THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT (part 2)

...a young girl's diary
Before I explain what hapened, let me explane how we ushually sleep in my momy and daddy room. My daddy sleeps on the extreme of the bed, my mother next, then me. That night, my mommy stood up to ureenate and as ushual to check on my brothers- if moskwitoes were biting them so as to kill them,not my brothers but the moskwitoes. How did I know? I don't sleep deep, my mommy ushually say that I have hot blood and hostel life has changed me. The next thing I knew my daddy rolled over in his sleep, seeking for the body next to his and the next thing I knew, daddy rapped me me to his side, in my mind, I did not want to roll over so that they would not know that I was awake. I did not know what to do! What would you have done? My mommy saved me that night when she came back in. She saw my daddy and his hand on me. She slapped his hand away and I still preetended to be asleep so that no one would be hembarased and I heard them converse as my daddy woke up with a start; 'Ahan..what happend?' my momy asked. 'I didn't even know you were gone, I was only trying to stretch out and thought it was you' my father replied. 'This girl is not a small girl o,she is in basic two, if not for your stupid son......' my mother continued as various thoughts raced through my mind. What if I was not a light sleeper, what if my dad had not woken up form his slumber on time? I was too -as my big brothers would say- wired up to sleep. I only faked my sleep that night. That was not all! That was just the beginning...... What do you think of this situation? Would love to hear from you..... By MARGARET ADETIMEHIN. NEXT: Things that go bump in the night 3

ANOTHER MESSED UP LIFE (part 11)

...a story of clashes between a brain and its heart.

Now here I am, hearing voices, replaying scenes, listening to music- 'Save The Best For Last', 'Prettiest Friend', 'Oh Lord My God When I In Awesome Wonder'- and thinking about my life. It feels so messed up because I never wished to be in this dilemma. Messed up because the guy I like would or may never ask me out. I am happy about it you know - knowing your fate in one area of your life is in attached to another department and you can move into other departments and not get messed up because you are already messed up. So messed up by the fact that the guy whom you are stuck to knows he is not worth it because he knows he doesn't and yet doesn't want to change even when he knows he has the power to. There are many reasons why it's messed up, that I can't type here right now. That my sister would tell me to abstain from alcohol, when I've only thought about it- about getting drunk once- not even drank it. That is how messed up my life is and I feel so helpless in this messed up state that even if I explain to you, you'ld not understand for a while. But whats the essence of understanding when my story just begun. If you don't understand, try reading my story from the start. And if you care enough, I would like to hear from you Yours Sincerely, Ifeoma Childs. By MARGARET ADETIMEHIN

BRING BACK OUR GIRLS

This poem is dedicated to students living in the northern parts of Nigeria,whom the constant attack by terrorists has left them in a dilemma. 


I'm going to be through with my assignment tomorrow,
A student once exclaimed,
Little did she know that her doom would come that night,  
Innocent souls,studying tediously for exams. 



The cry of a student in Borno state,
The cry of a student in Chibok town,
The cry of a student in Kaduna,
The cry of a student in Nigeria.



Such massacre and atrocities in the nation.
Fathers grumbling, mothers wailing,
Agony and tears in the land.
The cry of students from the world beyond I can feel.  



These insurgents! 
They make the students cry, killing continuously,  
Slaughtering, torturing, 



The cry of a student in Borno state,
The cry of a student in Chibok town,
The cry of a student in Kaduna,
The cry of a student in Nigeria.


The students are crying,
They need help, 
Who would stop the cry of the student?



WRITTEN BY: MARTHA BENSON

THE URGE (part 2)

..everyone needs a mentor.

Walking briskly was out of the question 'cause she was late, she didn't have a care for the seminar(@ the auditorium), her main mission was to submit her assignment and she had already signalled Desmon Elliot to wait.

'urm... Good afternoon Tina,' he said, as they met, they met they resumed their walk to the auditorium.
Smiling, she glanced at him and returned her greeting.
 
Her Desmond Elliot was almost a look alike of the real Desmond Elliot who is a Nigerian actor. His build,fat and muscles, the shape of his head and his lazy smiles, were similar. In a level below hers, he was one the best in academics.
 
'and how are you today?' she asked.
 
 'not too fine.'
 
'oops, sorry to hear that. Are they done yet?'
 
'no.'
 
'thank God,' she said with a smile, ' and my level mates, are they there? Like, are we much?'
 
'no, most of them just came to fill the attendance list,their expressions like they had better things to do, and few stayed on'
 
Tina smiled, remembering what her level mates had done in class when the ultimatum had been given.
'they shouldn't have laughed.' she said to no one in particular.
 
