Please read the author's note after the chapter.

Dedicated to mubbykee my tour partner ♥️♥️

Kunmi

If I thought Sophia disliked Aminah at the beginning, then it was just outright hatred that her cousin, Gabriella has for her. We've spent two days together in the same room and they've not uttered a word to each other, more like Gabriella hadn't uttered a word to Aminah. It's either Gab start reading something on her phone, use her earpiece or enter the toilet everytime Aminah try to include her in a conversation and she kept trying. It was annoying, really annoying, Aminah being that nice to someone that was outrightly downgrading her. I could relate to that though and I wondered why Gab doesn't like Aminah. Almost every body liked her, the teachers, the Juniors, our classmates. She was the sweet girl whom everybody doted on except Sophia, who I'm still starting to come up with a logical reason why she was now nice and friendly to Aminah. Even more friendlier to me when she used to outrightly ignore me. Thinking back now, she used to ignore me, she never actually hated on me or anything.

But then, could all these niceties be a plot? Was something sinister really going on?

It was early in the morning of the third day and we were travelling to Oyo town by 10pm and we were just getting ready. Gabriella was lying on the bed she shared with Sophia, an opened chemistry textbook in front of her, Aminah was sitting on our bed, a towel wrapped around her body, she was waiting for Sophia to finish bathing and she entered like 45 minutes ago.

"Sophia, please, are you giving birth in there?"

Sophia's reply was a loud hum in reply to Gabriella's words. Five more minutes passed before Aunty Sophia finally stepped out, white towel wrapped around her body and the water on her body glistening from the morning sun streaking in from the opened windows.

"Remind us to only allow you be the last person to bath if we get together again like this."

Aminah said as she pushed herself off the bed and she walked into the bathroom.

"I did not even stay that long because of you."

"Pele, you should have spent like 5 hours there."

"Nothing I've not done before."

What? She has spent up to five hours before in the bathroom? What's she washing?

"I'm washing this body if that's what you were wondering."

She was directly in front of me and she gestured to her body while I scrunched my face.

"This glorious body."

She said again before she danced off to their bed that was directly beside ours. Gab, obviously used to this side of Sophia that I still couldn't get used to only shook her head at her.

She sat down, her back to Gab who was still reading her textbook and her face to me.

"Gabriella, please stop reading. You're making me angry. This is meant to be an excursion and you're supposed to have fun, not bury your head inside boring textbooks."

"Exams start immediately we get back to Lagos."

"And so? You're still going to pass even without reading."

"Woo, just leave me alone and let me concentrate."

Sophia looked back at those words, her face scrunching together in disgust and she turned back and she saw me looking at them, she twirled one of her fingers in front of her ear.

"My cousin is senseless but I don't take her this way, who will? I don't have an option."

"Sophia, I can hear you."

Our Queen Weirdo only rolled her eyes. A minute or two of absolute silence passed.

"So Baby Kay..."

I looked up at Sophia's words but she was busy rubbing lotion on her skin. I looked around the room, searching for what she could have called Baby Kay because it couldn't possibly be me, could it?

"Yeah, it's you, you're my Baby Kay."

She continued, looking up at me with a little smile on her lips and my face scrunched up even without me meaning for it to.

"I was worried about you last night. You returned very late and almost coincidentally, Kunle happened to tell me that Adam stayed out very late too."

Hmm? I looked away from her, memories from last night invading my thoughts. His palm on my face, moving against my face in soft carress as if it was some sort of fragile thing that could break easily, his scent, his cologne invading my senses and his eyes, deep dark eyes darkening even more as he stared at me, more like, hypnotizing me, entrancing me, making it impossible for me to move away.

The things he could do to me with his eyes, the things he was doing to me with his eyes.

"Oh wow! What's that look?"

I snapped out of trance to see Sophia looking at me, eyes dancing and twinkling with amusement.

"What's that look? What did you guys do? Oh My God! Tell me."

She screamed and she attempted to shoot up from her bed, probably to come and join me on ours before Gabriella pulled her back, making her to sit down back with a thud.

