Excerpts...
Olawunmi herself had had a grueling ordeal commuting to work that morning. There were fewer commuter buses plying the roads at this point of the fuel crisis. She had ambled to the bus stop this time taking the longer route in order to avoid having to encounter the body which she had heard from people who had walked down the road in recent days was still lying languidly on the side road where she had last seen it. Unlike previous days when she waited for her staff bus at a side of the makeshift bus stop that was far from the madness of the crowd, she had had to mingle with the throngs of people who waited for the commercial vehicles that would take them to their various destinations. The word chaos took on another meaning and dimension of its own. It became clear the extent to which the fuel crisis had reached when the familiar danfo buses were a rare sight as most of them ran on the fuel which had become a precious commodity in town. The only form of transportation that was visible that morning was the black and yellowed-hued mammoth-shaped bus which had been given the incomparable name – Molue.
There was nothing else like it in Lagos and for many commuters that morning it was a godsend because it ran on diesel. Although at that point of the fuel crisis, diesel had not fallen into the ranks of what was considered essential but scarce commodities, many cynics were quick to point out that it was just a question of time since word on the street was the scarcity was about to extend to diesel.
December 26, 2007
November 09, 2007
The Secret of Joy
Excerpts
For Ms B
My mother closed her eyes and put her head in her hands as my father stood up immediately and pointed to the front door of our home. You are never to set foot in this house again…as far as I am concerned you are dead to me. With a pained cry for help, my mother leapt to her feet and knelt down beside me and began begging my father. Weeping profusely, she pleaded with him not to take this stand. If I had looked up that day, I may have seen the look on my father – the dejected look of a man who was losing control of everything he believed in. He walked past us that day and my mother followed behind him still pleading with him to change his mind. It would be the last time I would see my father in a long time. While it was the most difficult decision I had ever had to make I did not think it was fair for me to trade my joy for his.
Two months later, on a breezy morning at the Ikoyi Registry in Lagos, Nduka and I became husband and wife.
Two months later, on a breezy morning at the Ikoyi Registry in Lagos, Nduka and I became husband and wife.
September 17, 2007
The Agbalumo* Challenge
Excerpts ...
Over the next couple of weeks, the seeds of the agbalumo were my nemesis. Collecting them came easily to Arinola since she loved eating the fruit so much, she just saved all the seeds. Within a week…we had a carrier bag which was bulging with agbalumo seeds. Looking inside the bag was a source of intense discomfort for me, as the contents resembled a colony of cockroaches. Still, I was the humble custodian of the seeds which I kept in the carrier bag tucked among my books in my desk in the classroom protected by a sturdy padlock.
Word of the competition had spread around the school among a select few. While a few people expressed their distaste and told us in so many words that we should find other things to do with our time, the truth was that it was a welcome distraction just like the fights that broke out from time to time. There was little else that really caught our fancy during that time, there were no exams to study for, no sensational scandal to gossip about. True, our studies kept us busy and we did have a few extra-curricula activities – like practicing with the school choir or our sports activities but seeing who will be the victor in a competition – albeit a hastily put together one - was a departure from the norm and thus whetted our appetite for fun.
*Agbalumo - the scientific name for this fruit is Chrysophyllus Albidum and it is popular in several parts of Southern Nigeria where it is consumed very widely when it is season
Over the next couple of weeks, the seeds of the agbalumo were my nemesis. Collecting them came easily to Arinola since she loved eating the fruit so much, she just saved all the seeds. Within a week…we had a carrier bag which was bulging with agbalumo seeds. Looking inside the bag was a source of intense discomfort for me, as the contents resembled a colony of cockroaches. Still, I was the humble custodian of the seeds which I kept in the carrier bag tucked among my books in my desk in the classroom protected by a sturdy padlock.
Word of the competition had spread around the school among a select few. While a few people expressed their distaste and told us in so many words that we should find other things to do with our time, the truth was that it was a welcome distraction just like the fights that broke out from time to time. There was little else that really caught our fancy during that time, there were no exams to study for, no sensational scandal to gossip about. True, our studies kept us busy and we did have a few extra-curricula activities – like practicing with the school choir or our sports activities but seeing who will be the victor in a competition – albeit a hastily put together one - was a departure from the norm and thus whetted our appetite for fun.
