"I'm the Spirit of death, I've come to take you to the afterlife," the man in white said.
"Why?" She shrugged.
The had a confused expression on his face. "What do you mean why? You're dead!"
She stared awkwardly at her surroundings, "U sure?"
"I can't believe you're even asking me that. Aren't you seeing your body?"
Akome stared at the horrified crowd of people gathered around her mangled body. Like most people, she'd always assumed she'd die in her sleep when she was old and grey, not on a busy market road surrounded by street orange and groundnut sellers.
How could this happen? She'd just turned twenty-one and was on her way to collect thirty thousand naira.
She shook her head, " If I hear say Na me be dat eh?"
"Listen, I have a very busy schedule. Don't waste my t---."
"See me see wahala," she threw her hands in the air, "I say no be me. Na by force?"
He pointed at the corpse. "If that's not your body, whose is it?"
"I be winsh? How I wan know?"
Then she took a closer look at the body. "Chei!" Akome suddenly placed both hands on her head. "na so dis life be?...Chei!"
Mr death put a comforting hand on her back, "It's okay-it's okay. People are often traumatized when they find out that they're dead."
She shook his hand off. "Leave me jor! See as all my breast dey show. The whole market done see my yansh finish!"
"You can't be serious!"
"Chei, see this boy wey I dey do yanga for don see my breast."
Death rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I hate my job. Are you done? Can we go now?"
Akome seemed thoughtful. "Wait oh. Where we dey go?"
He sighed. "I'm taking you to the after life---!"
"Chei! Na hell be that oh!" She placed her hands on her head.
"I didn't say that."
She stopped crying. "...so na heaven?"
"...I didn't say that either."
"Abi you no know?...a whole spirit of death?"
He waved his finger. "There's no need to be rude. I'm just here to help."
She put her hands on her waist. "So you no know if na heaven I dey go? You sure say u no be 419?"
"I don't need to explain myself to you---."
"And which kine cloth be dis wey u wear? U be pastor? No b black Una dey wear?"
Death stared at his clothes. In the passed millennia he'd been to busy to change. Maybe his clothes could use some more colour, black was so 8000 B.C.
He quickly composed himself. "Listen, you're dead and I'm Death. Come with me or else."
She folded her arms and looked away. "Lie-lie!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I must collect my 30k Wey pesin owe me first."
If Death could turn Paler, he would've.
"Is something wrong with you?"
"Na d same question I wan ask you oh!"
This is a nightmare, he thought. "You can't go back...you're dead---."
"So make I leave the 30k for another pesin to chop? U dey fall my hand oh!"
He considered leaving her. But then he remembered his quota. He rolled his eyes. Middle-management issues. If he let her be, HR was going to be pissed.
"I can't...put you back in your body. It's against regulations---."
"So no be u be oga for here?"
He looked at her like he were about to bash her face in. "I'm not going to repeat myself again. I am Death and you're dead. I'm taking you to the afterlife---."
"Wait,wait wait..."A smallish man emerged from the crowd, "I'm a doctor let me through." The man knelt over her body.
"Wetin?...who be dat..?"
Mr Death shrugged. "Doesn't matter, there's nothing the doctor can do."
"Na doctor?" Akoma did a small dance, "God done answer my prayer be dat!"
"Don't get so excited, I wouldn't be here if there was hope for you."
She folded her arms. "Since Wey I meet you Na so so bad you dey wish me. Who my death hepp?"
He shook his head, "This isn't happening. And to think I called off my annual Leave for this."
Akome's human body coughed and jerked on the ground. In that same moment, her ghost form flickered.
"She's alive!" The smallish man said, "we need to get her to a hospital."
Mr Death placed both hands on his head. "I am so screwed!"
"See wetin I tell u?" She was dancing again, "how I go die when I never collect my money. Dis work u no sabi am. After u say u be oga."
"I never said that. I'm an intern and...why am I even explaining this to---."
Just then, an elderly man in white appeared.
"Na ya papa be dis?"
Mr Death had a haunted look on his face. "No...much worse...it's my boss."
"This is going in your report." The elderly man said.
"...sir I can explain---."
"This is the second time you've screwed up."
"In my defence," Mr Death stepped forward, "It was a bad time for me, I was going through a divorce, I just had a pay cut---."
"You must put her back in her body at once!"
Mr Death stared at the floor like a child being scolded by a parent.
Akome raised her hand, "...em...I fit ask one question?"
"NO!" Death and the elderly man said.
She slowly put her hand down and muttered under her breath, "Simple question Na fight...na wa oh!"
"Make sure she doesn't remember anything," the elderly man said then vanished.
Mr Death snapped his fingers and Akome vanished.
Three hours later, Akome woke up in a hospital. Her best friend, Ngozi was standing over her with tears in her eyes.
"...abeg no make me fear like that again," Ngozi said. "you dey like sister, if you die..." She broke into tears and embraced her.
Akome's chest and arms were in agony, but she managed to hug her back.
"...em...Ngozi...?" Akome said.
Ngozi wiped the tears from her eyes and stared into her best friend's eyes. "...yes...?"
Akome propped herself up on the pillows. "...hafa my 30k...?"

www.opustjkwrites.com

So here's the scenario, I'm on my way to work one morning, when Victoria starts acting up.



Oh! Victoria's the name of my car(long story). I just think anything that's yours, that has the propensity to act up when you don't give it enough attention, HAS to have a female name.



Enough said.



Anyway, I managed to get her to the mechanic shop, took one last look at her, and hailed a cab. I'm sentimental like that (try asking me to lend you my external hard drive and see what happens-- the Drive's name is Betty by the way!)






So, I got into a cab and Boom! The guy starts "Gisting" with me. Listen, I'm not a snob--- at least I dont think I am. I just spend a lot of time in my head(which is a pretty weird place -- just read 3:15am and tell me it's not). Well, he continued yapping away, which made me realise I was in the presence of a "Gister."



Dunno what that is? Lemme explain: According to the Opus Concise dictionary, (Revised edition,) "A Gister is a person whom commences a conversation with you without warning." one major characteristic of the "Gister" is he/she can have that conversation ON HIS/HER OWN! Take the cab guy for instance; as soon as I got into the car, he goes: "Oga d tin dey pain me eh?"



I actually looked around whether there was someone else in the backseat. I wasn't even certain I'd heard him say anything. I checked to see if he'd had an ear piece on or something, but as far as I could tell, NADA!



"--em Oga," I said cautiously. "Na me you dey talk to?"



Without even looking at me, he switched gears -- making the vehicle snort like a disgruntled pig with a sore throat.



"dis my girl dey confuse me," he said. At that point, I knew I was with a pure Gister. A word of caution: Gisters are like nuclear missiles, once you've hit the 'Launch' button, there's no going back. It's like a fart; once it's out there, you can't retrieve it (no matter how bad it stinks).



So he went on.



His name was Calvin( and yeah, like the designer). Now this is the story: He'd been chasing this young lady(never got her name) for a year. According to him, she'd had a boyfriend and wouldn't give Calvin the time of day. Eventually, she gave in. But said she wouldn't have sex with him. After another six months, she gave in. And according to him: "I don chop d geh reach eleven times."



Anyway, she told him she'd never cheat on him and blah blah blah. So the relationship continued. A few months later, her best friend: "One wor-wor lepka geh like dat,"he said.

Comes to him and tells him that his girlfriend's a lesbian and she does 'runs' with married men.



"Oga,cold catch me," he said. Nearly running us off the road with a wild hand gesture. At that point, I wondered if jumping out of the vehicle was a viable option.



Sha, according to him, he confronted his girlfriend, and true to the script she freaked out. But after a four or five day fight, she told him she wasn't a lesbian ....BUT....(get this): " she say she get passion for breasts." I wasn't certain I'd heard right,

"---passion for breasts?" I asked.



"Yes o," He said. "She say she like to romance anoda woman breast--- say na her passion be dat."



I let him continue(not like I had a choice anyway)



He told me his girlfriend likes touching other women's boobs.



"She say e dey sweet her for bodi, but she no be lesbian o --- but if she see geh wey go do d tin wit am... No problem."



Unfortunately (and I mean UNFORTUNATELY) for me, we were caught in traffic. So he went on.



Apparently, his girlfriend's fixation for boobs came from her mother. The girl claims she likes "romancing" her mother's boobs (yuck!) whenever she can. And her mother lets her.....suck them too(double Yuck!). Hence her "breast passion." She also confessed that she only sleeps with married men when she's broke and that if he (Calvin) gave her money regularly, she would stop because she loves him.



Thankfully (and I mean THANKFULLY) we'd reached my stop. He told me he was going to propose to her because; "If I marry am, she go cool down."



I told him a quick: "It is well with you" and paid him.



I left the cab wondering if he were high.



Crazy huh?



I AM Opustjk

ENOUGH SAID
http://www.opustjkwrites.com

Madam, na today you dey learn ATM?" A frustrated voice said.
There were at least two dozen sweaty faces behind me. The line ahead was nearly as long. I wondered if there was still money in the machine. The headache was growing up to be a migraine. Sweat beads dribbled up and down my skin like soccer players at injury time.
"E be like say ATM na to carry mat come o!" Another voice said.
It was forty-eight hours to the new year. It was either I was going to remain a law abiding citizen or I was going to go to jail for savagely beating someone to death at an ATM.
I was seriously leaning towards the latter.
The fat woman at the machine had more than three cards with her and seemed to be receiving a how-to-use-an-ATM-machine tutorial from another fat woman.
"Abi na MMM she dey do?"came the radioactive breath of a girl close me. I didn't bother turning around. If the stench was that bad from behind, I wasn't optimistic my face would survive a frontal assault.
I considered going into the bank again, but then I remembered the unholy stench of body and mouth odors inside coupled with coffin-like heat. I decided to wait it out.
Eventually, the fat woman and her 'tutor' left.
The next eight people were mercifully fast. It looked like I was finally going to use the ATM after all.
Then came the smallish man.
I firmly hold the view that trouble-makers are born, not made. That being said, they're easy to spot. Not like they come with stickers or anything(which would actually make life easier) but you can pick them out in crowd on sight. Ever seen a total stranger on the street and thought, Him/she dey like pesin wey go like wahala oh?
Well...this smallish man fit the bill. He looked like someone who could cause a fist-fight at a church service. With his grey oversized jacket--or coat, he stepped up to the machine as if this were his coronation ceremony. He made quite a show of bringing out his ATM card. Then he paused to stare at the crowd as if expecting an applause or something.
"Na craze-man b dis?" Miss foul breath said.
I covered my nose and wondered the same thing.
The Racoon-like man typed in slow-motion; tapping the buttons (five seconds apart) like he had all the time in the world. On top of that, he was singing to himself:
"...my bank alert na Kpakam...!"
I'm pretty certain we all shared the same flabbergasted expression.
After five minutes (that seemed like fifty) he brought out his card from the machine and just stood there.
Was this guy nuts?
I and the rest of the mob were beyond dumbfounded.
He popped out another ATM card from his pocket and switched to another song:
"...I no be Casanova, but I like woman...!"
"Bros if dat card near d machine, I go carry teeth chop you," said the traditional-wrestler-like man in front of me.
Mr smallish threw him a quick Jason-Statham glance and returned to the machine. "Youngman, respect yasef!"
The air was thick with impending violence. If the size of Mr Wrestler's arms were anything to go by, the chances of Mr Smallish seeing the 2017 were slim. Unless he was actually Jason Statham in disguise. In which case, Mr Wrestler was screwed.
Mr Wrestler was a bomb about to go off. I'd noticed him earlier; his eyes were blood-red and I was fairly certain he could chew and swallow a hand grenade if he were hungry enough.
And he looked pretty hungry to me.
He took a measured step towards Mr Smallish. "Bros, you wan fall ma hand?"
Mr Smallish was either deaf, suicidal...or stupid. He fished into the pocket of his coat and produced three more ATM cards. "Do your wors--."
Mr Wrestler shoved him aside like he were made of cardboard paper. Smallish stumbled and crashed into the nearby wall.
"AH....!" Smallish was shocked scared and angry. "Are you crazy?"
WHACK! Came a slap from the wrestler.
A slap from any another person might've rocked Mr smallish a bit, but one from Mr Wrestler's hand was like being hit by a battering-ram.
The next few seconds went by in a brutal blur of heavy blows, body slams and screams. It ended with Mr Smallish sitting on the ground with a busted nosed and the front of his shirt torn-up. He'd lost one of his shoes. Coupled with the harmattan,he could've passed for a homeless person . Mr Wrestler huffed and puffed over him. "You wan fall ma hand? YOU DEY MADT?"
Mr Smallish didn't seem capable of responding. He slowly rose to his feet and limped away leaving about five ATM cards littered on the ground.
Weirdest thing? No one gave him a second look.
As he limped passed me, we caught eyes.
"Sorry..." I said.
His broken lip managed a smile, then he slowly made for the road.
"Abeg, who dey line?" Toxic breath said. "Do make we comot from here!"
Mr Wrestler proceeded to use the machine. Believe it or not, he had three ATM cards. He must've stood there for another twenty minutes. After seeing what happened to Mr smallish, no one was inclined to complain.
The Muscular man worked in silence.
When he was done, he went off to a corner and lit a cigarette.
I'd just inserted My card into the machine, when I heard the first gunshots.
Say what you will about fire-works i.e Knockouts, but everyone knows the sound of a gun any day.
I caught a glimpse of Mr Smallish and three armed men charging towards us.
"IF YOU MOVE, I MOVE YOU!" The lead man said.
I heard another gunshot.
A woman screamed and I embraced the ground. When confronted by armed men, this was the universal gesture for 'Please-don't-kill-me.'
I heard bodies being kicked, I heard women and girls whimpering.
I was shaking all over.
"Dat guy!" I heard Mr Smallish say. Something cold and hard pressed against my neck. I froze.
Strong arms hoisted me to my feet. Mr Smallish had a merciless expression on.
"Go," he said.
I stood there unsure of what I'd heard.
One of his companions waved a handgun at me. "GO!"
I made a mad dash for my car and drove off faster than you could say, "ATM robbery!"
I was five minutes out when I realized I'd left my ATM card in the Machine.
Trust me, I didn't go back.
I learned later that after robbing the crowd of people, Mr Smallish and his crew beat Mr Wrestler almost to the point of death.
Well, thankfully queues have reduced since then.
#crazythingsthathappen.

Follow my blog www.opustjkwrites.com

We're here!!!"Habiba announced as she stepped out of the car.

"Wow!!!" Bola went as she stared at the mansion in front of them.It was inarguably the size of a football field.

It was like staring at a live page of a "Luxury homes"catalogue.

As they stepped out of Habiba's Range Rover SVR,Bola was awestruck not just by the size of the Mansion, but the sheer enormity of the land on which it was built.

"You c-c-could easily Fit a golf c-c-course in this place"Peter said as he shut the back seat door.

Christian stepped out of his old beat up car,as his girlfriend Eva, stepped out from the passenger side.

She seemed a little upset.

"Wow!"Christian said under his breath.

