Mimi Adebayo

Imade had never been great at handling big emotions, mostly because when growing up, her parents were big on poker faces, so much so that even if they were going through turmoil underneath the surface, they maintained an unwavering exterior. When her parents fought, her mother pinched her face into a frown and answered her […]

If Lara had been selectively mute before, she had now gone completely mute, not saying a word to anyone since she had been brought into police custody. The police had been unable to elicit any information from her about her ordeal.

It was 6am when Imade’s phone rang and Mrs Osakwe cried hysterically that the police had called her to the station. “I don’t want to go alone,” she cried. “Please Imade, come with me.” “But what did they say? Why do they want you to come?” Imade asked, sleep fogging her eyes. “I don’t know. […]

Imade admired Mrs Ajayi’s conviction, as if the fact that she was praying was guarantee enough. It was thirty-three hours since Lara went missing and there was absolutely no news. Even if she was still alive, was she safe? What if she had been taken by pedophiles

The atmosphere was rife with tension, fear, and accusations. Mrs Osakwe had hidden herself in her office after calling Imade to tell her about Lara. When Imade saw her, head in hand, she looked smaller, like she had shrunk within the space of a few hours. On the phone, she had sounded frantic, out of […]

As she hung up the call, Imade lay in bed letting her thoughts drift. Before now, before meeting Mrs Osakwe and the children, she had thought she had seen all the hardship life had to offer but it was turning out that she had been living in a glass house.

DAPOWhen Dapo had suggested an ‘apology’ lunch, it had been a joke. At first. But the more he thought about it. The more he realized he would love a redo of their first meeting. What he hadn’t expected was that he would enjoy her company this much, but as he sat opposite Imade, icecream cup […]

Service over, Imade remained seated, unwilling to leave before speaking to Dapo. Intent on dropping the burden on her heart. Through the service, her eyes had wandered to Dapo once, twice. A little awestruck, she decided, at what he had become. Who he had become. Who would have thought that the petite mischief-maker would evolve […]

“Babe, I practically walked him out of the restaurant that day. I’m ashamed, abeg. Let’s just leave it. I mean, I won’t be in Benin too long so I may not have to see him again.”

“You see this thing you’re doing? It’s how Satan keeps us from God’s forgiveness. Shame mixed with pride is what stops us from going back to God when we’ve messed up.”