HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE.. (I)

         


         Chioma had just finished preparing her children for school and was just about leaving the house as Ada walks by..


Chioma:  Adanne is there something I say to you that makes you spite me this much? I have tried so hard to make you accept me and see that I am not a bad person"

Adanne: Chioma, there is nothing." By the way, will you be going to the market later today, I haven't been feeling too well otherwise you know I always prefer to do the shopping. (she smiled)

Chioma:  What happened?

Adanne: Chioma I am very okay its just stress, really.

Chioma: That's okay, I will handle that then. Just after I take my children to school I will head to the market.

(Chioma shouts) Obumneke, Chimcindi hurry lets go before the sun is out oh.



                Chioma gathered her children, Adanne picks her phone and dials a number.


Adanne: Mama, this is unbearable for me (she sobs)
              I cant stop thinking about this mess I am in mama. This is not fair o (a dighi mma) mama.
              A dighi mma o.

Mama: Aghotara m (I understand) my daughter. But you see, many times in life we only dream of what we desire and we fail to look at the possibility of not having it. and that is why you're hurt my daughter.

Adanne: But mama, where did I go wrong? All I have done was to-

                                                                   (Door opens)

                                   (Ada hears someone sneaking through the back door)

Adanne: Mama, let me call you back. I think Uzor is back home.

(Ada cuts the call and walks out of her room, passes through the living room and head towards the kitchen, leading to the back door)

Adanne: Uzor?

                             Ada realizes that it wasn't Uzor who stepped into the house.

Kola:   (distressingly)  Ada, Please don't push me away. I understand that you're married but don't forget before this was us and you knew I loved and cherished you. Please hear me out. Expressing how I feel is the only way I can move on. You need to know how I truly feel and how I'm hurting so I don't live a life knowing you never knew. Ada.

Adanne: (Sobs) Kola, there is nothing left to say. Tunji your brother didn't want us together because my sister and Tunji already had a past. And you couldn't fight for us.
You ruined me Kola. You ruined everything. You broke me to-

Kola: I have not come here to make you cry or to cause any more harm. Please stop crying my darling.


  ( Kola draws Adanne close to him, as he hugs and wraps his hands around her tightly)

Kola: You will be fine. We would be fine. (tear drops)


(The front door opens. Ada hurries Kola off through the back door and pretends to be preparing tea)


                                             Uzor enters staggering and singing


Uzor: "Sugar cane baby, abịa gosi m ịhụnanya gị (come show me your love)"
            Ada Ada peperempe


                                                       Ada approaches Uzor

Adanne: Uzor, why are you doing this? (she sobs) what have I not done right? where have I failed you?

Uzor: Ada, thi..s, se...e ehn you are ju..st , your head is not correct. e..ve..n with my f..ine voi..ce you're still cring ehn?
Biko where is Chi chi my baby?

Adanne: You are a disgrace this man! You swore to love ONLY me forever. You promised that you'd be my everything (crying)
You are wicked Uzor. My heart, my love and my life I gave to you. I should have waited for-


                       Chioma opens the front door. There are baskets in both hands.


Chioma: I am back o!

             
                        Chioma sees Adanne crying and finds Uzor on the couch.
                                Uzor had fallen asleep while Ada was emotional
                        Chioma draws closer to Ada and persuades her to sit down

Chioma: Ada. What is the matter? I want to be your friend and listen to you. Please talk to me.

Adanne: (angrily)  My life because worse when you joined my marriage

THE TALE HE TOLD ME

In our home, the biggest world you can never imagine, filled with so much to learn, so much love, care and happiness.

Henry and I are married wealthy couples and he is my best friend. I met Henry when I was 17 years old, but then guys were not my thing. All I was after was my talent “writing”. I am a writer and back then I didn’t want to be a victim of my stories. I was interested in Henry after our first contact during a conference at University Of Lagos through Jasmine my friend. Jasmine is a very talented speaker and a childhood friend to Henry. Henry has a very good personality, fluent speech and *ooops* he loves reading novels. A tall handsome and well built guy… I was glad I met him.

Henry and I got talking after we met. We spoke at length, exchanged contacts and we became close. Henry found me very exciting as he was interested in reading my stories, he was the number one fan of all stories I wrote, and he gave me so much courage to write more.

And one day after he applauded my story “my brothers love”, he said he had a story to tell me, I was excited to hear it.

He started; Once upon a time…

“Baby I promise to be a better man to always make you happy and never let you down” Femi said

“Femi! Stop all these promises! I have told you to be yourself, I love you for who you are” Sharon replied

Femi has no quality job, he worked as a plumber and earned thirty thousand naira at most in a month and Sharon owns a restaurant earning two hundred and eighty five thousand naira at least in a month in which her income is used to pay her children’s fees.