".....It's amazing what stolen money can buy"

"Don't start this again,.."Eva said keeping her voice low.

"...We're here to have a good time,can we at least just act like it?"She said making certain their friends couldn't hear them.

"What's that supposed to mean?"He said taking a menacing step towards her.His tone was low,but the look in his eyes was one she'd come to recognise in their Two year relationship.

"H-h-how much do you think a place like this c-c-cost?"She heard Peter say to someone as Christian towered over her.

"Are you guys okay?"Victor asked coming out from the passenger side of the Range Rover.

Long pause.

Eva could feel the night air against her naked arms as Christian continued his dark stare.

If she so much as uttered a word right now,he would....

"Hey guys,"Came Victor's hand on Christian's shoulder.

"Are you guys good?" As he regarded them with his strikingly handsome face.

Long Pause.

"We're fine"Christian said with a forced smile.

Eva breathed a sigh of relief.She really wasn't looking forward to another black eye.

"There you are" came Habiba as she wrapped her arms around Victor.

"I'm sorry Gorgeous..."Victor said flirtatiously.

"....Was I gone for long?"

"Two seconds away from you is too long"Habiba said softly as her lips found his in an intensely passionate kiss.

Christian shot Eva a stare that said, "I'll deal with you Later".

She shuddered at the thought.

Bola made a loud sigh as she watched the kissing couple.

"...sometimes,it feels like they are showing off"She said keeping her voice low.

"K-k-kissing is a private affair...p-people shouldn't k-k-kiss in public"Peter said as he eyed the couple.

Habiba and Victor seemed lost in their kiss.

"...coming from a guy who only kisses his girlfriend during sex,I believe you" Bola said simply.

"..P-p-please,stop c-co-comparing our relationship to theirs.We k-k-kiss when necessary" He declared in a somewhat indignant tone.

Long pause.

"You call this a relationship?"Bola said softly as she walked away,leaving Peter with a slightly dumbfounded look on his face.

"Love Birds!!!" Bola called out.

Habiba and Victor reluctantly ended their kiss but still held on to each other.

"...what?"Habiba said with eyes glazed with desire.

"...sorry to break up this 'heated-link',but some of us need to be indoors,......away from the night's chill" Bola said the last part with a mild stare in Peter's direction.

Eva had gotten her jacket from the car and was wrapping herself up.

Christian lit a cigarette and sucked some smoke into his lungs.

Habiba threw him a distasteful stare.
"What?"He said defensively.

"...I'm cold"

Habiba rolled her eyes and said,
"....let's go .....and no smoking inside Christian,....I mean it"

"Whatever you say.....boss"He said taking another drag from the cigarette.

"We have the place all to ourselves this weekend guys"Habiba said as she led them into the Lavish and spacious living room.

"It's very clean," Bola said as she ran her fingers through the sides of a cabinet checking for dust.

"Yea,it is...."Habiba replied receiving a playful shove from Victor.

"......about nine maids and a handyman come by every morning to touch up the place"

"Nine maids"Christian said picking up a gold Vase from the cabinet and weighing it with his hands.

"Careful with that...."Habiba called out.

"...it was a gift from an Arabian Sheik...it cost a fortune"

"....hmmmm,where I come from,they don't trust maids with stuff like this just lying about"Christian said placing the ornament back.

"...Where you come from,they don't HAVE maids"Habiba responded evenly.

Long pause.

"Bae,be nice...."Came Victor placing a hand on her shoulder.

"...he is our guest..."

"..No, I'm HER guest,..you don't live here...remember?"Eva instantly recognized the dark tone in her boyfriend's voice again.

This could get ugly she thought.

Long silence.

"Em....hey!...Is that a snake?"Bola said excitedly as she made across the spacious room.

Victor and Christian stared at each other for a few more seconds.

Bola stared in awe at the beautiful large glass case, and the shiny contents. Not the snake ofcourse

"Oh!That's Bruno..."my Dad got him on his last trip from Australia.He's an Inland Tipan"

"A what?"Bola asked slightly dumb founded as Peter and Eva joined her to stare at the large Reptile.

"...An Inland Ti..."

"Inland taipan....."Christian interjected,as he walked towards the glass case.

".....Oxyuranus microlepidotus commonly refered to as the Fierce Snake'......"

"You know a lot about snakes?"Habiba asked staring at him skeptically.

"...you could say that,..yes"

"Hmm..."went Habiba as she arched an eye brow at her boyfriend.

"...He only watches Wild-life Channels".Eva said over her shoulder.

"Is it Dangerous?"Bola asked staring at body of the serpent and wondering why they had to put shiny and obviously expensive ornaments inside the glass case.

"It's considered the most venomous snake in the world; its venom is specially adapted to kill warm-blooded animals....."Christian said with a evil grin.

Bola felt a shudder run through her.

"..... there's enough venom in a single bite to kill at least 100 fully grown men"he concluded.

"Jesus!!!"Bola heard her own voice say.

Long silence.

The snake suddenly launched itself at her with lightening speed,slamming it's deadly fangs against the glass with a loud thud.

Peter, Bola and Eva jumped backwards in terror as Bola let out a sharp scream.

Christian broke into a series of chuckles.

"Calm down you guys,Bruno is harmless..."Habiba said with a smile.

".....That's Six inches of reinforced glass.Unless Bruno's on steroids,he couldn't possibly crack it"

Bola didn't seem convinced.

"I'm not staying in the same....time zone with that thing"she pointed.

"Just relax dear"Habiba said reassuredly.

"....Let me show you to your rooms"

Bola and Peter kept on staring at the..."thing" inside the glass case.

"....My dad has a "handler" who comes in twice a week to feed him"

"F-f-feed him what.."Peter asked in a frightened voice.

"....oh,rats,birds...my dad loves this sort of stuff.You should see his tiger collection at the back of the house"Habiba said excitedly.

"W-w-what's that??"Peter pointed fearfully at lever on the side of the glass.

"...oh!...that's for the Handler...don't touch that.Unless you want a loose snake on your hands."

Long Silence.

"Are the rumours true about the steel shutters ...?"Eva asked.

"Steel shutters?....what s-s-steel shutters?"Peter asked curiously.

Habiba suddenly had a delightful grin on her face.

"Come..I'll show you"

Habiba and Victor took them up the stairs,through a brightly lit corridor to a gold plaited door, making out and chuckling.

Bola and Eva walked behind the kissing Habiba and Victor.

"... Show Offs"came Eva's whisper.

"....What Do you think he sees in her?"Bola asked Eva.

Eva cautiously looked over her shoulder at Christian and Peter.They didn't seem to be listening.

"...love, I guess...and besides they're both rich"Eva said.

"Hmmm..."Bola went thoughtfully.

"...are the rumours of his bankruptcy true?"Eva asked bringing her voice even lower.

"Shh!!"Bola hushed instantly as Habiba turned around.

"Wait until you guys see this!!!"Habiba said delightfully.

She opened the door into a room that looked like something out of a drug Cartel boss' lounge.

"Woah!"Christian went as he stepped into the room.

"Wait till you see this, guys,"Habiba rushed to the side of the bed and pressed a button on what looked like a Solid Gold stool.

Instantly,there was a light humming sound in the room.

Outside the house,Steel shutters slowly sealed all the windows and doors.

Inside the house, Habiba was grinning like a child.

" we are sealed behind Five Inches of reinforced steel."She said.

Her friends watched in awe..

"Really" Eva asked.

"Yea .... the shutters are deactivated by a voice recognition software....here watch....(clears throat)....SHUTTERS OPEN!!!"

Once again,there was a light humming sound.

Outside,the steel shutters slowly opened again.

"..... my dad had them installed after the 'Stolen Diamonds controversy'...."Habiba uttered the last words softly as if suddenly conscious of what she was saying.

"Anyway,.... I think we've had enough excitement for one night.....let me take you to your rooms"Habiba concluded.




"And this is YOUR room"Habiba said opening the door for Bola and Peter.

"Wow!It's bigger than the other two"Bola said excitedly.

"Of course it is....I saved the best for my child-hood friend and her boo"Habiba said proudly.

As Bola and Peter surveyed their room,Habiba had Victor's arms around her body.

"....Em...Bola"

"Yes dear" she replied as Peter put their bags down.

"...could you..maybe make me one of those your delicious fresh fish pepper soup bowls.....please"

Bola rolled her eyes.

She knew Habiba wouldn't take No for an answer.

"okay dear....like right now?"

Habiba eyed Victor mischievously,

"....ingredients are ...in the kitchen.....maybe in about one.......or two hours....me and Victor have some catching up to do" she giggled.

After a few minutes of just hanging around,Habiba and Victor retired to their room.
Goodnight, guys...."Habiba yelled.

ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER, Victor rolled off Habiba's naked body with an exhausted sigh and falls into the pillow next to her.

Both were out of breath as they stared at the ceiling.

"We are so doing that again" Habiba gasped.





BOLA slowly approached the door with two hot bowls of pepper soup.

She hated these "mid-night favors". She had BIG plans for the weekend.

Earlier,She'd heard that weird humming sound again.Were those two activating the shutters again?she'd wondered.

She knocked on the door.

There was silence from inside.

"Habiba!!!"She called out.

No answer.

Odd.

The door was slightly ajar.

Then she heard a loud frantic banging sound coming from inside.

She pushed the door and stepped inside.

The rest of the house was deathly still.

Long silence.

Then the screams began.




EVA heard the screams and came out of the room.

Some time in the night, Christian must have stepped out for a smoke.She thought as she raced to the master's bedroom.

Peter was already at the door of the Master bedroom.

The door was wide open and she could see Peter standing inside with a shocked look on his face.

She could hear a strange banging sound coming from inside the room.

"What's going on??....I heard screams."she said but Peter didn't seem to have heard her.He looked dazed.

"What's going on?" came Christian's voice from behind her.

She could smell the stench of nicotine on his breath.

They entered the room.

The sight before them was unreal.

Broken bowl fragments littered the floor.

Bola was kneeling by the bed, her screams had become loud whimpers as her entire body trembled.

The loud banging continued.But no one seemed to notice.All eyes were on the blood soaked sheets and Habiba's naked limp body lying on the bed with the dark crimson fluid still oozing from her throat.

"J-Jesus"Peter said.

More banging.

"What happened?"Eva said in a small voice.

"I....I don't know...I came in.with...the soup....and found (sniff) ...her like this"

"Where's Victor?"Christian asked calmly.

"I..I don't......"

"What's going on??Open the door Habiba"Came Victor's voice from the bathroom door.

All eyes turned in that direction as Christian made for the door.

"Victor!!!"He called out

Long pause.

"Christian?....what are you doing in....I heard screams...what's going on.?.....Habiba locked me in....Open the damn door!!!"Victor sounded frantic ....and scared.

"The key isn't on the door...I can't ...."The Christian caught a glimpse of something shiny on the ground.

He reached for it and tried it on the door.

Victor emerged from the bathroom with a disheveled look on his face.

Long silence.

His eyes scanned the faces of everyone in the room,....then it his gaze fell on Habiba's body.

"Oh my God!!...My baby"

Victor seemed oblivious to the fact that all he had on,was a towel.

"No....no ....no..."he kept on saying as he went to the bed and took the still naked girl in his arms.

Bola had her face in her hands as she continued sobbing.Peter had his hands on her shoulders.

Christian threw Eva a curious look.

"Did anyone hear the shutters go down?"Christian whispered.

Whimpering continued

"I-I-I heard humming earlier"traumatized Peter managed to say.

"Because if the shutters are down and......."Christian began but he never finished the sentence.


"Which of you did this?" came Victor's hateful hiss .

"Which of you killed Habiba??"

.....to be continued.

Please visit www.opustjkwrites.com for more stories

The horses were restless as the air got colder.

She gathered her robe about her to fight the chill.

The mist, was slowly beginning to thicken, nearly obscuring the path ahead of them.

The constant feeling of being watched was most unsettling.


Amira stroked the side of Rhendur's neck,the horse is terriffied, she thought as she tried to steady him.

"Easy,My Princess" Bohma's Muscular form said,as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

"This Mist is strange"He said,looking around them.

"I thought all Third Blades were fearless"Amira responded.

Rhendur made an uncomfortable sound under her...he was terrified of something.

"I fear nothing,Princess"Bohma declared trying to steady his horse.

"....I just prefer an enemy I can see"

Then the whispers began.

It was like a thousand Voices speaking at once all around them.

Rhendur neighed....fearfully.

Bohma unsheathed his sword.

"In the name of Lerato,High Queen and Guardian of the Six Clans of Wahri,I order you to show yourselves!!!"Bohma declared in a loud voice.

"...Your Queen has no voice here ,Third Blade" came a disembodied chilling Whisper.

"Sheath your sword,"Amira said softly as she soothed her horse.

"My Princess...I must insist...."He protested as he struggled with his troubled horse.

"....those are Ahikus....if they desired us dead,we would be"Amira said simply.

"My Princess...."

"The Order of the Blades is sworn to protect and Obey the First Clan of Wahris....Now, I order you to put away your sword!!!"Her tone was harsh and uncompromising.

More whispers

More nervous sounds from the horses.

The Third Blade hesitated on his unstable mount as he held on to his sword for a little longer.The Mist in front of them was slowly giving way.

Bohma reluctantly put the sword back in it's sheath.

As the path became more visible,.....they saw The Black Gate.

"What Sorcery is this"She heard Bohma's agitated voice say.

"....the Black Fortress is thousands of leagues from where we are..."He began.

"....But here we are"Amira said flatly.

An eerie humming sound filled the air as The Black Gate began to open .

Rhendur suddenly made a strange deep sound and then bucked.

Amira grabbed his mane.

"Calm yourself....."Amira ordered.

But the Grey stallion made another terriffied sound she'd never heard before.

He bucked wildly again...then sudden kicked his fore hooves off the ground, momentarily standing on its rear limbs.

"Princess!!!"Bohma screamed as she was thrown off her mount.

She landed heavily on the ground and rolled away swiftly to avoid Rendur's thunderous hooves. It was the first skill any rider learnt in Wahri.

Bohma leaped off his horse and ran to her side.

"My Princess, are you hurt?"The urgency and concern in his voice was apparent as he tried to help her off the muddy grass.

"I am well,"Amira said shoving his hands away.
He stood back with his hand still fastened to the hilt of his sword as he searched their surroundings with his eyes.

The Black Gate was wide open now.He could see the Fore of the City from where he stood.

Amira wiped the mud from her face and managed to rise to her feet.

The front of her robe was ripped exposing the Amulet of Thyefah seated between her breasts.

The Amulet of Thyefah had protected her ancestors for centuries.It was worn by every royal of The first Clan of Wahri.

As she touched it's cold surface,she doubted it's power could protect her from the Evil of this place.

The horses were gone.....and the whispers continued.

".....Die....!!!"They were chanting as she adjusted her robe and checked the small dagger tucked inside her belt.

"I will not be deterred"She said under her breath as she stared into the empty city.

"We can still turn back...."The agitation in the Third Blade's voice was understandable.She thought.

But pointless.

"No....the hour is late for that"Amira said coldly as she walked towards the city.

