with the inscription. Mr Collins. Fair man, with glasses like he wore. And his stomach protruding through the shirt he wore. He had a cane by the side of his desk and a stern expression.

ked and Ola's voice fell in a whisper. "Of the man that died last night" And Obi shut his eyes, looking away. "I take it that you did" "How wouldn't i?" He asked. "It just feels no one's talking it. And the fact that it was in our driveway. And they had her body wrapped up like nothing happened" Ola replied. "This is Nigeria" Came a quite frank answer. "Jazzlyn was a trans woman here, and people saw her and saw all the negative things. But she never hid her truth. I would see her on the streets coming to school and on one occasion had spoken to her" "She was fluent like she taught in a school. But no one would ever know because they never spoke to her. I'd watch her grow and transition whilst everyone rebuked her. They saw her ways as sinful, and it's a crime here to be lgbt" Obi continued. "I know that" Ola whispered. He lied, he didn't. "So it was no surprise that she got murdered. She did have a lot of enemies that you'd begin to ask when. What i don't know is why" He continued. "Why she had to be killed in such a vile manner" "How?" Ola didn't know that, either. "She was stabbed maliciously, countless of times" Ola shut his eyes, hearing clearly her screams. And Obi looked to him. "You didn't know?" He shook his head and looked away. "Well, Mira told me" "They were good friends" She replied as tears welled up in Ola's eyes. "No one deserves that" He whispered, coming to the gruesome realization. "The person that did it should never have to walk the streets again. Should never have to see daylight" He said, cursing beneath his breath as Obi got up at the sound of the bell. "This is Nigeria. I mean, to everyone else, she was a demon, right?" He said, resisting the urge to cry also. Ola stood, and dusted off his shorts. Obi sniffled, straightening his blazer. "I have to get to class—" "Can i have your number?" Obi went for it, halting in his steps. And once he'd gotten it, he walked away, leaving Ola atop the roof. The tears fell down his face as he looked over the railings. He had to get his shit together before going down the stairs, he knew. And when he did, he pounced down the stairs, walking directly past his mother. "How long will it take you t—" He fumed in anger, walking out through the main doors. And she stood in quagmire. "What has gotten into him, now?" - "I figured out a way you could take the test as soon as tomorrow—" Mary poured water into a bowl for Akin who'd balanced in front to television after a long day. He was so invested in the stocks and the recent news of inflation, that he hadn't any attention to spare. He still had on his tie from office and his suit hanging across the dinning room chair. The bungalow was built in a way that all the rooms were close to each other. The dining was literally an arms length from the parlor, just a pillar that separated both. And the room were scattered at each end of the house. Ola could hear the barking of the neighbor's dogs through his ears. A piercing sound, like the rest which he'd heard today. Right from the alarm this morning, his headache had tripled he realized. This was why he followed a routine, it was as if he ran insane. His whole day had gone into shambles from the start, the exact opposite of the previous. And he stood with messy hair, gorging on nothing but coffee. He felt if he ate any other thing without exercising, he'd explode. Maybe it was an eating disorder now. "You don't want rice?" She asked as she entered back into the kitchen. He remained quiet since he got back home. His eyes were bagged sore. And his brain shrunk. She came out with a plate heaped with jollof rice whilst he shifted the tray to her. She placed it, as if being immune to the heat that emitted from the food, and she placed the cutleries. Akin was starving, it showed. He seldomly sat down straight from work. He'd at least take a shower first but tonight was different. She hefted the tray in her hands once she placed the stew and she was off to the parlor. Placing it on the glass table, he withdrew his feet towards him. "Here you go" Came a submissive whisper and he hummed at the sight of it. Perhaps he'd expected something as heavy as eba. But he didn't say a word, so as not to strike as ungrateful. He just stared, through his eyes, she'd noticed his disappointment though. "There is no more garri" She said and he looked to his plate. "It's okay" "I was thinking i go to the market tomorrow to get some for you. But the money you gave me, i spent on soup—" He went silent, usually when it came to money matters. "I said it's okay" He added. Were they about to start off yet another argument when it came to money when they should have been talking about the woman that was murdered in our driveway? Probably yes. And Ola had had enough. He strut up, his knee hitting the table from underneath as ceramics clashed into each other. The sound drew his parent's attention to him as he yelled. "No, it's not okay" "What exactly are we doing?" He asked. "And why is everyone being calm about Jazzlyn? Why's everyone acting like a woman wasn't viciously stabbed next to our building. It could have easily been any of us" His father rolled his eyes, turning to him. "Mary, please control your son. Not n

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