Chapter 2: Home

The laptop is seated on a bed, surrounded by a little mess—books, clothes, a headphone. ARAMIDE, a girl of 17, scans the room, looking for something. While she searches, the talk show on the laptop continues to echo, “History will be made at the opening of Epic Realms,” the show host says with a smile.

He looks to the woman sitting across from him.

“Thanks for coming on the show, Taura.”

“Thanks for having me, Chris,” she replied.

Chris shifted in his seat. “We’ve already heard from the professor, but from your perspective, what can you tell us about this leap in technology?”

Taura hesitates. “Same as the world made possible by it. It’s a dream come true.”

Meanwhile Aramide has found some scissors. From the corner of her room, underneath her Sade poster she picks up a matte-black box. She slices it open with the scissors.

Inside, nestled in a bubble wrap, was the Epic Realms headset. It looked sleek, glossy, and futuristic. She lifted it out carefully, holding it up to the light.

She set it down beside her laptop, exited the talk show tab, and typed quickly into the search bar: how to set up the Epic Realms gear.

As the page loaded, something caught her eye. Outside the window, someone was approaching the house—a man walking slowly, leaning slightly on a crutch.

Her face lit up.

She sprang to her feet and darted out of the room.

The man nearing the front steps was TAYO QUADRI, mid-twenties, dressed in a pale blue shirt and dark slacks—the kind of outfit that said, “I just clocked out of work.” He paused at the edge of the garden, took in the sight of the house, then smiled to himself.

He pulled off his oversized sunglasses, revealing a kind and handsome face. The kind of face that people would instinctively trust. The kind you could ask for help without thinking twice. He glanced once more at the garden, then limped up the steps, leaving the crutch leaning beside the door.

Music filled the house—an old-school R&B song, smooth vocals and mellow rhythm drifting in from unseen speakers. The walls were warm-toned, decorated with framed photos and patterns of light filtering through lace curtains.

A large family portrait hung above the hallway entrance: their parents, a younger Tayo, and a baby Aramide, all posing together. Their father stood straight in military dress, one arm resting proudly on his wife's shoulder, while his wife carried baby Aramide.

Tayo stepped out of his shoes, letting them rest by the mat near the door. As he moved deeper into the room, a rich aroma hit him—savory, peppery, familiar.

Stew. His mother’s beef stew.

He smiled again, this time more fully. He was home.

Aramide appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a grin already on her face.

“Little drummer boy!” she sang out.

Tayo sighed and shook his head. “Stop calling me that.”

“Drummer boy,” she repeated, this time with a teasing bounce in her voice.

He reached out and tugged her cheek gently.

“Ow!” she said, swatting his hand away.

“I’m your elder brother. Show some respect.”

She smirked and lunged to pull his cheek in return, but he dodged, laughing. So, she gave him a light punch on the shoulder instead.

“Oh no!” she said, hands on her hips. “I’m so sorry, elder brother. Sounds like a character from a fantasy novel. The Elder Brother.” Then her eyes dropped briefly to the side. “I saw the crutch. What happened?”

Tayo shrugged. “Soccer.”

“Again?”

“It’s not again,” he said, a little defensive.

“Mummy’s gonna flip,” she said, crossing her arms.

“Only if she finds out,” he muttered, lowering himself carefully onto the couch.

Aramide narrowed her eyes, circling to face him. “No problem. So… where are you coming from?”

“Work,” he said, a bit too quickly.

“Liar. You got into town hours ago.” Her expression turned dramatic. “Wait—could it be? Has my brother finally captured the attention of a maiden? Is there a Mrs. Quadri in the making?”

Tayo chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh God. You’re so stupid, Aramide.”

She gasped in mock horror and called out, “Mummy! Tayo just called me stupid!”

“Shhh!”

From the kitchen came their mother’s voice.

“Tayo has arrived?”

Tayo straightened up as best he could. “Good evening, Mummy!”

Rebecca Quadri entered the living room, apron tied around her waist, a colorful headscarf framing her kind face. The smell of stew followed her in, like a warm breeze.

She lit up at the sight of her son.

“Tayo!” she said, arms already opening.

He rose and walked toward her, no trace of a limp. They embraced tightly, both smiling.

“Welcome,” Rebecca said, cupping Tayo’s face in both hands before giving his cheek a soft tug.

“Don’t say that kind of thing to your sister,” she added with a wag of her finger. “Words are powerful, you know. Don’t you want her to be as smart as you?”

Tayo grinned, maneuvering himself casually behind a dining chair. The chair’s back just so happened to obscure the slight bulge of his cast, hidden beneath his trousers. It wasn’t too obvious, but still—he didn’t want to risk it.

“I’m already smarter,” Aramide chimed in with a smirk. “I was just happy he has a girlfriend.”

“I don’t,” Tayo muttered.

Rebecca raised a brow at him, smiling playfully. “But what are you waiting for?”

Tayo leaned on the back of the chair. “A message from heaven, Mummy.”

That made her laugh—a genuine, deep laugh that lingered on her face even after the sound had faded. She looked at him, full of joy. “How are you? How was the trip?”

“It was calm,” he said, then turned to his sister. “Hey, Barbie Girl, did a package arrive for me?”

“Boring,” Aramide replied, flopping onto the couch. “One came, but it’s for me. My present from Taura.”

“Yeah, right,” Tayo said.

Rebecca’s expression turned curious. “How’s the professor?”

Before Tayo could answer, Aramide called from across the room, “Don’t be jealous, drum— I mean, eldest brother.”

Tayo shot her a warning look, then turned back to their mother. “Still the same.”

He shifted his gaze back to Aramide. “I’m serious, Aramide.”

“Pleaseeeee let me try it,” she begged, already inching toward him with a hopeful look.

“You’re not eighteen,” he said, stretching the word out. “So… noooooo.”

Tayo unzipped his bag and pulled out a small box, then rummaged further to bring out a sealed pouch of seeds. He handed it to his mum.

“Here, Mum.”

“Daalu,” she said, beaming as she took it. “Are you hungry?”

“No,” Aramide piped up. “He ate at his maiden’s house.”

Tayo turned to her, incredulous. “Not—”

“See?” Aramide said quickly, raising her hands. “I told you.”

“I was about to say not funny,” he corrected, exasperated. “How could I ever turn down Mummy’s stew? But I have to meet up with Guy first.”

Rebecca paused, reading between the lines. “So… you decided to help?”

Tayo nodded once. His mother smiled, then began to make her way back toward the kitchen.

“Your trousers are nice,” Aramide said suddenly.

Tayo stiffened slightly, sensing the trap.

“Just give me the package,” he said.

She started to open her mouth. “Mumm—”

“Okay, okay!” he said quickly, waving his hand in surrender. “You can try it after me.”

Grinning wide, Aramide threw her arms around him in a quick hug before skipping off toward her room.

From the kitchen, their mother’s voice rang out.

“Don’t spend too long.”

“I won’t,” Tayo answered back.