".....die....!!!"

Bohma hesitated for a moment.

He knew there was no convincing her otherwise.She had been this way since she was a child....stubborn...and somewhat foolish.

But he was bound by his sacred vow.

Reluctantly, he followed her.

They heard the frightful humming sound again as the Black Gate shut behind them.

Amira never even once turned around to glance at the gate as she quickened her pace.

The city seemed deserted.

Their were no fires,horses...or people moving about.

Just the stillness of Black huts and a strange smell in the air.

Bohma could still feel eyes on them

Long silence.

"Where is everyone?"came his hushed tone.

"All around us,....."Amira replied touching the Amulet through the fabric of her robe.

".....We just can't see them"

There was something ghostly about the way she spoke.As if she were inhabited by some strange entity.

He felt a light shudder run through him.

I must protect her.He thought.

I must protect her.

It seemed like they walked for hours, passing endless Black huts as the sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty stillness of the city.

Until they reached it.....!

Fortress Black had stood for thousands of years before the Age of Men.

According to Legend, it was built from the Hide of Bidah;an ancient great Fire Serpent of the Abyss.

It is said that no sorcery nor mortal weapon could ever breach the walls of the Fort.

Amira kept on walking, never slowing down.

It stunned Bohma how fearless she seemed.

She would have made a great High Queen.He thought.

Sadly,she might never be.

The Great Black Door was taller than the Tallest Iroko tree.

The strongest swords and arrows have been known to shatter like glass against it's surface.

It opened as they approached it.

Finally,......Amira paused.

For a fleeting moment, Bohma felt the Princess had changed her mind.

He half-expected her to turn around tell him she had made a mistake.

But instead,she said;
"Be brave,....and never doubt!!!"

Long pause.

Bohma sighed and nodded.

She had recited the Creed of The Blades.

It was the first thing a new recruit was taught,...and it was the War Cry of a dying soldier on the battle field.

Bohma unsheathed his sword and accepted whatever fate lay in front of them as they stepped inside.

The door shut behind them.

The walls of the great hall were as black as a starless night.

The stone pillars leading up to the Throne seemed to be made of a strange dark rock that shimmered when a shadow passed over it.

On each of the pillars stood a flaming torch that burned bright but seemed to bring no heat to the cold hall.

Seated high up at the centre of the Great hall, was the throne.

It was made of the same shimmering stones.

The hall, like the rest of the city was empty.



"Welcome,...Princess" came a deep male Voice from behind them.

Bohma spun around quickly, sword ready as he stood between the Princess and the owner of the voice.

A tall hooded figure stood before them.

"Who are you?"Bohma demanded as he readied his sword for an assault.

The figure was silent.

"Speak!!!"The Third Blade ordered taking a cautious step towards the figure.

"The question is......who are you....Bohma?"The figure said softly.

The Third Blade gasped at the mention of his name.

He felt something take hold of him and lift his body off the ground.

"My Princess.....!!!"Were the last words Bohma uttered.

Amira watched in horror as an unseen force flung the Third Blade's body across the hall and bashed it against one of the shimmering pillars with a force that cracked his skull with a sickening crunch.

His head burst open spewing forth blood and chunks of flesh.

The Princess looked away, as the lifeless body of her protector dropped to the stone floor.

The hall was silent again.

The hooded figure stood still.

"I am not impressed"Amira said suppressing the terror she felt.

The figure chuckled.

It was an eerie sound in the vast empty hall.

"Why are you here...Princess Amira?"It inquired softly.

I.......seek the Counsel of OverLord Malish, Black Warlock and Master of this realm."She heard her own voice say.

The figure chuckled again.

"These titles...."It began as it stepped forward.

She fought back the urge run.

Be brave...and never doubt.She thought to herself.

"....they tend to stick after a while.....Black Warlock,..Third Blade, Princess...."

The figure took off it's hood.

The face was clean shaven, skin as white as snow, with the black markings of his sacred order.

It was the face of a handsome young man, though the dark eyes that stared back at her had seen more than a century of torture and bloodshed.

"Overlord"Amira gasped.

"I wonder..."Malish began as he continued his approach.

She felt her body retreat a few steps away from him.

She tried averting her gaze from his eyes,but they seemed to hold her in some way.

".....What should I call you,my...great-great-great-great-great grand daughter.....?"He asked thoughtfully.

She could only hear the sound of her own retreating foot steps in the emptiness.

The Warlock moved soundlessly.

"....or perhaps I should just call you... my sworn enemy...?"Malish halted his approach and smiled.

"....I have come to make you an offer" Amira said feeling the Amulet through her cloak.

The boom of laughter that erupted from the Warlock was unearthly.It's sound reverberated within the walls of the great hall like an infernal echo.

"I already have your life,...what could you possibly offer me?"He said with another chuckle.

She squeezed the Amulet through the fabric,feeling the heat of its power through her palm.

"That trinket of yours is worthless here....I could have had the Ahikus tear you and your guard dog to pieces at the gate If I were so inclined"He said simply,as he moved past her towards the throne.

Amira's eyes followed his every move.

"You knew I was coming?"she asked incredulously.

He paused at the foot of the throne steps.

"I have been trying to kill your entire bloodline for centuries....trust me I knew"He said as he continued up the steps.

Soundlessly.

"How else could you and pet get to the Black Gate so fast?"

"Then...you know why I am here?" She asked trying her best not to stare at Bohma's limp bloodied body on the ground.

"Before I send your body in bits and pieces to your family,....."Malish said as he sat on his throne.

"....amuse me with your....'offer'..."he said flatly.

Amira swallowed a lump in her throat and took a few hesitant steps towards the throne.

"I have come to offer you the throne of Wahri!!"she said in a bold voice.

Long silence.

Laughter again.This time,louder than the last.

"You must have a Death wish, Amira.....The throne of Wahri is not yours to give....your sister is Queen!"He said with another chuckle.

"What if I could give It to you?"She pressed.

"Even if you could kill the Queen and some how hand me the throne, the Six Clans would never let me set foot in Wahri.....even I, do not have that kind of Magic" he said.

"What if I had a way...."Amira began.

"There is no way, my dear descendant,....It has taken me Two centuries and countless deaths of your ancestors to realise that"The Overlord said almost lovingly.

"I know a way!!!"Amira declared in an authoritative tone.She almost couldn't recognise the rage she felt.

In a blink,the Warlock was in front of her.His hand seized her and hoisted her off the ground.

His grip was like steel as his fingers slowly closed around her throat, crushing her windpipe.

She struggled to free herself, but it was pointless.His strength was too unnatural.

She remembered her dagger, but the instant she did, it flew out of her belt, tearing through her robe and clattering to the ground across the hall.

"Let us get something clear,...."He said with maniacal hatred in his eyes.

The pressure on her windpipe was tightening and she began to see black spots in the corners of her vision.

"...The miserable moments you have left in this world are solely for my amusement...."He said with a blood lust.

She could feel herself losing consciousness.

"...just because your puny mortal heart was broken when your betrothed fell for your sister...does not give you the right to come here and....."

"....T..the...Shetani!!!"Amira forced herself to say as she felt the life leaving her.

The mask of Hate instantly dissolved from his face.

In it's place was one of shock...and a bit of fear.

Malish loosened his grip on her throat.

The Wahri Princess dropped to the ground.

Amira coughed painfully as she held on to her neck.

The Black Warlock simply stood in silence watching her.

"What do you know about the Shetani Spirit?" asked desperately.

Amira kept on coughing as she tried to speak.

"Heal!!!" Ordered Malishs' voice.

In that instant, the pain around her throat vanished and her coughing ceased.

Amira touched her throat wondering if she'd imagined it all.

Her neck felt like it had never been touched.

"Speak!!!" came Malish's voice from above her.

She gathered herself and slowly rose to her feet.

"What do you know of the Shetani spirit?"There was something desperate in his voice.

"Enough to know how to summon him"She said straightening her robe.

The warlock gave her a curious look.

"...If you help me....I will give you the throne....and I will take the lives of the ones who shamed me"Amira said with hate in her voice

"You realise that means and the entire Wahri bloodline...YOUR bloodline?"He stared at her skeptically.

Amira smiled and said;
"They are not my bloodline anymore,....I want them dead.....starting with the High Queen,..my sister"....


....to be continued

Visit www.opustjkwrites.com

Time seemed to move slower as she stared at the nozzle of the gun being pressed against her husband's temple.

The stink of fear was over powering in the living room as the married couple stared in terror at the three intruders that had broken into their home.

The three masked men had bound the couples' hands behind their backs and forced them to their knees.

"Please..." she heard Tokini say as her husband pleaded for their lives.

"Take anything you want...but just let us go....we have childr....!"

One of the masked men brought down the gun on Tokini's head so hard Selepiri could've sworn she'd heard a sickening crunch.

Tokini wailed in pain as he continued pleading for their lives.

As Tokini rolled on the ground he wished he had followed his instincts and not opened the door when they'd heard knocking.

Stupid.he thought.

Very stupid.

He wished he had money in the house to at least buy them time.

His only consolation now was the fact that the children were in school.

God only knew what would've happened if they weren't .

His mind returned to Selepiri as he rolled on the floor.

He had to protect her some how.He had to save her.

But how? he thought as The Men sat him up again.

His ears were still ringing from the pain.


"Please....you can kill me....just leave my wife....alone..." Were the last words from her husband before one of the Masked men shot him in the face.

The gun blast was loud as Selepiri screamed.

Some blood splattered on her as she kept on screaming.The men just stood there in silence.

Her screams went on for a long time.



Suddenly she stopped screaming.

"Is he dead?"she asked cautiously.

The masked man whom pulled the trigger nodded.

"So you couldn't shoot him far away from me?"she said stubbornly.

"You want to deafen my ear with noise abi?"

The men exchanged curious looks.

"Sorry madam,....it was a mistake"Another one began.

"Which kine mistake?.....ABEG UNTIE ME JOR!!!!" She ranted like a five year old.

One of the men hurriedly went behind her and unbound her.

"Madam please ....don't be offended...." He began apologetically.

"Don't 'madam' me anythng...." She said rubbing her wrists together.

"Did you have to shoot him so close to me??.....now look at my dress" she said stretching the fabric of her night gown.

"....I bought this in Dubai.....does it look like Okrika to you?"she spat at them furiously.

"Madam...." The Trigger man began.

"You paid us to kill your husband...oya we've done it.Why are you still shouting at us??" The trigger man said defensively.

"Is it me you're shouting for?"She said defiantly.

Long pause.

"No,madam...is just that...Emeka here has Typhoid...."He said gesturing to the masked man to his left.

".....and he came out tonight..to kill for you...and you're shouting for us..it's not good oh" He said, now sounding like a five year old himself.

Long pause.

Then Selepiri turned to Emeka.

"Okay, Emeka have you taken anything...?"she said forcing the concern into her voice.

".. I've taken paracetamol..but I'm still having headache"Emeka more or less Muttered to her.

"Too much Paracetamol is bad for your liver nau"she said with a hint of irritation on her voice.

"....I didn't know...the chemist..."Emeka began awkwardly.

"...you people and Chemists! ..Go to a hospital and treat yourself...life no get duplicate oh"She declared waving a her finger at him.

Emeka was silent

Selepiri sighed and stared at her husband's corpse.

"Are you sure he's dead?" She asked.

"Hian!" went The trigger man.

"..,Madam.. People usually don't come back when you shoot them in the face!"

"Hmmm!" Selepri went,as she stared at her husband's corpse.

"Stingy Man" she spat in disgust.

"Oya,you people should go before the police show up......I will send you the balance of your money after they read the will,you hear?? She said hurriedly.

The Men began to leave.

"...and Emeka,..." She added
The three of them stopped and turned around.

"....when you get home buy lipton and drink you hear?she said almost lovingly.



Thirty minutes later,she was alone with her husband's dead body.

She was grateful that the kids were in school.She couldn't bear for them to have seen this.

Finally,she was free of this stingy man.She thought to herself.

She couldnt wait for the Will to be read.She was going to be so rich.She thought as she picked up the phone to dial 911.

"...Hello....?....please....(sniff)....my husband has been killed...by armed robbers!" She cried frantically into the phone.

She spoke into the Phone hysterically.

She was pleased at how convincing she sounded.

She stifled a giggle.She couldn't wait for the Will to be read.

LIFE IS A CHOICE MY FRIEND
SO CHOOSE WISELY
ENOUGH SAID





for more stories, visit opustjkwrites..com

Sotonye's hands shook as she picked up the gun.

She could still hear them in the guest room.

How could this be happening ?

How how how?

She had been loving, she had been caring.....and to think this was happening,was just absurd.

She checked to be sure the gun was loaded.

Of course it was.she thought.

She always kept it loaded ......just in case.

Their neighbor hood wasn't famous for it's security.There had been enough robberies and kidnappings in this town to warrant extra security.

So she had gotten a small revolver,....just to be safe.

She hadn't ever considered using it one day.Though she'd been taught the basics of cleaning,loading and firing the damn thing.

She never thought she would actually USE it one day .

To her,getting the gun was kinda like having a condom.

Better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it.

As she pressed the steel into her hand,she heard Samantha throw off yet another scream in ecstacy.

That slut!She thought.

That Two- Faced-Good-for-nothing-Backstabbing Slut.

How could she do this to her?Sotonye thought as she carefully closed her secret steel box.

It was where she kept the gun.

She'd bought it on her last trip to the UK.

It was essentially a small metal safe.The key code combination was her birthday.

Funny,she thought as a series of loud "sex" sounds came from the bedroom,Nengi never guessed the combination.

After being married for Five years you'd think that he would but,no .

He'd tried a couple of times and just went,"....hian!exactly what is the combination?"

She'd smiled.but she never told him.It was her secret.and who says married couples can't have secrets?.

She'd told him about getting a gun,and all he'd given her was a statistical report on how dangerous it was to have guns in the house.

He was such a Sissy sometimes.

She took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the room....where the sounds were coming from.

This was a classic Hollywood/Nollywood movie scenario.She thought to herself as she approached the door.

It almost read like a NewsPaper Headline.
"WIFE CATCHES HUBBY IN BED WITH HER BEST FRIEND....turn to page 6 for inside story."

"You come home to find your husband in bed humping the crap out of your best friend ....what do you do?"she whispered to herself.

She hated Samantha,but hated Nengi even more.

Sotonye had decided to come home for lunch that day.

Why?

Well,her favorite eatery had decided to throw in some Well-Seasoned Maggots into her Egusi soup that day.

She'd almost thrown up when she'd seen the tiny corpses in her plate.

It was just disgusting.How could an establishment like that be so careless?She thought.

Maggots in her soup?

She'd left the eatery mad as a hatter.

Strangely enough she hadn't lost her appetite.
She was just pissed off at the "Maggot-Serving establishment.

I mean,what was the world coming to?She thought.

She recalled that they'd been some left over fried rice in the fridge.

She usually packed some for Nengi before he left for work.

It was just weird how much he loved fried rice.

So why didn't she just pack some for herself?

Well,.... the truth was,she had moods for fried rice.

