₦airaland Forum

We took our seats.

‘I’m glad you and Seyi are here,’ Senator Momoh went on. ‘I’m sure Seyi has a lot to learn and a lot to do.’

‘I’m sure too,’ dad replied. ‘It’s more like he’s under tutelage for now.’

The other man nodded. He soon picked his phone.

‘Yeah, I want you in my office now,’ he spoke into the mouthpiece.

Few seconds later, a middle-aged woman came in.

‘Good morning, sirs,’ she greeted.

‘Good morning,’ dad and I replied.

‘Please, sit down, Ms. Alowo,’ Senator Momoh said.

Miss? I wondered. That woman would not be less than forty-five!

She nodded and took a seat.

‘Yes, here is Ms. Nike Alowo, my Chief of Staff,’ the senator started. ‘She is the one that coordinates all my political affairs.’

He turned to me. ‘The young man is Seyi Alashe.’ He faced Ms. Alowo again. ‘He will be coming in to join the campaign team, and will be working with us. You’re to assign him accordingly. He’s young, but he has the intelligence and the energy.’

I grinned at his compliments. ‘Thank you, sir.’

The senator turned to face me again. ‘You will follow Ms. Alowo. You’re to work directly under her and to do the tasks she asks you to do. Follow her right away to start your work.’

I gave a bow. ‘Thank you, sir.’

‘Be a good guy, Seyi,’ dad said as he waved me off.

‘Yes, dad.’

The woman and I left the two men in the office. I followed Ms. Alowo through a corridor to her own office.

‘Sit down, Seyi,’ she said, motioning me to a seat.

‘Thank you, madam.’

I sat down and studied the office briefly. Then I studied the woman I was to work with. Ms. Alowo was a bespectacled, pretty but serious-looking woman. I wondered how she came to be working for the senator.

‘Well, as the senator said, I’m Ms. OmoNike Alowo, the Chief of Staff. You’ve joined us at a time the political campaigns are about to start. Next week, the campaigns will kick off, and as you’re aware, Senator Dayo Momoh is seeking re-election under our great party which has already given him the ticket, based on his meritorious service to his constituency.’

She paused to stare briefly at me. I was not surprised she appeared to be verbose. Many politician and their aides were like that.

‘You’ll have to prove that you’re capable and competent to handle whatever task is assigned to you. In a place like this, I must tell you that it’s not a tea party as the competition is stiff. There’s a big work to do and you just have to be up and doing. You have only three months to prove that you’re capable. At the end of your three months with us, I’ll give the honorable senator reports on your evaluation performance. You’re out if you don’t measure up. Do you understand?’

I nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Good. But if you measure up, you’ll indeed enjoy many things. The senator is a generous rewarder of those who do their work diligently. Do your best, Seyi.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Fine. Now, let me take you to your office.’

I followed her to a large office, where two workers – a male and a female – were already seated.

‘Here is Seyi,’ Ms. Davie introduced. ‘He is joining us. Seyi, meet Titi and Rasheed, members of the campaign team.’

‘Hello, Seyi,’ Rasheed greeted, extending a pudgy hand for a handshake.

‘Good morning, Mr. Rasheed.’ I shook his hand and that of Titi.

‘Later, you’ll still meet with some other people that you’ll be working with,’ Ms. Alowo said. ‘Meanwhile, you can occupy that desk.’

She pointed at the desk at the extreme right.

He led her to the premium cosmetic section.

“May I see your jawline, ma?” he asked respectfully.

“You want to touch my face? You this small boy,” she teased, but tilted her chin anyway. “Go ahead, jare.”

Tope gently swatched a few foundation shades on her jaw. He narrowed his eyes with the precision of a true artist.

“This one here—Mocha Honey—matches your skin undertone. Warm, golden. Once you blend it, it’ll melt in.”

“You sound like you’re doing jazz,” she said, laughing. “Melt in, ke? Are you a makeup artist?”

“Not really, but I pay attention. Let me get the primer too. And maybe a highlighter if you don’t mind shimmer?”

“I want shimmer o. I’m not going there to fade into the background.”

Over the next several, minutes, they moved through foundations, setting powders, lipsticks, and even eyebrow kits.

“You’re good,” Regina said, watching him package the items. “You’re not just trying to sell. You know what you’re doing.”

“I try my best, ma.”

