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pride, man. I like that, Femi.”
    “Hmmh!” A muffled sound came from the room. Whoever was inside was listening.
    Femi dug his hands into his pockets. He had no ideawhat to say. What was this all about? Papa would be home soon, and he was risking football and everything for a conversation that left him confused. Why hadn’t he insisted on staying with Gary?
    “I have to go now.”
    “A little brother who does what he’s told. I like that, too, Femi. Hey, James, he says he’s got to go.”
    Femi turned to find James behind him.
    “You finished the business, right?” James asked.
    “Yeah, safe!” Errol held out his arm to slap palms with Femi. For a fraction of a second, Femi felt his hand being crushed. The gold rings that Errol wore on three long fingers pressed against Femi’s knuckles.
    “James will take care of you in that Avon school. No one will mess with you, know what I mean?”
    Before there was time to reply, James was ferrying him away.
    “I’ll see you around, Femi,” Errol called as they turned the back corner of the building. The shortcut between the unfinished houses and the waste ground lay ahead. Femi knew he was going to be in trouble for being late.
    “I’ll walk with you, little brother. Show me where you live.”
    At least James’s arm on his shoulder felt protective outside in the dark.
     
    T HURSDAY 18 TH S EPTEMBER
    9 P.M .
    How long has Papa known her? That’s what I want to know, Iyawo! This eveningPapa acted totally out of character. At half-past five there was still no sign of Femi. I was preparing a new tomato sauce recipe for pasta from Sunday’s paper. But instead of feeling happy that the recipe was working out, I was simmering as hot as my tomato sauce. Femi promised to come straight home after his football practice, so where was he? My sauce tasted brilliant, but I knew it would be ruined because the mood at supper would be terrible. When Papa thunders, all of us get drenched. By a quarter to six, however, I was seriously worried. Something must have happened to Femi. Then I heard the key in the door.
    F EMI (his eyes darting everywhere): Is Papa here?
    M E (steaming): What’s wrong with you, you little—
    The key rattles again. The storm is about to break loose. But instead of Papa at the door, there is a tall, elegant lady with Papa behind her, smiling like the sun is shining.
    P APA : Children, this is my colleague, Mrs. Wallace.
    A lady with a creamy chestnut complexion (only a little lighter than yours, Iyawo) and with long, straightened black hair stands there quietly, waiting for us to say something. But both Femi and I have been struck dumb as if by lightning.
    P APA (laughing): Well, I never! They’ve lost their tongues.
    He tells his lady friend our names, takes her coat, and asks her to make herself at home. Femi still has his backpack on, and it is obvious he has just come in. But Papa doesn’t say a single cross word to him! As Femi sneaks off to his bedroom, he raises his eyebrows to me. Lucky him, he’s escaped. But I am left to watch Papa fuss around his friend.
    P APA : Would you like tea or juice? Sade will bring it…. Would you like to use the bathroom? Sade will show you where it is…. You must have supper with us. Sade will put out an extra plate….
    It was Sade this, Sade that. What has come over Papa? I felt so embarrassed. At homeMama was the one who looked after the guests, and she always did it very subtly. The four of us had to squash around the kitchen table. When Uncle Dele visits us, he jokes that we elbow each other like street traders. But with family, that’s okay.
    As soon as Papa said that the lady was a journalist from Sierra Leone, Femi blurted out that we’re meant to be enemies! Papa said it wasn’t as simple as that. I wasn’t in the mood to follow everything he said. Except that the soldiers who seized power also attacked her newspaper and arrested the other journalists. If she returns, they’ll arrest her.
    The lady