Wild West of the Heart
FIFTY EIGHT

You'd never replace someone that hated nature as much as Mira did. As dreamy as you'd describe the sun, she'd hated it. Like when she had to take an umbrella with her wherever she went-

just because she didn't want to get burned. No amount of sunscreen could fight the Lagos sun. She hated the winds, especially when she was walking and it'll blow against her. It'll mess up her hair and blow back her clothes. Now, for someone that was still very insecure about her body, she hated that.

She never told anyone because she was convinced no one dared to hate mothernature, not after everything and instead we should hate ourselves.

The only thing she loved were sunsets, and trees and the rest of summer, towards the ending. She loved the flowers in autumn and the christmas spirit that came with winter which was just the raining season here. But those were the only things.

She groaned when she opened her eyes to meet the sun. It was unapologetically risen, bursting it's ray's through her open curtains and she turned around, naked beneath her covers. Yes she was one of those.

She closed them after a second, turning to the other side and all she could hear was a piercing sound before her ears began to focus. Then there were the birds she knew lived in a nest above her windows.

They chirped loudly and till today, she never even understood why people believed them to be such good singers, because they were not, truth be told.

She thought about that, like most of the meaningless things that usually crossed her mind in the morning, like if she'd dreamt. Or what she dreamed about, something that wasn't mundane.

She began to plan her day in her head before realizing she was still drooling. It was something she did unintentionally, but perhaps still a bad habit. Opening her eyes, she wiped across her cheeks.

When she sat up, it was as if her temples bashed into one another and there was this ache that struck it. The one that usually came with being hungover.

One would think that after doing this for a couple years, she'd at least have a recipe. But she didn't. The first few hours were the worst, before she got her early morning coffee and it's usually like a fever dream, like she's in some spiritual realm

-somewhere between feeling so much and not feeling at all. Outside her windows were foggy and she could hear the distant horns come closer. And then suddenly her alarm, reminding her she couldn't spend the whole listening to birds and

shit. She had work to do.

Slamming the top, she faced back into her bed. This was usually the time before she stood. Then her phone rang again and she grudgingly picked it, after thinking it was the alarm for the second time.

It was an unknown number that finally cleared the sleep from her eyes and she brought the phone to her ears. Her voice cracked trying to speak, but then on second thought, she kept quiet.

There was a static intervention as she sat up on her bed, breathing into her palms to smell just how bad her breath was, it was bad, really. The worst. "Hello"

"Hey" There was complacency in her voice as she stood to the windows, making eye contact with the sun but of course with a barrier between them. "Mira" Someone called on the other end frantically. And she furrowed her brows. "Hello" She said again and this time the connection fluctuated. "Hello. Mira, i need you to come bail me out"

"Dee?" She immediately went wide eyed, looking to her cost hanging on the wardrobe. "Bail?"

"I'm in jail, Mira. I got arres-" The line cut and so did Mira's heart. She was immediately awake, every last brain cell.

And that feeling was sober, she knew what was going on around her as she held the phone. "Hello"

"Hello. Dee" She screamed into the phone but at no one in particular, just her voice echoing in her room which DaSilva suddenly heard. She let go off the phone, scrambling her way to the bathroom and then her room door ploughed open. "What's going on?" Silva walked in, and she didn't even make eye contact, she just waved her hands behind her, coming out with a towel around her chest. "We need to replace Dee and Tanya. I think something bad happened to them" She panted and Silva narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking-"

"Dee just called" She froze. "She's in jail right now"

-

"So you got any plan for today?" Abdul asked, trying to keep up with his pace in the rowdy halls. Obi walked to his locker, inserting a key and pulling it over. He didn't bother looking at Abdul, who went to his as well. "I'll have to see Collins again—"

"And Marissa. Because clearly she knows something and i know because of that stare after school yesterday" Abdul shut his locker. "You could be wrong" He straightlined his lips and Obi faced him.

"Or i could be right. But i'm not just going to sit here while my future crumbles to the ground" He closed his locker, pausing for a second. "If it takes me breaking into his office, you trust that i will" He struck a finger lightly into his shoulders before walking off, leaving Abdul standing there.

He watched as Obi strutted further away and so did Nate who was quietly by his locker. Next to him was Deborah walking in the hands of Fi.

Her hair was different, it was loosely tied in a rubber even though she knew the teachers might complain. She walked in with her gothic black bag across her shoulders, and dark pop socks that stretched as far as her thighs. Unlike Fi who was in a cardigan, Deb had opted for the wine hoodie which was actually more comfortable, especially as she could cover her unbraided hair.

Fiyin halted next to her locker, grudgingly leaning against it. "So what are you going to do?" Deb said in a whisper and she shrugged her shoulders.

Really, she had no idea. She just didn't want to think about that all the time. There was only so much she could do.