"Shut up and get dressed. Elejo wewe oshi."

She glared at her before she turned to look at me again.

"Don't worry, we'll talk later when this bore isn't here. Hmm?

I said nothing to her and for the rest of the minutes we spent in the room, she continued humming, oh my God, they did something while doing a silly dance.

********

Our bus came to a stop once inside The Oyo Museum and we filed out of the bus. Adam sat beside me during the short journey, and even though we said nothing to each other, it was almost like we said everything to each other, with his fingers not so casually brushing against mine, making me to remember the other night. He had gestured for me to stay while he spoke with his mom on phone while I could only hear his own side of the conversation, I could tell that it was more of an agitated one with series of yes ma, alright mom, when I get back. I know, I'm sorry, followed by a long silence before he asked her again in almost a broken whisper, "Is everything alright at home?"

That single question felt like it carried an undertone of messages.

Then followed by another series of okay ma before he finally ended the call with I love you too mom. That made me smile, the most things mom has said to me on phone since I got to Ibadan were make friends, enjoy the moment and relax. Good words but no time for frivolities like I love you. But then, how many African parents actually say I love you to their kids. Memes have it that "Have you eaten is equivalent to I love you in Nigeria.

We were silent for minutes after he got off the call, our back against the pavement, each lost in our own thoughts until I finally cleared my throat to ask him if he was fine which he answered in the affirmative. We just stayed there, silent, neither of us willing to leave until it was rather really late and we had to leave.

"Fay, you better stay in the bus."

Ezekiel said once we all got down and we all turned to look at him even though I knew that he was definitely going to say one senseless thing again.

"And why should I stay in the bus?"

Fay asked, her voice bored. I looked at her, at her too fair skin and it was even starting to get red from the scorching sun.

"Do you want the Alaafin of Oyo to see you? Once he set his eyes on you like this, you're going to automatically become his wife."

I dragged a long hiss before I could stop myself and I wasn't the only one. Aminah only looked at him scornfully.

"If there is anyone that needs to stay back, you're the one."

The others shook their head at him before the tour guide at the entrance of the museum signaled for us to enter. Ezekiel started to say something else but the cold glare of teacher shut him up immediately.

This boy ehn.

The museum was relatively small, compared to what I was expecting though. What made up the museum was majorly the statute of yoruba gods, Orisha.

"And that's Osun obviously from her bre....."

Our tour guide was saying but Ezekiel was quick to interrupt.

"Of course we know, the breast. No other Orisha....."

We all burst into laughter, even our tour whom I at least felt should be annoyed but then, there's this thing about Ezekiel that makes it hard to just get angry at him even he was just being annoying.

"But Ezekiel, are you not going to have sense? You're a grown up now."

He only shrugged at Aminah's words.

"And who get to crack all of you up?"

The tour guide continued explaining the history behind all the antifacts to us and Ezekiel kept nodding gingerly even though I doubted if his brain could actually comprehend anything the tour guide was saying. If there was anything that really captured my attention, it was the history behind Igbo Ukwu Art and Essie Soapstone carvings. He had explained Essie Soapstone history as;

"There are really lots of belief about the origin of the soapstone. It was discovered in the 1877 but it was brought into limelight in 1933. There are a total of 800 pieces in Essie's museum in Kwara State. The most unique features about these soapstones is their actual resemblance to human beings, the marks on the face and their hairstyles sold them out to be majorly Oyo people. These soapstone some believe that someone carved all these soapstone..."

"But what's the logical reason why people would have sat down to carve this many soapstone?"

That was Gabriella, the Gabriella that I've always seen in blurred lines that I was now starting to see in vigrant colors. I've always seen her as this nerd who was only interested in reading but I was now starting to notice other things about her, her calm aura, her inquisitiveness, her easy and almost childish relationship with Sophia. She was this kind of person that has other sides reserved for other people. Just like Sophia, who would have thought she could get this crazy?

That is, if she was been real.

