The most adulting thing ever is working through emotional pain.

The world does not stop, life does not stop and people move on.

But you.

So you put on a brave face, even when you are dying inside and show up - at work, for people and when you are alone, you cry.

Repeat. You want to just lie down and not do anything.

But no, you have to work, to face people, you have to smile, because life does not because of you stop.

So you find strength somehow or not.

You go through the motions.

You put one step in front of the other.

Hoping.

My Paternal grandmother's advice to every daughter in law is "Ọwọ ọmọbìnrin ó gbọ́dọ̀ tutu, wá nkan ṣe"

And she put her money where her mouth is.

She set up her daughters in law who didn't have jobs. In 1988, she raised N135 naira from the extended family for 3 women.

N45 was my mum's school of nursing school fees.

N45 was my aunt's business start up fund.

N45 was another wife's business start up fund.

That became our tradition.

Used (A Bankole Banjo short story)

The SMS was three words long: I am pregnant.

You blinked twice, hoping your eyes would un-see what it had seen. But no, the words stood desolate on your phone screen.

Pregnant? How?
You sat back and closed your eyes. 2. You recalled that afternoon you met her at Eko Hotel roundabout

You had closed early & was rushing to the Mainland when you saw her about to enter a red Camry. A closer look at the car told you it was a Uber.

You double-parked and requested to take her wherever she was going