Wild West of the Heart

Ola was up before the sun was.

And by seven am the next morning, he and Mary had managed to beat the traffic. Fi and Deb on the other hand had just set to the roads back home after spending the night together in a secluded cabin.

It was a miracle they made it out alive, and they knew. The roads were left in the ruin of the previous day. Containers, and tins, flyers and thatched boards lying everywhere. The honking of cars polluted the air as their tires broke the boards further into pieces. There was a standby police vehicle by the side of the road with one door hanging open and it was obvious they'd been there since the previous day.

And though there was still that sort of mourning in the air, everything seemed to have cleared. A yellow bus pulled up at the stop as Deb counted the change in her palms. "Where?" The conductor asked, hanging by the door for dear life. "Abule-Egba❞ Fiyin immediately prompted, climbing into the back seats and Deb sat right beside her.

They heaved a deep sigh, looking out of the windows with sour bagged eyes. "I can't wait to go back home" Fi said and Deb rested on her shoulders." Me too—"

And the exact time the bus pulled away, Ola's knuckles met the wooden door before him. Mary climbed up the front porch, looking at the device at the other end of the wall.

"It's an electronic bell" She whispered, pressing her thumb against it till it gave a shrill ring. She stepped away the moment she heard approaching footsteps and made eye contact with her son. "It's Sunday, are you sure he won't be home?" Ola muttered and Mary shook her head confidently. "He doesn't spend half his time at this house"

The door handle twisted before pulling away and they both looked towards it. There she was, a short, plump woman in an apron by the hinges.

"Mariam" She yelled after an awkward pause. And Mary stepped in, holding out for a hug. "Janet, it's been a very long time" She said, taking in the scent of her plaited hair. Ola stood there, eyes navigating the flowers around the front porch and he could tell that Collins was not a fan of those except indeed, he was a different person at home.

"How long has it been?" She asked. "Years" Mary pulled away, facing the direction of her arms to the couch. "Come on in" Janet took in a deep breath. "I'm glad you're here, this house was already getting boring" She walked towards the kitchen as Mary and her som took a sit on the orange cushions. In his hands, he held the newspaper while his eyes still went around the room. He'd felt nauseated by the sight of young Collins hanging from each corner of the wall. Including one from his wedding day. And one where he was commemorated for being the deceitful liar that he was. Mary cleared her throat, drifting his attention back as Janet brought a tray of soft drinks to the table. "Mariam, what brings you here?" She was familiar with her muslim name, and held unto that as she opened the glassed bottles. Ola sat forward. "I didn't come here to drink" He said, only realizing later how hostile that sounded. Janet halted with the bottle opener in her hands and she looked up at him, then at Mary. "This must be your son-" Her voice went low. "Is this about Akin?" She stood upright and Ola let out a muffled scoff. "Akin and i aren't together anymore" Mary chipped in and Janet's lips ooed.

"Oh" She exclaimed. "Like for now?"

"Like forever" Mary stayed at the edge of her seats. "It's about your own husband" Her eyes went to the papers in Ola's hands and a sharp pain pierced her chest. She clutched it, only stepping backwards. "Ola right?" She said. "Collins said a few things about you"

"Then this shouldn't be a surprise" Olamide masked his shock as he tossed the article to the center table, the headlines facing both pair of eyes that looked at them. And even Mary was as shocked as her friend was.

"A list school embroiled in controversy as sexual assault accusations rise u-What's this?" Mary looked back and forth Janet and Ola. "What is this? This doesn't mean anything" She got defensive as she immediately grabbed the newspaper. She clenched it firmly in her hands as Ola stood to match her eyes. "That isn't the only copy-"

"I can't help you" She sniffled. "I don't know anything about that" "It's Campbells, isn't it?" Ola walked round the table, inching closer to her. "I said i can't help you" She looked to Mary who called unto him. "Olamide."

"It's Collins, isn't it?" Janet was backed to the wall as the papers slipped from her hands. "Mariam, is this the reason you came to my house? To accuse me of these hideous crimes-to ruin my marriage just as you ruined yours" She had a crack in her voice as Mary's lips fell wide open. All the hugs and the familiarity meant nothing in that moment.

"Excuse me?"

"I said i do not know anything and i'd like you to leave or i'll call my husband right now" She threatened to reach for her phone. "Now if i were the dumbest person in the world and i did believe you, why are you shaking?" Ola was calm, because deep down he knew this was a battle already won.

It was him.

And thanks to fidgety Janet, he'd only realized that now.

"I said get out of my house" She snarled in his face as Mary reached for his hands, having had enough. "He raped my friend. Yeah-" Ola pulled away, inching closer to Janet. "Your husband raped my friend, he also assaulted his assistant and my other friends. But that is not what i'm fighting for, not even for myself" Mary stared at him.

Janet was quiet.

"I'm fighting for Fiyin. That's her name, a beautiful name and a hell of a beautiful person and your husband took something from her that day. The husband you're protecting right now who i'm very sure did the same thing to that girl in the newspaper because thanks to you-" He paused. "-it's obvious it was Campbells and for the longest time i've racked my head as to why he would leave leave such an a-list school to come to Hillway High and now, the reason bas never been more obvious" Ola added.

"No personal details made the news because of publicity and i would never know how everything got swept under the rug and how he got his name cleaned. But my guess it was to save their own asses, letting men like your husband walk the streets and repeat it over and over and over again"

"Hurting young girls and taking pieces of them like infinity stones. Pieces that meant the entire world. Now, you can stay there and keep protecting that monster or you can wake up and do the right thing" Ola pulled away from her and she had tears in her eyes. "I'm very religious but for the first time, if you have any ounce of good in you or you love Jesus as much as the you have pictures around, you would turn him in. And if there is a heaven-" He turned to his mother. "I bet my life Collins is never stepping foot there, don't let him drag you down with him" Ola continued and even Mary sniffled her nose like tears were about to fall.

She had a good son, even with everything and she didn't even have to try. Ola was never the villain, no matter how Akin made him out to be. She watched as he pulled out yet another article, alongside a card that belonged to the armed forces and he placed it to the table. "Do the right thing" He whispered as Janet walked right past him. She opened the door and looked out, the winds drying her tear.

"I said get out" She replied. "And i never want to see you again, Mariam" She grabbed her bags, and brushed past her shoulders. Immediately they stepped foot on the porch, the door slammed behind them. Ola shut his eyes at the sound of shattering glass that came right after. It was then Mary slipped her hands through his. He didn't have to open them to hear her shrill whisper. "You" She said. "You did the right thing"

His hands typed into the phone the moment he clicked on Marissa and he sent the text. Ola: it's him. Immediately his eyes went to the reminder which he had set a day before for the Johnsons interview in a few hours.

He heaved a deep breath, overcome with sudden anxiety. The pills were still in his pocket although, he didn't need it. He hadn't needed them for a while now. They made their way towards the busstop and he had to steady his mind away from all the chaos of the past few days. And that's even besides Silva and Obi whom he hadn't heard from-

To be continued...