And hated lunch packs.Enough said.
Anyway so she decided to come home for lunch.

And what did she find?

Her husband and her best friend going at it like Jackrabbits.

She felt betrayed...... she felt taken for granted,......she felt MAD.

So this why Samantha's phone had been switched off?

She took a deep breath,then she stepped opened the door.

Samantha was on top.

The room was humid and the air smelled of .....THEM.

Samatha's back glistened with sweat as they moved in unison.

Their motions were slow...and intense as a secret fire built up inside their bodies .

Had to give Samantha points for technique though,she was good.Sotonye Concluded.

Nengi was making sounds she never thought his vocal chords could handle.

"Hello?"Sotonye said in a small voice as she raised the gun.

If the bed were on fire,Samantha couldn't have jumped up faster..

As much as Sotonye hated cliches,she had to admit,Nengi looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Oh my God!"Nengi shouted

Samantha had retreated to the farthest corner of the room trying her possible best to cover her unclothedness.

"Please....don't say,....'its not what it looks like,.....baby I can explain'...just don't"Sotonye said still holding the gun up.

Long silence.

"How could you do this to me?"Sotonye's hands were trembling.

With each tear drop, the weapon felt heavier.

"Soti....please just listen...."Samantha said cautiously.

"...after of being together... For so long,I loved you,spent my money on you...took care of you....got you a job.....and this is the thanks I get?" Sotonye went on as if she wasn't listening.

Nengi slowly got off the bed...she could tell he was trembling.

"....I gave you my heart.....we made promises to each other......(sob)....you swore you'd never cheat.....(sob).....why.?.....why is it so hard to love me.....?......Does my love mean nothing....(sob).....I loved you....!
Sotonye's voice was breaking up.

She tried to hold herself together as she she sobbed some more.

Long Pause.

Nengi and Samantha exchanged fearful looks.

".....I love ...you too ...." Nengi began awkwardly.He really looked funny standing stark naked.

The remorse in his eyes was glaring.

"....I love you too ....baby.....just please......"he was on his feet now...slowly walking towards her.

There was nothing threatening about his movements.....He was just a man seeking forgiveness.

"Please....."He said as she could see the tears slowly forming in his eyes.

" Shut up! I....(sob).....wasn't talking....(sob)...to you"Sotonye managed to say....before she pulled the trigger.

Two loud explosions Reveberated inside the house,sending tremors through the walls.

Both rounds hit Nengi in the chest,knocking him backwards into the wall.

For a few seconds,he just stood there...shocked.Then slowly,he slid to the floor.

Long silence.

One could almost hear Samantha's heart pounding inside the stillness of the room.

She put her hand to her mouth as if to stop herself from screaming.

Her breathing was coming in short gasps.

Suddenly,her unclothedness didn't matter to her any more.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME??"Sotonye yelled as more tears came.

"I loved you...how could you cheat on me with MY Husband?"

"Baby wait I can...."Then Samantha stopped herself as Sotonye leveled the weapon at her.

Long silence.

"Did you have to kill him?"Samantha exclaimed as she stared at her.

".. (sob) ....I was faithful to you...I loved you...(sob)...how.....?"Sotonye's Gun hand was shaking .It the words came out of her with effort.

"......I mean...(sob)....how would you feel ..(sob)....if I slept with Chris......?"

The gun was really trembling in her hand now.

"....we agreed ...(sob) to be (sob)....faithful....to each other.....THAT MEANS NOT 'DOING' EACH OTHER'S HUSBANDS!!!!!" The sudden deafening roar of her voice sent a shiver through Samantha's body.

Long Silence.

".....I never meant...to hurt you,Soti...I..."Samantha pleaded as she slowly went down on her knees.

".....(sob)....sleep with your husband ...and no one else....Your body belongs to me....HOW HARD IS THAT TO DIGEST?"

Samantha was silent.

"....this is (sob)...a terrible heartbreak story......now look what you made me do!" Sotonye said gesturing towards the motionless body that was once Nengi.

He had died with his eyes opened.

"...I'm....definitely going to prison for that"Sotonye said,scarcely above a whisper.

She stared at her husband's body for a few more seconds.

She seemed to have made up her mind about something.

She sighed.

"...I promise I will never break your heart again"Samantha said cautiously.

"You already did" Sotonye said simply and emptied the gun into Samantha's body.

She'd kept on squeezing the trigger of the empty weapon over and over again.

No one breaks my heart and gets away with it.She thought.

You cheat,...you die!!!!

If it's prison,.....then so be it.She concluded.

Minutes later,she called the police and lay on the bed,amidst the stench of blood and gun powder.

She closed her eyes and patiently waited for the police to show up.

LIFE IS A CHOICE MY FRIEND
SO CHOOSE WISELY
ENOUGH SAID




for more stoies, visit my blog opustjkwrites..com

I opened my eyes.

It was still night time.

I could see few stars in the night sky.There were the sounds of crickets and frogs coming from nearby.
I knew I was by a river.I wasn't sure how I knew this,but....... I just knew.

I knew I was lying on the ground,I could feel the mud beneath my fingers

Odd.

I couldn't feel anything crawling on my body

I could hear an owl hooting in the distance.

"Where am I?" I whispered into the night.

  Had I been kidnapped? My wrists and ankles weren't bound.
There was nothing gagging my mouth.
Although I did notice a lot of old ropes and some concrete blocks strewn around on the ground.

I searched my mind. It scared me that I couldn't remember  my name.

I had no Idea who I was. I searched My mind again.

Slowly ....in flashes of memory I began to remember.

Some one had hit me over the head with something.

Someone..........a woman....

What was her name?.....Jessica...Yes, her name was Jessica.I remembered her face

I remembered her meeting me here and yelling at me.

Why had she been yelling?

What had she been saying?

Then slowly............sounds began accompanying the images in my head.

"Surprised to see me?" she had said as she came out of the bush path leading to this place.

"Rhema, you're actually dumber than I thought if you thought Ere was going to meet you here"she had said to me.

"Rhema"...........Yes!
 That was my name.

Jessica had said more things.
Most of it was distorted.

I could hear music playing in my head.

Why was I hearing music?

"......In your brown eyes,...... walked away....."or so the song went.

It kept on playing in my head as  she was yelling.

"I will never stop loving him " I heard my own voice say.

Then all I could remember was staring at the river.
The river,...........It felt as if I'd stared at the river so many times before.

It's as if I had been to this place many times before.

The music was louder now.

"......In your Brown Eyes,I was feeling low..."

What was it about that song that hurt me so much?

Then something hit the back of my head.And I blacked out.

That's all I remember.

As I sat up on the ground, I studied my surroundings.

I felt a slight pain at the back of my head.What had she hit me with?I wondered.

I recognised most of the things around me but for some weird reason,everything seemed different some how.

Did those plants grow bigger while I was out?I wondered as I stared at the vegetation around me.

"I could still hear that damn song in my head

".....Brown eyes..."

It was frustrating having a tune trapped in your head and not knowing why.

And who the hell was Ere?

Then,as quickly as I'd asked myself that, I began to remember.

Ere was my boyfriend.we had been together for almost a year now. I'd met him a couple of months after he'd been dumped by Jessica.

Though he didn't have a job at the time (which was the major reason Jessica had dumped him)
I loved him all the same.The past one year had been blissful.But all that changed once he'd gotten a job.

All of a sudden,Jessica was in the picture again.
Even before it had happened,I knew it was going to.I could sense It....I could see it in his eyes....his beautiful....brown eyes.

Was that the reason I was hearing that song over and over again in my head?

I stood up and looked around.Aside from the pain at the back of my head.I really couldn't feel any other pain in my body.

What had possessed me to come here in the first place?I wondered, it seemed very remote and a little lonely.then slowly I began to remember.

It was a place I and Ere used to come to....our secret getaway he called it.

A place by the river where we could sit down...talk, hold hands .....and make love.I remembered the nights we'd come here,I remembered the taste of his skin.

I remembered the feel of his arms around me and how safe I'd felt being here.

Now I remembered why I'd come here.I remembered that earth shattering call from him,telling me it was over,telling me he was going to be with Jessica.

I'd felt dead inside.My whole world had been crushed.

"....I can't be with you any more" he'd said
I remembered crying after he'd hung up. I remembered calling him back over and over again.....no answer.

I remembered coming here and sending him a text message to meet me here so we could talk one last time.

"......Brown eyes...."there it was in. That crazy song.Why was I hearing it?It was a woman's voice in the song.but I couldn't remember why I was hearing it.

I'd waited there for awhile,I'm not sure how long.Some where in my head I'd known he wouldn't show I'd known even before Jessica had shown up instead.

How had she known about this place? Had Ere told her?Why had she attacked me?

These questions plagued me as I followed the bush path towards the road.I had checked the surrounding area for my phone. Or anything of value, but found nothing.

As I got to the road, I felt a momentary dizziness.

I blackout again

The blackout must've lasted no more than a few seconds.

That slut must've hit me harder than I realized. I thought to myself as I rubbed the back of my head.

As I stood facing the silent road,I remembered I had driven here. I remembered the smell of the car's interior the feel of the leather seats and the red plastic crucifix dangling from the rear view mirror.

I had a car, I thought.

So why couldn't I remember all these things?

But the road was empty,and I was standing alone.

Where was the car?

I heard foot steps behind me.
Startled, I spun around fast

"Woah" came the voice of a smallish girl as she waved her hands about frantically in a gesture of surrender.

"....relax...I was just saying hello" she said as I looked her over.She was wearing red joggers,a pink tank top and a pair of trainers.

I quickly looked at my watch.The swatch Ere had gotten me last Christmas.It was a cheap watch, but it was from Ere that is all that mattered.

The face of the watch was cracked and the hands of the watch were frozen at 9:45pm.
The girl just stood there staring at me curiously.

Did I know her?I wondered. Was she yet another one of those memories my mind still couldn't remember?

"Do I know you?" I asked.

"No, you don't ....why?...do you think you do?"she asked with a hint of humour in her tone.

I couldn't understand why everything felt so weird.

The air,the silence.,the road.

"....I'm lost ...I'm looking for my ...my car" was all I could manage to say, as I continued looking up and down the silent road.

Why was I even talking to this girl?

"Are you okay,...were you in an accident...?"The girl asked genuinely concerned.

"...I don't know... I...who are you why am I talking to you....and why are you out jogging this late...?"I asked as more confusion swelled inside me.

"...you...really don't know do you...?"she said to me with a strange look on her face.

"....know?...know what?"I asked as the  song started playing again.

Then I heard the sound of an approaching vehicle.

The headlights of the car lit  up the road.

It dawned on me that we were in the middle of no where and and two attractive young women by themselves out here this late would be too tempting for any armed robber,ritualist or rapists.

I quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the bushes.

"What are you do.....?"the girl protested as I  dragged her down.

There was a momentary jolt I felt as I touched her skin. There was an off chance that the car might not belong to a ritialist,robber or rapist. But I was too scared and confused to take any chances.

Weird.

The car began to slow down.Had we been spotted?

"Why are we hiding...?" The girl asked in her usual playful manner.

"shhhh!"as the car  pulled to a stop.

Fear gripped me.

Long pause.

The door on driver's side opened and Jessica popped out....and so did Ere from the passenger side

"Jessica,what are you doing...?"Ere yelled, his voice sounded oddly strange to me,I didn't know why.

Jessica was running across the road into the bush path. Her hair was longer and her clothes were different. "Had the slut had a make over or gone shopping right after she'd knocked me out?" I wondered.

And why was Ere with her?

Then I noticed something weird.Jessica was crying, she was  barefooted as she ran into the bush path not more than a few paces from where we were hiding.

"What's going on?" I whispered as I saw Ere....my handsome brown eyed Ere running after her.

"Lovers' quarrel"The Girl beside me chuckled.
At that point,I really wished we HAD ran into ritualists and rapists that night I would've fed her to them.

"Jessica please stop this...what are you doing?"Ere was screaming after her.

"I CAN'T LIVE WITH THIS GUILT ANY MORE!!!" came Jessica's frantic voice.

Then they moved further inwards.Towards the area she had attacked me.

What was going on?

I decided to get closer.

I inched closer.

Through the leaves and bushes that surprisingly were easy to go through.

I found a spot close enough to listen and watch without being seen ...or heard.

Ere and Jessica were standing at the clearing I'd woken up in. Of course I was tempted to come out from my hiding place but something was going on.

I had to find out what it was.

".....what's wrong with you.?....why did you bring us here?"Ere was saying.

Through the clearing,through the symphony of crickets and frogs nearby, I could hear in his voice something I'd always thought was just for me.

 It was a warm tenderness.
A loving tone that always made me feel special.

"...when you proposed....and gave me this beautiful ring,......I knew I didn't deserve you...."Jessica's voice was cracking into sobs.

Ring...?...proposed...?what was she talking about?It was in that moment that I saw it...it reflected the moonlight...and it was on .....her left hand.

"Oh my God!"I whispered to myself.
Ere had engaged her?.....

That slut knocks me out and gets awarded an engagement ring?

I was furious.

I was so furious.Then I heard that damn song again.

I couldn't care less where it was coming from or what their issues were.

Ere had hurt me deeply,he had hurt me like no man ever could. I was ready to tell him to go to hell, infact, I was ready to tell the two of them to die.

Ere never deserved me.

Then I  rose from my hiding place and slowly walked towards them."How dare Ere?" I thought.That was supposed to be MY ring......MY RING.

".....what are you talking about...?"Ere asked Jessica.He was clearly confused.
"...do you remember the last sms Rhema sent you??"Jessica

"...yeah..I do, it was over a year ago...around the time she went missing

"...it's exactly a year ago....."Jessica nodded.

At that point I halted my approach.

".....a year.?...what are you guys talking about?" I said out loud.

But they both seemed to be too absorbed in the moment to have heard me despite the fact that I was only a few feet from them.

Still crying,Jessica slumped to her knees as more sobs came.

"....that night....while you slept, I went through your phone and saw the text(sob)....since you had described this place,I decided to come out here to confront her....(sob) myself"

"YOU WHAT??"Ere barked.

Jessica was on auto pilot.Her lips seemed to be moving on their own volition.

"....I just wanted to scare her....(sob). .but one thing led to another....(sob)we had an altercation....I....I picked up a huge stone and Bashed her over ....the head with it....!"

Ere took a few retreating steps away from her.The look on his face was pure terror.

Jessica looked at her hands like she was seeing them for the first time

"......there was so much blood....her skull was cracked open....I knew she was dead"Jessica continued.

Slowly...a picture was beginning to form in my head.

"No!" I said. Somewhere in my head I knew the truth.But my rational mind refused to accept it.
With all the strength in my body, I screamed Ere's name.

Even to my ears, my voice sounded deafening.
The silence that accompanied my scream was most frightening.

Jessica was still kneeling on the ground as she sobbed away.Ere still stared at her with the terror in his eyes.

They hadn't heard me.

Long Silence.

"Does it make sense now?"

Came the voice of the girl from behind me.

I turned around slowly.