She reached into her crocodile-skin purse and pulled out a sleek gold wallet. From it, she counted four crisp ₦1,000 notes and handed them to him. “Take, for your effort.”

“Oh no, ma. It’s not necessary—”

“Don’t argue. You’ve worked. And I reward good work. In fact…”

She reached into her bag again and pulled out a glossy business card with a gold logo. She handed it to him with a smile.

Regina Awe
CEO – Awe Luxe Empire
Beauty. Hair. Events. Fashion.
Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.



Tope blinked. “You run this?”

She grinned. “I run everything. I import luxury wigs, skincare, real high-end products. I like the way you carry yourself. If you ever get tired of standing in this mall every day, call me. I may have something better for you.”

Tope looked at the card again, humbled. “Wow. I appreciate it, ma. Thank you.”

“You’re sharp. You listen. You don’t rush people. I don’t waste time on people who don’t have sense. You—” she pointed a manicured finger at him— “have sense. And style. Call me.”

She picked up her shopping bags with surprising grace and headed toward the exit.

“Oh, and Tope!” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “If I don’t see you in Lekki within the next one week, I’ll assume you’re not ready to shine.”

This is commendable.
Recognizing Amotekun as a global brand is not a mean achievement.

Why are the contraceptives designated for poor African countries?

Is it not a shame that some people will have to teach others the essence of birth control?

‘This is the introductory level. He may make you his personal assistant or adviser or something like that. In that way, you’ll start learning the ropes. So, from tomorrow, you and I will go to his office. He is setting up a campaign team and you’ll be part of it.’

I sighed. Just then, mum came to join us in the sitting-room. Dad must have told her about the plans, for she looked at me and smiled encouragingly.

‘Nigeria’s future is in the hands of youths like you,’ dad went on. ‘So, the earlier you’re propped up and groomed for that role, the better.’

Mum nodded. ‘Your dad is right, Seyi,’ she put in.

‘Don’t worry or get scared about anything. Just let your mind be made up. You will learn and be fortified along the line.’

I nodded. I really didn’t have much choice, did I? ‘Okay, dad,’ I found myself saying.

‘That’s my boy,’ he said.

Later in my bedroom, I thought over the new task I had ahead of me. Well, as long as it would not prevent me from having my regular good times, it would be okay. I woke up the following morning at my usual time and dressed up. By six-thirty, I was ready to resume my new duty. I went downstairs to the sitting-room to await dad.

‘Good morning,’ Esther came to greet me.

‘Good morning, Esther, how are you?’

‘Fine.’

Since nobody was around, I beckoned at her to move closer. Then, I playfully smacked her bum.

‘How was your night?’ I asked.

‘Fine.’

We could hear some footsteps coming from the staircase. She quickly moved away.

‘Will you like to have some tea or coffee?’ she asked.

‘Coffee, please.’

Dad came into the sitting-room. Esther and I greeted him.

‘Yeah, good morning.’ He looked at me. ‘I can see that you’re set, Seyi. That’s very good of you.’

‘Thanks, dad.’

Esther brought a tray of coffee with a jug and a mug.

‘Get me a mug too,’ dad said.

We took the coffee briefly. I wouldn’t call that breakfast. There was no way I would regard taking only coffee as having breakfast.

We were soon on our way. We went in daddy’s Prado jeep. The driver, Mr. Jimmy, was in his crisp uniform as usual. He drove to join Maryland and connected to Ikorodu Road.

‘Where are going to Senator Momoh’s office,’ dad told him.

‘Yes, sir.’

The senator’s Lagos office was at Yaba. Dad and I had been there together in the past, but I never knew that one day, I would report for duty there.

It was few minutes after eight when we got to the office. On the wall were his campaign posters and just after the gates were his giant bill board and the flying flags of the party.

The lady receptionist asked us to take a seat while she informed the senator of our presence. The receptionist hall left no one in doubt that everything about the place was political. From party flags to posters, party symbols and pictures of heavy political titans hung on the wall, you could feel the atmosphere in one breath.

After about ten minutes, three men emerged from the senator’s office. The intercom on the receptionist desk beeped and she spoke briefly into it. Then, she smiled at us. ‘The honorable senator is ready to meet with you, now,’ she said.

Dad and I stood up and went to the man’s office.

‘The honorable senator!’ dad hailed him as soon as we stepped inside the office.

‘Ah, the great architect himself,’ the man replied jovially. The two friends shook hands.

