Joy laid on her side then took another look at the torch made to stand on its bottom on the stool beside the bed so the light ray faced the ceiling and brightened the room to almost rid it of darkness. The door was also left ajar.

"Dayo."

"Yes."

"Thank you." She said and he blinked a few times, hesitant about what the right reply should be and somewhat because he didn't expect that, although he knew what she was grateful for.

"You're welcome." He replied in the end and he heard her release a soft sigh of relief. Dayo turned on his side, sleep was still a bit far from him. He needed to sleep already, if not, he would be stuck in his own thoughts and doubts which he was done with, at least for the day.

Joy stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep, still for some reason it wasn't forthcoming. She must have stayed like that for several minutes before her eyes shifted to the door once more. The thought of Dayo reminded her of their earlier incident. Joy chose to peg the case as a moment of weakness for her. He'd showed up at the right time when she needed help and she was so grateful that she flung her arms around him. Yes, she flung her arms around a stranger. It was strange. He was a stranger to her and yet, at the same time, he was the only person she knew.

Joy sat up for a minute before making her way off the bed and towards the living room where he was. She saw his eyes closed and concluded he was fast asleep. Quietly, she took her seat on the empty couch, brought her legs up on it with her and wrapped her arms around them as her chin rests on her knees. Joy spent the next few seconds watching him sleep. No thoughts specifically ran through her mind. This was her own way of attempting to familiarize herself with him. Perhaps, trying to understand him.

Adedayo was nice, really nice and kind to her. She noticed he barely fit on the couch and wondered how uncomfortable it must be for him to sleep here, yet, he willingly gave up his bed for someone he knew nothing about. She wondered if there were more like him out in the world. Was he naïve or was he simply kind? Joy was unable to make a conclusion on that. In the end, she hoped with all her heart that he would never change. He was the only light in this dark tunnel that she was present in.

The next morning, Dayo attended to his normal routine of getting prepared to leave for work and all the while, being careful not to wake her up. When he was done, he wrote down some helpful instructions for her, leaving the first in the kitchen and the next, he tore a bit of the adhesive tape and stuck it together with the paper on the wall by the bed. He was sure she wouldn't miss it. He turned away to leave but his eyes fell on her face and suddenly, there was a thought, a strange permission for him to stare as much as he would like since she was asleep. Unable to help himself, he stared until his guilt ate him up and he turned and walked away. He locked the door from outside and thrust the key back in through the little space beneath the door.

Maybe it was a dream, maybe it was a reenactment of a forgotten memory, either way it felt good. There was laughter, one hers and the other, deeper, belonging to someone she couldn't make out. The scene was blurry in her mind and the only vivid thing was her own laughter. She sounded happy and she liked the feeling. Second by second, Joy opened her eyes late that morning. Her orbs toured the room, looking mostly left and right before she was reminded of where she was. As she sat up, a tiresome sigh left her lips. More than yesterday, she wished she had all her memories with her. On a morning like this, Joy wondered what her normal routine was and it made her sad she had no idea.

The minute she got off the bed, she sighted the paper Adedayo had left for her. She took it with her as she walked into the living room. There was no sign of him anywhere and it made her realise he must have left earlier for work. Joy held the paper properly in her hand and read through. It was a few words of greeting and encouragement that she doesn't wander far too out of the compound so as not to get lost and that he would be back before six in the evening.

Joy appreciated the thought behind leaving a few words for her. In honesty, she might've felt a bit angsty this morning, waking up to realise she was in a home that belonged to someone she couldn't give account of. That was if she hadn't read his words. It made her feel like he cared and that thought made her feel like she wasn't alone. Joy wandered her way into the kitchen and met another note stuck to a stainless flask. This time, while reading, a small smile played by the corner of her lips. In the end, she stared at the flask for a minute before her eyes drifted to the slices of bread still in its polythene wrap.

When she stood in the living room, she remained still for what would seem like minutes, listening to mostly her own breathing going in and out. It was clear, she indeed was alone. Adedayo made it clear he should not be expected till six in the evening. What was she to do till the time he returns? How does she pass time?