The Girl was standing there smiling with her hands in the pockets of her joggers.

"What's going on......Why can't they hear me?"I asked.

"We're dead....that's why they can't see us" she said simply.

I still had the confused look on my face.

"...Jessica killed you here,exactly a year ago..."the girl continued casually.

"....there was just too much blood"
Jessica was saying.

As the horror on my face mirrored Ere's

"....she wasn't....(sniff)breathing...wasn't moving(sniff)...there was so much blood...I got scared"

Ere reached forward and grabbed her roughly
by her arms

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"he screamed into her face as he shook her like a madman.

Long pause

As In my head I could hear that song again.

"....brown eyes..."

I remembered now.

"I was so scared...(sniff)...so I tied her legs with some concrete blocks I found nearby....(sniff)....and rolled her into the river"Jessica continued

Ere was frozen as he stared at Jessica...there were no words.

Just the sound of crickets,frogs and a distant owl.

"...it has haunted my dreams...(sniff) ever since..  So when you proposed today...of all days...I...couldn't take it...anymore" with that.

Jessica exploded into a series of heavy sobs.

"My God" I said as the girl stood next to me.

"....when I saw you..." The Girl said

"...I thought you knew...but I soon realized you didn't so..."

"..but I felt pain" I said frantically.

"...I can hear things..I ..."

"....sometimes we can feel things..hear things...even taste things..." The Girl said calmly.

I couldn't help but notice how gentle her manner was.

".....but those are just memories...from the life we once had" The Girl continued as we watched the crying Jessica and the traumatized Ere.

The song was still playing in her head.

I remembered it now.

I had my ear phones on that night. The song on repeat playing from my phone while I'd waited for him to show up.

I'd taken off my ear piece to talk to Jessica.

Once I was done talking, I turned to face the river again but not before putting my ear phones back on.

It was in that moment that she had hit me....it was in that moment I had died.

It was the last song I'd heard in the last place I'd known happiness.

"....most ghosts I've met don't even realize they're dead.." The Girl was saying



"....so ...what happens now...?" I asked still staring at Ere.

It hurt me to see him scared. I barely even thought of Jessica....my Murderer.

"....I think your Ghost stuck around just to say good bye to him...I'm guessing the moment he engaged her...it woke you somehow...." The Girl said.

I just stood there,transfixed.

I suddenly knew what I had to do.

Ere was crying.

"You need to let him go...." the girl continued.

"...you need to forgive him for what he did to you...otherwise, your soul will never rest."

Long pause

I went to him....and knelt down in front of him.I could still hear the night sounds around me and Jessica's whimpering behind me.
It hurt me to see him cry.

There I was hating him all this time, maybe in death, I was still a fool,maybe in death I still didn't know what was good for me.

But I didn't want to hate him any more.

I loved him too much.

"I forgive you" I whispered looking into his beautiful brown eyes.

 I didn't even bother looking in Jessica's direction.

There was no point.

"So what happens now?" I asked  The Girl.

 But even as I did, I felt myself....fading away.

It was a peaceful feeling...like being welcomed home.

"So....how come...you're still here?" I asked her as the peaceful feeling overwhelmed me.

The Girl Shrugged and said.

"...I was raped and killed on this road many years ago....I guess I'm waiting to look my murderers in the eye one day...."She said simply.

Then she gave me a lovin"....Rest in Peace dear"

Then I faded away...completely.

LIFE IS A CHOICE MY FRIEND
SO CHOOSE WISELY
ENOUGH SAID





for more stories, please checkout my blog
opustjkwrites..com

It was 5AM.

Ike walked briskly towards the Pastor's house that morning.
Five times that week had tried catching the Man of God at home, with no success.

This time was going to be different, he thought. He had woken up two hours earlier than usual.

His wife had already given him an earful that morning.

"Are you not a man?" she had screamed at him in the bedroom.

Are you his tenant or landlord??.....biko. go and be a man"

So there he was, on the way to Pastor Bosco's one bedroom to collect the rent.





Pastor Bosco was getting ready to leave the house. So far he had managed to avoid his persistent money-hungry landlord for the past week.
What is this world coming to? he thought.
No one respected the anointing any more.
He hated the fact that he had to run around like some common beggar, but desperate times called for desperate measures.


As he put on his new white suit, he checked his phone.

He had over Nineteen missed calls from his landlord. another Twenty-Seven from Sister Abigail.....he frowned at this...So what if he had'nt paid for the suit he bought from her. Didn't people know it was good to sow into the life of a prophet? Nawa!!

As he headed for the front door, he caught a glimpse of Ike approaching his house.

"The devil is a liar" he whispered under his breath.

How could he be awake this early?The pastor thought.

He had to think of something....fast.

The rent was five months due and his Money-Grabbing Ikwerre landlord seemed out for blood.

Then the pastor had an idea as he unlocked the front door.




Ike stood outside the door. The morning was cold and he hated himself for not bringing his inhaler.
Hopefully this meeting wasn't going to be that long, he thought as he knocked.


At first there was no response from the inside.

Had he already left? Ike thought to himself.

He knocked again.

Still no answer.

"Man of God!!" he called out.

"God bless you my brother" he heard the Pastor's voice say. Please come in the door is open."

Ike opened the door and stepped into the sparcely furnished one bedroom flat.

Pastor Bosco was on his knees ....with his eyes closed.

".....I've been calling your phone...." Ike began

"shhhh" whispered the Pastor as he maintained his prayer posture.

"oh" Ike said as he respectfully kept his distance allowing the Man of God to pray.

"....and dear Lord,..."Pastor Bosco was praying

"..........let this vision you have shown me concerning Ike and his wife not come to pass....."

At this, Ike was taken aback.

What vision? he wondered.

".......I come against the spirit of death in his family......".

There was instant fear on Ike's face.Death ke?

Pastor Bosco continued praying;

"....and I cancel the love of money in his heart in Jesus Name!!!"

Ike just stood there silently. His mind was in a thousand places at once. Death in his family? thought to himself.
How can that be?

"Say Amen!!!!" Pastor Bosco suddenly commanded.

.".....Uh.....Amen!!!" Ike declared awkwardly.

With that, Pastor Bosco got up from the floor,...dusting his knees.

"Man of God....w-what Vision did you see?" Ike asked fearfully.He wasn't one to take prophecies and visions lightly

"The love of Money is the root of all evils" the Pastor declared, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Which love .....I don't love money o" Ike began defensively.

"Then why are you here this early......Did you even pray this morning?" the Pastor demanded.

Ike was confused.

Of course he hadn't prayed before leaving the house that morning but he didn't think it mattered.

"Man of God....I didn't ......." he hated how awkward his voice sounded.

"MY FRIEND, KNEEL DOWN AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS ...NOW!!!!" The Pastor commanded.

Ike went down on his knees faster than gravity could make him.

He quickly clasped his fingers together and closed his eyes. He believed Pastor Bosco was truly a man of God.....despite his inability to pay rent.

"Oh Lord,...." The Pastor was praying.

" Forgive this sinner for loving money....and also forgive him for not sowing a seed into the life of your prophet"

Ike felt terrible he realized he hadn't thought about doing that for a while now. He was so concerned with the rent that he never considered it.

His wife had pushed him to do this. He thought to himself.

"....SAY AMEN!!!!"the Pastor ordered again.

"AMEN!!!" Ike declared.

" ...and protect him from the evil that is coming because of his love of money"

At this Ike opened his eyes to stare up at the Man of God.

"Biko,...which evil"he asked fearfully.

"CLOSE YA EYES.......SAY AMEN"

"Amen-Amen-Amen" Ike ranted.

"It is finished..." Pastor Bosco said calmly.

"...go and sin no more" the Pastor concluded

Ike rose from his feet grateful for whatever calamity. The Man of God had seen and prevented.

But he was still curious.

"Pastor....what was the vision you saw?"

Pastor Bosco stared at him for a few seconds .

"You and your wife are to fast for forty days,....and you must sow a very painful financial seed into the life of a prophet"the Pastor said simply as he started to make for the door.

Ike was speechless.
Was the Vision that bad? he wondered.

"Please,...I have to go out...it is because of you I am leaving my house this early..because, I have to go and pray for you at the altar...the situation is serious" the Pastor said as he fumbled for his keys.

"Jesus!!!" Ike said putting his hands on his head.

" DON'T TAKE HIS NAME IN VAIN!!!!" the Pastor barked.

"Oh, sorry..Dear Lord forgive me" Ike said staring at the ceiling.

"You need to start fasting...IMMEDIATELY"The Man of God warned with a threatening finger.

"Okay-okay" Ike said submissively as he still had his hands on his head.

"....And make sure you pay the money into my....I mean,... the prophet's account......Have you paid your tithe this month" the Pastor Asked.

"No...I haven't... I will..."
"Mtcheeeewww!!!" went the Pastor in disgust

"Foolish man!!!....and I'm praying for you?....." the Pastor was shaking his head.

" Pastor, I will pay it...I...."

"Do you have it here with you?" The Pastor demanded.

"....no"Ike said hesitantly.

Long pause as the Pastor glared at him.

"Dear Lord....forgive them,....they know not what they do?" The Pastor declared with his hands in the air.

"SAY AMEN!!!!"

"....Amen-amen-amen!!!"Ike ranted again.

"Pay the tithe into my...I mean,..the Prophet's account...and don't come to my house again until after the forty days of DRY fasting...understand me"

"But Man of God....dry fasting...I don't..."

"DO YOU WANT YOUR DELIVERANCE?"the Pastor yelled.

"Yes I do...yes I do"

"Then obey my Anointing.....See you in forty days" the Pastor said, leading him out of the house.



Minutes after the Pastor had left, Ike just stood there watching him go.

Forty days of dry fasting. He thought.

"Sha with God all things are possible" he said out loud.
Pastor Bosco is truly a man of God. He concluded.


As soon as Ike got home,his wife accosted him at the door.
"Where's the money??,...did he pay??....is he going to leave the house?" her questions were coming in fast and without pause.

"The love of money is the root of all evils" he said waving and accusatory finger at her.

Agnes had a puzzled look on her face.

"What are you saying?......You went out to get money...and came back with scriptures..what's wrong with you?"

"My dear, you won't keep me from my salvation" Ike declared as he walked towards the bedroom.


"Salvation ke?" Agnes asked still puzzled.

He stopped and turned around.

"We are Dry fasting for Forty-days and Forty-nights....If you don't want your deliverance,...don't join me" he said flatly and went into the bedroom.

Agnes just stood in the center of the living room clearly confused.

"Deliverance?....dry-fasting?....is my husband well at all?" she asked out loud.


Pastor Bosco stood at the bus stop.

He had to get to the church...he was late.He thought to himself.

He had exactly Ten Naira in his wallet.In this fuel crisis, the trip to his church would cost at least One Hundred and Fifty Naira.

Suddenly, he had a Idea.


to be continued.....


MORE STORIES ON www.opustjkwrites..com

He splashed some more water on his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror.His eyes were red and he wasn't certain if the ringing in his ears was coming from the muffled sounds of the nightclub upstairs or from inside his head.

The alcohol in his system was raging.
He could feel it's heat surging through him like liquid fire.

He had to keep it together.He thought to himself.

"She's here because of you"Damiete whispered to his reflection.



"Arguably the most beautiful Girl you've ever met is out there on the dance floor waiting for you...so.pull it together"he commanded his slightly disheveled self in the mirror.

The bathroom door swung open bringing in a loud blast of music from the club upstairs.
The sound was muffled again as the door swung shut.

"Are you high?"Obinna asked from behind him.

Damiete just stared at his best friend in silence.

"You need to pull it together...Kadilo is waiting for you upstairs"Obinna said with a sigh.

"So I keep telling myself."he said as he splashed some more water on his face.

"ZPF has won the elections my brother"Obinna said grabbing his shoulders.

"KOLLUPIA is ours....your cousin is President"he said giving him a slight shove.

"I almost can't believe it myself"Damiete said as the door swung open again.More loud music came in.
"ZPF!"a stocky man exclaimed as he shook Obinna's hand.

"Yes o!"Obinna said jubilantly.

The stocky man gave Damiete a silent nod and entered one of the cubicles.
"You see?"Obinna said.
"We're supposed to be celeberating... there's enough alcohol upstairs to keep us high for a month..."Obinna was being overly dramatic as he usually was with his wild gestures.

"....Kadilo wants you menh!"he said just as the sound of flushing was accompanied by the stocky man exiting the cubicle.




"So how's it going with Ebi?"Damiete asked just as the door swung open and another momentary blast came in.

"My brother, I can not kill myself....I have begged and begged"Obinna said with an air of discomfort.

"You cheated,you should beg....it's that simple"Damiete said flatly as he turned around to face him.

He was feeling less intoxicated.The water had helped.

"Yes...yes yes I know,but for how long?" Obinna asked as he came over to the sink.

"I mean how long does a guy have to beg his girlfriend after she catches him with another girl?"

"Obinna....she caught you with a prostitute"Damiete said calmly.

Obinna rolled his eyes.This was clearly a conversation he'd heard one too many times.

"Abeg, as citizens of the Federal Republic of KOLLUPIA, can we exercise our constitutional right to clubbing and leave gist that won't put women in our beds this night?"

Damiete was about to say something but thought better of it.
Obinna was right,it was a night to celebrate.

They headed back to the upstairs.

The music was really loud and the place was packed full.Thick waves of cigarette smoke floated about like misty phantoms in the crowded club.
The Dj was mixing up a storm.
All around them,bodies were pressed up against each other like sardines in a can.I guess everyone's glad there was a violence-free election he thought.

The mountain sized bouncer tapped a button on the steel door to the VIP section.The door itself was was about 12 inches thick. It had been constructed to look like part of the wall.It had no outer door handle. As always the green light came on which told the bouncer on the other side of the door that it was okay to open it.

Damiete always thought it was a cool system to see in action.It was to ensure that not just ANYONE could gain access into the VIP section.It was another reminder that Kollupia was changing.
With new investors and all, modern technology was fast becoming an everyday thing.

The inside of the VIP section had it's own bar and rest room.It was big enough to fit in about 15 people. Though on that night, it had just Ten people.Including the bouncer,a bar tender and a very busty waitress.The room had tiny thick tinted glass windows one could use to peek into the rest of the club.
It had its own central cooling system.
Damiete often wondered what would happen if a fire broke out in there.

By the time they got into the VIP section, Damiete felt a small knot in his stomach when he saw Kadilo.
She was dancing with Ebi.She looked like a music video vixen come to life. Damiete couldn't believe she'd decided to come out on a date with him that night.

She was just stunning.

When she saw him, she threw him a naughty smile as she pressed herself against Ebi suggestively.

She knew he liked watching her.

Ebi threw Obinna a small glare but kept on dancing.
Damiete was about to order for another bottle of champagne.He had turned his head around to look for the closest waitress......

...........when the music stopped.




At first everyone thought it was just 'DJ trick'.
All braced themselves for the music to return.

Murmuring began as the crowd turned towards the DJ.

But the light skinned tattooed DJ wasn't even paying attention to the crowd.He had taken off his head phones and seemed to be straining his ears to hear something.....from outside.

