11 Thursday dawned clear, the rain having washed away the last of the Harmattan haze. Abuja felt sharper, buildings standing out against a blue sky, traffic horns crisp in the air. But for Tobechi, the clarity brought no relief. He had spent the night in the guest house, bed hard as concrete, walls thin...
Deadly Design – 10
10 The rain that had started Tuesday evening turned into a relentless downpour by Wednesday morning. Abuja’s streets gleamed slick under the gray sky, potholes filling like forgotten promises, vendors huddling under plastic sheets with their wares. The city felt washed but not clean, everything blurred at the edges. Amara had barely slept. The...
Deadly Design – 9
9 The small buka near Jabi Lake had not changed in the months since Amara last noticed it. Blue plastic chairs still stood unevenly on the cracked concrete floor. The roof was half corrugated iron, half blue tarpaulin patched in several places. A single standing fan rattled in the corner, pushing warm air around...
Deadly Design – 8
8 The orange haze of Harmattan thickened into something almost solid by Friday. Streetlights looked distant, like lanterns seen through smoked glass. Dust found its way into everything, the creases of Amara’s blouses, the seams of her sketchbook, even the small cracks around the apartment windows. Breathing felt like inhaling memory. She came home...
Deadly Design – 7
7 The next morning arrived with a thin layer of Harmattan dust on the windowsills. Amara woke to the faint taste of it in the air and the muffled sound of Harwa moving around the living room. She lay still for a moment, listening. No chatter. No cheerful good-morning song from the kitchen. Just...
Deadly Design – 6
6 Abuja nights often carried a deceptive calm. From a distance, the city looked peaceful, streetlights stretching across quiet roads, late traffic fading into silence, laughter drifting from restaurants and lounges where people pretended life was simpler than it truly was. But beneath that calm, lives moved in complicated directions, intersecting in ways no...
Deadly Design – 5
5 Amara awoke to the sound of bustling traffic and distant calls from street vendors. Yet her mind was still on yesterday, the brief encounter with Tobechi, Daniel’s effortless charm, and the subtle unrest in the apartment. She stretched and glanced at the small desk where she had been cataloguing every instance of sabotage...
Deadly Design – 4
4 The following morning, Abuja awoke under a clear, bright sky, the warmth of the sun highlighting the city’s vibrant energy. Yet for Amara, the light offered little comfort. The events of the past few days, subtle sabotage, the shifted documents, and the quiet sense of being observed, lingered in her mind like a...
Deadly Design – 3
3 Amara returned to her apartment feeling a quiet sense of confidence. Her portfolio presentation at the advertising firm had gone well, the manager’s nods and careful questions suggested genuine interest. She allowed herself a small smile, thinking that perhaps her meticulous preparation had paid off. But as she entered the flat, she noticed...
Deadly Design – 2
2 Later, as Amara sat in her room planning her first portfolio presentation, a small incident unfolded. Her laptop, which she had left on the desk, was slightly moved from its usual spot. It wasn’t alarming, but it registered. She frowned briefly, then dismissed it, telling herself she was probably overthinking. But as she...