Always Yours (Lagos Romance Series) by Somi Ekhasomhi

as I thought of everything she had said. I shook my head, “Everybody knows, I think deep down Michael knows”
    “Then why isn’t he doing anything about it?” Ada asked. “A typical Nigerian man would have broken up with her like ages ago.”
    “I know” I said. “But Michael is not a typical anything. Is he?”
    We were still in the living room, talking, when Michael called again.
    “Hey” He said.
    “Hey” I replied, my voice soft.
    “We’re about to board.” He said. “I actually dozed off a little.”
    “You must have been tired” I said. “Are you okay now?”
    I could almost hear him smile. “I was tired, but I’m fine now, thanks, I’ll probably sleep on the plane though.”
    We were both silent for a few moments.
    “I’ll be back in a few days.” He said at last.
    I smiled. “Okay.”
    “I’ll miss you, Sophie.” He said softly.
    I could have stayed quiet, I could have just said ‘goodnight’ or ‘safe flight’ and cut the connection, but I couldn’t let him go just like that.”
    “I’ll miss you too” I said.
    I heard him breathe deeply. “Sophie” he started. “Sophie, I….” He stopped. “I’ll see you when I get back.” He said finally.
    “Have a safe flight.” I whispered. I waited for a while before I cut the connection. I sighed, then looked up into Ada’s questioning face.
    “Are you alright?” she asked, concerned.
    I nodded. “I think so.” I said with another sigh. “I hope so.”

11 . Rainy Days
    It had been raining all day on the mainland. Not the kind of rain that cooled the air, wet the grass and lifted everyone’s spirits after days of relentless sunshine, but the kind of rain that fell on a day that was already wet, fell and fell and fell for hours with no signs of stopping, rain that raised floods everywhere until people had to wade in waist deep water. Until shoes were wet and limbs were cold, and everyone was miserable.
    I had been on the mainland all day, and it hadn’t been easy, I was interviewing three people for a feature we were doing on young, successful women in Lagos, and contrary to what I’d assumed, all young successful people did not work on the Island. I had started my day at 7 am by driving to Apapa , then Ilupeju and then Ikeja . Now it was almost 6.pm and I was only just leaving my final interview at Ikeja , because of the flood there was traffic everywhere. I frowned as another Okada drove past my car causing a spray of brown muddy water to splash on my windows. I hissed and consoled myself with the fact that the interviews had been good.
    The first was with Ese Idehen , a manager at one of the fishing companies at Apapa , slim, small and graceful, she had barely reached up to my shoulders, but her personality was so great, she cracked me up with almost every response. Anita Young at Ilupeju was managing an indigenous cosmetic company that made products specifically tailored for black skin and the African climate, she was in her late twenties and had a stern, no nonsense attitude, but somehow I still found myself warming to her. Ify Madiebo , who, at twenty seven, had been appearing in the society columns since she was sixteen had transformed her love for books into a three storey bookstore, book club, library, and book lover’s hangout called The Incurable Romantic’s© Plaza. It had become the ‘go to’ place for intellectuals and had a popular book and poetry reading night, which was as well attended as any night club.
    Ify Madiebo had been the most fun, she talked to me like I was her long lost best friend. She was also an avid reader of “Living Lagos” and could almost completely quote some of our articles off hand. She even showed me around the plaza while entertaining me with quips about customers, clients and club members. I had been enchanted.
    Another Okada passed me and knocked my side mirror back with his body. I grimaced and opened the window to pull it back, and narrowly missed being splashed with