‘Good morning, sir,’ I greeted, giving a slight bow.

‘Hey, Seyi, how do you do?’

He extended his hand to me for a handshake.

We took our seats.

‘I’m glad you and Seyi are here,’ Senator Momoh went on. ‘I’m sure Seyi has a lot to learn and a lot to do.’

Good day, dear friends, here we go again.

Happy reading.


The Fire Beneath the Beauty








Meeting Regina Awe is fortuitous for Tope. His life changes for good. He also meets Madam Regina's beautiful daughter and everything appears rosy,but beneath all this, fury rages.












It was a sweltering Thursday afternoon in Maryland, Lagos, and the air outside was thick with heat and the scent of puff-puff from the roadside vendors. Inside the sleek, air-conditioned walls of Glitz & Glow Mega Store, business was steady. Shoppers moved between aisles filled with perfumes, cosmetics, and human hair bundles displayed like golden trophies.

Tope, a tall, soft-spoken 28-year-old with a calm confidence, stood at his post in the beauty section. His short afro was neatly shaped, his skin the colour of roasted almonds, and his maroon supervisor shirt tucked crisply into his black trousers. The laminated tag on his chest read “Tope – Sales Supervisor” in bold white letters.

He had just finished helping a customer pick a setting spray when he noticed a small commotion near the entrance. A woman had walked in — not just any woman — but the kind of woman who made people pause.

She was regal, big in stature and presence. Her kaftan was bright red, embroidered with golden lace that sparkled subtly under the store lights. Her arms were adorned with chunky bangles, and her fingers wore multiple statement rings that clicked as she moved. A luxurious human hair wig—bone-straight and waist-length—framed her face. Her lips were painted the deepest shade of plum.

She strutted to the cosmetics aisle, heels clicking, handbag swinging.

“Excuse me, young man,” she called in a commanding, husky voice. “Where can I find proper foundation? And not those yeye ones that leave you looking like chalk.”

Tope quickly approached with a slight bow. “Good afternoon, ma. Welcome to Glitz & Glow. I can assist you. My name is Tope.”

She sized him up briefly. “Hmm. Yoruba boy, abi?”

“Yes ma. Born in Ibadan, bred in Lagos.”

“Aha. I knew it. I’m Regina. Regina Awe. I have a dinner party this weekend. I need to glow, not look like a dry bread.”

Tope chuckled softly. “Understood, ma. We’ll make sure you shine like the third mainland bridge at night.”

She laughed, her voice deep and rich. “You have mouth. I like that.”

He led her to the premium cosmetic section.

I rolled some one thousand naira bills and gave them to her.

‘Thank you very much,’ she said.

‘It’s okay. Take care of yourself.’



I remained indoor for the remaining part of the day and could not go to the club as I had to give the impression that I wasn’t really feeling well since morning and had been forced to remain indoor. My mother was the first to come in about seven in the evening. She knocked at my door and came in.

‘How’re you, now?’ she asked, a little bit anxiously. She didn’t need to be. She had earlier called in the afternoon to know how I was and I had told her I was getting better.

‘So, how’re you now?’ she asked.

I grinned at her. ‘I’m okay now, mum.’

She sat on the sofa in the room beside me. I could understand why she loved to be caring, sometimes over caring. As the only child in the family, I was always receiving such care.

‘How was business today?’ I asked her. She was a clothing merchant that had become successful in her own way.

‘Business is fine and we thank God,’ she replied.

She was with me for some minutes before she left. Dad didn’t come home until few minutes to nine in the evening. By then, I had had my dinner and was watching movies. Esther came to tell me that he wanted to see me. I went to the large sitting-room downstairs to see him.

‘Welcome, dad,’ I greeted.

‘Seyi, I was told you were not feeling fine and could not go to work. How’re you, now?’

I nodded. ‘I’m much better now.’

He too nodded. ‘Good to hear that, Seyi.’

I sat down beside him and he allowed some moments of silence.

‘Seyi, you have a new task of work to do as from tomorrow.’

I sat upright. ‘A new task?’

‘Yes.’ He smiled in a way to douse my anxiety.

I tried to relax. ‘What’s the new task, dad?’

He smiled again and nodded. ‘As you know, my good friend, Senator Momoh is seeking re-election into the senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is representing Lagos State central senatorial district. I’ve discussed your issue with him.