"Do you want to keep it?" Fiyin slammed her locker in response to that obvious question. She could barely fend for herself and her father, how on this earth would she consider keeping a baby-

-and even if she maybe had the essentials, what good would it be to have someone that reminded you so much of the worst day of your life. Someone that had his exact face, his features. Collins, it was what she'd feared the most. Who.

"Of course, not" She broke the last part in a quiet whisper as Deborah moved closer to her. Her eyes followed the trail of students at the entrance of the school, especially those with the largest grins whose worst problems was the maths test later that day.

She'd kill to have that as her worst problem, rather than a giant organism growing inside of her. "Look Fi. Have you..." Deb paused. "Have you considered telling the father?" Her eyes glared in response to that question as Deborah backed away. She shook her head. "You don't understand"

"Whose is it?"

"I know you'll probably not want to tell me but is it Ola?" Deb continued as Fiyin just heaved a deep sigh. "You're right" She whispered. But before she walked away, she turned. "And no, it is not Ola" She said it like it could be the worst thing, she didn't even know how she felt about that guess. But it couldn't be the worst thing, it being Collins' was.

Deborah's fingers trailed the zip of her hoodie as she watched Fi walk away from her. Her knees jerked in response to an accidental bump in the hall and she turned to see Nathaniel.

"Sorry" He muttered under his breath.

"Hey" Fiyin paced towards Obi, reaching for his arms. He turned around, pulling out the earbuds.

"Hey" He nodded. "Have you seen Ola?"

"Where you been?" Both of their questions clashed before they shook their heads. "I was about to ask the same" Obi said. "I haven't seen him the past week and he isn't exactly responding to my texts" He added and she sucked her teeth. "That's weird"

"Right. His mother wouldn't let him miss school for the world" He said as they began walking towards the end of the corridor where each would go their separate ways. "How are you though?" She paused.

And Obi looked back and forth before nodding.

"Not bad. You?" She smirked. "Same" They both lied as they drew further apart. "Talk to you later-" Obi shouted, walking down the stairs to arts. It wasn't exactly first period yet, but he just didn't have that much friends to keep him busy till then. Besides he'd get the best seat of class if he just went now.

But then someone stopped halfway down. "Hey" He heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned around, realizing he wasn't the only one now and his eyes settled on that frisky haired, freckled face, dark brown eyed Nathaniel. He halted, holding his back tightly on his arms.

"Hey" He finally said back with Nate walking past him. "Come on. Let's go" He pointed in the direction of arts before Obi trailed behind. There was like a minute of silence before he broke it.

"How are ya" He asked, swinging his feet in the air as if kicking an imaginary door. His eyes went everywhere, scanning the top of each door. Obi nodded, as if he could see him. "Where are you going?" He asked, realizing he was still new here. "Where are you" Nate turned back at him and he halted in surprise. He'd never faced him this close, but on the other hand, he finally noticed his chiseled jaw which wasn't really obvious from far.

He had a sharp nose as well, and some gray in his hair. It was perfectly mixed and his hands unconsciously went in there as Obi still stared. He shook his head, really assessing him and how lost he was in the uniform that looked relatively large. He'd look better in a hoodie or cardigan but Nate seemed like the type of person that was carefree and that applied to his dressing as well. He throw on an oversize shirt and baggy pants and he'd be fine-

-unlike Obi who'd had to slim-fit his to his exact size. There was something about the baggy fit though or maybe it was just how Nate wore it.

"Art"

"Great. I'm going to art as well" He smirked at Obi, pulling his arms in the direction he pointed and he found himself looking back, hoping Ab wasn't close by for some reason. He wasn't doing anything bad but he just remembered how weird he got before.

They'd reach the crafts class and came to a halt, just before the bell rang above them. "Come on, we got to get the best seats" He pushed open the double doors as Obi walked in as well. One could hear the screaming of the students above as they made their way across the halls. Obi placed his bag next to Nate before walking to switch on the lights and fans.

All whilst Nathaniel mounted the uppermost stage like some little kid and he let out a scream that echoed. Obi stood, folding his arms like a teacher.

"Come on. This place will be filled in like a minute" He yelled, gesturing him to come closer and Obi just shook his head. "I'll pass" His voice echoed as well as Nate just scoffed. "Such a bore" He teased.

"I've been called worse" Obi turned to face his seat as he pulled out his phone to Ola's conversation.

Obi: where are you? It's been two days...

He turned it off, placing it against the table as his eyes went up to Nathaniel in the middle of some dance battle with himself, he just scoffed. All he wished was for Ola to just answer him- -so he'd at least know he was safe.

He was, actually and though he'd lied to his mother about coming to school that day, Ola was headed home to rescue his stuffed animal Pennywise.

The only thing however was that he'd hoped not to run into Akin.

-

The was thatched.

Ola couldn't remember that way before he left. He stood before the gates, eyes narrowed at the metal fences. It had just been days but it seemed like a long time he'd been away. From this place From here.

