A Collection of Short Stories

Shittu Fowora
Double Promotion
The next day, they rode home while Sufjan Stevens, “The Only Thing” from the car stereo filled
up their silence. Not satisfied, she thought to ring Greg up. She shelved it. “Kpodo, are you,
by any chance a bi?”
Kpodo did not respond and continued to hum. “Kpodo! I am talking to you.” She prodded.
“Tinuke!” he said without looking her way. “What’s the matter…I am driving.” he said.
She held her lips in what would cut a piece of carrot into two, and then switched off the stereo
system. “Are you involved with Greg?” she shot straight at him.
He looked to her side, before he could refocus on the wheels; he had a near brush at a
Nissan navigating past them. “No!” He chortled. “Unbelievable!” He added, flabbergasted. No
further exchanges until they got home.
Tinuke will spot her best suits on work days; she carried on an air of one who had the next
twenty years of life planned out. It was evident in the way she kept markers for special dates,
treats and diaries. The idea of Scotland was originally hers. She had thought, Glasgow where
men from various walks of life awakened every morning in their usual process in pursuit of
promise, prospects and possibilities, Kpodo would find a reason to be man—her kind of
man; that Kpodo would be more hardworking and enterprising like the resourceful personnel
and workers staffing one of the greatest shipbuilding centres of the world.
Save for Fridays when she closed by 2pm, other days were more exerting for her. Sometimes
she gets home past 7pm. Kpodo and Tinuke had amazing time on evenings of Fridays and
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