They say the past sleeps, but it never forgets.
And sometimes, it comes walking—bold, bruised, and bearing receipts.
Majek was at the ALCI studio one humid Thursday morning, helping a student debug a custom illustration software on an old Chromebook, when a stranger stepped through the door.
Tall. Lean. Dark skin, beard lined with grey.
Confident. Dangerous.
"Is this where second chances live?" the man asked, eyes locked on Majek.
Majek froze. The color left his face.
The student beside him glanced up. "Uncle M, you okay?"
Majek stood slowly. "You're not supposed to be here."
The man stepped closer. "And yet… here I am."
Name: Sunkanmi "Sunkky" Bakare
Relation: Former best friend. Former cellmate. Once brother. Now threat.
They hadn't seen each other in six years.
Not since that night in Surulere.
Not since Sunkky took the fall for a heist Majek helped plan—and Majek got away while Sunkky got locked up.
"You look clean now," Sunkky said with a bitter smile. "Clothes. Foundation. Pretty woman with power. I saw the news. The press calls you 'Majek the Reformer.' Cute."
"Sunkky…" Majek whispered.
"I'm not here to blow up your life. Not unless you force me to."
"What do you want?"
"Money. A job. A piece. Call it whatever you like. I call it debt repayment."
Majek's jaw clenched.
"I don't owe you."
Sunkky stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"You owe me your future. If I hadn't kept my mouth shut, you wouldn't be standing here in neat clothes talking to underprivileged kids. You'd still be in Kirikiri—like me."
Later That Day – Majek's Apartment
Majek sat in darkness, elbows on his knees, head bowed.
He hadn't told Agnes about that part of his life. Not in full.
She knew he'd been arrested during the Lami incident. She knew he'd come from hard beginnings, struggle, reform.
But she didn't know about Sunkky. About the brief crime ring. About the heist that went wrong in 2017. About the lie he let live to escape a permanent sentence.
And now, that lie was knocking.
His phone buzzed. Agnes.
He let it ring out.
The second time, he picked up.
"Hey," he said, trying to sound normal.
"Something happened?" she asked.
"No. Just tired."
"Come to the house."
"Agnes…"
"Please."
Agnes's Home – Two Hours Later
He arrived after sunset. She'd made yam porridge. The smell filled the room. Comfort food. Safe food.
They sat across from each other, neither touching their plates.
"Tell me," she said quietly. "Whatever it is. Don't lie."
Majek's eyes stayed on the bowl. "A man came today."
"A man?"
"From my past. Name's Sunkanmi. We used to be… close. He was arrested for something we both planned."
Agnes said nothing.
He continued.
"It was after my final year. I couldn't find work. He was into street jobs—'get cash fast' types. I joined him for one. Just one. A warehouse theft. It went bad. I ran. He got caught. I kept quiet."
He looked up.
"He did three years."
Agnes blinked. "And now?"
"He wants money. Power. Maybe blackmail."
She stood up, walked to the window, her back to him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was ashamed. I didn't want my past to dirty your world."
She turned sharply. "My world is already bruised. Do you think I loved you because you were flawless?"
He stood. "I was afraid. Afraid if you knew how low I once sank, you'd never look at me the same."
Agnes crossed the room and stood in front of him.
"Majek… I've loved you at your most broken. But if we hide from each other, there's no 'us.' There's only pretending."
The Ultimatum
Three days later, Majek met Sunkky in a car park in Ebute Metta.
"You ready to pay?" Sunkky asked.
Majek pulled out a folder.
Inside: a full-time offer letter. Counseling voucher. Salary. Contract to help manage logistics for ALCI's Makoko annex. Legit work. Clean.
"You want your second chance?" Majek said. "Earn it."
Sunkky laughed. "What makes you think I want redemption?"
"You don't. But I do."
Sunkky stared at him for a long time.
Finally, he tucked the folder under his arm.
"I'll think about it."
Two Weeks Later – ALCI Logistics Wing
Sunkky showed up.
Hair cut. Clean shirt. Quiet.
He didn't smile.
But he worked.
Majek kept his eye on him, but he also believed—in growth, in second chances.
Agnes watched them from the glass office, one hand resting on her heart.
Majek walked in after the day's end.
"He showed up," he said softly.
She nodded.
"You're still afraid?"
He nodded too. "But fear isn't the end."
She leaned into him.
"It's where truth begins."
Final Scene – ALCI Student Showcase
The first student showcase was held in a converted gallery in Ikoyi.
Kids beamed as their art was hung for real audiences. Paintings. Digital projections. Spoken word. Music.
Sunkky helped with security and setup.
When he passed Majek in the hall, he stopped.
"You were right," he said.
Majek raised a brow.
"About what?"
"That not all broken things stay broken."
Majek nodded once.
"Not if they're willing to heal."
And across the room, Agnes watched it all unfold—love, healing, and honesty—wrapped in a thousand strokes of color.