Wild West of the Heart
FORTY NINE

"We're going to die here" Obi yelled, winding down the windows of the car. For the past few hours, they were stuck in traffic on their way to Lagos Island. Now, if they had waited to listen to the news, they would've known of the fire. And since it was still very much out of control, several roads were blocked. They had to hear it later on the radio but it was already too late. They knew they couldn't turn back. Not now, not when they had Hassan Madu to see. "At this point we're going to miss the whole show" He pestered, wiping his sweaty forehead. "This was a bad idea" Mira shrugged off her shoulders as Silva turned the air conditioning off. Leaving it on in traffic as serious as this could force the fuel to drain faster. And they couldn't afford it.

They wouldn't even be able to find a fueling station in time. "How come the zodiac shit didn't predict how much of a bad day this was going to turn into?" "Oh, Mira. Not now" Silva urged, looking out of the mirror.

"The fire chief has now informed the public that the Balogun market fire is now a thirty percent contained. And we could look to traffic easing off before christmas to-"

"Turn it off" Obi interrupted asSilva swiped a finger across the off button. The car became quiet, only the sound of horns and bantering to be heard. "Bumper to bumper" Someone yelled from his car, maniacally horning at a stretch. This was not how Obi gad envisioned his day.

Spending three hours in traffic, and locked in a hot car with Mira and Silva. It didn't sound as bad but you'll only understand if you were there.

Silva rested back into her chair, glancing at Mira from the corner of her eyes. You could tell they knew something which they kept. Obi could, and a smirk crawled to his lips. From the looks of it, he was bound to stay here at least another two hours- so he might as well settle in.

"What is it?" He rolled his eyes, as Mira's widened in shock. "Nothing" She said. "You know the PTA sent an email that your examination results will be out tonight an-"

"Mira" Obi interrupted. "I know. What's up with you?" Her cheeks were flustered as she gave a death glare to Silva, who in foresight was the cause of all this. Cause of them being stuck here.

And the cause of Mira having to tell Obi now, of her intentions to transition. She'd imagined a time when it was only them, maybe over dinner and some music that played behind them. She imagined she would have the right words and know the right things to say. It was why she bailed that night. She wasn't sure of how to put it.

Because with telling him, came a level of self admittance. It was coming out, and he'd never had to do it while sober. She looked back at the car as Obi sat forward. "What was it about no secrets?" "I know, Obi" She replied.

"You didn't ask about Ojo?"

"Oh" He exclaimed. "I've just been so engrossed in his book, i can't even think of anything else. I hope he's just as beautiful as the characters he'd written" Obi continued and Mira shrugged again.

"He's okay" She sucked her lips. "I never got why they warned us to never meet our heroes. Reginald is literally the sweetest person i know" She smiled. "So he's a Ben?" Obi made a book reference as they both burst out laughing. "Is that the non binary one?" Silva asked, trying to fit into the conversation but then they both stared at each other, laughing more at him. "No, that's Jax" Obi replied. "He's still sweet tho. And a little bit naive" Mira added to that statement. "I don't know i relate more to them" He said, sticking with righteously to their preferred pronouns. He looked to Mira, who in turn looked to Silva. He nodded, knowing what she was about to say next. "Well, i think i relate more to Ben" There was a brief pause then, with DaSilva mouthing a laughter. "She's trans" Obi said it as more of a question than a statement. "I know. I relate well enough to the need to shut down one's side for the expectations of society. The need to tailor yourself to fit those standards" Her eyeliner slithered against her skin next to glitter.

She was different. Mira.

"She's trans" Obi said yet again, and the silence this time was more like a reply to his question. His lips fell wide open as he gasped. "Are you fucking serious?" He clenched his lips.

"Yeah. Yeah i am" I mean he might have always known, might have always seen her as the mother figure he never had, but there was something about coming out to him that just made it original.

"I" Obi stuttered, which was exactly my response when i heard too. It was why she wore those boots and that shorts. And the makeup rather than the baggy clothes she buried herself in. It was no news that none of that had any gender but it was the confidence that was key.

It was her confidence that was key.

In that moment, Obi wanted to give Mira the longest hug he could. But it wasn't just possible. He just smiled into the rear view mirror with tears in his eyes. "I'm so happy for you" He whispered.

Now, he really was. Because as lost as he was, he was happy that Mira was finally finding herself.

"Now did that hurt?" Silva kickstarted the engine, moving only a bit forward. Mira shoved him in the arms, letting out a sly smile and then a scoff.

"Shut the fuck up" She said to him as he turned to face out the window. There were little grey particles floating in the air and his eyes caught on those. It took more than a minute for them to settle on the windshield of his car.

And suddenly, people started leaving their cars to see what it was. "What is that?" Mira asked as well as she pushed open the door. "Snow—"

"Snow!" Obi exclaimed, jumping out of the car. He stretched his arms out and swung them in the car. Now the horning had stopped, with people's attentions diverted to the firery skies.

Of course it wasn't snow. Because it never did in Nigeria. No matter how bad the harmattan got, the most they'd ever see was dust particles.

