The rain that fell the previous night could have made even the unrighteous turn a new leaf and beg for forgiveness. Cat and dog was an understatement when compared to the deluge and one would have thought that God wanted to destroy the earth the second time. What started as an innocuous rainfall soon aggravated and sounds of things falling and breaking could be heard.
A frigid Nuel was still in bed, he was awake but too tired to get up. He was a fresh graduate and had a promising future. He was not the bookish type but was very sure he would come out with good grades. His phone rang as he stretched to pick his shirt from where he had dumped it the previous night. With a taciturn face he picked the phone. “Hello?...", he said with an inquiring tone. His unfriendly face instantly became that of an ecstatic baby. It was Isioma on the phone and she was calling to remind him of their anniversary. What seemed like the day Nuel had sent a love letter, resolute that he would hurt himself if she refused, had become seven years. “... darling I'm so sorry, the catastrophic rain that fell last night kept me in bed...so how is my baby doing?, I hope you don't miss me too much because I miss you more than you know it...I love you too... OK! I'll call you later sha, you take care... don't keep me waiting o...our usual table... love you more, bye dear". Nuel held his phone to his bare chest as he closed his eyes looking like someone suffering from acrophobia.
 Nuel was the complete lover-boy, was kind-hearted, very responsible and since the day Isioma agreed to be his girlfriend, he made it his goal to be the best boyfriend and future husband. It felt surreal when he read the content of the letter Isioma sent in reply. She stated how much she liked him too and had been waiting for him to take a step and carefully implied how he oversold himself in his letter.

Nuel had been the happiest person since that day as Isioma never failed to make him feel good. She had carved an indelible mark in his heart.
Nuel checked the time on his phone and began to fret. He was few minutes late to the bank where he worked as a security officer. He ran into the bathroom to take a cold bath as he cussed under his breath, “all these foolish weather sef".

 Maureen was already done with her house chores as she was a fastidious woman and hardly had any work to do apart from cleaning the house, taking care of her boys and succumbing to her husband's inhumane ways and draconian laws. She was singing her best song as she adjusted Omolade's bowtie. Buchi her youngest son, needed her attention and called. He wanted more cereal and was making a fuss about it. She quickly set five years old Omolade on the chair and ran to help Buchi who was trying to get the cereal himself, poured him some, added milk and began to feed him. The children were soon ready for school. She picked her car key from where she had left them. She opened the door and a drunk Sukanmi fell to the ground. He seemed to have been resting on the door, unable to open or knock. Maureen gave him a livid stare, kicked him in annoyance and dragged him in. She put the boys in the back seat of the car and fastened their seat belts and was about to drive off when she noticed she had left the door ajar. She hissed, came down from the car brimming with anger and instead of closing the door, locked it.
 Her mind was far away from her as she drove the boys to school. She regretted quitting her job and felt like she had sacrifice her heyday for a man who was unbecoming, undeserving and was gradually turning her into a harpy. She kept on reminiscing the good old days as she meandered the streets of Egbeda. She remembered how loving he was at first. She was on lunch break when they met. She was seated  close to the window, this was a reserved area in the restaurant and was completely sequestered and rumour had it that only true-blue customers and people who were willing to pay extra could sit there. She was having a latté and mincepie. She had just taken a bite when a gorgeous looking man came before her. “May I sit down...", Sukanmi asked as he waved in a camp manner. Maureen flushed like she had just received her first kiss. “Emn...m... please...do", she said chewing and gesturing to the chair opposite hers. “I hope you don't mind, I'm Sukanmi. I was dazzled by your ravishing beauty and was compelled to come check if you had a ring on your finger. Seeing none I'm even more confident and...well I'm a client at your bank and...". He was interrupted by Maureen who seemed a little agitated that he knew her place of work, “how do you know that I work in a bank?", she asked. Sukanmi smiled and replied, “easy peasy!, you have your tag on, you're dressed in your bank's colour and I've seen you once or twice in the hallway". Maureen was at ease now that she knew she was not being followed. She let out a coy smile, checked her time, sipped her latté and said, “thanks for being our client. My break is almost over and I have an avalanche on my table that needs sorting out but I'll give you my card and you can call me if you want to". Sukanmi looked like he had just won The Voice Nigeria. He stood up after Maureen, adjusted the kinks in his trousers and returned to his seat.
 Frequent calls grew into friendship which then spurred into a relationship. Maureen was thirty two and had promised herself that she would settle with the next man that came her way. Sukanmi on the other hand was a widower who lost both his wife and baby during delivery. All he wanted was another woman to fill the void. Their parents were happy with the union and even agreed that no other person would have had the catchet to complete their individual children.
 “Madam you no go look road? No go use think kill yourself and your pikins dem o", a man in a smaller vehicle called Maureen who was driving like a cack-handed person. “Ma da loun, olosi ni o. Na so dem dey do. Dem think say na them be Ambode of Lagos, Oniranu osi", an old female pedestrian cursed. Maureen felt more than humiliated, not because of the insults but because she was letting Sukanmi get the better of her. She wished she still had her job as she drove on, carefully this time. She turned on the radio to take her mind off things. She couldn't find an inspiring song and had to play a CD. She moved her body to the rythm as ‘ko so ba bire' filled the car. Even the children joined as she smiled to them.