*Agbalumo - the scientific name for this fruit is Chrysophyllus Albidum and it is popular in several parts of Southern Nigeria where it is consumed very widely when it is season
August 13, 2007
Waiting at Time's Door
Excerpts ...
She did not seem to notice his appearance and if she thought less of him because of what he was wearing she had done a good job of hiding it as she listened to him explain where he believed he had made a wrong turn. When it was his turn to listen, he was overcome with emotion at the melodic sound of her voice as he listened to her give him directions, and watched her casually gesture to the opposite direction of where he was coming from. He realized that he would have an opportunity to talk to her some more since from the directions that she gave him, he had to go back in the direction that she was headed but even for the short time they walked, he could not find the words to express himself and as they approached the crossroads where they would part he summoned the courage that he thought he lacked and trying as hard as possible not to sound overbearing or pushy, he had gently asked her for her name. That’s when she gave him the look and the wicked smile almost like a taunt. A smile that told him a million things but one thing echoed louder - You want to know more about me, I dare you to find out.
And find out he did.
She did not seem to notice his appearance and if she thought less of him because of what he was wearing she had done a good job of hiding it as she listened to him explain where he believed he had made a wrong turn. When it was his turn to listen, he was overcome with emotion at the melodic sound of her voice as he listened to her give him directions, and watched her casually gesture to the opposite direction of where he was coming from. He realized that he would have an opportunity to talk to her some more since from the directions that she gave him, he had to go back in the direction that she was headed but even for the short time they walked, he could not find the words to express himself and as they approached the crossroads where they would part he summoned the courage that he thought he lacked and trying as hard as possible not to sound overbearing or pushy, he had gently asked her for her name. That’s when she gave him the look and the wicked smile almost like a taunt. A smile that told him a million things but one thing echoed louder - You want to know more about me, I dare you to find out.
And find out he did.
July 09, 2007
Testament
The Wife
She decided to call him. It was 9.15am, she knew he would probably still be asleep but she needed to speak to him since she hadn’t really spoken to him since the funeral. She looked at herself in the mirror once again, she assured herself that at her age she looked stunning for a widow. The word had a sort of nice ring to it. Widows were meant to be pitied and treated delicately for having loved and lost. She must have loved her husband once. It was so long ago now that she could barely recall any amorous emotions she may have felt for him. She had gotten married on the rebound and she was glad she had chosen well.
Her family and friends were astounded by her choice. The ex-beauty queen and the rich intellectual - an unusual combination in those days
Back then, she had tried to live like a married woman and she had put on a façade for a while but it wouldn’t last for long. Within three years of marriage she had given him two children, first a daughter then a son. Her son was three months old when she took her first lover - he was the friend of a friend. She had met him at an outing and the attraction was electric. Their affair had lasted all of nine months then she got bored and started to look elsewhere. She couldn’t remember exactly how many lovers she had had in all her years of marriage but as the years passed they grew younger and younger. Her latest catch was not just her lover, he was her best friend, her confidante, her everything. They had been together for four years and she could not imagine life without him even though he was old enough to be her son’s best friend but she did not care. She had set him up in a computer software company which was doing so well. He was so brilliant and she loved him tremendously and would do anything for him no matter what the cost. She had been able to afford it on the generous allowance she had been receiving from her husband.
As she picked up the phone and dialled his number, her heart beat faster in anticipation of hearing his voice
‘Hello’, the male voice on the other side sounded drowsy.
‘Hello darling. Did I wake you?’
‘Hey you know I ‘d wake up for you anytime What’s up?’
‘I just wanted to hear your voice’
‘Are you okay?’ She loved the concern in his voice
‘I’m fine. I’m just tired of this mourning routine. I can’t wait for it all to be over so that I can get on with my life.’ She could hear the rumpling of the sheets. He was probably sitting up in bed
‘What time do you have to meet the lawyer today?’
‘At noon’
‘Do you want me to pick you up afterwards?’
‘No, thank you darling. Let’s meet at the usual place’. She paused and then continued. ‘Tell me something nice’
‘I love you’
‘I love you too’ She felt her heart soar and said softly ‘Bye’
The girl lying next to him scowled at him. ‘Liar,’ she said and laughed weakly. ‘When are you going to get rid of that old bag?’
