6 The valet stand at The Social Bar was bathed in warm fairy lights as Halima pulled up, her pulse racing in her chest. Ezzy was already waiting in the illuminated courtyard, looking effortlessly sharp in a tailored dark jacket and a crisp white shirt. The moment her car stopped, he stepped forward, opening...
Halima’s Breakup Game – 5
5 By the time Halima pulled into her compound on Sunday afternoon, the heat was baking the pavement, matching the slow, simmering ache in her chest. She barely had an hour to shower and change before the doorbell rang. It was Derin, holding a bottle of chilled prosecco and looking ready for their usual...
Halima’s Breakup Game – 4
4 Over the next week, the wall between them seemed to crumble, replaced by a steady, effortless rhythm of daily communication. They texted constantly from sunrise to late at night. They talked about everything: chaotic work deadlines, hot takes on newly released movies, and eventually, the subtle, satisfying joy of gossiping about their mutual...
Halima’s Breakup Game – 3
3 By Saturday morning, the strategy was fully mapped out. Halima knew that if she wanted to dismantle Ezzy’s new, fragile wall of independence, she had to strike at his weakest vulnerability: his absolute inability to resist domestic comfort. She drove to the supermarket, grabbing a large shopping trolley as she stepped into the...
Halima’s Breakup Game – 2
2 Halima didn’t even bother getting into her work clothes the next morning. By 8:00 AM, she sent a brief, formal email to her line manager requesting a few hours of personal leave to report in late. Minutes later, she was behind the wheel of her car, navigating through the morning rush hour straight...
Halima’s Breakup Game – 1
Halima’s Breakup Game by Oluwatosin Samuel-Awe Synopsis When Ezekiel ends their two-year rollercoaster relationship with a cowardly text message, Halima is out for blood. She was completely out of his league from day one, and being dumped first was not part of the script. Fuelled by bruised pride and a flair for the dramatic,...
Deadly Design – 15
15 Tobechi reached the abandoned government project site just before 10 p.m. He had run the last kilometer, lungs burning, shoes caked with mud, heart slamming so hard it felt like it would crack a rib. The rain had stopped completely, leaving the air heavy and cold. The half-built blocks loomed black against the...
Deadly Design – 14
14 Tobechi had not slept. He had left the unfinished Gwagwalada shell before dawn, moving on foot through back paths until he reached a small motor park. A shared taxi took him as far as Kubwa, then another keke brought him closer to Wuse. By 8:47 p.m. he was walking the last two kilometers,...
Deadly Design – 13
13 Inspector Sanusi sat in his small office at the FCT Police Command headquarters, the ceiling fan creaking above him like an old joint protesting the weight of time. It was late Saturday afternoon, and the rain had started again, a soft, persistent patter against the window that blurred the view of the parking...
Deadly Design – 12
12 Inspector Sanusi’s office felt smaller under the weight of the afternoon downpour. Rain hammered the tin roof like impatient fingers, drowning out the distant hum of generators and the occasional shout from the holding cells downstairs. He sat at his desk, tie loosened, sleeves rolled up, flipping through the preliminary autopsy report on...