Femi yet loves surprising his wife with the little he had. While she goes to work he would go out and buy her flowers, sometimes he would compose romantic letters although he was not too good at spelling. He just wanted her to be happy.

On her birthdays he would have saved a lot just to buy food stuff and prepare a nice meal for her, her favorite “porridge and vegetable”. Femi hated porridge but it was his favorite on her birthdays, he would eat it with so much passion like he is a baby taking breast milk.

They-

I interrupted…You mean her birthday gift was just a meal?

“That’s just the way you see it” Henry said.

So he continued.

They were never sad, even when school fees comes knocking or rent comes crying there was always a plan B. To fulfill the important issues they both decide to go hungry. Even in their hunger there was love.

They both laughed at the cries of each other’s tummy. It was like a competition.

Sharon had run out of food stock for the restaurant so she had to close it.

I interrupted again… what kind of love? Love and suffering?

Who plays with hunger?

“Our present situation does not determine the end” Henry said.

There is always a plan B!

Femi started working for banks, firms, schools and other organizations. Helping them repair their water closet, taps and basin. He was paid fifteen thousand naira for every job he did, so he worked seven times a week at different places and earned a hundred and five thousand a week.

He gave Sharon eighty thousand naira every week to stock up her food stuff and her business began to boom again. She applied for a cooking competition with a reward of a duplex and a car although she had to pay a hundred and twenty thousand naira to register.

She won the competition and was known in all cooking schools and by restaurant owners worldwide.

Femi was not proud of himself…

I interrupted again… she left him abi? It’s normal that is a woman for you.

“Would you wait let me finish my story?” he said

“Okay, go ahead” I replied

Of course Sharon knows Femi too well to tell that he wasn’t happy with his status.

They both moved into the new house.

While they settled to sleep that night Sharon spoke; “Femi… do you want me to be happy?”

“Baby I would anything for you” he smiled and said, while holding her close to himself with a heavy heart filled with worries.

“Ok, I want us to work together at the new restaurant” she said

“Baby-”

“Shhh that’s all I want” she said as she kissed him good night.

He smiled and whispered “wherever you are, is where I would rather be, I love you”

THE END.

I was perplexed!

And Henry told me everyone has a story to tell, that he might not be a writer but he is a story teller and we laughed.

Each time I remember this story I have a beam on my face, my name is Helen.

SHE WALKED AWAY (PART 2)

And Tunji couldn’t get his mind together because Bolu had threatened to tell Caro that he came late when he gets home.

“Am so sorry I came late” Tunji said.

Still there was this awkward silence and none of the kids said anything.

Tunji’s heart trembled! He wondered what his excuse was going to be, he had fun once and back to regrets.

They got home as at 7:30pm and Caro wasn’t home, it was unusual.

“Where is my mum?” Toun said with a mild and gentle tone.

“This house feels so empty, I am scared!” she said.

Tunji picked up his phone to call Caro, but he had no airtime.

“Irresponsible me again…” Tunji said to himself

“Okay kids, let us just wait a little moment am sure it is just a hectic traffic, she would be back soon okay?” he said

But unsurprisingly they both walked out on him, and headed for their rooms.

Tunji ran off to go prepare dinner at least he had escaped Caro’s query, but he was a bit worried.

“Things might have gone wrong, but I still love her” Tunji said to himself.

He had finished preparing dinner, so for the first time he decided to do something unusual by carrying their dinner’s into their rooms. Although he knew Caro was against it, he was ready to risk it.

When he got to the room the kids were both crying with a letter in their hands…

Tunji wondered what they could have read, so he dropped the food by the bed side table, collected the letter and read:

                           Bolu

                           I know I have not been a good mother so far as expected, because I don’t have so much

                           time to spend with you

                           I am truly sorry.

                           But today I have to tell you something I ought to have said a long time ago.

                           When Toun was three years old, I had to keep you and your sister with your                                                        

                           Uncle, Sam, because the doctor said I had cancer, cancer of the blood and I was

                           dying.

                         I thought things were going to be better, but no it’s not

                         I got back from the office around 2:15pm feeling a little unusual and I am sure

                         this is where it all ends.

                         So I am writing this letter just in case I don’t make it back home, to tell you how much

                          I am going to miss sneaking into your bedrooms and pecking you,  our movie nights on Friday’sour usual Shopping on Saturday’s and. I also want you to know

                          that Tunji is your father and he is going to take care of you just as I would have done

                          As you are reading this letter I am at Havana Hospital and I hope it won’t be too late.

