Chapter 10: A Surprise Revelation
2332words
There was a loud knocking on the door that broke the quiet in the early morning. Surprised, I moved quickly to look through the peephole. Through a blurry lens, I saw Dapo's face. Normally he has a confident smirk, but now his look is like the storm outside. He holds a bouquet of lilies; their bright colors are very different from his messy appearance.
"Dapo?" I mumbled, sleep thick on my tongue. "What are you doing here?"
He shifted awkwardly, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "Hey, Eki. "Look, I know this is crazy, especially at this late hour, but..." He stopped speaking suddenly, unable to continue as the words got stuck in his throat.
I felt unsure but also curious. My apartment wasn't made for sudden visits, yet the urgent look in his eyes made me interested. With a sigh, I cracked the door open.
"Come inside, but make it fast," I said with a little smile appearing on my face. "We don't get much sleep around here."
He said a quiet thanks, carefully walking in and putting the lilies on the shaky coffee table. The difference between the fragile flowers and the messy room made me laugh inside myself. What could make this very refined architect come to my door, appearing like a wet and lost cat?
"This is not how I imagined this happening," Dapo started, his hand going through his normally well-arranged hair. "But after what happened yesterday at the Archives…" He didn't finish the sentence, leaving it open as he looked into my eyes with a blend of worry and hopefulness.
"The Archives?" I echoed, my curiosity piqued. "What did you find?"
He breathed in deeply, his shoulders dropping a bit. "Let's just say it makes everything different."
The mysterious answer gave me chills. People say the Archives have hidden away the Olumide family's most shadowy secrets. Had he discovered something bad about the Moonlight Lease? My heart beat very fast as I waited for him to explain more.
"There... there's a record," he said, at last, his voice so quiet. "A record of a similar project, Moonlight Lease, made many years ago."
He stopped for a moment, his eyes moving quickly around the room like he was looking for a way to get out. My thoughts were running fast, trying to put together all the bits of information. A similar project? Maybe this is finally the answer to the worries that always bother me.
"Made with whom?" I pressed, unable to contain my eagerness.
Dapo looked at me, shame showing on his face. I felt my stomach tighten, a bad feeling growing inside.
"With Iya Wura," he managed to say, the name coming out of his mouth like a secret. "My grandfather agreed with Iya Wura for Moonlight Lease."
The realization struck me like a strong hit. Iya Wura, the smart woman who had cautioned me about the possible dangers of the project, somehow got involved with the Olumide family herself. Confusion and anger warred within me.
"What?" I gasped, my voice rising a notch. "But… why didn't you tell me this before?"
Dapo flinched under my scrutiny. "Because… because it wasn't a pretty story," he confessed. "It's a part of the past the family doesn't like to talk about."
His shame was clear to see, but it did not help calm my growing frustration. He had on purpose left out this important detail, making the Moonlight Lease seem like a fresh start when it had a past I knew nothing about.
"Tell me everything," I demanded, my voice firm. "What happened to Iya Wura? Did the project fail?"
He stopped for a moment, his face showing much sadness. With a deep breath, he took out an old and wrinkled photo from his pocket and set it down on the table. It was an old picture of a younger Iya Wura. Her eyes were bright with passion, and she stood beside a man who looked very much like Dapo. My breath caught in my chest.
"That's my grandfather," Dapo confirmed, his voice barely a whisper. They were… involved. More than just business partners."
The truth hit me hard, like a sudden wave in a stormy sea. The story Dapo had built with so much care – about a family trying to find peace through the Moonlight Glow project – fell apart right in front of my eyes. Was Iya Wura only just an architect? Could it be because their love story had some connection to the project's failure?
"So, the Moonlight Lease... it was a romantic thing?" I asked with much surprise in my voice.
Dapo nodded, face full of shame. "My grandfather… he dreamed about a cultural center, just like you." He felt very strongly about it, and Iya Wura also believed in his dream. The Lease was their method to get money, so they could turn what they imagined into something real."
"But what about the family?" I countered, piecing together the puzzle. "Surely they wouldn't have approved of such a… unconventional arrangement."
He laughed without joy. "The Olumide family, they have… special way of doing things." They saw Iya Wura as a talented architect, nothing more. Her history, her... relation with my grandfather, none of it made them comfortable."
I imagine in my mind young Iya Wura, standing strong against the disapproval from a very powerful family. It makes me feel some sympathy inside of me.
"So, the project failed," I said feeling heavy with memory of what happened before.
Dapo shook his head, his expression grim. "Not exactly. It was built as only a faint copy of the initial idea. But the affection, the fire… it disappeared. The pressure from family, always getting involved, made the project stop before even starting.
He looked at the photograph, his eyes showing sadness and regret together. "Iya Wura left." She walked away from the project, from my grandfather, from everything."
Silence came down on the room, heavy with memories from before. The lilies placed on the table looked like they were wilting more because of all the emotions in the air. Iya Wura's experience had a big impact on the Moonlight Glow project. Am I fated to make the same errors as she did?
"Why are you telling me this now, Dapo?" I finally ask my voice almost a whisper. "Why reveal this part of the story you so conveniently omitted before?"
He lifted his gaze, eyes now showing new determination. "Because the truth is important, Eki." Transparency is a promise I made. And the truth is, Moonlight Lease… It is not only a contract. It's a burden, a legacy that carries the weight of the past."
