HAPPY NEW YEAR

“So the world didn't end after all!”, he declared happily

“I have no time for this! Get lost!” she grumbled

“You know I’ll never get lost”, he replied

She slumped on her bed as her anger dissolved into tears. “You left me when I needed you most. It’s been hard you know. I have no more friends, no money, no life...and it’s all because you left. I HATE YOU!” she screamed and cried louder.

“I’m sorry. I had no choice. You should be happy you weren't the one that had to leave like that”

“Happy? I’d give anything and everything to be with you. Every day, I prayed to see you, to touch you, to be with you- nothing. My heart turned to a void-”

“Oh, shut up!” he screamed at her. He was tired of her whining. “Shut up already!” He did an irritating mimic of her- Oh, look at me, poor little girl alone in the world; abandoned by my husband after a week of marriage! Will you shut up already! How can you see the beautiful things around you if you blur your vision with tears and burden your heart with sadness? It’s been a year already. You’re the reason you’re here. Keep being mad at the world and you’ll lose me forever”

She looked at him through her tears, trying to understand what he meant.

“At the stroke of midnight, it will be a new year and I will be gone. Live again. Love again. If you’re good, I’ll be in your memories. If you’re not, I’ll torture you. I died. Not you”

The clock struck 12.

He was gone.

She looked at the spot where he stood, remembered his smile and whispered, “Happy New Year”

THE CHICKEN & THE TORTOISE

It was the time when Tortoise had deceived the birds at the sky party and fell all the way to the earth on his hard belongings. His shiny smooth shell suffered the most as it shattered and scatted around the house.

Tortoise was sad for days and refused to go out. You see, tortoise had no friend because he had deceived every animal in the kingdom- the hare, the birds, the snake and even the fox that prided itself as the most cunning one! However, some animals visited him. Some went to sympathize with him, some went to see what his destroyed shell looked like, some went to mock him.

Among these visitors was Chicken in all his glory- his shinning red comb standing at the tallest heights, his beautiful feathers dutifully obeying the curves of his plump body and his smooth and manicured feet that made the ground look unfit for existence. Thanks to his great beauty, Chicken was a very haughty one and he believed no other animal was more beautiful than he was. He was always happy to show off and his visit to the tortoise was no different.

“They say you fell”, Chicken scoffed. “Was it hard?” he laughed at Tortoise.

Tortoise cried. He was very sad and angry.

“Well-”, said Chicken, “you may cover your face in tears but your shell will never be mended. I, on the other hand, am on my way to win the crown as the beautifullest animal in the world with my bright red comb, pure white feathers and shiny smooth feet” he roared in laughter.

An idea came to Tortoise. “Why don’t you let me help you?” Tortoise suddenly said

“An ugly old thing like you? Help me? Is that a joke?” Chicken laughed some more

“I hear the beautifullest competition is in the next town. As a flightless bird, you’ll have to walk and that will ruin your precious smooth feet”

Chicken looked puzzled.

“If you wear a loaf of bread on each foot, the bread will soak up the dirt of your journey and keep your feet safe”

“You want to trick me?” quizzed the Chicken

“I plan to mourn and avenge my shell. I have no time for you” Tortoise was irritated

“Fine then”, said Chicken. “I shall take your bread” and Chicken grabbed the two loaves of bread gently resting on a table beside Tortoise.

“That stale bread is the last meal my family has”, Tortoise cried out

Chicken shouted, “My feet are more important than your bellies”. The chicken wore the bread on each foot and stormed out of the house.

Chicken danced happily on his journey to the beautifullest competition as he pictured himself with the prize crown perched around his bright red comb. At the competition, Chicken sneered at the other animals and boasted about his beauty. Next, chicken removed the bread to reveal his beautiful feet but was shocked at the horror that covered it. His feet were wrinkled, hard and smelly.

Chicken cried and cried as he ran back to Tortoise’ house. The journey had made Chicken dirty but he didn’t care to clean up; the tortoise had deceived him and he wanted revenge. He broke down the door to Tortoise’s house and screamed at Tortoise, “You deceitful ugly animal!”

“Well-”, said Tortoise, “you may cover your face in tears but your feet will never be smooth”

Till this day, the chicken’s legs are rough and scrawny. 

... (Poem)

Black and White Slices of Silence by Nathan Wirth

Do you know it?

That loud echo with your thoughts in between

That deafening roar with no substance

That moment when your mind races against itself

That second when perfection replays

That instance where ‘couldawouldashouldas’ become ‘done’

That space that ingenuity fills

That place where evil comes to life

That long thread that strings the unfamiliar together

We love it. Like it. Crave it. Sometimes.

It’s golden

...

It’s silence

Pay Day (Poem)

From Trendy by Chidy Wayne on Behance.net

Oh no!