                          Tell your father “I love him and I am sorry.”

                                                                                                                                         CARO                      

“Are you really my father?” Bolu asked with so much tears and a heart full of sorrow

Filled with tears and short of words, he grabbed both of them and left hurriedly to the nearest bus stop and got a taxi. They got to the hospital at exactly 11:02 pm

“Doctor Williams!” Tunji shouted on getting to the hospital

Doctor Williams was heading for ward 201 when he turned back to see who was shouting.

“Oh! Mr. Tunji, I have been trying to reach you” he said

“ I am here now, is my wife okay? did you handle it well?” Tunji cried…

“But Tunji you have always known it would end one day. We di-”

Tunji interrupted, “ Doctor what the hell are you trying to tell me?” he said crying out

“Tunji we did everything we could but am sorry to say we lost her”

Tunji  dropped to the floor and wailed in agony grabbing his children hugging them so tight as they all cried

The doctor urges Tunji and the children up and ushers them to the waiting room.

“Would  you like to see your wife before she is taken to the morgue?” the doctor said

“No… that’s fine I just want to take my kids home I would be back tomorrow” he replied

Tunji thought, where he was going to start from, how was he going to care for his children, how he was going to make them happy? He had no job, to him life was going to be hell

He slept that night in so much worry after putting his kids to bed, as he cried from the depths of his heart.

The door bells rings the next morning as at 7:00am, Tunji hurries to the door, while the children were still asleep.

He opens the door,

“Can I help you?”

The young lady replied, “are you Tunji?” she said

“yes I am” Tunji replied

“I have your wife’s will”

A CHRISTMAS PACKEAGE

After a Sunday service on the 24th of December 1980.

Mrs Caroline had a wonderful day at the Church, she strolled back home with her friends there was just five of them and they all had lunch at Mrs Caroline's house. just as they were eating and cracking jokes the door bell rang at exactly 4:15pm. Caroline wasn't expecting a visitor at that time.

she headed for the door and when she opened the door she there was no one. she stepped out a little and looked towards her left and she saw a huge package. she reached for it and realized it was addressed "a gift from your love" and she smiled saying this must be Dickson my husband. she dragged it in and showed it to her friends and they all teased her. and it was time to go home so they all left Mrs Caroline's house happy and full of merry.

That evening Mrs Caroline was filled with so much joy as she waited for the arrival of her children Jamey, Fred and Sally. it was 5:30pm and she became worried, her children were not back so she called her husband but his phone was switched off as expected he must be piloting! Mrs Caroline then called her friend Mrs Pat and told her she was worried and sad. Mrs Pat asked her to come over so they could both go to the airport and find out what went wrong.

it was 8:00pm Mrs Caroline and Mrs Pat headed for the airport on getting there they were told that her children's flight had arrived an hour and half ago. so Mrs Pat consoled her and told her to go home that they are probably waiting for her at home. so they both went to Caroline's house. just at the door step of the house Caroline saw 4 extra packages but she was so unhappy to smile and this time the packages were not addressed. Mrs Pat assisted her to drag them in.

she was astonished by what she saw! her house was beautifully decorated, Christmas balls everywhere, huge white Christmas trees at the corner of the house, and a dinner table set, she saw a letter on the table in it was written Happy Christmas Eve. Mrs Caroline thought; Oh! this must be my amazing kids. Her heart was filled with so much joy, her heart beat ran faster her blood pumped love that her eyes couldn't hide

Hurriedly Mrs Pat called the rest of her friends to come see the biggest surprise for Christmas. Now Mrs Caroline had 5 packages to herself. so her friends decided to help Caroline unpack the gifts so they told her to turn around and she did. suddenly her friends screamed! and Carline turned back to see what it was as she knelt down in tears as her heart beat even faster she had seen the head of her husband Dickson and her children Jamey Fred and Sally it was exactly 12:00am and in the last box was a note in it was written Merry Christmas...

OVER 10 YEARS...

Writing letters became the order of my day...

I dint believe people change or that love dies
I loved her and she loved me, we were play mates, party mates, food mates and we cared so much about each other. Most times we quarreled but they found a way to overcome it.