I want him to give you a political appointment in his new term, and he said the best way to go about it is for you to be part of the political train. He wants you to be introduced to politics at this budding age, just like his first son, Femi.’

I was all ears. Politics? At my age? What the hell did I want to do with politics? I never fancied it, even at the campus level as an undergraduate. Why would daddy want to introduce me to politics?

‘It will be good you start on time,’ he went on. ‘This is the introductory level. He may make you his personal assistant or adviser or something like that. In that way, you’ll start learning the ropes. So, from tomorrow, you and I will go to his office. He is setting up a campaign team and you’ll be part of it.’

The silence in the room continued, apart from the sound from the movie.

The act was over several minutes later.

'Thank you, very much, Seyi', she said.

I accompanied her to the gate, waved her off and returned to the house.

'Esther,' I called the house maid.

She answered from her room, which was downstairs.

'What breakfast did you prepare?' I asked as soon as she came.

'I'm yet to prepare any breakfast.'

'Get me toasted bread and beverages,' I told her.

'Okay.'

I went back upstairs to my room. The video was still playing, this time around another romance movie. I let it be and lie on the bed. Now that my ache had gone, I ought to go to work. The problem was I had no urge for work that day.

Several minutes later, Esther brought a tray of food inside. My breakfast was ready. She set the tray on a stool beside the bed. I sat up on the bed and drew the stool close to me.

'Have you eaten?' I asked her as I poured some tea from the jug to the mug.

'I'll eat when I get downstairs,' she replied.

I grinned. 'Why don't you join me?'

She smiled but did not say a thing. I had often played with her when nobody was around, or when we were together alone.


'I don't like the way you're treating me,' she while munching the food.

I was surprised to hear that. 'How was I treating you?'

She paused as if considering how best to answer the question.

'Come on, how am I treating you?'

'You're treating me like a baby.'

Esther was twenty. According to her, she had done her SSCE about three years ago and her reason for coming to do housemaid job was to work for a year in order to raise some money. My mum had promised to be of assistance if she behaved well.

Now, I believed she had behaved well enough to get whatever help mum wanted to give her.

'How am I treating you like a child?' I asked.

She didn't say a thing for many seconds. 'Because you brought a lady to your room.'

Now, I understood. I chuckled.

'That is it,' Esther said. 'You treated her like a lady, but treat me like a girl.'

I sighed and took some tea, bidding my time before I replied her. I knew what she was driving at but pretended not to.

'You need to tell me exactly what you mean,' I said.

'As a man, you should know,' she said.

I chuckled again. 'Okay. Since you won't tell me, I'll try to know.'

No need to speak ill of the dead.

However, what a man does, lives after him.

With a towel tied at my waist, and the brush still in my mouth, I went to check who was knocking.

'Sorry, uncle,' Esther said. 'A lady is asking of you.'

'A lady? What's her name?'

'She said Adebimpe.'

So fast? But then, I remembered that Maryland wasn't far from where I lived.

'Alright. Tell her to sit in the sitting-room downstairs. I'll soon be joining her.'

I went back to complete brushing my teeth, had my bath and wore jeans and t-shirt. I sprayed Hugo Boss perfume and went downstairs to meet my guest.

'Hello, Adebimpe,' I greeted. 'Sorry to keep you waiting.'

'Hi. It's okay.'

'Oh, please, what can I offer you?'

She shrugged. 'I'm okay for now.'

'Oh, no,' I said quickly. 'You're my guest and I should treat you right. Esther!'

'I'm coming,' Esther answered back.

I sat comfortably on the seat next to Adebimpe. 'There's no way you'll come to my house and you'll not take anything.’

Esther soon came to the sitting-room.

'Get her something, for God's sake. Bring some juice in the fridge and a bottle of groundnuts.'

'Yes, uncle,' Esther answered and went to get the things I said she should get.

Unlike the previous night, I had a better view of Adebimpe, now. She was a pretty one that should be in her early twenties.

'Sorry, I didn't get what you said you were into the other time,' I told her.

She smiled briefly. 'I said I'm a student.'

'At where, and what 're you studying?'

'At Uniben. I'm studying Accounting. We're at home courtesy of ASUU strike.'

I nodded. Nigerian students were always at the mercy of many extraneous forces.

Esther served her what I said she should be served.

'Get me a glass cup too', I told her.

Adebimpe and I chatted over the drinks.

About twenty minutes later, I told her it was better we continued our conversation in my room upstairs. She seemed not to be averse to the idea. I took her there.