"Mr. Michael. Mr. Michael... Adedayo." He felt a tap on his arm and that startled him out of his thoughts.

He looked up to the woman who was a colleague, a faint smile playing on his face, his best attempt at putting up a seemingly okay front. It wasn't convincing enough to her as she then asked the expected question.

"Are you okay? You seem unusually lost this morning."

Dayo nodded, his faint smile disappearing but reoccurring every two seconds. "I'm fine."

Though his reply was good, it didn't stop the woman from giving him a good look before speaking next. "The bell's been rung. It's assembly time." She told him and he nodded in understanding before she walked away.

When he was in the vicinity of his own comfort, a sigh left his lips. It's no secret that nearly half of his mind was occupied with the thought that a woman was in his home and according to his friend, she might be bad news and was best to be rid of her. Easier said than done. Dayo recalled a moment from their encounter last night. She hadn't felt or seemed like bad news.

At the assembly ground with the pupils in neat rows of separated boys from girls starting from the lower classes to the top ones, they stood erect as they sang the national anthem and while the staff members stood by the side. Afterwards, the headteacher, a lean and tall man in his early fifties gave a little encouraging speech, like the ones he does every morning. The repeated instructions of dos and don'ts that are like a reminder and the encouraging words to pay up the school fees for those that were yet to complete payment before the exams which were in less than four weeks. Finally, they were dismissed and their noises filled the compound as they chatter away to their classes.

This time, at the teachers morning meeting after the assembly, the headteacher shared a few words and reminded that the pupils are closely monitored and with today being Friday, they were encouraged to give them enough assignments to keep both their hands and brain busy enough to not play away the weekend. Then, he dismissed them.

At his desk in the teacher's room, Dayo looked at his timetable to find out which class he was taking this morning or if he didn't have any till afternoon. He was used to this but it didn't hurt to extra check every time to be sure he had the right schedule. As he expected, his first class today was with primary four. While he prepared to be on his feet, the sound of a familiar voice filled the room.

"Ah, look who we have here. The soon-to-be-Mrs." A teacher teased and the rest gave a light laugh.

"Good morning, Mr. Obinna. Good morning, everyone." The woman greeted, a wide smile on her face and that smile reminded Adedayo of several scenes from the past. From the moment she started working at the school a year ago till the period it took him close to three weeks to be the first to get a good sentence out to her and when she announced she was getting married. He wasn't typically the shy type. Quiet, maybe but not necessarily or entirely shy.

He drifted his gaze away from their gathering and made it on his feet, picking up the social studies textbook and a blue whiteboard marker off his table. He walked towards the second door leading out of the room.

"Dayo. Dayo." He stopped at the behest of her call just after he'd taken a few steps out of the teacher's room. She stood in front of him, a moment of their eyes meeting occurred and he was first to look away.

She stretched out her hand to him, a wedding card in it. "Here, an official wedding invitation." Dayo accepted it and when he actually read the names on the cards and the dates being tomorrow for the traditional and Sunday for the white wedding, a part of him felt a great discomfort in its reality and his lips slightly parted, ready to say something.

"No. I'm not accepting any excuse. I personally handed it over to you so I would personally be looking forward to seeing you." She added, her eyes warning that he makes the right decision.

"Rose, I..." This time, his eyes steadied with hers which were filled with expectation on hearing what he had to say.

It's too late. A voice reminded me at the back of his head. That was enough for him to mentally retract.

A smile came on his face. "... I'm happy for you. Congratulations again."

Her smile grew wider. "Thank you." She appreciated as she momentarily placed a hand on his arm. "I'm expecting you, alright?" Rose added as she started to turn away and he nodded before her back was to him and she walked back into the room.

He stared at the card one more time and then his arm she'd touched. When Dayo lifted his head, he gulped down hard, his usual attempt at bottling everything deep down and letting whatever crazy thought fly out of the window. Only after he felt slightly better did he march on towards the class he was to teach.