Damiete would remember this moment for the rest of his life.Because from that moment,his life as he knew it was over.

It was in that moment he heard the first gun shots.

Everyone else heard them too.

In a city like Pride-land, the occasional gunshots were a norm.But continuous automatic gun fire on the night following the release of the Presidential Election results wasn't normal.....it was a crisis.
"What's going on?" he heard Ebi asked as she and the rest of the VIP room came to peek through the windows.

That's when it happened .

The front door to the club exploded in wards in a sudden blast of fire, shattered glass and smoke. The Bouncer by the door was thrown into the crowd like a rag doll.

More gunshots outside.

A tsunami of panic swept across the club, as people started screaming and running blindly in all directions.

Several girls rushed to the VIP door.
Damiete could hear them beating their hands and fists against the metal on the other side.

"Joe...open the door..open the door" came the frightened voice of who Damiete assumed was the bouncer on the other side.

As the mountain sized Joe rushed to open it,
"Don't open the door came a voice from behind them. They turned to see Opuwari on his feet by the bar pointing an authoritative finger at the bouncer.

The large man stopped, staring at his employer questionably.

More screams and muffled gunshots outside.

"but sir......" Joe began.

"I said, do not open that door!"Opuwari ordered with a stern and somewhat frightened look on his face.
"....JOE....wetin dey worry you? open this door" came the frightened muffled male voice from the other side.

The male voice was drowned in the sea of screams from outside.
Damiete watched the DJ hurriedly locked himself inside his cubicle and hid behind some Speakers

"Jesus!" obinna exclaimed.

That was when he saw them.

The first one stepped in through the torn up door, wielding what looked like an AK 47 Assault Rifle.
He was bare chested wearing bullet chain across his shoulders, then another entered the club, then another...soon Damiete lost count as they all trooped in with their rifles pointed at the terrified crowd.

More screams.

The constant muffled screams and thumping outside the door was frantic

".....open this door!!!!"

Then the gun men opened fire.

Loud blasts rang through the air as bullets tore into people.
Damiete watched a girl's head literally explode as it was caught by a round of gun fire.

"Jesus" the waitress by kadilo exclaimed.

"Everybody get down!!!!" Damiete screamed. But his order came a split second late.

Obinna was suddenly thrown backwards.
The back of his head erupted with a thick spray of blood that splattered across the adjacent wall and .......on Kadilo.

Damiete watched almost in slow motion as his best friend's body violently crashed into a nearby table sending champagne bottles and glasses flying in all directions.

Kadilo began to scream!!!!

But her scream was cut short as Damiete threw the whole weight of his body on her, dragging her to the floor as more bullets cut through the air.

The busty waitress was hit in the chest by an AkA 47 round.
She died instantly.

The remaining eight people inside the VIP lounge flung themselves to the floor amidst the sounds of terrified screams, gunshots and muffled thumping against a steel door.

This went on for at least another two minutes or so.

Then it stopped.

Long silence.

Sounds of distant gunshots.

Damiete couldn't tell if it was Kadilo's body that was trembling.....or his. Her screams had become whimpers as the commotion outside died down.

The entire occupants of the VIP lounge were huddled on the floor ....frozen as if they all held their breaths.

"RPA!!!!" came a loud male voice from what used to be the dance floor.

Then came a series of chants from at least Fifteen other male voices in unison
"Gbosa....Gbosa...Gbosa!!!!!"

"ZPF will never rule this country" another Male voice declared.

"Check them" the Voice ordered.

Sounds of heavy footfalls followed.


Damiete's chest was pounding as the foot steps continued.He had a scary thought in his head and prayed to God he was wrong.

"please...." came a the weakened voice from the dance floor.

"YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE?" came a hoarse Male Voice.

"Please...please...."it was impossible to tell if the voice were male or female.
But the fear in the tone was glaring.
.
There was a metallic clicking sound,...........and then the deafening roar of a Gunshot.

Silence.

For another two minutes or so, they listened in horror as the gun men checked to make sure everyone on the dance floor was dead.

Another Gunshot.

"Please,,....please don't......."came a female voice.

Sound of fabric tearing.

The female voice screams.

Hoarse Male laughter.

More fabric tearing.

More Screams.

This went on for another 15 minutes or so.......then......... there was another gun shot.
the female voice was silent.....
............forever.

In the distance, Damiete could still hear the faint sounds of screams, gunshots and explosions.
It seemed the world outside was in chaos.

He caught sight of Obinna's motionless body.
The eyes of his best friend were still open,as the blood slowly oozed out the back of his head.


More gunshots from the dance floor.

"Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God" Kadilo was muttering under her breath as the tremors in her body continued. She was shaking so hard he had to hold her tight.

For a long time, the Gun men seemed to be "checking" the bodies.
Then there were sounds of bottles being put in bags, as they helped themselves to liquor.

Damiete felt a sudden warmth oozing from the seat of Kadilo's pants.

At first he thought she was bleeding,......but the smell proved otherwise.
"Oh my God-Oh My God" she was still muttering under her breath oblivious to her bladder.

The eight people remained huddled inside the VIP lounge with the smell of blood,urine and smoke as the Gun Men outside searched the bodies of the dead.

More distant gun shots and screams

Then the club generators went off.
Apparently, the machine was being dismantled.


Then all was silent.





"Have they gone?" someone whispered in the darkness.

"I can't hear anything" another male voice whispered.

Kadilo's body was still trembling in his arms. He could still hear her muttering.

He wondered where Ebi was.

In the confusion he had lost track of her.
"Ebi!!!"

No response to his whisper came.

"Ebi!!"

"...I'm....I'm here" came a voice that was more or less a whimper in the darkness.

"Is....Obinna.....?"her shaky voice asked.

Damiete tried very hard to blurt out the image of his best friend lying there with a bullet hole in his head.
He tried to blurt out the sounds and things he'd seen in the past few hours.But they refused to go away.
They would forever remain tattooed to his subconscious mind for the rest of his life.

More distant gun shots and car tires screeching.

"Are you okay?"he whispered into kadilo's ear.But her tremor filled body could only mutter;
"Oh my God...Oh my God"

"Kadilo!!:" he whispered again.

More muttering

She's in shock. he thought.

"We have to call the police" Opuwari's voice said frantically.

The light from his phone pierced through the darkness.

"Jesus!.....no signal"the panic in his voice was rising

"Does anyone have a signal on their phone?"
"Keep your voice down" Damiete hushed.He didn't like letting go of Kadilo, But he had to reach for his phone.

His fingers were sticky and smelled weird. He honestly didn't want to know what it was.
There was no signal on his phone either.

This was the same with everyone else.


For a long time they all just lay there in silence.What was going on?Damiete thought.


Three hours later.

The sun was coming up.

They managed to pull the door open, and stepped into the dance floor.


It was a hellish scene before them.


Bodies were strewn all over the place.
Some were so badly torn up by bullets,it seemed impossible to identify them.

There were pools of blood everywhere.
He felt Kadilo's grip on his arm.....it was almost painful as they....cautiously stepped through a slaughter house of human corpses.

Bullet holes in the walls,
Hundreds of Shell-Casings on the floor.
Damiete took Kadilo's hand as they stepped over the naked dead body of a young girl.

She had a single gunshot wound to the head.

Kadilo seemed to be in a world of her own as she continued muttering to herself.
She gripped his hand tightly as they walked.
"could you make her shut up please...she's making me nervous." Opuwari said as he almost tripped over a dead body.

Damiete ignored him. His thoughts went back to his friend Obinna.

This had to be a nightmare, he thought.

Outside.

There were burning cars, bodies riddled with bullet holes and machete cuts.Some of the bodies were still burning.

Most of the buildings on the street were on fire. Some of the gates had been.....smashed into.

"What the hell was going on?" He heard one of the girls from behind ask.

Damiete swallowed a small lump in his throat and turned to the rest of the group and said;

"I don't know whats going on,.......but whatever it is, we have to some how find our families,.....and survive this..I think our country is at War...!!!!"

to be continued

more stories on www.opustjkwrites..com

PHONE RINGING

RINGING.........

CALL CONNECTS!!!

BOMA* Hello ....hello??

STATIC.......

BOMA* Hello?......can you hear me?

MAN* .....(clears throat) Yes....hello?...I can hear you!!!!

BOMA*I received an sms from this number,saying something about a job....

MAN* (static).....yes? we want you to come for the Interview

BOMA*Interview........?......what's the name of your company sir?

MAN*..........The Nigerian Oil Company.......

BOMA* ....Hello?...please can you repeat that....?

MAN*.............The Nigerian Oil Company .....We do everything Oil and gas.....our head office is in London


BOMA* .....Sorry sir.....but I don't recall sending you my resume.....hello?

MAN* Well,...the job is your own..If you don't want it,We can give another person....!!

BOMA*(static).....can you tell me the position I applied for because I can't remember sir.

MAN* All dis ya questioning .....when you are ready for this Job....tell us.We will arrange for your interview......(static)

BOMA*This network is terrible.Sir, when is the interview?

MAN*You will tell...........us when you are ready for interview .

BOMA*....(Pauses)....can I come to your office?what's the address?

MAN* No 25........Razza Avenue.

BOMA* Okay....but its far oh!can I come tomorrow?

MAN* No .....Probs.We will .....be expecting you by 9am.

CLICK!!! line disconnects.

Boma sits in the silence of his room.He could barely contain the excitement growing inside him.Was this it?He thought to himself..After five years of leaving NYSC,was this his first job?? Was this the end of unemployment for him?It had to be.He thought.....It had to be .

He quickly checked his credit balance.Through the severely CRACKED screen of the old Sony Erikson,he saw;.....N89.50.

He frowned at the figure.In this harsh financial climate, he had to be prudent.He would need credit on the way to the interview the next day.
He scrolled through his phone searching for Tunde's number.

He dialed the number and listened ......he let it ring twice.Then ended the call.
He repeated this process about three more times.Then waited.

He was about to try it again,when Tunde called back.
Boma answered the call

TUNDE* ....Hello..?....flash-flash...nawa oh!

BOMA*bros....cool down!...You know my condition....!

TUNDE*(chuckles)......I know jor.What's up?

BOMA* You're at work ba?.....I think I might have a job oh!!!!

TUNDE*.Yes I am!!....Really....congrats!!!! where?

BOMA* One oil company !The interview's tomorrow.And I didn't even send a resume.That's God's favour oh!!

TUNDE* Wow...that's awesome!....and a little odd. what's the name of the Company?I'm sure it'll be on our data base since All the Oil companies in Nigeria are registered with my firm.

BOMA*The Nigerian Oil Company.....

TUNDE*...I'm online now let me check. .........

Long Pause

TUNDE*.......hmmmm.....its not here oh!....are you sure its the right name? It should be here na!!!

BOMA* ....Check..It should be......!!!

TUNDE* Okay give me the number let me call them.Text it to me.

BOMA*Okay...

LINE DISCONNECTS.

He texted the number to Tunde and waited.

The excitement on Boma's face had died off.Why did I even call him sef?Boma thought to himself. Tunde was clearly an enemy of progress.The last thing he needed was discouragement from someone who was chilling in a comfortable office, talking rubbish.
Mtcheeeeeew!!!

Tunde was calling back now.
To be honest,Boma didn't want to answer the call.He didn't need more discouragement.

Phone kept on RINGING as he continued staring at the cracked screen.

What the hell.He thought.
With a long sigh, he answered.

TUNDE*..hello? Boma....I think those people are fraudsters oh.I called and they told me that it was a hair dressing saloon.....And the fact that they are not listed on our data base is .....fishy.....I don't think you should go anywhere tomorrow.

BOMA*.....well I'm going for the interview tomorrow ...I'm tired of being jobless.

TUNDE*. Did you hear what I said?It's not listed on our data base.I think these are fraudsters........

BOMA*Please....abeg. what would Fraudsters want from me?....do I have money?You know what.....sorry I bothered you.I just thought I should share the good news with someone I "assumed" was my friend.Once I start my new job,.....you will hear about it.Good day.

TUNDE*Please Boma,don't misunderstand me.I...

LINE DISCONNECTS

Boma smiled at himself. He knew his time to shine had come.People like Tunde would be sorry for discouraging him.

The Phone was RINGING again.At first he assumed it was Tunde again.But a quick glance told him it wasn't.

He hurriedly answered the call.

BOMA* Hey, baby

PATRICIA* What's up ?

BOMA* babe,.guess what?? I have a job in an oil company

PATRICIA*(excited)....really? (screams)aaaaaaah!!!!.....but wait...are you serious??hope its not a joke?

BOMA*No its not a joke....its for real oh!!!

PATRICIA* hmmm, So is it mobil or Total.....how much is the pay?

BOMA*....the name of the Company is The Nigerian Oil Company.............and we wont discuss pay until after the interview tomorrow.

PATRICIA* Hian!!!! I've never heard that one before oh!....The interview is tomorrowbut I thought you said you've gotten the job already?hmmmmm!!!

BOMA*Don't worry my love, the job is mine.

PATRICIA*It had better be oh!!! Come June this year,if you're still jobless and broke,I'm leaving.I can't remain with a poor man when so many rich boys are on my case biko.I want to marry by the end of this year....so hurry up!!!!

BOMA*Please my love, don't worry.I will make money for us.

PATRICIA*.....Please do oh!!! I've given you more than enough time.Four months....have I not triedAnyway,....good luck.

BOMA*I love you baby.

PATRICIA*Take care.


LINE DISCONNECTS

I can't lose her. Boma thought to himself.I need to get this job


The next day while Boma was leaving the house,He received an sms from Tunde.

"my dear friend, I wish you all the best today.But I would strongly advice that you reconsider.Something about this whole setup sounds fishy....Please, be careful."

Can you imagine the rubbish. Boma thought as he got into a cab.He was soon going to be an "Oil boy".The idea excited him.

Boma left for this "interview" over a year ago.He has never been seen or heard from again.His number till this day still can't be reached.No one knows what happened to him.....or if he is still alive.
There are no records of any company known as The Nigerian Oil Company.The phone number connected to this fictitious organization remains......UNAVAILABLE till this day.





Life is a choice my friend
So choose wisely
Enough said


www,opustjkwrites..com

There was blood every where;On the carpet,across the overturned couch,on the shattered TV screen and even on the walls

Most of the furniture were either ripped, torn,broken or shattered.
.
By the fragments of center table was a bloodied severed finger.

It all seemed so unreal. Collins thought.
Nothing about what he was seeing made any sense.He'd had lunch and dinner in this flat many times before.
He fought back the urge to throw up. As a medical doctor, he had seen his fair share of blood and severed limbs.But this was different.He thought.
This used to be a home.Now.......... it was a slaughter house


On the far side of the wall was a picture of Chidi and Ngozi.They were holding hands and staring into each other's eyes.They both had smiles on their faces.

Collins watched as the Police carried their bloodied bodies out of the flat.

What had happened?He pondered as more Policemen entered the flat.


"Excuse me"he heard a Male Voice say.
He turned to see a very tall Police man.

