Chapter 50: Independence Earned and a Creative Partnership
1474words
Dapo, feeling motivated by Eki's self-sufficiency, decided bravely to leave his family's business. This decision created many disagreements with his parents who had traditional views, but now Dapo could follow what he loved: photography. He aimed to capture the vibrant spirit of Lagos's artistic underground scene.
They started working much better together on the cultural centre project. Eki and Dapo became equal partners, sharing ideas. Their combined creativity made a unique mix of designs. Eki's building designs appear very different from the cold, modern buildings you see everywhere in the city.
**Inner Monologue (Eki)**
I work very hard and with much passion for my design. Every curve and small detail tells a story of the Yoruba gods and the rich history of Lagos. This is more than just a building; it shows the city's shared spirit, like light for artistic expression.
Eki's design used old ways of building with mud bricks, mixed with new materials to make it stronger. The outside walls had careful shapes and designs taken from ancient Yoruba symbols. Each pattern showed a different part of creativity.
When people started talking about Eki's amazing new design, excitement began to spread through Lagos's art community. Many local artists wanted to join the project, offering their talents for creating murals, sculptures, and installations. The cultural centre was no longer simply a building; it began to be viewed as a symbol of hope and artistic rebellion.
The construction site is a very busy place with many activities. The sound of hammers hitting echoed all around, mixed with the repeated noise of mud bricks being put on the spot. The smell of newly cut wood blends with the earthy fragrance of damp clay, creating a special Lagos nose feeling.
One sunny afternoon, Eki stood on the scaffolding, looking at how work moved forward. Happy sounds and busy talking fill the place as artists pay attention to their parts of the project. She felt very happy and full inside. It was not only about making the building; it was also because she helped people and brought back Lagos's spirit.
Suddenly, Dapo clambered up the scaffolding, his face beaming. "Eki, you gotta see this!" He shouted, bringing his camera nearer to her. "The news team from Lagos National is here!"
A big nervous feeling came to Eki. He was fine with some media attention, but when a whole national news crew arrived, it made him feel frightened inside. Taking a deep breath, she followed Dapo down the scaffolding.
A serious-faced reporter, wearing a clean suit, was standing in the middle of all the busy happenings. He said his name was Femi Adebayo. He is a famous journalist known for sharp news stories.
"Ms. Eki," Femi started, "your project is making many people excited. Can you share what your vision for the cultural centre is?"
Eki stops for a moment to think. "This is not just a building," she says, her voice stronger than usual. "This place is where artists can make anything they imagine, and Lagos can rediscover its true essence. It invites everyone to join in and honours our lively culture."
Femi's eyes showed a bit of surprise, maybe even respect. He went on with the interview, asking Eki many questions about her designs, what gives her ideas and what she hopes to do in Lagos's art world later on.
When the interview finished, Femi put out his hand to shake Eki. "Ms Eki," he said in a soft voice, "you are not only making a cultural center; you are starting a movement."
Eki's heart felt very big with pride. The recognition and the support... made her feel that all of her many efforts were worth it. Later that evening, Eki watched the video again and started to feel uncomfortable. There was a short part where someone appeared in the background during her interview—a tall and thin man with eyes that seemed to shine in an unusual blue colour.
**Inner Monologue (Eki)**
_The true collector. He was watching me. Did the news team see the same things as I did? And more important, does this mean something bigger is coming soon?
Eki felt worry growing stronger in his stomach. The fight for Lagos's soul still was not over yet. The culture centre was almost finished, shining like a light of hope, but bad forces were still hiding in the darkness. Eki had a strong look in her eyes and held the paintbrush firmly; to her, it felt like the Samas holding a sword. She does not allow the real collector to win. She completes making the cultural centre, and with this, she brings back Lagos's creative spirit.
The next morning, Eki went to the construction site and saw everything was a big mess. Scaffolding falls on the ground, bricks scatter everywhere. Colourful murals are now covered with new paint—bright colours are gone and instead, they have dark black that looks very scary. Among all the broken things, there was a standing true collector. His scary laugh echoed everywhere around.
"Look at what you made, Ms. Eki," he said with a voice loud and full of anger. "It used to be something brave, but now it is only broken parts."
Eki's heart sank. Months of hard work were destroyed in an instant. But amidst the devastation, a flicker of defiance sparked within her. This wasn't over.
"You may break the building," she said with a voice more calm than expected, "but you can not break the spirit of this city. Artists will make again, stronger than before."
The real collector's smile stopped for a moment. He looked with concern at the group of surprised people and saw that they started to murmur more loudly, showing their unhappiness. Perhaps this wasn't the show of dominance he had envisioned.
All of a sudden, a very loud noise came from the sky. On the ground, long and dark lines appear and start to open wide. Before anyone can do anything, a woman comes out from the deep water – she is dressed in very bright clothes. Her eyes have an unusual light that seems not of this world. She raised a staff with many detailed carvings, and strong energy seemed to come from her body.
"Who dares to disrespect the heart of Lagos?" a voice thundered, sounding like it came from deep beneath the ground.
The true collector moved backwards, his eyes opening wide with worry. He started to speak, a touch of anxiety in his tone, "I... I am the curator, the protector of inspiration."
The woman's eyes looked beyond the disguise of a real collector, removing his false power. "You are a parasite," she said in a strong and firm voice. "You feed off our creativity, leaving only a husk behind."
The ground shakes when the lady raises her stick. Energy lights fill the sky, and waves of bright colours spread over broken buildings. The fallen scaffolding begins to lift, and the bent metal gradually returns to its original shape. The shattered bricks join together again, making the building's detailed front appear as it did before. The black paint on the murals seemed like it melted, showing the colourful pictures below and bringing back their true beauty.
Eki watched in awe as the scene unfolded before her. Who was this woman? An ancient protector, a manifestation of Lagos's artistic spirit? It didn't matter. She came here, and because she helped, the cultural centre got fixed very quickly.
The real collector, feeling very tired and in pain, turned into a thin line of black smoke and went back inside the hole he came out from. The lady set down her staff and looked at Eki with calm eyes.
"You fight very well, child," she says in a soft voice. "The spirit of Lagos is strong, and your courage makes it powerful again."
Eki had many questions in her mind. But before she could say anything, the woman turned and disappeared back into the dark underground again. The ground shut firmly with a loud noise, and Eki together with the astonished people tried to figure out what just occurred.
Eki stood silent, not knowing what to say as she watched the scene before her. It was strange but also a strong reminder of what art and human effort can achieve. The cultural centre was very high and strong, showing both power and hope for all people. The battle may be over, but the fight to keep Lagos' spirit alive is now starting a new chapter that might become even more wonderful.