"Exactly! What's the logical reason that people would have sat down to carve this many almost repetitive pieces?" The tour guide repeated, after nodding at her appreciatively. "Hence, other variations. Some believed this soapstones are original humans that were turned into soapstones by a god for their negligence."

What? That's so creepy.

"Looking careful, you can see that from this pictures, some statures are in a kneeling position, there is one that is sitting on what looks like a throne, there are some that looks like women cooking, washing, some that looks like a group of men in a meeting...."

Definitely more creepy. I imagined people going about their daily lives then suddenly being turned into stones by a vengeful God. Definitely creepy. What if that particular god was still capable of doing that even now? What if......."

A hand slipped into mine, grabbing and holding it and I blanked out, knowing that it could be only be one person. Those fingers on my.......

"Calm down, pretty sure what you're imagining can't happen."

He said and I could detect laughter in his voice. Was he laughing at me? I couldn't find out because it took all my self restraint not to turn sideways to look at him. I tried to pry my hand away from his but he only held out tighter, making it hard for me to follow what the tour guide was saying.

I had to clear a lump in my throat to hear what he was saying.

Yes, it was that bad.

"But then, the soapstones are small, very small in size to even pass for a toddler, not to talk of actual human adults so the authenticity of that myth, till date is still doubtful."

Better. But then, were those kind of things really possible? Maybe that was why there were less crimes then, the quick and instant judgment of the gods. These days, too many crimes, too many evils.

We were about to leave the museum when our tour guide pointed to a statute of a man and a female in a very comprising position.

Wait, what?

"And that's what people appease in the olden days for fertility and sterility issues .."

"Wow!" That was Ezekiel and he bent down so he'd be able to see the statute clearly.

"This is pretty amazing though but then, it's missionary style. Things must have been very boring in those days ehn. O ma........"

Someone smacked him pretty hard and he yelped while straightening up. The rest of the students just burst into laughter and even Adam was laughing so hard that I could almost hear his ribs cracking. I'd have laughed too but then, how do these people laugh at obscene jokes like this?

"Ezekiel, please, just stay inside the bus when we get to the next place we're going or just keep your mouth shut."

Sophia, face stoic and Ezekiel only made a silly face at her.

"After you laughed at that joke abi what?"

She scoffed. "Who laughed?"

But then, even I could detect the laughter in her voice.

**************

I left the room, feeling a little bit disoriented. I was supposed to be asleep but the bits and pieces of the conversation between Gab, Aminah and Sophia made it impossible for me to even sleep. From the conversation between them, I could tell that they were talking about the film they supposedly watched together when I was out last night.

"I still feel like Samira did nothing wrong. The only thing she did in that film was to love Dan wholeheartedly and what did she get in return? He cheated on her! How can there be two ways to this story? He is the villian of the story."

That was Sophia and her voice sounded like she was angry.

"I'm not exactly saying she did something wrong but then, she did not exactly put that much energy into the relationship. From the very beginning, Dave wasn't discreet about wanting her to lose some weight so that she won't feel insecure in front of his friends girlfriend."

That was Aminah and I frowned under the duvet, starting to get what the argument was all about.

"And I think what you don't understand in the movie is that Samira never felt insecure, she was comfortable in her size and shape and all that. It was Dave who was insecure about her, insecure about the way his friends would see her, insecure about stacking a claim on her in public and that ruined her."

"Well, I guess it's only normal for him to feel insecure. It's must be hard watching his friend's girlfriends all sexy and pretty while Samira never made an effort."

There was a stunned silence after that and I actually concluded that Sophia wasn't going to say anything again.

"An effort? because of him or because of herself?"

Aminah's reply was instantaneous.

"Him. Her. Whichever reason. It's a relationship. People should at least try to do anything to keep a relationship that they really want."

Sophia chuckled, a bitter and mirthless one. "See babe, no body deserves to burn themselves out because of another person. You're only to end up ruining yourself in the process. Let whoever wants to leave, leave. You're going to become a better person when they leave....."

"I don't think......."