'It's a nice room', she pointed out.

'Thank you.'

I switched on the flat screen, but was not interested in any of the channels. Rather, I inserted a flash to the flash drive. There were many movies on the disk, but the one of interest to me was an romance comedy film.

There was a sofa in my room. That was where Adebimpe sat, and that was where I sat too, close to her. We watched the movie in silence for a while. I could see that it put the two of us in the expected mood. My left hand encompassed her shoulders. It was noteworthy that she neither protested against my choice of movie nor my action of rubbing her shoulders.

Whose bra was it?

And more importantly—how did it end up in my room?

A million dollars question

The Flesh Is Weak




Formerly titled Spellbound






Seyi is a young promising man with rosy life. With connections, he is able to secure a good appointment. Things seemingly remain rosy but there is a spellbinding habit that needs to be expunged.





The story is an adaptation of A Thorn in the Flesh.
(c) copyright, 2025


All rights reserved. No part of this book can be copied, duplicated, replicated or reproduced in any form without the express permission of the author.











It was my ringing phone that woke me up. At first, I ignored it, but it kept ringing. Oh, why was it that I would not be allowed to have my peace? The persistence became annoying, so I picked it up. Maybe I should switch it off after answering the call. The caller ID revealed the name to be Adebimpe. Now, who was Adebimpe? I had many ladies' names on the phone, many of who I couldn't remember how they looked like until I saw them. Adebimpe was probably just one of them.

'Hello?' I said into the mouthpiece.

'Hello. Is that Seyi?'

'Yes, please.'

'This is Adebimpe, the lady you gave a ride at Barracks bus stop, yesterday.'

I instantly became wide awake. Now, I remembered Adebimpe.

'Yeah,' I said. 'How're you?"

'Fine. Just called to say hello.'

'Good of you.' I remembered her clearly now. Just yesterday, on my way from the club at Victoria Island, I saw her standing a bit off the Barracks bus stop at Surulere, Lagos. The slow traffic made me to see her on time as she stood by the road side. She briefly waved the car down and I stopped. She was going to Maryland while I was on my way home here in Ikeja. I had given her lift, chatted briefly with her, gave her my number and got hers.

I checked the clock in the bedroom and was amazed that it was already past nine.

'Are you busy this morning, Adebimpe?' I asked.

'Not exactly.'

What did that mean? It was either yes or no.

'Okay, can you make it to my house? I want to treat you nicely.'

There was a short pause. 'You mean this morning?'

'I mean, now.'

Another short pause. 'Okay. What's the address?'

'215 Egunjobi Street, Ikeja G.R.A.'

'Okay, I'll come.'

I smiled to myself. 'Good, I'll be expecting you.'

I disconnected the line, yawned and stood up from the bed. I was at home today because I had earlier experienced some stomach upset. When mummy came to my room and still saw me tucked in bed, she had asked if I would not be going to work. My answer was that I had stomach ache. She had urged me to eat well and send Esther to buy some drugs. Then she had left the house for her business.

Daddy didn't know I was at home, and would probably not know until much later. At twenty-four, I was a graduate of electrical engineering of two years, and had been working at dad's architectural firm for about a year, right after my NYSC. Now, don't ask me the relevance of electrical engineering to architecture. That was where daddy wanted me to work.

I left the bedroom for the bathroom. The slight ache had gone and I could indulge in whatever caught my fancy. I was brushing my teeth, preparatory to taking my bath, when a knock sounded on the bedroom door. With a towel tied at my waist, and the brush still in my mouth, I went to check who was knocking.

But Amanda didn’t return the greeting. She stared coldly at her, then turned that same frost on Femi.

“I can see you’re very busy,” she said quietly, each word edged with poison. “I’ll come another time.”

“No, no, don’t be like that,” Femi said, reaching for her hand. “There’s nothing going on. She just—”

“Busy doing whatever,” Amanda snapped, yanking her hand away. “You can continue with her.”

“Come on, Amanda,” he said, stunned. “You can’t be serious.”

But she was already halfway out the door, her heels striking the tiled floor like gunshots. The silence she left behind was loud.

Femi stood there, stunned, heart thudding in his chest, caught between the ruins of one relationship and the threat of another.

Behind him, Ruqqayat sat quietly, no longer smiling.

The night had just begun — and so had the consequences.