It’s that week again

The week before payday

When I glance at my web of debts

And marvel at the well spun threads

Then I see an exact sum on my check

As my mind deducts the wreck

And how I’ll gnaw at what’s left

Oh, well!

What can I say?

I need a higher pay!

Unsurity (Poem)

Trendy on Behance.net by Chidy Wayne

Left, right

Blind, sight

My eyes do the query dance

Hoping for wisdom’s chance

To lead the way

And not stray

The light finally called my name

But my foolishness prevailed.

So, I haven't written in a while because of the many blessings, disappointments and uncategorizable situations going on in my short life so far. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that I write more and put more of my scribbles out there. 

Enjoy!

Hummingbird by Luke Bugbee

The End of Bingo (Part One)

Our landlord had a dog named Bingo. Bingo terrorized everyone who lived in the compound. On numerous occasions, he would bark at fellow tenants or their visitors; probably out of habit to remind them who owned the house.

There were also times he would steal unattended food from the back door/kitchen that tenants left unattended. Like the time mumsi prepared one delicious roast chicken. She only turned her back to get the foil where she would wrap the chicken in, only to turn back and discover the chicken gone! She peeped out of her kitchen door to find Bingo jogging away with her roasted chicken dangling from one end of his mouth. The hot pursuit around the compound was beyond hysterical. I came home to an exhausted mother and an angry father.  Apparently, popsi had demanded that the Landlord buy the chicken back but he refused. After a heated argument, the Landlord grudgingly agreed; but came knocking on our door the next day to tell my dad that the rent had increased. I ran away to lesson before I could hear the outcome of that incident. According to Mama Roy, the Landlord’s wife, mumsi deserved it because she tempted her "darling" Bingo; not that Bingo stole it though, because she fed him well at least twice a day (meaning garri mixed with leftovers- clearly the dog had better taste!).

Bingo was a 130-pound Alsatian with sharp canines that he flashed at any and every opportunity he got. Bingo misbehaved a lot. There were times he would scatter the already cleared trash all over the compound- he would drag nylons or torn cartons from the back of the house all the way to the front or worse still, decorate the front of the house with the trash!

The Landlord hardly did anything about Bingo's behaviour. After all, according to the Landlord, the Landlord's dog is also a landlord, so... we had to respect Bingo. If we shouted at Bingo or chased him away or even tried to beat him, our Landlord would lay all kinds of curses saying all we did to Bingo, we wished we could do to him but his ancestors would not allow it. He warned us severally and severely to never touch or trouble Bingo.

Mschewww!!! Stupid dog!

One time my friends came to visit me. I ran to the gate to welcome my friends with joy, as they had come to save me from this boring rat hole called my home. As expected, Bingo skipped happily behind me to welcome my friends. As soon as I opened the pedestrian gate, Bingo acted like a legion of demons had possessed him. He lurched forward to attack whoever stood outside the gate and he barked furiously. I was so scared. I had to push him back in and meet my friends outside. I didn't like the whole episode one bit; but what could I do? The bloody Landlord had called the stupid dog my landlord- can you imagine?! It was not the bloody dog's fault; my parents were still living in ‘mairent’

This incident happened twice.

One of my friends, Bola, was fed up on my behalf and on another visit (they successfully entered and left, surprisingly) suggested that we taught the foolish dog and our Landlord a lesson. Others liked the thought except me because they weren't going to be the ones to be kicked out if the Landlord found out.

One sunny afternoon after JAMB lesson, my friends and I walked back to my house to hang. My parents had travelled to Ijebu for the day and would not return till morning. On the way, Bola asked me, "Is there pepper soup spice in your house?"

I wondered why she asked me such a question. "I think so", I replied.

"That's ok"

As we walked home, I noticed Jide, Osas and Edika were excited. They spoke in hushed tones and walked behind Bola and I. Most of our neighbours weren't around, so the compound was quiet when we got in except for stupid Bingo's barks to show that he was excited to see us and he tried to bite Edika. On getting into the house, Bola put some water on the stove to boil. She wasn't a visitor to my house so I didn't stop her. I didn't see the guys after they had dropped their bags in the living room. I didn't bother because that was how they were.

Bola and I were chatting in the living room when we heard an inhumane shriek.

“What was that?” I shouted

“Probably some rough kids outside or one of your neighbours. Jo, forget about that! Let me tell you how that mumu ‘Niran tried to toast me”

My ears were keen on hearing the so-called gist. Some minutes later, I heard Edika's voice call from the kitchen, “Bola! Oya o!”

“Let's go!” Bola beckoned me to the kitchen. As soon as I entered the kitchen, I saw what looked like pieces of beef. Some still in large chunks, some in bite size. My mind rummaged where the meat would've come from...