’s my sister’s wedding. We will all plan it together ni o.” She could hear the excitement in her mum’s voice and she smiled, exiting the kitchen.

Later that evening, she sat at the dining table chopping okro. They were going to have Eba and okro soup for dinner. She backed the television but from the sound she was hearing she knew her mum was watching CNN, as she mostly did. The only time she sat in front of TV was to watch news. Nothing else interested her. She did not like movies or reality shows, so she stuck with what was to her, most important. It was a trait rarely found in Nigerian mothers.

She tried chopping the okros quickly, as she wanted to get back to studying. Each day was a day closer to her mock examinations and she wanted to cover the syllabus for her main subjects fully. She would have had her daily dose of Instagram feeds, almost overdose, if she had her phone. Once again, she felt sadness creep in. It might be a blessing in disguise, she thought. Now she had no distractions, nothing to steal away her time. Examination prep had taught her how precious her time was. Once it went, it never returned.

When the food was ready, her mother shouted her name from downstairs. Halfway through descending the stairs, she spotted her dad seating on the couch, his legs sprawled out on a stool in front of him. He was watching a sports channel.

“Good evening, sir,” Tomini greeted.

“How are you, Tomini?” He asked casually without removing his gave from the TV.

“Fine, sir,” she replied in a low voice.

He nodded and she walked into the kitchen to get her food. A tiny part of her had hoped that he would hand her phone back to her. However, she knew how rigid her dad could be. He might not give her back until weeks later. It was not even beyond him to withhold the phone from her permanently.

…

Tomini made sure to come home straight the Saturday of that week. She couldn’t risk getting into more trouble; once bitten twice shy. She walked with her friends until they reached a junction where she had to go her own way.

When she got home, she was surprised to find Aunty Bamike and Big mummy in the living room. She let out a little squeal and rushed to engulf Aunty Bamike in a hug. She was sitting so Tomini had to bend to her level. She was always filled with a high level of excitement every time she saw her. She literally jumped on her.

Aunty Bamike giggled as she hugged Tomike back. She tickled the side of her stomach and Tomike let out a loud laugh, pulling away.

“My baby, how are you?”

“I would be better if you gave me money.”

Aunty Bamike laughed. "Oo serious (You're not serious)."

“Good evening, ma,” she greeted Big mummy, curtesying.

“Finally I’m remembered.”

Tomini gave an awkward smile as she headed to the kitchen to get some water.

“Tomini, bring drinks for them. And boil water in a pot for me,” she heard her mum say.

She sighed as she proceeded to do as she was instructed. After placing the tray of soda on a side stool, Tomini grabbed her bag from the couch she had placed it on and headed for the stairs. She came back down after a short while and sat down.

“Tomi how’s school? Are you hearing from your cousin?” Big mummy asked.

“School is fine, ma. Yes I’m hearing from her but it’s been quite a while.”

“For you people, a while is like one week o.” Tomini grinned.

The women conversed, telling each other what they had been up to and talking about mutual acquaintances; a certain Mr. Alabi who was now in America and a ‘Mummy Seun’ whose husband lost his job. Mummy went into the kitchen intermittently to check on what she was cooking.

“Tomi what university do you want to go to?” Aunty Bamike asked when there was a lull in the conversation.

She hesitated.

“Umm I don’t really know. Daddy said Covenant.”

“Ah Covenant. That’s good. It’s not too far from home, too.”

“Yeah,” Tomini simply said. She was not excited to go there. They prohibited the use of phones and she had heard countless stories of people getting suspended or expelled, even for trivial things that she thought could be overlooked. One would have to walk on eggshells and be extra conscious of what they do or do not do.

“I have a school mate that lectures there, Accounting.”

“How much is their fees?” Big mummy asked in Yoruba. Tomini shrugged, but Aunty Bamike seemed to know.

Tomini left to join her mum in the kitchen. It was better than hearing her aunties talk about the school. She could still hear their voices from the kitchen, and so she left the kitchen and went up the stairs into her room. She did not want to think about the school, and what her life would be like in there.

Her mum called her to come say bye to Big mummy when she was leaving. Aunty Bamike stayed for a little while longer, and Tomini persuaded her aunty to make her up. When she was done with the makeup, they selected an outfit for Tomini and Aunty Bamike took several pictures of her.

When aunty Bamike was about to leave, Tomini and her mum walked her to the gate where the taxi she had ordered was waiting. Aunty Bamike squeezed a few one thousand naira notes into Tomini’s hand before entering the car, and Tomini waved enthusiastically with her empty hand.

Walking back into the house, Tomini’s mum faced her.

“Count the money,” she instructed.

Tomini laughed and continued walking.”Don’t even think I’m going to give you, mummy.”

“I didn’t say you should give me. Just tell me how much she gave you.”

Tomini eyed her mum suspiciously as they walked in together.

“I don’t trust you mummy.”

“What? Tomini!”

Tomini laughed as she unclenched her fist and counted the money.

“It’s 5k,” she announced.

“Do you realize you didn’t even say thank you? You were just smiling like a monkey.”

“What, Mummy?” She squeezed her face in confusion. “Do monkeys smile?”

“Gbenu e soun (Shut your mouth). Is that what I’m talking to you about?”

“I’ll call her later or text her to say thank her. Later sha. Plus I’m sure she knows I’m grateful.”

Her mum ignored her as she sat on a single sofa. She walked to the centre table to pick up the TV remote, then reality dawned on her. She had no phone. How on earth had that skipped her mind?

“Oh God!” She face palmed.

"Kilode?(What?)" Her mum asked.

"Nothing, mummy," she replied as she flipped through TV channels, looking for something interesting to watch.

...

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