When the Crow Flies

The bar was just as Adesuwa remembered it—a small, dimly lit place with old wood paneling and the faint smell of tobacco clinging to the walls. Tayo’s bar had always been a safe haven for them, back when they used to sneak in to steal moments together, hidden from the prying eyes of the town. Now, it felt like stepping into a ghost of the past, each memory echoing through the quiet room.

She found him behind the counter, his back turned as he wiped glasses with a faded rag. His broad shoulders had always given her a sense of security, but now they seemed tense, burdened by the weight of ten years’ worth of struggles. She felt a pang of sadness seeing how time had changed him, just as it had changed her.

“Tayo,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He froze, and then turned around slowly. His face lit up with a flicker of recognition, but it quickly hardened, a guarded expression taking over. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, letting the silence speak for them. He set the glass down and took a step toward her, his eyes scanning her face, as if trying to reconcile the woman standing before him with the girl he’d once loved.

“Adesuwa,” he replied, his voice rough. “Didn’t think I’d see you here again.”

“I could say the same,” she replied, trying to keep her tone light. “But I’m back, Tayo. I came back to find out what really happened.”

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “You shouldn’t be here. There are things… things that are better left alone.”

Adesuwa took a step closer, leaning against the bar. “I’ve already lost everything. There’s nothing left for me to be afraid of.”

Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, she saw something soft in his gaze—an old tenderness, a glimmer of the man she’d once known. Memories flooded her mind, and she could see them both as they were before, laughing together, sharing secrets in the quiet corners of the bar. But the moment passed quickly, and his expression turned guarded once more.

“You don’t understand, Adesuwa. People here… they don’t want you asking questions,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Why, Tayo?” she pressed, searching his face for answers. “Why are you so afraid?”

He hesitated, looking away. “Because some ghosts are better left buried. They’ll come after you if you keep digging.”

She reached out, placing a hand on his arm. “Who? Who will come after me?”

Tayo pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest. “I can’t say, Adesuwa. I won’t be the one to drag you back into this mess. You need to let it go. Walk away while you still can.”

“But I can’t let it go, Tayo. They took everything from me. They took my freedom, my family, and… and you. I deserve to know the truth.”

He looked at her then, something breaking in his expression. “You think I didn’t suffer too? I had to live with it every day, knowing what they did to you, knowing I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. But you think stirring all this up again will bring you peace? It won’t. It’ll just bring more pain.”

Adesuwa’s heart ached at his words, but she didn’t back down. “If you ever loved me, Tayo, help me. Tell me what you know.”

He clenched his jaw, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and guilt. “Don’t do that, Adesuwa. Don’t ask me to choose between my own life and the past. You don’t know the things I had to do to survive after you left.”

She took a shaky breath, fighting back tears. “Then why did are we even having this conversation?”

He turned away, gripping the edge of the bar, his knuckles white. “Because I knew you’d still do whatever you wanted, no matter what anyone said. You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever known.” He laughed bitterly. “But this is the last time, Adesuwa. You keep pushing, and you’ll regret it.”

The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken words and broken promises. She wanted to reach out, to touch his hand, to feel that connection again, but a wall had risen between them, too high to break down in a single conversation.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the sound of shattering glass cut through the room. A brick flew through the window, scattering shards across the floor. Adesuwa flinched, instinctively ducking behind the bar as the noise echoed in the silence.

Tayo rushed to the window, peering outside. He swore under his breath, then turned back to Adesuwa, a look of panic in his eyes. He crossed the room and picked up the brick, his face growing pale as he unfolded a piece of paper attached to it.

“Leave, or you’ll end up dead,” he read, his voice barely audible.

Adesuwa’s stomach churned as she stared at the note. It was a clear warning, a promise of violence if she continued her search. She felt her pulse quicken, her breath catching in her throat. But she forced herself to stay calm, to meet Tayo’s gaze with steady determination.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said, her voice firm. “They can try to scare me all they want. I won’t stop until I find the truth.”

Tayo looked at her, his expression torn. “They’ll kill you, Adesuwa. You’re playing with fire, and this town is full of people who would rather see you dead than let you dig any deeper.”

“Then let them come,” she replied, her voice defiant. “I didn’t come back just to run away again.”

The silence between them was charged, filled with the weight of a shared history and the knowledge of what lay ahead. She could see the fear in Tayo’s eyes, the doubt, the guilt. But beneath it all, she could sense something else—a flicker of the love they’d once shared, buried beneath layers of pain and regret.

As they stood there, facing the shattered window, she realized that she was no longer the girl he had once known. She was someone new, someone who had been shaped by years of suffering and loss. And no matter what threats came her way, she was ready to face them head-on.