🦋 IMANI'S POV
But mine.
That line stayed in my head longer than I expected.
Because saying something is yours is easy.
Living it?
Omo, that one hard oo.
Morning for our house no dey ever quiet.
"Imani! You wan sleep your destiny finish?" my mum shouted from the kitchen.
I turned on the bed, covering my face. "Mummy abeg…"
"Abeg wetin? Go find something do!"
From the parlour, my brother laughed. "Leave am, she go soon realize say life no be Nollywood."
I sat up, already annoyed. "You too talk."
But I still got up.
Because in this house, if you no move, life go move you.
That was our normal.
No soft life.
No gentle mornings.
Just survival and small small arguments.
I stepped outside, tying my hair. The compound was already busy—children preparing for school, fathers stepping out to look for daily bread, mothers cooking and calling out instructions.
And Olivia…
Like always, somewhere in between everything.
We didn't talk much.
Just a glance.
A small nod.
Understanding without words.
Omo, e still dey surprise me how person go move from just "that neighbor" to someone important in your life.
Not suddenly.
Not dramatically.
Just… gradually.
Work started feeling normal after a while.
Not exciting.
Not terrible.
Just something I had to do.
"Imani, customer dey call you," someone said.
"I dey come," I answered, forcing myself up.
Some days, I was tired before the day even started.
But I showed up anyway.
Because I didn't have a choice.
At home, my mum noticed everything—even the things I didn't say.
"You too quiet these days," she said one evening.
"I'm just tired."
She looked at me for a second longer. "No let this life swallow you."
I nodded.
But I didn't know how not to.
It still surprised me…
How she changed.
How she started trying.
Talking softer.
Encouraging us.
Even apologizing for things she used to act like never happened.
I don't know what caused it.
And honestly?
I didn't care.
I liked this version of her better.
Even though we still had small misunderstandings…
She was still my mum.
My brother was different.
He didn't ask questions.
He just observed.
"You go make am," he said randomly one night.
I looked at him, surprised. "Since when you dey motivate person?"
He shrugged. "I no too like see you dull."
I smiled small.
Because coming from him?
That meant something.
I love my brother die.
I go do anything just to see am smile and focus on school.
He go write his exams next year.
And I don already keep money, make small small preparations—dem no even know.
No.
My brother no go pass through wetin I pass through.
I go make sure of that.
Baking
It didn't start as a dream.
Just something to do.
That day, I stood in the kitchen, staring at the little ingredients we had.
Flour.
Sugar.
Eggs.
Nothing serious.
"I wan try something," I said.
My mum didn't even look up. "Just no waste my ingredients."
"I no go waste am."
From behind me, my brother laughed. "We go soon find out."
The first try?
Bad.
Second?
Still bad.
But I didn't stop.
Because something about it made me feel…
Calm.
Focused.
Like for once, my mind wasn't running everywhere.
"I baked something," I told Olivia one evening.
She raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"It wasn't perfect."
She shrugged. "Nobody start perfect. Continue."
That was it.
No long speech.
No big motivation.
Just one word—
Continue.
And I did.
Small small.
Learning on my own.
Failing quietly.
Trying again.
Love Was Not My Focus
At that time, I wasn't thinking about love.
I didn't have the space for it.
People like Kelly tried.
Calls.
Messages.
Consistency.
But me?
I ignored it.
Not because I was forming hard girl.
I just didn't feel anything.
And I didn't want to force it.
Life was already enough.
Family.
Work.
Trying to build something for myself.
Love?
That one fit wait.
Or so I thought.
Because sometimes…
The things you're not looking for—
Are the ones that find you first.
It started like every normal day.
Nothing special.
Nothing different.
Until he spoke to me.
"Imani, right?"
I turned.
Confused.
Because I didn't even know him like that.
But that moment?
That was how everything began.