After college Jane told me she was leaving Australia to continue her study in Nigeria  leaving me behind. I couldn't stop her because her mum had made her decision and neither could I follow her because I  had nothing there for me nor anybody I knew.
But Jane had to go, so she left.. We used to chat via Facebook and I would call her and we would talk. she one day asked me "Tom are we ever going be together forever?" and I said " one day I would come get you and marry you" but I was just 21 and she was 18.

one Friday I got a per time job at a medical outlet and I wanted to tell her but her phone was switched  off so I decided to send her a message on Facebook which I did but there was no reply and I was a little worried. I sent another message to her telling her that I am ready to come over to spend time with her in Nigeria tat all I needed was her address but still no reply. I thought just maybe she wasn't allowed to access her Facebook anymore so I decided to mail her yet there was no reply and I was too worried.

But I still saw pictures of her on Facebook and I thought she probably dint have my time and its over a year since she left. so I decide to focus on my career for three (3) years I abandoned face book to pursue my career. when I was done with school I realized its been four years since I last spoke to Jane so I tried her number and mails again but to no avail. I was at work one Saturday night and I bumped into her old friend who gave me Jane's address.
When I got back home I decided to send letters everyday in a year to the address I was given and I did that for another 6 years telling her how I missed her and that I hadn't forgotten my promise to marry her and that if I had offended her I was sorry.

i got an alert on my phone one afternoon from Facebook. A good looking guy as old as me who posted a picture of her saying "I miss you darling" and I thought oh! she probably is in love with someone else
but I was certain that she loved me, so I got a ticket to take me to Nigeria to find Jane. Wen I got to the address I used to send all those letters to I saw all my letters in the mail box.

I knocked and her mum opened her door, I asked "where is Jane" and she said she died 10yrs ago
Tom ran to the nearest bus stop took a taxi to the airport and traveled back to Australia and said to himself "this must be a Joke!"

HOW WAS I TO KNOW?

“Wake up children”! Mum said repeatedly, it is time to prepare for school.

Sam and I hate school so much, but mummy says “school makes us better people” and I don’t believe that. I hate school; I have no friends because they keep hammering on the fact that I have no dad. They tag me as “the fatherless girl”. It is disheartening knowing that people don’t take my emotions seriously; instead they whale at me, and make me remember how much my mum hurts when Sam and I are away from her.

“I don’t want to be in school”! I told mum. “School doesn’t make everyone better” I said. Am tired of school mum I want to be with you, mum hugged me and whispered “Lorry you make me…” I did not understand why she said that, it just couldn’t be because I said I wanted to be with her. As I raised my head hoping to understand what she meant by her statement, mum was in tears… I couldn’t figure why she was in tears, I have always known my mum to be “the tough weed”.

When Sam entered the truck, ready for school, I thought! Sam was unusually quiet and I was confused! “What exactly is going on here”? I said, and then Sam said he was hungry. I was hungry too but I couldn’t say, because there was obviously nothing to eat. There was no food, no money, no friends, nobody. We just had ourselves and our neighbors, a home without a father, a home with so much sorrow, a crying home. I held up my tears, which was like being at the top of a mountain surrounded with dark waters. When I got to class all I wondered was why did dad have to go? Why did I fall into such a hopeless family? For a second I thought, am I not being heartless by words? Then I began to reason out ways I could help my family, and yes! I was going to do all I had to do to make money regardless of what the outcome was going to be. After school I did not wait for mum to come pick Sam and I, instead I took the risk to go home. On getting home it felt like no one was home so I assumed she went to pick us up, when I got to my room there was a letter on my bed…

A letter from mum saying “ My lovely child, I have done all I can to keep you till this very age although I hid so many secrets from you but now I would tell you all”. I paused because I was scared to know what she had to say, besides where is mum? I was worried there was an usual meal set for Sam and I, I was happy about that but still I was surprised.

I continued the letter “daughter I have Kidney disease, ever since before your dad died. I have been in pains each day, hoping I would be better but I was wrong and am sorry”. It was like I was struck with sudden pain in my head, I felt my eyes full, my hands wet, I was tensed! I shouted “mum”!! I ran off to her room, mum was right there on her bed starring at me. I was scared… I got closer placed my hands on her but she did not move, I looked closely, Mum is dead! Was I to know mum was going through all this pains? She never told me what was wrong each time she cried. When Sam walked into the room in tears holding a white paper, in that paper was a test result showing mum’s critical illness. Why didn’t mum tell me?

Mum left us hopeless… but how was I to know what the problem was when she didn’t tell me?

MARIAM

Waking up to see a bright beautiful morning,

Hoping to get through to my destination in a faraway land

A world familiar to me but unfriendly to me

Wondering if my life was a mistake

Living in fear with a blank hope for tomorrow

Playing hide and seek so I don’t get caught

And when I decide to explore a little,

I get chased like I have no right!

But everyone has a purpose (me included)

I would just have to play all day till I get caught

But I am just a little ant…

What is my wrong?