"Oh!.....sorry" Collins said as he stepped aside to let the man pass.

The other smallish Inspector Obuke said something to him.

But Collins' mind was too caught up in the horror of what he was seeing.

"Sir...?" The Inspector called out.

"Oh!....sorry"Collins responded.

The Inspector had a small writing pad in his hand as he asked again;
"How long were they married?".He had a calm and strangely kind voice for one in the Nigerian Law enforcement.

"They weren't married....." Collins replied in a small voice.

At this, the Inspector had a small expression of surprise.....but said nothing.

".....They only just got engaged about three days ago" Collins Concluded.

Collins remembered how excited Ngozi had been when she first showed him her engagement ring.It was a very beautiful ring....and looked expensive.

"Nothing is too much for her"Chidi had proudly declared that day, as he stood beside Ngozi.
They really looked good together.Collins thought.

They were the sort of couple that literally couldn't keep their hands off each other.They truly loved each other and it showed.

As far as he knew, they never had any major issues...or was that a lie?
Collins had met Chidi at a Doctor's conference a few months ago.They had been very close ever since.
When Collins met Ngozi, he finally understood why Chidi had been going on and on about her. She was beautiful, kind and full of life.

But Collins had noticed something in her eyes that day when she showed him the ring.It was a distant look,as if she were slightly troubled.

Ngozi was the kind of woman who always had something to joke about.She seemed not to have a troubled bone in her body.

"Are you okay?" he had asked her just as Chidi returned to the car.

He and Ngozi had become close in the past few months. She had confided in him a few times over stuff that was bugging her.
But it wasn't anything major, just stuff like how she wished Chidi wouldn't snore so loud or how he forgot to help her do the dishes.Stuff like that.She had loved and adored Chidi.

"Yes....i'm fine"she had said looking over her shoulder.And there it was again.That same troubled look.
Where they having problems? he had wondered.

"...just been feeling funny ever since I put the ring on....it's weird.......maybe it's just the excitement"she concluded with a shrug.

THAT was three days ago.

He continued to stare at the ripped and torn up bodies of his friends.There was so much blood, it was impossible to identify the extent of the wounds from which they had come.

Ngozi's partially nude body just lay there in the yard as neighbors stood watching with horror and disbelief in their eyes.

Chidi's throat wound was peculiarly disturbing.It was obviously not caused by a knife,like the ones on the rest of his body.His Adam's apple looked like it had been bitten and..... torn off.

"What do you think happened sir?" Collins asked as the smallish inspector scribbled into his small note pad.

"....well...." the inspector began.

"neighbors claimed they heard loud crashing sounds and screaming coming from the house early this morning"the Inspector said staring at the bloodied bodies.

".....they claimed this went on for about twenty or thirty minutes....people heard Chidi screaming;'TAKE OFF THE RING!TAKE OF THE RING!!....and then..."the Inspector had a puzzled look on his face.

".....this is where it gets a bit strange.....they claimed to hear a strange laughter,....and a second deep,....VERY DEEP male voice....that wasn't speaking English" the Inspector said shaking his head with that same puzzled look.

"For now....." the Inspector continued after a long silence.
"It seemed...these two had a serious fight.....and literally tore each other to pieces....the male voice and the laughter...might have been the TV....but we're not sure" the Inspector concluded.

Sad.
Collins thought.
They would never walk down the aisle.
Then a thought struck him.

"Did any one find her engagement ring?"




Corporal Eteh spotted something bright and shiny by the shattered center piece table.It was a ring.....a very beautiful ring.At a glance, he knew it was expensive.He walked towards it, stepping over a large patch of blood on the carpet.

He looked around.No one seemed to be watching him.All around him the other police officers seemed almost oblivious to his presence.He casually bent down, picked up the slightly bloodied ring, and put it in his pocket.

"Has anybody seen a ring?" the Inspector asked peeking into the flat.

Corporal Eteh simply shook his head and said;
"No!!!"




TUESDAY MORNING 11:23AM
Corporal Eteh had woken up that morning with heavy beads of sweat on his body.He had never been so terrified of a dream in his life.

Strange thing was, he couldn't remember the details of the dream.
Though the terror of the dream lingered, the desire to make money was greater.

Now he was on his way to the small Gold market in Port Harcourt.


He had decided to go out in plain clothes.He couldn't risk being spotted around the small Hausa settlement by one of his Ogas in his Uniform.

As he walked past the shops, several "Gold" Mallams called out to him.

"Oga...you want buy gold?.....Na silver?" They called.
But Corporal Eteh ignored them. He was heading to his "customer".

Two minutes later, he was seated across from Mallam Abu inside his shop as the Grey haired lanky man examined the ring with a great degree of interest.

Corporal Eteh sat expectantly, waiting for "the verdict".
Mallam Abu was silent as he continued to examine the ring.

"......na wetin stain am for here?"the Mallam asked still staring at the ring.

Corporal Eteh swallowed a small lump in his throat.He had forgotten to clean it.

"..it.. is oil " he lied.

Mallam Abu 'eyed' him silently for a few seconds. Then returned to the ring.He weighed it,scratched at it then finally.Typed some figures into his calculator.

".....dis one na Portee Tasand naira" Mallam Abu said casually.

Corporal Eteh had his heart in mouth.At that point in his life Forty Thousand Naira was like a Million Naira.

He didn't even bother to haggle.

"Mbok, please just give it to me" he said gratefully.
He collected the money and left.



WENSDAY AFTERNOON 2:34PM

There was a lot of traffic in D-Line.
Darego turned up the air conditioner.The heat in Port Harcourt that day was just WRONG.
The AC barely managed to keep the car's interior humid.

He loosened up his tie, to allow the cool air access to his damp skin.But it wasn't just the heat and the traffic that made him uncomfortable.

Today is the day.
He was finally going to do it.He thought as he turned into Kaduna Street.

His phone rang, he stared at the screen.

"BAE" read the caller ID

He smiled delightfully, then answered the call.

"Hey babes!" he said.

"hey baby.... " Iris responded in her usual sing-song manner.

"So whats up?" he asked as he checked around for any Federal Road Safety Officials lurking about.
He knew he'd have to get off the phone soon.

"...which one is 'whats up'....can't I just call and check on my awesome boyfriend?" she responded with a lot of humor in her voice.

Darego chuckled lightly then said;

"...Okay o....sorry...just a little distracted that's all"

"hmmmm...what are you up to?" she asked

"You know what....?" he said looking about.

"I'm driving,...lemme call you back......we're still on for tonight right?"

"Oh...ok...of course we are....bye love."she went
.
"Bye love" he said. Then he hung up.

Now all he needed was a good place to park.He was already at the Gold market.

As he walked past the Shops his heart was racing.Was I really ready for this? he thought to himself as he ignored the small gang of Mallams asking if he wanted to buy gold.

He had been told to be sure he was SURE, before going ahead with this step.
As he stepped into Mallam Abu's shop,
He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Iris.
He was sure.

As Mallam Abu showed him his collection of gold rings,Darego suddenly wished he had taken his best friend's advice to buy from Dubai instead. There was really nothing nice to look at. They all essentially looked the same....they all looked regular.Iris was no regular girl,she deserved something spectacular.....something.....special.
But it was clear he wouldn't find that here.He felt bad. He really had it all planned for that day.Well....he thought as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Wait!'' Mallam Abu said with a sharp hand gesture.
Darego halted as Mallam Abu reached into his lower drawer and brought out a small box. Darego stared at him curiously as the Mallam opened the box.

What Darego saw amazed him.He was looking at the most beautiful ring he had ever seen. The weird thing was,it didn't have any elaborate designs on it or anything, it just seemed to ....GLOW in an unnatural way like something out of a fantasy movie.It was just awesome to behold.

At that point, Darego didn't care how much the ring would cost. If he had to sell his car to buy it he would in a blink.
This was Iris' ring. Period.

"How much?" Darego asked.

The Mallam had an uncomfortable look on his face.

"......bring Piptee Tasand Naira" the Mallam said nervously.

Long Pause.

Darego didn't know a lot about gold but he knew enough to know that the ring cost way more than

Fifty Thousand Naira.
"...but is it real gold?" Darego asked. Clearly mesmerized by the small piece of jewelry.
Mallam Abu seemed very nervous.

"Oga....." The Mallam began.

".....dis reeng get bad spirit..."

"....but is it real real gold?"Darego cut him off.Every thing else the Mallam was saying was Hebrew as far as he was concerned.

The Mallam eyed him in silence.

Then he nodded.

Darego had one of Iris' old rings with him.He gave to Mallam Abu to confirm if they were the same size.

He held his breath as Mallam Abu checked.

After a brief silence, the Mallam nodded again.

Darego was thrilled. His initial budget was Sixty Thousand Naira.So imagine his luck.This was definitely a sign.He thought.

Darego quickly brought out his wallet and counted the money.He was so thrilled that he had saved Ten Thousand Naira.

As he handed Mallam Abu the money and collected the ring, he smiled at his good fortune.

He stepped out of the Shop looking like a man who had just won the lottery.





Mallam Abu was grateful the ring was gone..........It carried a bad spirit with it.





WEDNESDAY 8:15PM
Dinner was fantastic. Iris had out done herself self once again.And he could feel the red wine flowing through him.
She was such a good cook,he thought as he stared at her smallish figure returning the dishes to the Kitchen.
She was also a very beautiful woman.He sat on the dinning table thanking God for his good fortune.
He was happy, he couldn't have asked for a better woman.
He took a deep breath and exhaled.

The moment had come.

He really wasn't sure what she would say. With Iris, one could never be certain. She was unpredictable like that. It was one of the things he loved about her.

She was perfect.He thought.

He reached into his pocket to feel the small black box.Was he ready for this?He asked himself.Was he ready to spend his life with her?

"Wow!" Iris Exclaimed as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Bae!.....I am so tired....this NYSC should end jor" she said collapsing into a seat next to him on the dinning table.

"It's just two months and you'll be done....why are you so impatient?"he said stroking the back of her head.
She had very long beautiful black hair.

It had been the first compliment he paid her when they first met.

"I also have an inability to speak any other language aside from English....but if the hair works for...you, then I guess it's okay" She had said that day.

They both laughed lightly at this.
The chemistry between them was instant.In a snap he was smitten by her.He had remained smitten ever since.

"So...should we watch a movie......?"she asked standing up.

"We haven't finished Season 4 of GAME OF THRONES..and I think...."

"I don't think we will see a movie"Darego said calmly as he got down on one knee and brought out the small box.

"What are you...?Iris began.But Like most women, whose lover suddenly goes down on one knee and pops out a small black, she froze.

"OH,MY GOD!!!!"she exclaimed when she saw the ring and heard the words;
"Will you marry me?"

Time Froze in Iris' head.
It felt like her heart had literally stopped.
Of course she had hoped for this moment even before their first kiss.
She loved Darego the way she had never loved any man.
He was perfect in every way.She had dreamed of this day for so long. Now it was here, she didn't know what to do, what to say.It was like being struck by lightening.
BAM!
You're hit and you have no idea where it came from.
She put her hands to her face in the classic "blushing bride" expression.

She must have stared at him for almost a minute.It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen and the way it glowed was another matter.

"Em....." Darego began as he continued staring up at her.

"....I think this is the part where you're supposed to say something."he said cautiously.

"Oh!" Iris went as if realizing where she was for the first time.

"OF COURSE, YES " she exclaimed as she pulled him to his feet.

"Yes ....my darling....yes!" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him.This was a good day.
She thought to herself.
A very good day.
Darego felt like he was flying.He felt as if he could literally touch the clouds.This was indeed a good day. He thought.

Suddenly, Nunu started barking. LOUDLY.
They continued holding on to each other.

As the barking continued.

"Please, can I wear my ring?" she asked politely with a smile.

Darego smiled back and then slowly put the ring on her finger.

"It's beautiful" she whispered.

The second Iris put on the Ring, she felt something....she couldn't describe it.It was like a coldness inside her.It chilled and frightened her at the same time.She SHUDDERED.It wasn't a pleasant feeling. But it past almost as soon as she'd felt it.

"Are you okay?"Darego asked staring into her eyes curiously.

".....I'm fine"she replied hesitantly as she tried to steady herself

LOUD BARKING continued.

"What's wrong with her?" Darego asked peering over his shoulder.He'd never heard Nunu bark that loud before. She was usually quiet and docile puppy.
"...I don't know...I fed her this evening.I don't know what her wahala is"Iris said gathering herself.

"Let me go check" Darego said as he kissed her and went towards the door.

He opened the corridor to find the lhasa Apsu staring up at him.

She was growling.

The dog wasn't angry,....it seemed terrified.

"Nunu!"he called.
But even as he approached, the little White furred Canine retreated fearfully.
It was still growling.

"What's wrong with my Baby" Iris said as she came into the corridor.

The dog retreated quickly into a corner and glared at Iris.

Now, it was growling.....Loudly.

"That's odd"Iris said staring at Nunu.

"Leave her alone,...maybe she's sick....we'll get someone to look at her in the morning"Darego said as he dragged his Iris towards the bedroom.

"Hmmmm......." Iris said suggestively.

"I'm guessing Game Of Thrones can wait"


THURSDAY 3:33AM
Darego woke up with a start. He's heart was pounding inside his chest like.

There were thick sweat beads on his skin.

But for the life of him, he couldn't remember the nightmare he had woken from.His whole body was trembling.
His breathing was coming in short gasps inside the dark silent room.

He realized that at some point in the night, the generator had gone off.
Their neighborhood hadn't had electricity for the past one month.
Something to do with a faulty transformer.

He reached towards the Iris' pillow....she wasn't there.
Her side of the bed was empty.

He could barely make out the sound of Nunu still growling in the corridor.

Where was Iris? he wondered.

The window curtains by the edge of the bed were open to let in the moonlight.

Maybe she was in the bathroom. He thought.

"Bae" he called out. His voice sounded loud in the stillness of the room.

No answer.

The stillness made him a little uneasy.

As his eyes grew accustomed to the semi darkness of the room....he saw her.

She was standing at the foot of the bed ...perfectly still.

"Iris"he whispered.

It was too dark to tell if she were facing him or had her back to him.

"Iris" he called again.

No answer.

More growling from the corridor.

He slowly got off the bed. The coldness of the marble floor startled him.It was almost freezing.
As he moved towards her, he noticed a faint glow on her hand.He quickly concluded it had to be the moonlight reflecting off the surface of her ring.

Iris was naked,standing perfectly still and staring at the bed.

It was creepy how still she stood.

"Iris!" he whispered.

No answer.

Now, Nunu was growling between barks.

Darego reached for her.....cautiously...

What's wrong with her.
It was too dark to see her face.
She didn't even seem like she was breathing.

The instant his fingers touched her Cold skin,

She turned SHARPLY towards him
"EHI RE DEE!!!" she chanted in a Voice that sounded like an echo from a DEEP dark Well.

Darego fell backwards in fright, toppling over something.The back of his head hit the floor....HARD.
He blacked out instantly.

to be continued......
www.opustjkwrites..com

She froze as she stared at the nozzle of the pistol.