"Dave saw Samira that way she was right from the beginning and he loved her like that but he was the insecure one that started to make her feel so bad about herself. All the things he wanted her to do just because of him? No way. Even if she has actually shed off the so called fat, Dave would still have cheated with Jane. He cheated over and over again and yet, when it was too late, when he realized it was her that he truly loves and he was only attracted to Jane, he wanted her to take him back. No way. After all the headache and heartache he put her through. I'd have poisoned him if I was in that situation."

Sophia said, her voice stoic and I seriously did not doubt her. She can't be normal, this Sophia.

"I'd have taken him back if I were in that situation."

I nearly pulled the duvet from my face at Aminah's words. Through the spaces in the duvet, I could see Sophia staring at Aminah as if she had grown two heads and I was actually surprised when she left the clothes she was folding on their own bed to sit on ours, right beside Aminah.

"I mean, we are only focusing on the bad aspects, the downs of their relationships. He was a very good man for her and he only went about it the wrong way. He wanted her to become a better person..."

"For him, not for her. The reasons were obviously wrong and then he cheated, he slept with Jane multiple times even when he and Samira weren't having sex yet." Then she shrugged nonchalantly and she stood up. "If you can take a cheating boyfriend back but I'd advice you to let go, as a friend."

I couldn't see her face but that tone and the calculative Sophia that I know, those words meant much more than it looks like.

Sophia and Kunle.

They couldn't possible be..

I did not want to think further so I left the room afterwards, disoriented, the Samira girl had hit a nerve and then Sophia's words.

"If you can take a cheating boyfriend back but I'd advice you to let go, as a friend."

As a friend? When did she become friends with a girl she disliked with passion?

I found myself walking towards the spot we were last night and I automatically turned back when I saw Adam sitting there.

"Are you running away? When I've been waiting for you?"

I stopped, turned back to look at him suspiciously and he looked like he was laughing, or at least trying to stifle his laughter. I said nothing, I only walked closer so I was leaning on the pavement beside him.

"You were seriously going to leave?"

He asked again, turning sideways to look at me and I focused my attention on the surface of the pavement, the blue color turning deeper the more I stared at it.

"I guess."

"Really?" His voice sounded closer, almost like he was leaning in, leaning closer to me.

"You looked like you did not want to be disturbed."

I was answered by a deep chuckle, that turned into a full blown laughter forcing me to look up at him with a frown on my face.

Did I say something funny?

His laughter trailed off but I could still see it in his eyes. It looked like something had cracked him up real bad but what?

"I was actually waiting for you and you wanted to leave because you felt you'd disturb me? It's basically impossible to be disturbed by you."

I looked away from his face. This boy and saying things without beating around the bush.

"How did you know I was going to come here?"

He shrugged before he jumped down from the pavement and he moved to stand directly in front of me, with the pavement separating us.

"Just call it instinct."

What kind of instinct is that? We never talked about this place.

"You have quite an overimaginative brain."

I could still hear an hint of laughter in his voice and I had to force myself not to look up.

"Hmmm?"

"Just this morning at the museum, what were you thinking when the man was talking about those soapstones? That we would turn into stones?"

Hmmm? My exact thoughts? Was he reading minds like Sophia now?

"And how do you know that?"

He shrugged again.

"The expression on your face gave it all away."

I chuckled before I could stop myself.

"And how would you see my expression when you supposed to be looking at the soapstone."

He chuckled, before whispering, more to himself than to me.

"Why would I stare at some soapstones when you were there?"

I swallowed, my eyes focusing on the pavement so much that the blue color was starting to turn yellow.

"Do you always say things like this?"

I wasn't looking at him but I could feel him nodding.

"I've been called factual by a lot of people."

God! This boy. He said nothing afterwards and I was starting to think he wasn't going to say anything when he bent down and leaned forward, his forehead almost touching mine. I looked up to see him staring intently at the space I had been staring at.

"I'm still thinking of what's so fascinating about this surface that you've been staring so intently at it when I'm here."

I started smiling before I could stop myself. This boy, definitely factual. He moved and I looked up, he was smiling for reasons I don't understand.

