Zara || A Nigerian Lesbian

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

𝚈𝙰𝚂𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙴
━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

A cool breeze swept into the living room while waiting for the generator to come on. Electricity had gone out again, the third time in a row today.

"I don't want to know how you are going to do it, but do it," I said into my Airpods. "No more excuse." I hung up.

"I thought we came to Nigeria to visit Dad and have a family vacation?"

I turned when I heard my daughter's voice. "We wouldn't be able to fly into any country anytime we want if I do not work." I know she heard that a lot, but it was the truth. Kelani had complained earlier that she wanted more than riches and material things-she wanted my attention. Her father's attention too. It was bad enough she didn't get to spend enough time with him before moving to the US with me because all her life here in Nigeria was always with the nanny.

"Can we at least go to Spar to get some groceries? Let's go out."

"Not today. I have meetings to finish up with first."

"Really?" she asked, rolling her eyes at me.

"You want me to leave those who depend on me for their next meal?"

"What about those who depend on you at home?" she muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

She shook her head and walked away.

I felt terrible at being a mum, and it was far more complicated than I even imagined. I did the best I could, but it seemed it was not enough. I hired the best nanny money could buy so I could go back to doing the one thing I always did well—running my business.

Visiting Nigeria was a way for us to reconnect or connect in a way we never had before, but old work habits were hard to break. "Get me Zara Ebitemi. I need her to plan a get together for myself and my friends," I replied to Lolia on the other end of the phone.

"But, Ma. She's not an event planner."

"Then make her one. I need her to come to my house this afternoon." I ended the call and sat down in the lounge chair. The phone kept ringing. I threw on the couch across from me. "I need to breathe, jeez."

Kelani was going to turn out alright, I thought. I was drifting away, dreaming of the days when everything was perfect—myself, the ideal husband, and the perfect child. But now, it was me burying myself in work, avoiding the fact that my life had crumbled.

"You should be calling me to spend time with you when you are in this state," a male voice spoke.

I turned around to see him standing at the doorway, in his well-ironed trousers, and a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt. His entire presence was pulsating with energy, demanding my attention. But I knew better. "What are you doing here, Emenike?"

"Can't I come to pay my wife a visit?"

I held up my hand. "Ex wife, please. I don't want you to have ideas. I am here because of our daughter, nothing else."

"Your daughter is upstairs. You can see her. I am busy."

He strolled towards the minibar and poured himself a drink, Scotch, neat. He sat down across from me and began drinking. "So, Lolia called me. She said you've been making hasty decisions lately."

I scoffed at him. He knew me too well to have brought Lolia's name up. "Your friend's daughter is biting way more she can chew. What I do with my company is my business. I can hire who I want and invest in any company I wish to invest in. Or is she jealous?"