e to block the light from the bedside lamp. I would pinch his neck until he got up and went to the bathroom, responding to my good morning with a nod or a w

r bulbs, which flooded the room with light. Akin had answered the phone and was frowning as he listened to the person on the other end. After he replaced the receiver, he came to sit next to me on the bed. "I

tired of the corrupt civilian government that Buhari and his colleagues had overthrown. "But is it true that the conspirators have managed to seize power?" "It seems so. Aliyu said that they have even arrested Buhari." "Let's hope they don't kill anyone." I pulled the lamp cord once, turning off three of the four bulbs. "This country!" Akin sighed as he stood up. "I'll go downstairs and check that the doors are locked again." "A

he next few weeks was that Babangida began to refer to himself, and to identify himself, not just as head of state but as president, as if the coup were equivalent to an election. For the most part, things seemed to be business as usual, and like the rest of the country, my husband and I settled back into our usual routine. Most weekdays, Akin and I ate breakfast together, which usually consisted of boiled eggs, toast, and lots of coffee. We liked our coffee the same way, in red mu

room, Akin would pick up his jacket, throw it over his shoulder, and leave for work. I would go upstairs to shower and then go to my living room. And so it went on, the days turning into weeks, the wee

ried to find a way to take a bath in that tub anyway, because I had never used any of the other bathrooms in the house since I got married. But it was still raining, and the ruptured asbestos was so far down that I couldn't fit into any corner of my own bathtu

t water was still running into the tub. By the time I opened my umbrella and ran to my car, the downpour had turned into a torrential downpour; The wind was blowing hard and trying in every way to rip my umbrella away. When I got to the car, my shoes were soaked. I took them off and put on the slippers I usually wore when driving. I turned the key in the ignition, but nothing happened, I only heard a useless clicking. I tried several times, without su

ese, moments that were not part of my routine, Funmi invaded my thoughts. And the thought crossed my mind that I, too, would become one of those women who were eve