Dedicated to abigael_2004 .

My palms rubbed my protruding belly making sure to reach every part of the expanding skin. I was just four months pregnant and the stupid baby was already announcing to the world it was inside of me.

Sighing, I pulled down my white singlet, it hugged my belly like a second skin. I picked the purple kaftan on my bed and sliped it on. It concealed my bump perfectly; I was glad.

Grandma let me stay in my dad and his older brother's old bedroom. It was empty when I got here a month ago save for the bed, dressing mirror and wardrobe. The room was deserted hence dusty so I had to do a lot of cleaning to get it back in shape.

The cemented floor was cleaner just that it was a little dusty since I hadn't swept it since the beginning of the week. My neatly laid bed was next to my wardrobe and the dressing mirror across the bed.

I moved to my dressing mirror from my bed. I picked my water bottle from the table and took a swig. I packed my hair up after and made for the door. When I got to the door, I remembered the real reason I went to my dressing table.  I picked my phone and left the room.

Grandma was in the living room legs sprawled on the table and a tray of uncooked beans on her lap.

"Where are you off to?" She let out a cough. She had a matching African print scarf of her dress untied on her head.

My hand went to my back. "My friends are waiting for me downstairs."

"Have you washed the clothes I asked you to wash?"

I nodded.

"The plates in the sink nko?"

I nodded.

"What about the pots? I hope you didn't leave them for me?"

"I washed them all, grandma." I moved closer to the wall so I could lean my back.

"Ehn, my room. Have you cleaned it?"

I nodded. "I made sure to do all my chores."

"Who will now pick the beans? Or am I the only one that will eat it?" She asked with a frown etched on her face.

I picked the bucket of beans next to her and the tray and made my way down stairs. Felix saw me and came to help, he collected the bucket of beans from me, I murmured a thank you and we both sat on the bench.

"You look pretty." He said, flashing his pearly whites.

"Felix, stop it. I'm not in the mood for your games." I balanced the tray on my lap.

"I'm serious." His lips were curved up and his gaze holding mine.

I hissed and took a handful of beans; he joined me.

He was crazy to say I was pretty. My weight had doubled, I was competing with an elephant now. My skin was darker even when I tried that CaroWhite lotion Jazz gave me. It worked for a few days and then my skin became darker. The worst of them all was my nose. It was like it was growing the same pace with the baby and my nostrils, ehn, just one deep breath and I'm sure I would inhale the whole of Modakeke. So what exactly did he find pretty about me? I hissed.

"How's your head now?"

"It's better." I took a glimpse at him. I liked how the brown T-shirt fitted his build. It also went well with the black shorts. "I took some drugs, I feel better now."  I turned the beans in my hand into a small bowl.

Felix picked another hand full of beans and looked up at me. "A friend of mine is having his birthday party tomorrow. It's just down the road and you'll be back before evening."

"I don't think grandma will let me." I wasn't also interested.

"I can speak to her if you want."

"I'm sure grandma won't let me go."

"We can still try asking her or convincing her. Who knows, she could accept." He returned the beans to the tray. "Mama Oye isn't that bad."

"Ogbeni, she's bad!"

Felix and I directed our head to Jazz who just walked in.  Jazz repeated, "Ogbeni, mama Oye is bad."

"Jazz, stop exaggerating. I know she can be very annoying but she's nice too. We just need to find out what crawled up her ass." Felix said, moving closer to me so Jazz could sit at the end but Jazz jumped in between myself and Felix and pushed Felix aside. I noticed Felix's eyebrows pulled together but I just turned to picking out the dirt from the beans in my hand.

"I think she needs to get laid."

I looked up hearing what Jazz said. It was my turn to frown now.

Jazz continued, "let's get one old baba that'll fuck mama Oye. He'll give her the best fuck of her life, maybe she'll stop being a grumpy old woman."

Felix bursted into laughter. I tried to stifle my giggles while trying to stretch my back. 

"Guy, I just dey imagine how she go dey shout as dem dey knack her."   Felix gigged.

"Oloriburuku, you've hit the g-spot." Jazz told Felix making sure to add dramatic moaning sounds at the end.

Both boys managed to get me laughing out loud. It was hard to suppress the laughter, especially when Jazz stood and started acting the whole thing out. The ache in my back started again so I put both hands on my back trying to get my back to rest on them. It still hurt.

"You guys realize you're speak about my grandmother right?" I gave a groan.

There were two reasons I didn't stop them. One, they were being extra dramatic about it causing me to laugh. I needed it. To laugh more often. Jazz was a very horrible actor so the way he acted it made it extra funny. And, two, I need to get them distracted about what brought about the topic. I didn't want them pressing about the matter and I also didn't want to tell them the real reason I couldn't and wasn't interested in the party.

"You no go just vex." Jazz added a nervous laugh.  He shoved both hands into his hoodie pocket causing a demo to fall. He picked it up and joined us on the bench.

"You sing?" I nodded at the demo in his hands.

"Rap."