‘Give her a break now,’ he said ‘I mean she just lost her husband’ he said, feigning a mournful look
‘Yeah right’ She said throwing him a mock punch which he dodged
He pulled her closer and whispered softly into her ear ‘You know I have to do this don’t you?’
She did not respond.
Outside the sound of the newspaper vendor’s horn broke the stillness of the morning air
The Son
The car sped past the two policemen at the check point without slowing down and as the driver looked through the rear view mirror he could see them shaking their heads. Of course they knew who he was.
Which police man in this town was going to stop him anyway?
He loved this car. It was the latest model and it purred like a cat. He knew he would be bored with it soon, but that did not matter since he expected to get a new one with the money the old man would leave to the eldest son of the family.
The eldest son of the family. It felt good to say. It gave him an overarching sense of privilege mixed with pride. His sister may be the first born child, but he was the first son.
He could not wait to get control of the company. He knew that his old man had been a bit disappointed with the way he had turned out. After all a series of professions had been suggested for him, but eleven schools in three continents and infinite amount of money dispensed and he did not even have a first degree. Not that it really mattered to him after all as far as he was concerned there were more fun things in life than going to school, getting a degree only to tie a rope round your neck from morning till night. He had watched his father – whose preference had been bowties - do this for years and he honestly felt it was a waste of time. Besides, why make any money when someone else could make it for you.
He flipped his phone open to check the time. It was quarter past nine. Did they say 10.00am or 11.00am? He would have called his mom to ask but he didn’t want to talk to any other member of the family just yet. He hoped he hadn’t gotten the days mixed up. Well he would just tell the lawyer he came to say hello and politely ask what day the will was going to be read.
The Daughter
She looked at the kitchen clock it was 9.15 am. Her husband had dropped both children off at school, but she had decided not to go into the office and he had also decided to take the day off. Even though, they had asked for the immediate family of the deceased to be present at the reading, her husband had seen how crushed she had been by her father’s demise and had offered to go with her - even if he would just hold her hand. If only he knew how much that meant to her. Something in her told her to expect a surprise. In the last few years of his life, her father had changed from the sad and withdrawn man she had grown to love to a boisterous barrel of fun and she could not help but assume that another human being was responsible. She had known about her mother’s friends since for a long time, but her father was either too naïve or too much in love to realize that his wife had been cheating on him for years. Somehow she wished she had asked him while he was still alive. Who was the person that put the sparkle back into his eyes? At least he had died happy?
The Mistress
No phone calls. She had left those firm instructions and in the last two days, everyone had complied until yesterday, when her housekeeper had said it was urgent and the man was a lawyer. She had refused.
Lawyer or not she was not going to speak to any one.
The last thing she expected was for the man to show up at her front door nor did she expect the message he brought with him. She was taken aback by the contents of the letter he had handed to her and on opening the brown manila envelope she recognized the handwriting of the man she had loved and lost to death. As the tears streamed down her face she couldn’t care less who was watching her, sitting down in her living room, she remembered how generous he had been to her in life and even after his death he was still taking care of her. The lawyer was about his age and when she wondered aloud if he had any inkling of their relationship, he had nodded knowingly. His words rang in her ears. ‘He said to me once that you brought a lot of peace and happiness to his life’ It made her weep.
They had a long discussion which he ended abruptly by glancing at his watch and announcing that it was quarter past the hour and he had an important appointment at noon which he needed to get ready for. She walked him to the door and said good-bye knowing that it was a final end to a chapter in her life that she would never forget.
The Lawyer
He had been his friend for over fifty years. They had gone to the same schools and done everything at about the same time. But they had not shared the same kind of happiness in love and he knew that even though like him, his friend had been married for a long time, he had been truly unhappy. That is, he suspected until the day he met her. She was his best kept secret. His friend did not even share this secret with him, until the very end. He looked down at the piece of paper in front of him and hoped for the life of him that his friend would be content with the way he had handled this particular affair. According to instructions he had gone in person and met the lady who had changed his friend’s life. She was obviously shattered by his demise – he could tell just by her appearance and the way she spoke slowly almost stuttering.
