Jessy had warned her, that was the thing that made everything worse, She had sat Glory down in this exact same spot, the small provision store outside Aliyat's compound where the three of them always gathered when something needed to be said properly and she had told her clearly, Do not move in with Aliyat, and not because Aliyat was a bad person, But because Glory was running from one problem and about to land inside another one and not even seeing it.
Glory did not listen, Glory never listened, that was also part of the problem.
It started because of Glory's landlord, The man had decided without warning or reasonable explanation to increase the rent on her one room apartment by an amount that made absolutely no sense for what he was offering, Cracked walls, a ceiling that sweated during harmattan, a bathroom that smelled like it had given up on life and he wanted more money for it, Glory had gone back and forth with him for two weeks before she packed her things and called Aliyat.
"Come and stay with me." Aliyat had said immediately "My place is big enough, We are friends, what is the problem."
Jessy heard about this plan and physically held her chest.
"Glory." she said, keeping her voice very calm the way she always did when she was actually alarmed, "You know I love Aliyat, but you and Aliyat cannot live together."
"Why not." Glory said, already defensive.
"Because you are two different kinds of people, Aliyat keeps that house like a military operation, You " Jessy paused searching for the right word. "You are free spirited."
"I am not dirty."
"I did not say dirty, I said free spirited. There is a difference." Jessy looked at her. "You are leaving a bad landlord to go and live with someone who will count the number of times you leave a cup in the wrong place."
Glory had laughed it off, Packed her things, Moved in with Aliyat on a Saturday with excitement and gratitude and the kind of optimism that only people who have not yet lived with their friends can sustain.
Three weeks later she was sitting back at the same provision store with a look on her face that said everything before she opened her mouth.
Jessy looked at her. "Talk."
"I cannot breathe in that house." Glory said.
Jessy said nothing, she was not going to say it, she was not.
"She has a schedule for everything, A schedule Jessy, there is a time for cooking, a time for cleaning, a time for noise and a time for quiet, She sent me a voice note this morning reminding me that I left a wet towel on the bathroom door yesterday." Glory paused. "Yesterday."
"Mmm." Jessy said carefully.
"And she color codes her kitchen. Her kitchen, the spoons have a specific place, the plates have a specific place. I put a cup on the wrong shelf two days ago and she called a house meeting, A house meeting for one cup."
Jessy pressed her lips together very tightly.
"Don't." Glory pointed at her.
"I am not saying anything."
"You are thinking it very loudly."
Aliyat arrived at exactly that moment, her bag on one shoulder, her face carrying the expression of a woman who also had things to say, She sat down, ordered a cold drink, looked at Glory and then looked at Jessy.
"She left the burner on this morning." Aliyat said.
"I forgot." Glory said.
"This is the third time."
"I said I forgot."
Jessy looked between the two of them, Her two friends, Both right. Both wrong, noth about to destroy a fifteen year friendship over a wet towel and a gas burner and a cup on the wrong shelf.
"Okay." she said slowly, "Glory you need to find a new place."
"I have nowhere to go." Glory said.
"Then you need to find somewhere, Because right now " Jessy gestured between the two of them, "You jumped from your landlord wahala and landed inside friendship wahala and I will not sit here and watch you people spoil what we have over kitchen shelves."
Silence.
Then Glory looked at Aliyat.
Aliyat looked at Glory.
"The towel thing was a bit much." Aliyat said quietly.
"The burner thing was genuinely dangerous." Glory admitted.
Jessy exhaled, Ordered herself a cold drink, some fires you walk into yourself, the only question is whether you have the sense to walk back out before everything burns.
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