Chapter 1: Unwritten promises
Biggie's Mall was celebrating its tenth anniversary, and the whole town seemed to be moving in one direction. Roads that usually slept in silence were now alive with footsteps, honking cars stuck in impossible queues, and strangers sharing short-lived conversations as they all made their way toward the same place.
There were no cars left to catch. So people walked from the outskirts, from narrow alleys, from dusty compounds that rarely made it onto maps.
Naomi was still in her room when Edward called. The phone rang once, twice, then a third time before she picked up, already halfway into motion.
Without thinking, she grabbed a blue cloth from the bed and wrapped it quickly over her black blouse, tying it at her waist with practiced speed. The fabric fell into place like a skirt that had always belonged there.
She caught her reflection briefly in the small mirror by the wall. Her permed hair, slightly loosened from sleep, framed her face in soft waves that almost looked like a wig she hadn't fully adjusted.
"Edward, I'm coming," she muttered, though the call had already ended.
By the time she stepped outside, the heat had thickened. She locked the door behind her, turned, and immediately, her foot sank into something soft and unmistakable.
She froze.
"…Musa," she said slowly, staring down at the fresh cow dung, "you've done it again."
The empty compound gave her no answer, but she continued anyway, voice rising with irritation that had nowhere else to go.
"I've told you! I've told you plenty times! Why must you always bring the cattle through this side?"
A goat bleated somewhere in the distance, completely uninvolved. Naomi exhaled sharply, half in frustration, half in resignation.
She went back inside, fetched a bucket of water, and washed her foot with brisk, practiced motions. Then she swept the mess away from her gate, as if tidying it could erase the inconvenience from her morning. Only then did she step out again.
The street beyond was already restless with movement, people walking in groups, calling out directions, adjusting wrappers, checking phones, all headed toward Biggie's Mall like it was a festival ground pulling everyone in.
Naomi paused at her gate.
"Auntie Emilia!" she called once, louder this time.
No response.
She tilted her head, listening, but the compound stayed quiet. A faint shrug crossed her face.
"She'll figure it out," she said to herself.
Then she stepped onto the main road and merged into the flow of people heading toward the anniversary celebration, the sound of the town swallowing her as she went
Edward spotted her before she saw him.
He lifted a hand above the crowd, a small wave cutting through the noise of people streaming toward Biggie's Mall like a river that had forgotten where it started.
Naomi broke into a run immediately.
"Edward!"
She reached him breathless and didn't even slow down before throwing her arms around him. For a moment, the chaos around them blurred. There were footsteps, voices, distant laughter and everything except the fact that he was there.
She pulled back just enough to look at him, eyes narrowing playfully.
"So… where's the bike you said you bought?"
One eyebrow rose with deliberate doubt.
Edward didn't answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head toward the side of the road.
"There," he said simply and Naomi followed his gaze.
A modest bicycle stood waiting, leaned carefully against a post like it had been there longer than it actually had. Nothing flashy. Nothing impressive. Just enough to move forward.
She stared at it, then at him.
"You really made me rush for this?"
He shrugged like the question didn't deserve effort. Before she could complain, Edward guided her hand toward the seat.
"Get on."
She huffed, but obeyed, climbing onto the back while he mounted the front. The moment they pushed off, the world shifted into motion around them with the wind brushing past people and thinning out as they left the densest part of the crowd.
The rhythm of pedaling replaced the noise.
For a while, neither of them spoke.Then Naomi leaned slightly forward.
"Your job's tedious, right?" she said, watching the road instead of him. "But it's still better than staying at home, Edward. You're Awo's cocoa, you know? Her whole income source."
She laughed immediately after saying it, like she was trying to outrun his reaction.
"Hahaha. You can't just wake up and leave like that."
Edward gave a short exhale through his nose, the kind of sound that meant he had heard her but was choosing peace over argument. Still, his shoulders stiffened slightly on the handlebars. Naomi noticed. Of course she did. And that made her laugh again, softer this time.
"Ah, don't be angry. I know you don't like that cocoa thing."
"I don't," he said plainly.
The bike rolled on, steady.
A few seconds passed before Edward spoke again, quieter now.
"Naomi… even with my mom like this, I can't just disappear. I can't take a risk that leaves her alone. If something happens to me, who takes care of her?" His grip tightened slightly.
"I need something better. This work feels like… a cage." The words hung in the air between them. Naomi's laughter faded.
She leaned in a little closer, her voice losing its teasing edge.
"Edward…"
He didn't look back.
"So you don't believe I can get out?" he asked.
There was a pause, not long, but heavy enough to matter. Then Naomi answered, simply.
"I do."
After a long ride through the thinning crowd and restless streets, they finally arrived at Biggie's Mall. But instead of going inside, they drifted away from the rush of people and settled on the wide pavement just outside, smooth, slightly sloped like a gentle slide, designed more for gathering than walking.
A lone tree stood nearby, its shade claiming a small circle of calm in the middle of all the celebration. Inside the mall, the anniversary energy was loud and bright. Outside, it was something softer with people sitting on the pavement, laughing, taking pictures, sharing snacks, and stretching out like the day itself had decided to slow down for them.
Naomi didn't even bother sitting properly.
She flopped down first, then shifted until she was comfortably laid across Edward, her head resting on his thighs like it was the most natural place in the world. Edward leaned back against the tree trunk, letting the rough bark steady him while his hand moved absentmindedly through her hair.
The noise of the crowd faded into background music.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Just wind. Just breathing. Just the kind of quiet that doesn't need permission.
Then Edward broke it, his voice softer than usual.
"You're a really good girl, Naomi."
She hummed lightly, eyes half closed.
"You remember how you saved her that day? My mom on the roadside… you didn't even think twice." His fingers slowed in her hair.
"I won't forget that. I'll always be there for you. Through thick and thin. Any guy who abandons his woman like that...he's a loser."
Naomi cracked one eye open, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Edward continued, warming to his own words now, like he needed to convince both her and himself.
"No matter what happens, I won't leave you hanging. I won't say no to you. I won't disappear when things get hard." Naomi let out a soft laugh. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just something light that slipped out like air.
"Edward," she said lazily, adjusting her head on his lap, "you're talking like life has given you a contract to sign."
He scoffed quietly.
"It should."
That made her laugh again, a little brighter this time.
Around them, someone nearby shouted for a photo. A phone clicked. Another group burst into laughter. The mall lights flickered on in the distance as the anniversary celebrations slowly shifted into afternoon glow.
But under the tree, Naomi only shifted slightly, curling into him like she had all the time in the world. And Edward kept his hand in her hair, like he was trying to hold a promise still long enough for it to matter.
