Birds With Broken Wings

8* How It Started

Heyyyyyy. Hope you guys are fine???

TAMARA

The beginning of the ride to school was very quiet.

I remained frozen in my seat, my body frame pressing against the door and I continued staring outside.

At the millions of life, at the life going on right outside the car, the hawkers pressing their wares and their bodies against the car as we eased in and out of the traffic. They couldn't even see us because of the tinted mirrors but yet, they were desperate to get us to buy something from them as they kept waving sausage rolls, power banks, drinks, biscuits, anything and everything at us.

We got into another traffic right before Coven Junction and a whirling sound made me turn to look at Jay, he was rolling down his glasses and almost immediately, nothing less than five hawkers had bombarded him, each shoving their wares into the car and I watched as he carefully bought from what they were all selling and he, even more carefully, handed over nothing less than 5 thousand nairas each to all of them and while they were still frowning and wondering what's up, he was already rolling up his glass.

By now, the traffic has eased and hundreds of horns were blaring from behind us and some drivers even went as far as yelling out profanities and curses because we were delaying them.

We didn't even spend up to a minute.

But I couldn't even blame them, you couldn't afford to waste even a second, especially in a city made for mad people like Lasgidi.

Jayden quickly eased out of the traffic and soon enough, we were driving down the street that leads to Coven City and subsequently, Coven School of Art.

Coven City was a manmade city in Lagos and everything about the city weren't even made for the people at the bottom of the food chain, it was designed for the one percent of the one percent and there has always been a mad scramble to buy or rent a house in one of the estates in the City.

In reality, the City was just a very big estate but because it kept growing and could now boast of an Elite Secondary School and an Art University, the first of its kind in the country, the name Coven Estate was changed to Coven City.

"Are you okay?" Jay's calm but probing voice interrupted my thought and I had to resist the urge to look at him.

I didn't know if that question was supposed to be just an ordinary question because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be okay after getting tossed out like that.

So I didn't reply to him, I just pretended that I didn't hear his question.

"You've been quiet since I picked you up," He continued and I just kept staring outside as we drove by one of the main gates of Coven City with a huge signpost that says WELCOME TO COVEN CITY.

"Did something happen with your therapist?" He asked, genuine concern and worry spilling out with his words and I didn't know when my throat eased and my mouth formed the word, No.

"Oh, Good!" He sounded relieved and against my better judgment, I turned a little to look at him, "I thought something probably happened."