“But you got it all wrong. There’s nothing between Ruqqayat and me.”

Amanda was determined to leave the house. Still astonished by her action, he watched her go.

“I can’t believe it,” he said as soon as she slammed the door shot. “How could she be so jealous and unreasonable?”

Ruqqayat was bemused. “What a jealous one you had there, Uncle Femi.” There was half a smile on her face.

“It’s not funny,” he said grimly. “I mean she acted so immaturely.”

Ruqqayat shrugged. “Maybe she wanted to quit the relationship and was looking for an opportunity.”

Could that be true? Was Amanda already tired of the relationship? He shook his head. It was possible. You could never tell with women. He would still see her and challenged her. Even if there should be parting, it should be done maturely.

He shrugged. “So, let’s go to the purpose of why you’re here,” he told Ruqqayat. He sat next to her. “What was the question?”

“How microfinance bank can be of assistance to small scale business.”

“Is that all?”

That was a simple question. She didn’t need to come to him. Right in the comfort of her room, she could go on-line with her phone and google the information.

She nodded. “Yes, that is all.”

I agree that it is an act of desperation for a former vp to swear that he would punish corrupt officers.

It is completely ironic.

Intesting times ahead.

One prays the best candidate and the best party will win. In Jesus name.
Amen.

Nice one. Let the story unfold more and more in suspense and intense excitement.

He could explain if Amanda came. There was nothing going on... right?

Exactly five minutes later, a soft knock echoed at his door.

He opened it, forcing a smile. “Hey, Ruqqayat. How are you?”

“I’m good,” she said, stepping in gracefully. She held a stack of textbooks — her perfect alibi.

They settled into the living room. He kept glancing at the door, his nerves ticking like a countdown.

“So what’s the assignment about?” he asked quickly, trying to keep it all strictly academic.

“Ah, Uncle Femi, at least let me catch my breath first,” she said, laughing softly. She dropped her books and leaned back, completely at ease.

He nodded awkwardly. She was right. He was rushing things. Still, time was a thief, and he felt its hands reaching fast.

“So how was work?” she asked, her eyes lingering just a second too long.

“Fine. I just got back from Ibadan this evening.”

“Oh really? So what did you bring for me?”

He chuckled, trying to steer the tone back to harmless banter. “I brought you peace.”

“Peace? As if I don’t already have peace here,” she teased, rolling her eyes. “Come on, what else?”

Before he could reply, a knock — sharp and confident — struck the door.

Amanda.

He froze.

She was here.

He swallowed hard and stood up, bracing himself. He opened the door with a hopeful smile that quickly dissolved.

Amanda stood there, her face a mask of disbelief. Her eyes darted from Femi to Ruqqayat, then to the textbooks on the table, then back to him.

“Ah, Amanda,” he began with nervous cheer. “This is Ruqqayat, my landlord’s daughter. She just came over for help with an assignment. Ruqqayat, meet Amanda, my—”

“Hello, Amanda,” Ruqqayat said, standing and smiling politely.

But Amanda didn’t return the greeting. She stared coldly at her, then turned that same frost on Femi.

He smiled at the thought of her walking in soon, maybe with a bottle of wine or that mischievous look she sometimes wore when she was feeling bold.

Wrapped in a towel, he stepped out of the bathroom just as his phone began to ring. Amanda, surely. He hurried to pick it up.

But it wasn’t Amanda.

The caller ID read Ruqqayat.

He hesitated. That name came with complications.

Ever since he had moved into the compound, Ruqqayat — the landlord’s daughter — had maintained a subtle but persistent presence around him. Young, sharp-witted, and attractive in a girl-next-door kind of way, she was a Business Administration student at LASU. Their conversations had always been casual, harmless. But lately, there was a shift in her tone, an unspoken invitation in her eyes. He had tried to ignore it.

“Hello, Uncle Femi,” she greeted, her voice sweet with calculated innocence.

“Ah, Ruqqayat. How you dey?” he replied, already uneasy.

“I’m fine. I’m around for the weekend. There’s this assignment I really need help with. Are you home?”

His heart jumped slightly. He didn’t want to seem rude — he liked her well enough — but Amanda would be here any moment.

“Em... let’s—”

“I’ll be right over,” she said abruptly and ended the call before he could object.

He stared at the phone. Damn. Just great.

He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. It should be fine. She was just coming with books, nothing maore. He could explain if Amanda came. There was nothing going on... right?