Aisha had ₦500 left. That was it for the week. Her phone had been buzzing all morning with “Data running out” alerts. Her son, Femi, needed to submit an assignment online by 6 PM. No submission, no marks. She sat outside her shop in Ikeja, staring at the cash in her hand. ₦500 could buy garri and stew for them to eat tonight. Or it could buy 1.5GB data for Femi’s submission. Her neighbor, Mama Tolu, walked past and noticed her face. “Problem no dey finish, Aisha,” she said. “But wetin man go do?” Aisha smiled weakly. “Na my son assignment be this. If I buy food, he go fail. If I buy data, we go sleep hungry.” Mama Tolu didn’t say much. She just reached into her bag, pulled out ₦1,000, and dropped it in Aisha’s palm. “Buy the data. I get extra rice for house. You go cook for both of us tonight.” Aisha blinked back tears. “But why? You no owe me nothing.” Mama Tolu laughed. “Because last year, when my daughter sick, you give me the last panadol for your shop for free. Life n a turn by turn.”