Now, he braced himself for the next stage of this game and wondered what drama would unfold as a result.
The Will
There were five people seated in the room all facing the distinguished looking gentleman in the dark suit seated behind the desk. He cleared his throat and began to read slowly and steadily.
Last Will and Testament of…
To my two grandchildren, I leave half of my estate to be held in trust for them by their mother until they are 21 years old. I also bequeath a sum of money to be disclosed by my lawyer for their education up to university. My daughter takes complete control of the company she has run so efficiently in the last five years.
To my wife I leave her lover and the knowledge that I was not quite the fool she thought I was.
To my son I leave the pleasure of earning a living. For thirty-five years, he thought the pleasure was mine. He was mistaken.
May I add that I write this will with complete sanity of mind. Please find attached a copy of the medical certificate certifying my sanity.
The silence that filled the room was deafening
She decided to call him. It was 9.15am, she knew he would probably still be asleep but she needed to speak to him since she hadn’t really spoken to him since the funeral. She looked at herself in the mirror once again, she assured herself that at her age she looked stunning for a widow. The word had a sort of nice ring to it. Widows were meant to be pitied and treated delicately for having loved and lost. She must have loved her husband once. It was so long ago now that she could barely recall any amorous emotions she may have felt for him. She had gotten married on the rebound and she was glad she had chosen well.
Her family and friends were astounded by her choice. The ex-beauty queen and the rich intellectual - an unusual combination in those days
Back then, she had tried to live like a married woman and she had put on a façade for a while but it wouldn’t last for long. Within three years of marriage she had given him two children, first a daughter then a son. Her son was three months old when she took her first lover - he was the friend of a friend. She had met him at an outing and the attraction was electric. Their affair had lasted all of nine months then she got bored and started to look elsewhere. She couldn’t remember exactly how many lovers she had had in all her years of marriage but as the years passed they grew younger and younger. Her latest catch was not just her lover, he was her best friend, her confidante, her everything. They had been together for four years and she could not imagine life without him even though he was old enough to be her son’s best friend but she did not care. She had set him up in a computer software company which was doing so well. He was so brilliant and she loved him tremendously and would do anything for him no matter what the cost. She had been able to afford it on the generous allowance she had been receiving from her husband.
As she picked up the phone and dialled his number, her heart beat faster in anticipation of hearing his voice
‘Hello’, the male voice on the other side sounded drowsy.
‘Hello darling. Did I wake you?’
‘Hey you know I ‘d wake up for you anytime What’s up?’
‘I just wanted to hear your voice’
‘Are you okay?’ She loved the concern in his voice
‘I’m fine. I’m just tired of this mourning routine. I can’t wait for it all to be over so that I can get on with my life.’ She could hear the rumpling of the sheets. He was probably sitting up in bed
‘What time do you have to meet the lawyer today?’
‘At noon’
‘Do you want me to pick you up afterwards?’
‘No, thank you darling. Let’s meet at the usual place’. She paused and then continued. ‘Tell me something nice’
‘I love you’
‘I love you too’ She felt her heart soar and said softly ‘Bye’
The girl lying next to him scowled at him. ‘Liar,’ she said and laughed weakly. ‘When are you going to get rid of that old bag?’
‘Give her a break now,’ he said ‘I mean she just lost her husband’ he said, feigning a mournful look
‘Yeah right’ She said throwing him a mock punch which he dodged
He pulled her closer and whispered softly into her ear ‘You know I have to do this don’t you?’
She did not respond.
Outside the sound of the newspaper vendor’s horn broke the stillness of the morning air
The Son
The car sped past the two policemen at the check point without slowing down and as the driver looked through the rear view mirror he could see them shaking their heads. Of course they knew who he was.
Which police man in this town was going to stop him anyway?
He loved this car. It was the latest model and it purred like a cat. He knew he would be bored with it soon, but that did not matter since he expected to get a new one with the money the old man would leave to the eldest son of the family.
The eldest son of the family. It felt good to say. It gave him an overarching sense of privilege mixed with pride. His sister may be the first born child, but he was the first son.
