Cynthia winced as she lowered herself onto Halima’s couch, cradling the heating pad against her stomach. The warmth seeped into her skin, dulling the sharp cramps that had been tormenting her all morning. Halima, still in her pajamas, hovered nearby, her eyes filled with concern as she stirred sugar into Cynthia’s tea. “You really don’t …
Shola’s eyes gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows of her opulent living room, her mind a million miles away. The Lagos skyline, once a symbol of her success and freedom, now seemed dull and uninviting. Her thoughts were consumed by the toxic relationship she had finally escaped. Her ex-partner, Titi, had been a master manipulator, using …
Ada hesitated, her thumb hovering over the screen, the weight of Kamsi’s stare pressing into her. She could feel the tension between them, thick and unrelenting, like the heat swarming and scorching outside their hotel window. “It’s Joy, isn’t it?” Kamsi’s voice was calm, but there was a tremor beneath it. Ada sighed and locked …
I still remember the moment Kamsi walked into my life, or rather, my hostel room. A first-year student, lost in the maze of Awka’s campus life, she had followed the wrong hostel trail. Her oversized UNIZIK hoodie swallowed her slim frame, but her voice, though hesitant, carried warmth when she asked for directions. From that …
The smell of the mango tree wafted through our house whenever the rain fell. Ours was a smallhome, two bedrooms with a singular toilet and bathroom. Papa was a strong hunter and mymother loved farming. On days when the sun shone too bright and too hot, i and my brothernnaemeka would run off to play …
When I returned to Ibadan, my compound was covered with dry leaves, and my house was filled with dust. Tamuno had packed every bag that belonged to her and had kept my keys under the doormat. I met Tamuno at a Jazz bar in Lagos. She was dressed in a red bandage dress and sat …
Andrew has been married to his wife Serah for more than a decade and they have both built one of the most respectable families in their neighborhood. The happiness in their home reflects on their children even. The couple has never had any reason to question their place in each other’s lives and that became …
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled within the heart of Nigeria, there lived a young woman named Aisha. Her days were shaped by the vibrant colors, rich scents, and the pulsating rhythm of her community. Aisha was deeply devoted to her Muslim faith, finding solace in the teachings and rituals that guided …
I thought going to school, getting the right job, and getting married were all I needed for my dreams to come through as a growing girl but I was wrong. I got all those quite alright but happiness was still far off. I met my husband after university, we dated for eight months and tied …
Growing up in a strong muslim household was all I knew as a little girl. I even dreamt that I would grow to be like my step mother who had lived in Saudi while she studied for a degree in Islamic studies until she met my father and had to return home for their marriage, …