"It's— ash" Obi whispered, smothering the remnants of the fire between his fingers. It floated in the skies, before falling slowly to the grounds.

"Of course it's ash" He rolled his eyes, disappointed. But honestly what did he expect?

Mira's eyes dilated at the sight. It wasn't little balls of winter or magical flakes, but it was ash from a fire that burned for at least twenty four hours. A fire that caused this much traffic. It was tragedy-

with the amount of lives and property that was lost. All reduced to these thin flakes of ash that fell all around her. It was beautiful, in that moment.

Because she'd like to think of it as snow. It was the closest thing they'd ever get to some. "It's beautiful" She turned back to Obi, who for once had stopped worrying about missing Hassan.

He smiled back, looking at the people around him and the endless of line of cars behind. "It is " He whispered. "It really is" He let his arms fall by his side as he closed his eyes. Not a single thought behind them. Not Hassan, or his anxiety. Or Ab.

Just him, in the moment. He was there.

For once, he was actually there. And it was the moment he felt the most alive, in the imposition of ashes. Of dust, which was a reminder of death.

It was an irony.

But then again so was the beauty in tragedy.

-

"Ola, look outside your windows" Mary said, knocking on his doors. "You're missing it. It's snowing" Now, there was no reply. She knew how angry he was at her so maybe this was her way of over compensating with Akin behind her. But then, she was worried after there was no reply and so she tried in the spare key to his room which she had. And with one push, the door gave way to the messiest room.

"Ola?"

"Olamide" She called out, climbing over a stack of clothes in her way. And it took her some time to see the windows left open and she let out a shrill scream, running towards it. "Olamide" She yelled. And Akin rushed into the room.

Mary looked back at him, and then at his shorts across his bed. And then back at him. He got it in a second and he scoffed. "He's gone, Akin" Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to stay calm. Now, for a person who'd had a heart attack once, that was the hardest part. Akin stood akimbo, navigating each corner of the room silently. Mary walked up to him, shaking him to the side. "Akin. Can you not hear me?" She urged, a little too dramatically. "Our son's gone. Akin—"

Of course he wasn't gone gone.

He was at the christmas party, which felt like a more different environment from the polluted chaos in the outside world. But he didn't care about that, his mind was just set on Fi as he walked into those doors with a glittery blue tux. "You were a great Joseph" Deb whispered into her eyes as they danced across the floors. The lights flickered in different colors to rhyme the beats of the Billy Swan song-

-don't be cruel. Fiyin hummed, letting her head rest on Deborah's shoulders. "Thank you"

"Of course" She replied. "You know i'd have loved to play Mary" She added and Fiyin just chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I just don't see you carrying a baby"

"What?" Deb asked, pretending to be offended. "I said i'm sorry" Fiyin backed away for a second to laugh. "I mean i don't see you carrying a baby now as well. But it's the plan?" She asked, just as Deb groped her closer. She went silent, not knowing what to say to that. "Maybe. Maybe not"

"I mean i haven't really thought of being pregnant and all that scary motherhood shit but i guess having a baby seems cool. You know" There were inches apart as their breathes mingled in the air. Now the hall was dark, with flashing lights and confetti in the air. "All that love" Fi whispered and Deborah just smirked a bit.

There was a glint in her eyes, and Fiyin was comfortable with her grasp now.

She didn't flinch as always, and she found it easy staring into her eyes. She didn't get what she felt for Deb in that moment, but she'd like to think it was because he wasn't here. Or maybe they were independent feelings of their own. "You're going to make an amazing mother" Deb whispered into her ears, bringing her lips closer to her ears. "That, much i know" Fiyin bit her lower lip as she heaved a sigh. "Thank you" She said. "Anytime, Fiyin."

And just then, her eyes caught Ola by the door. She had to blink twice to make sure she wasn't hallucinating or something. And she wasn't, it was really him, in his signature smile and a blue tux. She slowly pulled away from Deb and walked towards him, her hair sleeking down her shoulders. "I'll be right back" She whispered to Deb as she pushed a lump down her throat.

"Hey" Ola said, walking towards her with his hands in his pockets. She scoffed, looking down at him. "Well, you look amazing" She said, and he as well took his turn to look at her royal blue gown. "And you look beautiful. As always, Fi"

Those words, there was something about those words that caused butterflies to erupt in her belly. She might have been sure of what she felt for Deb but at least, she was sure about this. About Ola. And he just had the right words, knowing full well that compliments was the way to her heart. She blushed, her face getting colored and Ola smirked.

"I'm going to get in so much trouble for this. But i just had to here" He walked closer to her, just as close as Deb was a second ago. "I thought you bailed. But Bade will see you on that one—"

"I had to play Joseph" She whispered, short of breath as he took her by her palms. "I'll deal with Bade later. Now, i just want to dance with you"

She pushed a lump down her throat again before turning back to Deb but she was no longer there.

"Sure" She nodded. "I thought you'd never ask"

"Where is he, Akin?" There was Mary again, hopefully not on the verge of another heart attack.

"Look what you have done. Where is our son?"

To be continued...