He could not wait to get control of the company. He knew that his old man had been a bit disappointed with the way he had turned out. After all a series of professions had been suggested for him, but eleven schools in three continents and infinite amount of money dispensed and he did not even have a first degree. Not that it really mattered to him after all as far as he was concerned there were more fun things in life than going to school, getting a degree only to tie a rope round your neck from morning till night. He had watched his father – whose preference had been bowties - do this for years and he honestly felt it was a waste of time. Besides, why make any money when someone else could make it for you.
He flipped his phone open to check the time. It was quarter past nine. Did they say 10.00am or 11.00am? He would have called his mom to ask but he didn’t want to talk to any other member of the family just yet. He hoped he hadn’t gotten the days mixed up. Well he would just tell the lawyer he came to say hello and politely ask what day the will was going to be read.
The Daughter
She looked at the kitchen clock it was 9.15 am. Her husband had dropped both children off at school, but she had decided not to go into the office and he had also decided to take the day off. Even though, they had asked for the immediate family of the deceased to be present at the reading, her husband had seen how crushed she had been by her father’s demise and had offered to go with her - even if he would just hold her hand. If only he knew how much that meant to her. Something in her told her to expect a surprise. In the last few years of his life, her father had changed from the sad and withdrawn man she had grown to love to a boisterous barrel of fun and she could not help but assume that another human being was responsible. She had known about her mother’s friends since for a long time, but her father was either too naïve or too much in love to realize that his wife had been cheating on him for years. Somehow she wished she had asked him while he was still alive. Who was the person that put the sparkle back into his eyes? At least he had died happy?
The Mistress
No phone calls. She had left those firm instructions and in the last two days, everyone had complied until yesterday, when her housekeeper had said it was urgent and the man was a lawyer. She had refused.
Lawyer or not she was not going to speak to any one.
The last thing she expected was for the man to show up at her front door nor did she expect the message he brought with him. She was taken aback by the contents of the letter he had handed to her and on opening the brown manila envelope she recognized the handwriting of the man she had loved and lost to death. As the tears streamed down her face she couldn’t care less who was watching her, sitting down in her living room, she remembered how generous he had been to her in life and even after his death he was still taking care of her. The lawyer was about his age and when she wondered aloud if he had any inkling of their relationship, he had nodded knowingly. His words rang in her ears. ‘He said to me once that you brought a lot of peace and happiness to his life’ It made her weep.
They had a long discussion which he ended abruptly by glancing at his watch and announcing that it was quarter past the hour and he had an important appointment at noon which he needed to get ready for. She walked him to the door and said good-bye knowing that it was a final end to a chapter in her life that she would never forget.
The Lawyer
He had been his friend for over fifty years. They had gone to the same schools and done everything at about the same time. But they had not shared the same kind of happiness in love and he knew that even though like him, his friend had been married for a long time, he had been truly unhappy. That is, he suspected until the day he met her. She was his best kept secret. His friend did not even share this secret with him, until the very end. He looked down at the piece of paper in front of him and hoped for the life of him that his friend would be content with the way he had handled this particular affair. According to instructions he had gone in person and met the lady who had changed his friend’s life. She was obviously shattered by his demise – he could tell just by her appearance and the way she spoke slowly almost stuttering.
Now, he braced himself for the next stage of this game and wondered what drama would unfold as a result.
The Will
There were five people seated in the room all facing the distinguished looking gentleman in the dark suit seated behind the desk. He cleared his throat and began to read slowly and steadily.
Last Will and Testament of…
To my two grandchildren, I leave half of my estate to be held in trust for them by their mother until they are 21 years old. I also bequeath a sum of money to be disclosed by my lawyer for their education up to university. My daughter takes complete control of the company she has run so efficiently in the last five years.
To my wife I leave her lover and the knowledge that I was not quite the fool she thought I was.
To my son I leave the pleasure of earning a living. For thirty-five years, he thought the pleasure was mine. He was mistaken.
May I add that I write this will with complete sanity of mind. Please find attached a copy of the medical certificate certifying my sanity.
The silence that filled the room was deafening
June 08, 2007
Footprints in the Snow
Excerpts ...
