Writers Crib

Today for the first time I worked out. Mehn! I saw the back of my head, I never knew how tough it was until today. I envied those who did early morning jogging but not for once did I think I would try. Felix called me to come jog with him, at first I felt reluctant, but then he told me it would be fun, Ibrahim agreed to come along too. So the three of us set out... When we started, I felt my heart already thundering, my eyes were already spining, 'who send you message' was the first thing that came to my head. Just in the middle of my thoughts, I fell. I fell belly flat, smeared my palm and ankle on the hard ground and it began to bleed immediatly. My phone too, I gave it a pretty bad shape. The first few seconds, I remained on the ground laughing, the last time I fell this way was when I was still a child. Felix and Ibrahim turned and ran back to lift me up. 'We haven't even gone anywhere and you're falling. You don't stop, that's the essence of worki...

The village girls had gathered around me, pleading with me to free Uloma, but the more they pleaded the more I held on to her making sure she had enough punches that would last for seven market days pending the time she stopped flirting with my boyfriend. When I was through, I stood up, dusted myself and stared down on her like I was her messiah. I smiled in satisfaction, I had beaten her black, blue and green, nearly stuffed the daylight out of her. The other girls ran to lift the lifeless Uloma from the ground. I didn't care what they did afterwards, I had done what I had in mind and that was all I cared about. I bounced out of their mist like the bad girl I was. Blew out my gum and stucked it into my mouth again. Izunna was my property, any girl who went after him sought her own death. Uloma was no exception, infact she was the fifth girl I had actually beaten to a state of coma in less than four market days. I walked into my fathers compound like a renowed village ch...

I've had sad memories, I've witnessed tragic events. So sad I'd want to cry for a whole day non stop. Those times were the most awful seconds of my life, for they tick really slow and steady, like a snail crawling a 1500mtr race. I don't know how to forgive and then forget. I could forgive, but somewhere in my heart, I still nurse the evil you've done to me, somewhere in my heart I despise you, somewhere in my heart, I want pay back! A double fold of your action, to pinch you exactly were it hurt the most so that you could feel how much pain I felt. How can I find peace when all I do is occupy my heart with hate and revenge, a revenge I know deep down I won't dare do even if I had a gun to my head! That is how anger works. Sometimes, we let our taste for revenge hinder the peace our heart so desires. Find peace, and leave the pieces Its time to let it go!

'Is there anyone in this congregation who has a reason or reasons why this couple should not be joined together in holy matrimony should speak up now or forever hold your peace.' Silence. 'I ask again, is there anyone in this congregation...' 'Father, I have something to say...' *** April had it all planned out. She was going to have the best wedding ever, she would make Alan her ex so jealous he would regret dumping her for her sister. She had invited him, he had agreed to come. Blanca was April's brides maid, she had flown all the way from the UK to grace her bestfriend's wedding. They did be talking about it two months before and now its two days to the wedding. 'Your gown is something to die for!' 'You bet!' She winked. 'Alan would die when he see's me in this... Oh Jesus, I want to see he's face popping out in jealousy.' 'You invited ...

I remember when Dami died. A black car had pulled over at the small black gate of his fathers compound, it was the car of Dami's fathers igbo friend who lived on the next street. Baba Dami had emerged from the front seat of the car, his face was pale and he had his hands wrapped behind his butt. He walked into his compound, face down and was mute to the greetings of his tenants. Iya Dami came out from the back seat, she had her scarf tied to a knot around her waist, her eyes were damp wet and swollen like she hadn't slept in days, her hair was nothing to write home about, she walked helplessly and clung to her only surviving child Ope. I was walking past when I noticed this whole event, I never knew what happened, but whatever had happened must have been tragic. So I was told that Dami had been sick, and he had died from his sickness. Once or twice, I had seen Dami bare to his waist, he was all skeletal and always had a white substance rubbed on him. I didn't notice, ...

Early childhood dreams are really so exciting, some of these dreams grow with us into adulthood, and some die with our childhood years. As a child, I had so many dreams, I dreamt of this, that, then this and that. I had a life full of too many dreams and aspirations, but there was one dream I held dear, Nursing. Becoming a Nurse was one dream I treasured as a child. I loved Nurses. I loved them for their smartness, the smile they'd wear on their faces when they have a patient, the soft way they spoke when about to pierce an injection into your bumbum! I just knew I loved them for everything they were. Imaginations grew in my head. I had pictured myself in white sparkling gown, black ballerina shoes with the blue, red and black biro tucked in the pocket of my gown. As Children, it was easy for us having basket full of dreams, we were permitted to dream big, to have dreams bigger than our tiny selves, it was no crime. I knew of children who wanted to become Pilots, Engineer...

'Stammerers always have something to say, they just need more than enough time to say it' I had asked Mum why I stammer, why I had to always struggle to say 'good morning' without having to stamp my feet on the ground or beat my laps with my palm, why I repeatedly repeat and stumble over words, why reading in public was difficult, why answering simple questions was war and participating in debate sessions was more like living in hell. At every question I did ask Mum, she'd tell me I was okay, that all I needed was enough time to adapt and find a strategy. I had two friends back then in basic school; Memuna and Lauren. They both had their usefulness. Memuna was to answer for me when Miss Angie called the roll-call and Lauren was always ready to defend me at every argument. The day Memuna was down with fever and lauren with chicken pox, I was presently marked absent, and through out that day in school I made no comments and no effort to speak. At debate sess...