'uhn? You said?'
 
'no, don't worry'.
 
When they got to the auditorium(which had a galleria above), the seats below were all taken, she smiled at familiar faces, chatted with acquaintances, wrote her name on the sheet, asked for where and whom to submit to and was told to go upstairs,the galleria of the auditorium.
 
On getting up, she noticed the speaker on the podium below and fell in love instantly. She returned her gaze back to the galleria and glanced all around, searching for whom to submit to but didn't find her, which made her proceed to her nearest level mate. Innocent.
 
She waited where she was until she caught his attention with her gaze, they both smiled as she walked up to him.
 
'good morning.' she said.
 
'good morning and you are late.'
 
'yeah, I know. Who is she?' she asked as she nudged her head towards the woman below,speaking.
 
'oooo, that's the guest speaker' Tina raised her brows , interested in more info, ' from JABU, that private university.'
 
'hmm, I like her. She has this thing about her. Look at her,I'm sure she's like fifty years of age but she looks so young and agile and sure of herself.'
 
'she was their previous Vice-chancellor'.
 
Hearing that it sealed Tina's love for here, Professor Sidi or so was written on the projector below.
 
'I have a new mentor!' she mouthed with a big smile at Innocent. After starring for sometime at the lady, she asked Innocent where to submit and was told to go all the way back to the department. It was double trouble.
 
'would you come back?'
 
'naturally, I wont, but because of this woman, I would', she waltzed downstairs seeking who would follow her to and fro.


NEXT: The urge 3

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ANOTHER MESSED UP LIFE (part 7)

‪ ...a story of the clashes between a brain and its heart   'nothing.' I said.   'come over to my place, its not far from yours. I don't have money on me, but you could still come over.' He pleaded over and over.   I smiled to myself.    This coming from the same person who had said some few days back that I stay away from him.   'My brother is around, don't you wanna hang out?' he continued.   ' I can't.... I have the money and time, but.... I can't. Next time please.' I replied.   'okay no problem. Take care of yourself.'he remorsefully said.   'sure would... And you also,eat well.'   'yeah, later.' he said curtly.   Beep, beep beep.   I felt so proud of myself. There I was laying on the bed feeling like, 'Ifeoma! Jeez, what are you doing at home? He was begging, beggiin....ng ... Chai, Ify..... You didn't try o.'   But in my head, I was patting myself on my back,smiling sheepishly ,saying, 'welldone'. That was just the beginning of the war that week between my heart and my head. Time flew, three days later, I found myself walking down the street to catch a bus to Ikeja when I dialled his number and told him to expect me later in the day. I hung up and my head told my heart, 'what did you just do!'   My heart,sitting on a cloud playing violin with a smile on its face said, 'she needs it.' Concluding my errand, I decided to head to his place. There were so many routes to his place and I was hoping I wouldn't get lost - imagine the explanation I would give my parents when asked whom I was looking for. I got down from the bus,then the elderly woman who had alighted with me tugged my arm saying she would show me the way, I gladly accepted and curiously looked at the busy road.   I dialed his number,he picked, and like every other time, we had a serious debate on whether I should wait were I was,or alighted at a previous bus-stop, till my airtime finished!   I was still walking with the elderly woman as I stared angrily at my phone and cursed my network operator. ‪NEXT: Another Messed Up Life 8‬ ‪

ANOTHER MESSED UP LIFE (part 6)

‪...a story of the clashes between a brain and its heart Burp..... Burp......   The line went, on the fourth burp,he picked and was surprised I was calling around that time. I explained the situation and he said he was not up to it, that he was falling sick frequently to risk his sleep, also that he was about to sleep when he saw the caller ID, if it weren't me, he wouldn't have picked and finally promised to call me during the day, note, he said he would call me, I didn't suggest or insist that he should.   I called my previous buddy back and explained the situation and not long, DISCO (distribution company) brought the electrical power back.   The following morning, I waited, waited and.... Waited! He didn't call. I sent him a wake up text, bleep! No reply. I wrote poems upon poems in my diary, trying to while away time, taaah daaah.... No call. I sent another text message, my pride withholding me from calling, it didn't go through.   He finally sent a text saying he was out of airtime and cash that's why he couldn't call. We found a way out and I sent him some poems. His replies were that I stay away from him, blah, blah blah. Reading his replies, I smiled, knowing we wouldn't keep to whatever he was saying, also, knowing that all I was sending were to free my mind from toxic thoughts.   He later called few days later and asked what I'll be doing that Saturday, and I said; NEXT: Another Messed Up Life 7‬

Loves is all chatter. Friends are all that matter.