Love in the time of chaos

ne: The S

ats thundering from overworked speakers. But something was off. People walked faster. Eyes darted more. Rumors clung to the air like hum

in the silence betwe

Her voice was soft, too soft. The generator buzzed faintly outside, filling t

ere the evening light painted the buildings gold and red. A dog barked in the dista

gas station into glass and flame. The news stations had gone quiet after that-hacked, maybe, or censored. Only Twitter remained, chaotic and unreliable, filled with

d her Ewa,

seen her with his own eyes, one night while he walked home from a friend's place in Yaba. She floated down f

sm

ile hau

his mother, not Dele, his

lly not

g. She had wanted to leave, to apply for a visa to Canada and run from the chaos brewing b

d asked, tears streaking her cheeks

n answer then.

fingers curled around his wrist when she was anxious. The way she a

since the night t

ht of the city pressing in on him like the beginnings of a fever. The sky a

s marked "unstable" by the neighborhood forums. A few blocks from the ma

yes wide with fervor. "The Siren has come to

hat was the new survival skill: don

phone

umor. Govt denied it but I saw th

her

Blue light and everyt

knotted. He qui

artment unnerved him. It used to be their space-his and Amaka's. Even after they fought, her boo

oded with news from activist networks and community organizers. Resistance me

n isn't just a threat-she's a mess

summoned by th

slow

fro

ed anymore.

door and peered th

o

ed it a

sat on the floor. No envelope. Just h

cinema, midnight. Come

But he knew th

ak