Perhaps it was fate, maybe it was just the stars aligned in my favor. Less than a week after I had received my letter of acceptance, I was summoned to my parents’ house in Croydon where my concerned parents informed me that my younger sister had decided to take a year off to find herself. My father explained this to me with steady streams of interjection from my mother whose constant refrain was ‘I don’t know when she got missing that she thinks she needs to find herself, where will she start looking for herself now’
Bolanle had finished her A’levels earlier in the year and the plan was for her to go to the university until this latest developement which was based on her argument that she needed a year off to cool off after spending all of her life (as she put it) studying. I told my parents that it was possibly a good idea that she announced it now, rather than begin university and then decide to drop out, they should look at this year off for finding herself as a period when she would mature and besides her counterparts back home in Nigeria were spending more than a year or more waiting for some elusive university entrance result which would not be forthcoming since most results were canceled because of allegations of exam malpractice. Although I was making it up as I went along, my parents listened intently. They found some form of reassurance in my words of wisdom and it was interesting to see that I still held some minor clout with them. I thought it would be a good time to break the news to them and present them with my proposal which had occurred to me once I heard the news of Bolanle. My father’s face was blank as I explained my job offer to them and from his questions I knew he was juxtaposing my qualifications with the tasks that I told them I would be taking on. When I proposed that following discussions with Kole, I would like Bolanle to accompany me, my mother had a distant look in her eyes and mumbled something that sounded that I should not take my eyes off her for a moment- I made a mental note to cut out my eyes from a photo of myself and glue them to my younger sister’s chest. They were both in agreement that perhaps it was a good idea since under my watchful eye was likely to get into less trouble.
Perhaps it was fate, maybe it was just the stars aligned in my favor. Less than a week after I had received my letter of acceptance, I was summoned to my parents’ house in Croydon where my concerned parents informed me that my younger sister had decided to take a year off to find herself. My father explained this to me with steady streams of interjection from my mother whose constant refrain was ‘I don’t know when she got missing that she thinks she needs to find herself, where will she start looking for herself now’
Bolanle had finished her A’levels earlier in the year and the plan was for her to go to the university until this latest developement which was based on her argument that she needed a year off to cool off after spending all of her life (as she put it) studying. I told my parents that it was possibly a good idea that she announced it now, rather than begin university and then decide to drop out, they should look at this year off for finding herself as a period when she would mature and besides her counterparts back home in Nigeria were spending more than a year or more waiting for some elusive university entrance result which would not be forthcoming since most results were canceled because of allegations of exam malpractice. Although I was making it up as I went along, my parents listened intently. They found some form of reassurance in my words of wisdom and it was interesting to see that I still held some minor clout with them. I thought it would be a good time to break the news to them and present them with my proposal which had occurred to me once I heard the news of Bolanle. My father’s face was blank as I explained my job offer to them and from his questions I knew he was juxtaposing my qualifications with the tasks that I told them I would be taking on. When I proposed that following discussions with Kole, I would like Bolanle to accompany me, my mother had a distant look in her eyes and mumbled something that sounded that I should not take my eyes off her for a moment- I made a mental note to cut out my eyes from a photo of myself and glue them to my younger sister’s chest. They were both in agreement that perhaps it was a good idea since under my watchful eye was likely to get into less trouble.
May 08, 2007
Pieces of Us
Excerpts ...
Nothing had prepared me for the next sequence of events and the role that I would be asked to play. Aduke had sent me a copy of a letter she had written to her husband in a bid to let him see reason. She did not sound bitter or regretful and from the tone of the letter she sounded like a mother who was worried about the future of her children and found herself in a difficult position, not being there for them physically. In a short note addressed to me which was enclosed in the envelope containing the letter, she alerted me to the fact that all previous efforts to mediate the current situation between them had proved futile. She explained that she had initially recruited Frank, her sister Molara’s husband to talk some sense into her husband and that if he was bent on continuing his life with this Philomena lady, she was happy with his choice but she wanted her children out of that domestic situation. According to her, the encounter between Frank and Olaolu had devolved into a deadlock with Olaolu walking Frank out of his home and banning him and Molara and their children from his premises. Aduke’s request was a simple one since she was not ready to share her husband with any other woman she wanted was her children out of the house and with her.
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