"Jazz is your stage name." It was a question but it came off more as a statement.

He shrugged; I groaned.

Felix stood and got behind me. I felt a pair of hands on my waist. I froze. I touched his hands and tried to move them but he pushed mine off and started to massage my waist.

He moved closer, I could feel his hard chest on my back and his breath in the crook of my neck. I got goosebumps, I hope he didn't notice. "You should visit the hospital. First the headache now this."

"It's just the change of environment." I bit my lip. "You should also try working as a masseuse." I could tell he was smiling.

In the six weeks I had been in Modakeke. Jazz and Felix were my only friends except when Felix had gone for his lessons and Jazz wasn't at our place. Felix stayed in the flat downstairs with his mum and sister who was away in boarding school. Jazz lived else where with his three older siblings, he never mentioned their parents.

They were both done with secondary school and were waiting to get into the higher institution. While Felix took lessons, Jazz said he was the C.E.O of an internet business. When I asked what it was about he didn't speak further.

They had a lot to ask about me. I just told them I was here to help and spend sometime with my grandmother. Part of it was correct anyway.

Jazz brought out Airpods from his crazy jean pocket. He put them in his ear, adjusted the green beanie on his head and moved to tapping swiftly on his three camera, expensive phone. My eyes caught on the rubber palm he was wearing. It had multiple stitches of thread.

The ache in my back was reliving. It was like Felix knew the exact place that hurt me.

"Make sure to ask your grandma permission to go with us to the party."

I was about to protest and tell him I wasn't interested but I nodded instead.

"Guy, you need to see the sick beat that producer gave me today."

Felix stopped. I groaned. He continued rubbing his hands on my back. I was relieved of the pain but I just wasn't ready to let him leave. Jazz disconnected his Airpods from his phone and a familiar beat started to play. It sounded like the one from that Airtel commercial, 444 is a metaphor.

Jazz started to bop his head to the beat. I flinched when a shrill voice started to rap along with the beat, it was the same coming from the phone. I heard Felix sigh while Jazz was rapping along with the song.

"Is that his song?" I whispered.

Felix nodded. "You see why Chocolate City hasn't signed him?" I laughed.

"He would improve."

He hissed, stopping his work on my waist. "I don't think this one has room for improvement. I told him to enroll into a music school, he refused." He resumed his work on my waist. "The least I can do is morally support him. I even declined his offer of being his manager."

The song finally stopped, my ears were grateful for that. "I'll be your manager." I announced with a grin plastered on my face.

He hummed with a frown.

"I'll be your manager since Felix refused."

He gave a smile. Jazz didn't have the potential. His rapping sucked and his songwriting skills were worse. What did he even mean by:

I see why you always want flowers.
Cos you stubborn like a goat and they only eat flowers.

He would improve through constant practice and if he didn't improve he'd still blow. Davido didn't have the best voice and he was on his way to wining a Grammy. So, technically, Jazz still had hope.

"What do you know  about being a manager?" It was Felix.

If, the artiste referring everyone to meet me before getting through to them, the artist mentioning my name during his award acceptance speech and small drama on Instablog Naija then I knew a lot about being a manager.

"I do. It's as easy as the alphabet."

"Oshey! Correct person!" We did a high five. "Not like some people hating on my music career. When I blow ehn, they'll see shege." He glared at Felix.

"Make sure not to add them to your Oscar acceptance speech."

"Enipe?" Felix asked his lips sucked in. He laughed while a frown marred Jazz's features. "Your manager is more concerned about movie awards than music awards. Oscar ko, Naomi Osaka ni."

Jazz pulled me closer to him while Felix went back to sit.  "It's Headies and Grammy I want."

"Don't mind the haters. You can add Oscar and AMVCA to it too." I stretched my hand to him. "Here's to a wonderful partnership." He took my hand and shook it with a grin plastered on his face.

"You both are clowns."

"You're just pained you're not his manager, Felix." I stuck my tongue out at him.

Our attention turned to the gate. A short man in a blue ankle-length shirt, with long sleeves, that buttoned up to the neck and white cap walked in with a scowl. He walked in briskly, his clothes drenched with sweat and holding a bunch of horsewhips. He had a scary scar that ran from under his left eye down to his neck. He made eye contact with the boys and glared at them. They seemed unfazed. He muttered some words in Hausa which I didn't understand but sounded like curses and went to the stairs.

"Who is he?" My sight lingered on the way to the stairs even though he was no longer there.

"One of our neighbours."

Neighbors? I frowned. He didn't look familiar. I had gotten to know everyone who lived in all eight flats of our building. I finally returned my gaze to the boys. "Felix, I've never seen him."

He responded, "he lives on the second floor."

Glossary

1) Ogbeni - Mr man.
2) Enipe - What did you say?
3

) Instablog Naija - A news blog on social media.
4) Oloriburuku - A Yoruba abusive word.

A/N

Happy New Year, Lovelies! I wish you the very best this year.

"Which musician do you know is having AMVCA?"