My phone vibrated on the pavement and I looked at the screen to see my sister's name flashing on it.

Mayowa.

I don't remember the last time she called me, the last time we spoke together on phone.

I noticed Adam looking at me quizzically as I picked up the call and he mouthed that he'd be back soon before walking away.

"Hello."

I said to the receiver, my heart in my throat, thinking of all the bad things that could have happened to make her call me.

"Kunmi."

Her voice was full of life and laughter. It sounded so much like Mayowa that I visibly relax. I turned back so that I would lean my back against the pavement.

"How're you? It's been so long. We haven't spoken in like 4 months."

So, she was counting.

"Yes, I'm fine. How's school? Lectures?"

"Fine too."

I could hear that she was walking hurriedly and that she was saying something else to another person.

"I called home and mom said you traveled to Oyo State from school. Hope you're having fun?"

"I gu......"

"I have to go now. I called to say hi."

And she was gone. I removed the phone from my ear and I kept staring at the screen. Why did she even call in the first place?

I started to walk back to the room, momentarily forgetting that Adam had told me to wait when I started hearing muffled voices from the floor below where I was. I would have gone my own way but one of the voices sounded so much like Sophia's and I found myself climbing down the stairs before I could stop myself.

I stopped when I could see the back of a guy that I could tell was Kunle in the corridor. He seemed to be hugging someone against the wall.

Hugging someone against the wall?

In the dark?

Of course it'd be something more.

I left, climbing up the stairs quickly, not wanting to see more, to witness, to actually confirm the girl I knew it definitely was. I got back to our floor only to see Aminah walking towards me.

I swallowed. God!

"Kunmi, have you seen my boyfriend?"

Her boyfriend? God!

I opened my mouth but no words came out so I had to shake my head.

"That's weird. I should probably check...."

She started to move towards the stairs and I practically jumped in front of her, blocking her.

"I just came up from there. There's no one there."

She frowned, her expression before she nodded.

"I'll probably go back to the room to call him. I left my phone there."

"Yes."

I replied and I basically used my hand to turn her back so we started walking towards our room. I could already feel the onset of a severe headache, wondering why I had to be the one to witness all these things.

What on earth were those two doing?

And what was I doing?

More like history repeating itself with me acting blind and playing deaf.

Hmmmmm.

Thoughts y'all?

I'm not even sure self. Do you think Kunmi should have told Aminah or probably just allow her to see things for herself? But again, what did Kunmi see self? 🤔🤔🤔

And the conversation between Sophia and Aminah, who do you think is right?

And see Adam ehn, that boy ♥️♥️♥️😩😩🤗❤️❤️❤️

Sorry for the late update. I was actually supposed to update on Wednesday but I couldn't even type because one character in this book is seriously giving me emotional, physical, psychological problems. I'm even traumatized because of this character. I'm almost afraid to go on 😩😩😩😩😩😩😭😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔. Who can guess the character?

A/N: I published this chapter two days ago but I had to unpublish it because of a glitch. I wasn't going to update because of everything that's going on in my country but I have to because of the numerous dms. I understand that we all have different coping mechanism and I really hope that in one way or the other, this chapter was able to soothe you even if it's for the briefest minute. People are dead! People are dying! My country is a big joke and the so called leaders are just wicked. I can't even write too much because I'll start crying again. These past two days, I've cried like never before. I'm hurting physically and emotionally. I can't even put into words how I'm feeling. I'm just tired. None of my coping mechanism is working, none at all, I can't write, I can't even think of anything to write. I can't even read, can't do anything to get my mind off everything and I'm just too tired. Pray for my country. We're living a nightmare in this part of the world.

I don't know when my next update will be. I'm only posting this because I already wrote it. My mental health is at the lowest right now. I'm still trying, I'm still looking for how to cope and I'm sorry to dump this on all of you. I know understand that reading is the major coping mechanism for most readers and I really hope I get the morale and stamina to write very soon.

PLEASE STAY SAFE AND PRAY! PRAY!!

love you guys and see you when I see you.