THE ILLUSION OF PERFECTION 9

Early the next morning, Tayo met up with his manager, Deji. After their usual strategic banter, they plunged into their daily grind of grueling content creation.

By mid-afternoon, Tayo knew the day was already a win. Ken was giving his money’s worth in perfect shots, their locations were prime, the algorithms were spiking, and the "Tayo Brand", according to Deji, was becoming a force to be reckoned with. Tayo was tuned into his beast mode and was not ready to back down until he could smile all the way to the bank. 

But by the time the camera lights faded and his rented SUV idled outside his flat, the adrenaline had drained out of him completely. 

Managing to resist the urge to pull his designer suit off, Tayo dragged himself up the stairs to the third floor. The upward movement felt like an intense manual labor, each step eliciting a protest from his weary body. Tayo swore for the hundredth time to move out of that low budget, poorly maintained flat the moment he hit his first millions. 

It was past 10:00PM when his front door clicked shut, announcing his return. His eyes adjusted to the pale glow light filtering through the sheer cheap curtains gracing his windows. He took a deep breath and was about unbuttoning his designer suit when an image pierced his mind—Nadia.

How could he have forgotten his frantic promise to her? The thought of facing Nadia's quiet, genuine gaze, knowing she would immediately see the exhaustion and the facade he was too tired to hold up, filled him with a cold dread. Letting out a heavy groan, he reached for his phone, deciding to send a quick text canceling their plans for the evening. 

His finger brushed the screen, but it stayed blank. His mind raced to the last time he had used the phone as he flipped it in his hands. Without a second thought, he pressed the power button- nothing happened. Sighing, he concluded that the battery was dead. 

"Just what I need," Tayo muttered, tossing his keys onto the old wooden counter with a loud thud as he grabbed the charger — attached to a socket near the counter. He plugged the phone, hoping for a quick charge while he showered, but when he flicked the light switch expecting the room to come alive, nothing happened. The apartment was pitch black and hot like an oven. 

Tayo cursed loudly, his voice echoing in the sparsely furnished space. Weeks of jet-setting and content creating had made him forget to top up the prepaid meter, leaving him with no power, no charging point. Having recently sold his generator, alternative power was mere wishful thinking.

Glaring at his latest iphone which was now just a cold, empty brick in his hand, his mind raced as he weighed his options.

Knocking on Nadia's door to beg for a charging spot was out of the question especially not after he stood her up. Besides he was not in the mood for the "old boyfriend" role play. 

His thoughts were suddenly broken by the high-pitched drone sound of mosquitoes—a warning of the hellish night to come. He could survive the mosquitoes but a night without a working phone and an internet connection felt like a death sentence. 

With a groan of resolve, he shoved the dead device into his suit pocket and headed for the tiny, makeshift business center two streets down. His stomach growled, a subtle reminder that his last meal was in the morning, but his mind was made up. 

The shop’s neon sign with the words "Chaji Point & Printout,"  flickered like a beacon in the night as Tayo strode with purpose toward it.