Ashes Of The Same Fire

ceremony. At church, Chief Okonkwo would stand tall in his agbada, his

h for half the congregation to hear. "Back from London

, business cards, invitations to elite gatherings. Amara would smile with perfect teeth, dip her head

, Chizaram stoo

mes, Chief or his wife would gesture vaguely and say, "That's our other daugh

wore modest Ankara dresses, simple earrings, her hair wrapped in scarves she had tied herself. Her nails

mments within their home now played out in the open, on pews and podiums, in conversations laced with

s outside the cathedral gates, Amara leaned in close, w

tand back. You're ru

a slap, but her silence was steel. She stood there, smiled at t

ouse was asleep, she p

o had watched her shrink under the weight of comparison. Not to Amara, who had learned how to wound with eleg

uth and a wild, burning hunger to find herself. To be someon

s and peeling paint. But it was hers. The rent was manageable, the neighbors mostly kept to themselves, and from the small balcony, she

inland. They were building apps for local businesses, inventory systems for market women, delivery trac

irs, and the smell of instant coffee and ambition in the air. The pay wasn't great. The hours wer

modest office in Surul

the j

bins without a word. But Chizaram noticed things. She noticed how he always arrived early and le

l, she noticed

is hands. He read each page slowly, as though savoring the ideas. At first, Chizaram thought it was a prop. A joke, maybe. But then she

e asked, joining hi

tely. "Yes. It's old, but

he ethics of development. She was surprised by how much he knew, how much he thought, how

class. But his father had fallen ill, and with no money for tuition, he'd drop

be here forever

. "Neither

their paths collided again

r team had built an app that helped traders in Balogun Market dig

up at the event, no doubt to network and maintain her image as the family'

p when she felt the familiar chil

little rebel," Amara said, arms crosse

nd. She had learned t

turn away, a voice cu

you'll ever understand," Tun

r cutting through stone. The room fell into s

ped, eyes narrowing.

houlders relaxed, gaze s

bravado. It was simple. Hon

ing her eyes. "You'

th a quiet pride. "And you are just

recognition. For the first time in a long time, someone had spoken for

cking like thunder, her silence louder

ntation. People clapped. A few investors ask

mind, it wasn't the a

voice that said,

ill in the corner where she had dropped it weeks ago. She thought about the

he sm

ing to prove h

becoming