He couldn't remember the roof being that bad, his guess would maybe be last night's rain and a hole that big was likely to cause leakages in at least the kitchen. Immediately he closed his eyes, he was whisked back into certain memories that was imprinted in the back of his mind. Memories like months back when he had just arrived from Texas and they were unpacking on that very front porch.

He couldn't fathom how much had changed since that night. Since that moment his eyes were set on the woman that roasted corn by the roads as his soul danced to the Fela Kuti he hadn't heard in years. He opened his eyes, zoning back to reality.

The memories sucked back into the imaginary pit in his mind like it was some dark orbit. And he finally took his first step, his foot dashing against where the honda accord used to parked. Dust had already heaped there, but there were still some tire marks that showed at least a car was once there.

The windows swung open, reflecting the light from the sun. Unlike how the morning had started off windy, the weather was so much different now.

Humid.

But he wasn't here for the weather. The moment his hands hooked around the knob of the front door, he realized Akin wasn't even home. And he wasn't even supposed to be there.

His hands untucked his uniform shirt, letting the hem fall out of the waist of his trousers and he heaved a deep sigh, bending over to peek beneath the doormat, he knew there always was a spare there ever since the night they locked themselves out and he was the only one asleep inside.

So many attempts to wake him up was futile because Mide was a heavy sleeper, a log of wood people would say. So they had to wait until the next morning, sleeping across the swing till then-

till nature did its work, finally waking him up. He almost had a panic attack, realizing he was alone but then he heard footsteps across the front porch and he opened the doors to see them. Relief washed all of their faces, including Akin.

It was also the day Ola got rid of his fear of the dark, or being alone, whichever one haunted him then. Because after that night he spent alone, things changed and believed himself to be a lot braver. A fear he had conquered.

There was also the decision to always leave a spare key beneath the green welcome mat they had at the entrance of their front door. Seldom times it was in the flower vase just beside the swings.

At least they were wise enough to have the location on a roster to prevent shit like predictability and burglary. This wasn't the UK that you could leave the key in the hands of a neighbor. You'd bear the risks. And eventually, the loss.

He slid the key in the lock, twisting it slightly to the left until the door budged open. He threw his head over his shoulders suspiciously, as if he didn't live here once.

And he slipped between the door, pushing it back against the hinges. The stench of booze immediately breezed into his nose, like a slap in his face. And he shut his eyes in the silence. His feet made a creaking sound with each step he took across the wooden floorboards.

Not alot of things had changed, he noticed.

Akin still had their photographs hanging on the walls, and Mary's scent was still subtle. His hands brushed against the dining table surface, across which there was a half emptied merlot bottle. The sink was filled with plates, some of which were chipped by the edge. And there were stained wine glasses across the counter.

It wouldn't take a stranger to realize Akin wasn't doing well. But Ola stood there, convincing himself that it wasn't his job anymore to give a damn. So he breezed past the kitchen and into what was his former room. Realizing he had left a haste, he saw all the million things he had left behind-

-including a few notes, his flip-flops. And his pillow, which not far from it was Pennywise. He took a seat on his bead, letting his palms soak into the silk sheets. He realized just how nostalgic he was, and somewhere between a smile on his face and tears in his eyes was an unnamed emotion.

But he loved that feeling, he loved the way he felt here and though he was still settling in at Titi's, he missed this place. He stretched to reach for the stuffed clown and he pulled away from the bed. His hands rubbed against the walls as he held open the door. Throwing back his head, he took one lasting look at his room, in its very natural form

-messy bed, trashed closet and a lamp was still flickering on and off after carrying on for days. He closed his door softly, holding tightly to Pennywise.

And in the next second, he passed the kitchen and the loaded and he found himself at the very door he came through. Heaving a deep sigh, he walked through it, determined to not run into his father-

-since his mother's cautious warnings, and his own fears. He slid the key into the locks, turning it to the right this time. And he proceeded to slip it beneath the mat. His feet trailed down the front porch as he held unto the metal swings. For some reason, he looked back up at his windows that was still hanging open, causing him to almost trip over the lawn shrubs. Pennywise slipped from his hands fell unto the pavements.

"Fuck" He struggled to regain his balance before bending over to reach for the clown which was merely a believable excuse for him to come all the way back here. Perhaps, it was more because he was nostalgic and missed this place. Alas as he was about to reach for it, his eyes caught something stuck beneath the shrubs. It was glistening and dark and somewhat square in shape. Instead of Pennywise, he reached for the item, curiosity getting the most of him. He cussed for the nth time just as his hands reached it.

He struggled to get it out of the thorns and it was upon hefting it up, he realized it was a mobile phone. His brows arched unconsciously as he shook the phone off the dirt and water from it.

Instinctively, he tried to turn it on but it was low. He just slipped it into his pockets, dashing over the pavements with Pennywise in his arms.

To be continued...