Underneath The Mask

Looking so beautiful as always, with the sun spilling some subtle golden beams across the sidewalk, Tonye and Nengi could be seen making their way home.
In their small town, where everybody knew everybody, you could easily recognize Nengi’s laughter from two streets. It was such a bright, ringing sound that could make even the grumpiest neighbor smile. Tonye, on the other hand, spoke calmly and preferred to let her makeup skills do most of the talking.

Growing up, the sisters have always shown opposite characteristics. Tonye was the quiet and steady one while Nengi was the life of every party. She was the friend who replied to every spicy comment on social media with a witty comeback. She never seemed to have a single crack in her bright, shining armor.

At least, that’s what everyone thought.

The day before their mother’s memorial service, the big family house was filled with nervous, buzzing energy. The smell of jollof rice and fried plantains floated from the kitchen; chairs were being arranged under the old mango tree, and their father, who was a tall, silver-haired man, rarely spoke of emotions of any kind. On this day, he had even dusted off his best suit.

Tonye was very worried but hopeful. Why, because she had secured a makeup gig that would finally help to pay for the extra chairs and refreshments they needed for the guests. But an unexpected call came late into the evening. The one she had dreaded all day.

“I’m sorry, Tonye,” the bride’s voice was tense. “We decided to go with someone else. Thanks all the same.”

Tonye stood frozen in her father’s tiny living room, the phone pressed against her ear long after the call had already ended. She had this overwhelming feeling of despondency and for the first time in a long while, she felt really helpless.

By the following morning, the family house was buzzing with relatives, neighbors, and close family friends. It was a blur of colorful geles, ironed shirts, and solemn faces. But one person was missing. Obviously Tonye.

“Where is Tonye?” Aunt Belle asked, looking around.

Nengi’s heart fell and without a word, she bolted out of the compound and ran home. Inside, she found Tonye curled up on the faded grey couch with her face tucked between her knees like a child.

“Nengi, I can’t,” Tonye’s voice cracked. “I feel like I’m a big failure. I was supposed to help. Like I was supposed to make today much easier for you and Daddy.”

Nengi’s shoulders slumped. She paced around the room in five seconds and plopped down next to her little sister, pulling her into a sideways hug.

"Tonye, listen," Nengi said. Her voice sounded unusually serious. "Everyone thinks I’m the life of the party, right? Like I don’t have a problem in this world?"

Tonye sniffed, nodding miserably amidst her sobs.

“Well," Nengi gave a shaky laugh, "nobody knows that I caught Femi cheating on me earlier this month."

Tonye lifted up her head with a scream "What?"

"Yeah. He literally told me I was ‘too playful’ to be wife material. Said I didn’t have proper home training because Mom is not here to teach me." Nengi chuckled bitterly. "As if our Mom didn't raise two beautiful queens."

Tonye stared at her. Nengi had not said anything during all those endless evenings when she had seen her laughing with friends online or even dancing to TikTok trends.

"Let’s even talk about my clothing business" Nengi continued. "It’s bleeding serious money babe. I got canceled orders with customers ghosting me here and there. But if I sit around worrying about everything, it changes nothing."

The silence that ensued between them lasted for about a minute before Nengi continued.

"You see me so happy because I actually chose to be," Nengi said, squeezing her sister’s hand. "But choosing joy doesn’t mean life isn’t messy."

Tonye allowed the words to sink in, allowing them to heal the deeply wounded part of her. Maybe she didn’t have to pretend she had it all together.

Nengi stood and offered her hand. "Come on, Tonye. Mom would greatly love us to be there despite the broken hearts, the empty wallets or the messy emotions and all."

Tonye hesitated, then slipped her hand into her sister’s. Together, they walked back into the gathering of those who really loved them and had come to join them in their moment of pain. They may seem to be wearing masks but they were still complicated beautifully imperfect humans.

At the service, under the shade of the old mango tree, Nengi delivered a speech about strength and joy stitched together through grief. Tonye stood beside her, with her chin lifted, and for once, the entire town saw them both as a pair of two different kinds of strong.

Tonye smiled because now she knew that life was not really about having it all together but about showing up despite the tears, scars and the joy.

All images are AI generated
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