His words echoed in the silence. The burden of the past. Is that what Iya Wura wanted to caution me about? The possibility of a project started with good intentions becoming mixed up in family secrets and unkept promises?
"So, what now?" I asked the question hanging heavily in the air.
Dapo hesitated, his gaze searching for mine. "The choice is yours, Eki," he declared. "You can leave, same as Iya Wura did. Or you can decide to make a new way, one that is made from knowing the past and taking lessons from its errors."
His words touched me deep inside. The Moonlight Lease did not seem as attractive anymore. The story had sadness from a broken dream and lost love. But thinking about the cultural center, an exciting place for creativity and people coming together, still stayed in my heart with hope.
A new thought, a small rebellion, began to burn inside me. The Moonlight Glow project could become something beyond just a structure. It may be a sign of a fresh start, an opportunity to correct mistakes from before.
"I need time to think," I said, my voice strong with new determination. "Time for me to understand this better and know what it means to go ahead with the Moonlight Lease."
Dapo nodded, a glint of hope coming instead of the sadness in his eyes from before. "Of course," he agreed. "Take all the time you need."
He stood up to go, feeling the talk they just had was like a heavy burden. When he got to the door, he looked back at me and our eyes met.
"Eki," he spoke softly, almost in a whisper, "whatever you choose… remember the project is important. But even more importantly… you are important." With or without the Moonlight Lease, I believe in your vision, in your passion."
His words, combining apology and newfound respect, warmed a piece of my heart. He offered me a small, unsure smile before turning away and leaving me alone with the heaviness of his words, the haunting memory of Iya Wura, and the disturbing quiet that came after he left. Sleep, which was once something I longed for so much, had disappeared. My thoughts were rushing, going over and over every detail of what Dapo confessed. The Moonlight Lease is meant to be a loving act but becomes a sign of manipulation and control. Iya Wura, who has much skill as an architect, feels pushed away because of the weight of traditional expectations.
The lilies on the coffee table – which Dapo brought as a sign of hope – now felt like they were mocking me. Their bright colors stood out sharply against the chaos I was feeling inside. Is this the legacy I wish to take? Was the hope of Moonlight Glow always meant to be destroyed by the heavy burden from past times?
Days turned to a restless week. My usually busy apartment changed into a place of quietness. Work stopped, and the bright designs on my computer screen did not help much. I searched online everywhere for info about Iya Wura's project but found nothing. The past remained shrouded in secrecy, a silent testament to the Olumide family's power.
Finally, I could no longer handle the heavy feeling of not knowing. So, I chose to face Iya Wura directly. Holding the old photograph and filled with a strong desire for answers, I went to the busy market she had talked about. The sights and sounds gave a nice distraction – the regular beating of drums, the bright shades of fabrics, and the noisy mix of people haggling.
Following Dapo's mysterious instructions, I moved further into the confusing alleyways. The air became filled with strong smells of spices and incense, very different from the clean and plain environment I am used to. As I started to feel uncertain and my confidence began to fade, I noticed an old wooden sign with just one phrase written on it: "Iya Wura – Healing Hands."
Hope rises inside my chest. Taking a deep breath, I open the old door with a creaking sound. The room, lit gently by beeswax candles' soft light, felt like a place of peace. Many kinds of herbs and little bottles were on the shelves, and there was a quiet talking sound around.
There was a woman with her back facing me, taking care of a pot that bubbled over a small charcoal fire. Her hair is silver and braided in a detailed way, suggesting she has many stories from her long life. Could this be Iya Wura?
"Excuse me?" I called out tentatively.
She turned slowly, her face full of wrinkles showing knowledge from many years. Even though much time has gone by, her eyes still have the same bright look of defiance as seen in the photo.
My heart pounded in my chest. "Iya Wura?" I stammered, holding out the photograph.
She looked at the picture, her face showing a hint of recognition before changing to an expressionless look. The room felt like it got colder by several degrees.
"You want answers," she said, her voice rough from many years, "but the past is a place better left quiet."
There it is again, this warning that matches Dapo's worries. But this time, there was more – a sparkle of fear in her eyes that made me feel cold inside.
"But truth," I replied, my voice becoming stronger. "Truth has the power to heal and make sure that history does not repeat the same mistakes."
Iya Wura's eyes became small, looking at me very closely in a way that made me feel uncomfortable. Then she let out a deep sigh that felt like it had many years of tiredness, and she signaled for me to come nearer.
"There are... things you didn't know," she started, her voice very quiet. "Things the Olumide family do not want anyone to find out." Secrets that…"
She stopped suddenly, her voice fading away. Then there was a loud crash from outside the room that broke the quiet atmosphere. We exchanged a startled glance, fear replacing curiosity in her eyes.
"Stay here," she hissed, her voice urgent. "Don't move. Don't let anyone in."
Before I could ask her anything, she moved past me with an unsteady walk, yet surprisingly quick. I tried hard to listen, but the quiet voices and fast footsteps stayed unclear. A wave of fear came over me. Who would come here, searching for Iya Wura? Were they connected to the secrets she was about to reveal?
A cold sweat came on my skin. Past, it looked like, was not happy to stay quiet. It had stretched out, its long shadow seeming to cover not only the Moonlight Glow project but maybe also my safety. Stuck in Iya Wura's refuge, the heaviness of uncertainty weighed on me heavily. I was left with a scary question: What hidden truths was I going to find out, and what price would come with them?