Suddenly her heart was racing, as all around her people were screaming.

In a distant part of her mind,she could hear the commotion of car tires screeching,people running and the sound of glass breaking.

This is it. She thought to herself.

"GET OUT OF THE CAR....,NOW!!!" came the loud voice from behind the gun.

Then she heard the gun shot.

It was a loud explosion that seemed to erupt from inside the car as she felt a vicious spray of warm liquid  on the side of her face.

She screamed and turned her head a split second before Clement's body was violently thrown against her from the Driver's side.

In the moments before she passed out, she saw fresh droplets of blood everywhere.The side of Clement's face was a large gaping bloody hole of shattered skull fragments and pieces of brain matter.
Oh My God! He's been shot. She thought just before she fainted.


The two masked men pulled the unconscious girl out of the car.
One of them hoisted the girl's limp body over his shoulder.

The other,(the one who shot the driver)stood guard as his colleague loaded the girl's body into the trunk of a waiting car.

All around them,was chaos as people screamed and ran blindly in all directions in a bid to get away from the armed men.

Several cars slammed into each other in panic.

A young girl fell headfirst into a nearby gutter.

The Driver of the waiting car, was the Third masked man.He sat behind wheel....waiting.
.
In a flurry of movements,the two masked men jumped into the waiting car and it sped off.




CHIEF AMADI sat in the living room of his mansion cradling his youngest daughter's head in his arms.

As Cynthia cried into his body, Chief Amadi prayed silently in his heart that this was a dream.
He prayed that once he closed his tear filled eyes one more time, this nightmare would be over.

But as he opened them again, he knew it was real.
Cynthia continued sobbing  as more police men entered their residence.

This was real.

Inspector Usman sat across from the Billionaire Chief and his famous actress daughter.

There were no words for this sort of situation.
Chief Amadi stared at Cynthia with tears in his eyes as another wave of sobs passed through her.

"I just can't believe this is happening" Cynthia sobbed.
She had only just returned from set a few hours earlier to hear that her elder sister had been kidnapped.

"Sir, I  just want you to know that all our resources are focused towards your daughter's safe return."
The Inspector said  carefully as Police Presence increased.

"Do you .....have any leads?" Cynthia asked as her father rubbed the back of her head.

She looked worn out, sad, frustrated and confused all at once. It was hard not to feel sorry for her.The Inspector thought.

"I promise you....we will find her... its clearly motivated by money...the kidnappers will....."

"WHAT IF ITS NOT.......?" Cynthia exploded as she shot to her feet.Her father tried to hold her back but she wrestled herself away.

"......WHAT IF SHE'S ALREADY DEAD....LIKE THEY KILLED THE DRIVER.....AND...AND YOU'RE HERE....(sob) WASTING TIME!!!!" All the Policemen (plain clothes or otherwise) turned to view the commotion caused by the distraught young lady
.
The  Chief got up and put an arm around his daughter.

"Its okay" he whispered.
But Cynthia seemed miles...no centuries away from okay.

"....FIND MY SISTER!!!!" then she exploded into a series of uncontrollable sobs.

The Chief silently signaled one of the maids to come over.
The traumatized  Cynthia was led away from the living room.

LONG SILENCE.

The Chief stood in the center of his living room surrounded by Policemen.He was a man of means and power.Now he just felt as impotent as an infant.

He regarded the Inspector in silence.

" Come with me" he ordered the Inspector as he made for the Balcony.
The inspector followed.

The House itself was immense, the Inspector thought as they reached the Balcony.

It easily had over Fifteen rooms.The yard was enormous(like golf course enormous) there were at least Thirty luxury vehicles Parked in front of the house.

Inspector Usman wondered how many yearso f his current salary could buy him a place  like this.

From the balcony, he could see most of Port harcourt, which he thought was really cool.

The chief stared at the city in silence.

"What will it take for you to find her ?" the Chief asked without turning around.

The Inspector knew this question was coming.
Men like Chief Amadi were not used to problems money couldn't solve.

He was desperate.The Inspector thought and he knew that desperate powerful men were dangerous.

"As I told the Commissioner this evening, we are working hard to ensure your daughter's........."

".....what are the chances that she is still alive?" the chief cut in.

Inspector Usman hated that question .

To be fair,there was no real answer for it.

In a typical kidnapping, the  chances of the girl still being alive were quite high.

But this wasn't a typical kidnapping.
For one thing, kidnappers rarely killed unarmed civilians in the course of a kidnapping.

The merciless and senseless  killing of the driver bothered the Inspector.
Had it been an accident?
Was it intentional?

In either case, it meant these kidnappers were unpredictable.....dangerously unpredictable.

"I think there's a good chance she's alive," was the safest answer the Inspector could give.
Any thing more, would have been a lie.
And the Chief seemed like the type that would see through that.

"I have money...Inspector" The Chief said calmly.

"I have a lot of money" he sighed heavily and continued.

" I am willing to do whatever it takes to bring my daughter  back."
"That's very good sir....your co-operation with the authorities is ......."The Inspector began.
before his sentence was cut short.

"I don't trust the Nigerian police." The Chief said flatly as he  turned around to face the Inspector.

".....but the Commissioner assigned you to me .....said that you're the best "

The Inspector had straight  expression on his face he was not a vain man to be swayed by compliments or flattery.

"But like I said.....," the Chief continued,

"I don't trust the Police.....whatever it takes, my daughter must be brought back alive......WHATEVER IT TAKES" the Chief said, eyeing the Inspector.

There was silence between the the two men for a long time.

The Inspector understood him perfectly.




The night was cold and slightly windy.
The car  was driving through a remote bush path.

JOEL jumped out of the car as soon as they stopped. He had been fighting back the urge to throw up ever since they grabbed Beatrice.

He ran into the bushes and emptied the contents of his stomach unto the ground.He arched his back as wave after wave  of his stomach contents came rushing to the surface.

All he kept seeing was  his hand holding the gun to the driver's head and pulling the trigger. The explosion that followed terrified him.

"Killing is easy....it's living with it that's hard." someone once told him.

The other two gun men got out of the car. They had all taken off their masks.

Chinedu fished into his pocket and brought out a bent out of shape stick of cigarette. He had been saving it all day.

He lit it and continued to stare at Joel, blankly.

"Congratulations,...... you're a murderer" he said coldly as he puffed some smoke.

Abiye stared at Joel in disgust.
Weak! he thought.
What sort of a man takes life and then feels bad about it afterwards? Only the weak kind. He thought to himself.

"....Driver didn't have to die but......" said Chinedu with a playful shrug.
"......these things happen" he concluded with a chuckle.

JOEL'S stomach hurt.There was nothing else to "throw-up" but he still felt nauseous.

"We shouldn't have done this," he said slightly breathless as he straightened himself up.They had stopped in front of an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town.

The place hadn't been random. It had been selected primarily because of it's remoteness.
There were no houses for miles.
Nothing.....just the endless chatter of crickets and nearby frogs.

"We really shouldn't have done this "Joel muttered under his breath.

"Says the guy who just committed assault, kidnapping and murder in one afternoon."Chinedu said casually as he massaged the body of his pistol.

"Is everything a joke to you?"Joel said glaring at him.

"Maybe it is, what are you going to do about it?" Chinedu asked, flicking his cigarette away.
Still clutching his gun.

Chinedu took three casual strides towards  Joel.

For almost  minute, the two young men stood glaring at each other in a mini face off.

Chinedu was easily a head taller than and more "muscled".

Every thing about this guy was intimidating. Joel thought.
Joel had no doubts that if he had attempted any form of physical confrontation, Chinedu would have him on the ground faster than he could say "beat-down".

They continued glaring at each other in the chill of the night.

From the trunk came the muffled screaming and thumping sounds

"Stop this rubbish abeg,and come and help me with the trunk" Abiye said offhandedly.He was standing close to the two men.

The girl was awake.

Joel knew this wasn't over with Chinedu. One day they would continue this "conversation".
the thumping and muffled screams continued as Joel and Abiye managed to pry open the lid of the Jetta.


BEATRICE felt the  cool night air rush into the trunk as the lid came open..Her first thoughts were a series of confused ones when she woke up. Parts of her body ached from being roughly thrown into the trunk.
For a few seconds, she had no recollection of how she'd had gotten there.Then slowly her mind began to unravel.She remembered the car, she remembered the nozzle pointed at her face, she remembered the sound of the gun blast,the blood.....and Clement's limp body.
Oh God! She thought before she started slamming her fists against the roof of the trunk.There was no more fear in her, just anger...raw anger. The bastards  killed Clement, she thought as she continued screaming and slamming her fists against the metal.

As the lid swung open, the three stood in silence as the girl slowly climbed out.

It dawned on Beatrice that she had lost her shoes as her bare feet touched the grass. For a long time, she stood there in silence staring at the three men.
Then her eyes settled on JOEL.

For another few seconds she just stood there glaring at him.
Even in the night, the hatred in her eyes was clear.
She slowly walked towards Joel, then........
SMACK!!!!
She hit him so hard across the face that her hand hurt.

Joel just stood there silently, he didn't even raise his hands to defend himself.
The other men looked on as once again....

SMACK!!!!.
This time, Beatrice's hand felt like every bone inside it was about to break.
Again, Joel just stood there in silence.

"I said no killing,..." Beatrice said coldly into the night air.

Joel stood there not saying anything.
"...What were you thinking, Clement was harmless" she said

Then she hit him again.

This time, her hand exploded in pain as she winced holding on to it for a long time.

Chinedu chuckled.

"Oh, you think this is funny?"she said walking over to him.The pain in her hand was excruciating but the stupidity of the three men pained her even more.

"....was it you that shot him?"Beatrice asked cautiously. Unlike Joel, she knew this man wouldn't stand back to be slapped.
She shuddered to think what this man was capable of, if she were alone with him.
Chinedu threw her a a devilish look and said;
"Ask your boyfriend" nodding in Joel's direction.

Long silence

All around them were the night sounds of crickets, frogs and the distant hooting of an owl.

She felt like her head was going to explode.This was going wrong. She put her hand to her face and began to pace. She had to think.

Was the Plan still feasible?
Was it possible for them to make it out with the money?
Had Joel screwed everything up completely?

"Baby....the gun just went off...I didn't plan...." Joel began .

"Just shut up" Beatrice said in disgust.

"Yes,Joel....shut up" Chinedu said with ice in his voice.

Joel felt nothing but contempt for him.To be fair, he didn't know who made him more uncomfortable.
The quiet Abiye or the smart mouthed Chinedu.

Beatrice was pacing back and forth now as her mind raced through scenarios.
She had been planning this "event" for weeks.The last thing she needed  was some dim-witted boyfriend of hers screwing up her chance of making some good money.

She had to think.

Maybe using Joel hadn't been a bad idea.She thought.
He was too unstable and not in a good way. But in a very wimpy-sissy way. His screw-up might have just cost cost them the job.

Could they still go on to Phase2? She thought to herself.

Could he be relied upon?

It would take a lot of cool headedness to go through the next phase.

Clement was dead, and there was nothing she could do about it.At the very least, she would send his family some money.That's if her "darling" Billionaire father  wouldn't do so in the not too distant  future.
She had to be strong. If she'd learnt anything from her father, it was that only a calm mind can think.


"Okay what's done is done" she said finally after a long silence.She was amazed at how calm her voice sounded.She had rehearsed and rehearsed for this for over Five weeks.

She was ready.

"....maybe killing the driver could work in our favor..." She went on as from a distance came the sound of a truck going by on the highway.

She had picked this location herself. It was remote and miles away from anything and anyone. No one would dare to look for them here.

"I agree..." Abiye said checking his gun.

He was slightly smaller than Chinedu.But seemed more in control, more business-like about the whole thing.It scared and impressed her at the same time.

At 28, after five years of legal Practice, she'd seen her fair share of dangerous people.But Abiye was a different brand of dangerous.Unlike Chinedu, who was having fun, Abiye  seemed like he were closing a business deal.

".....our demands would be taken more seriously now that they know we mean business"he continued.
It chilled her the way he talked.

"....which is why....I think the ransom should be higher"he said with a casual shrug.

Chinedu silently concurred with a nod.

Beatrice Paused.

She didn't like where this was going.

"We agreed A million...to be split four ways"she said trying to contain the irritation she was feeling.

"That was before your bobo here....decided to kill an unarmed man" Abiye said simply as he threw Joel a funny glance.

Another image of Clement flashed through her head. He had told her that day that he was looking forward to the weekend with his wife and children.

Now he was dead, and it was all her fault.

Referring to him in death simply as an "unarmed man" seemed a little unfair.

"Two Million, to be split in four  ways same as before.The stakes and the risks are higher now" Abiye said finally.

There was another long silence as Beatrice thought this through.

"Okay,.." she said finally with a sigh.
As much as she dreaded being left alone with Abiye and Chinedu.This next phase was necessary.

She turned to look at Joel.
What had she even seen in such a weak man any way?He couldn't even hold up a gun without pulling the trigger by accident. She shuddered to think about what he would do in the next couple of hours

"...Two Million dollars it is.....lets move on to phase 2


To be continued.


www.Opustjkwrites..com

Andrew114:
Boss you don forget us abi?

i no forget una o
sorry i took so long to update. Been very busy with my blog n work. more coming up dis way. check out my other thread, how to mess up your best friend's wedding. visit my blog also.
stay blessed

HOW TO BE A RUNS GIRL 3
Amaka vs Pastor Jerry


I,AMAKA DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME!!!!!Some people think the life I lead is evil! HA!!!(I laugh in French, Swahili and Hausa).
Gone are the days when I gave a crap!!. So keep that in mind when you hear what I have to say today.
I was introduced to a "Man of God" by an associate.

Now, Calling him a "Man of God" would be like calling a Porn Movie "Family Entertainment". His name is Jerry, Senior Pastor/Founder of a BIG Church in Rivers State.

The man has some veeeery dirty fantasies that he played out with me ALLLLL night and every night he called for my "services''

I had a lot of fun with him He opened my eyes to a whole new
world of ''Kinky-ness''. I still have the "spank-marks" to prove it!


Jerry had no boundaries in the bedroom. His wife was too "PG13" to keep up.
So I was there to do things his wife would NEVER imagine.
Because of his "status" everything had to be discreet (which was fine by me)
All I was interested in, was my money. GBAM!!
Jerry was generous. He had the money and he spent like a ROCKSTAR.
One night, while we were ''at it'' in a hotel room, "his Church" program on tv came on air(which incidentally, was the same moment HE "came"
It was a great experience, seeing the two sides of Jerry in action at the same time.lol


A couple of months ago, I received a call from Jerry. I was excited to go see him, but the moment I entered the hotel room, I knew something was off about him.
" This has to stop!" he said, staring at the floor like man awaiting trial.
"I am a pastor," he said.
(Well,DUH!!)I thought.
"My ministry is suffering" he continued.

'' Is that what you called me here for?" I asked. I was pissed off. So,...I cancelled on another BIG SPENDER that night just so I could come and Hear a "sob-Story??"
WHAT RUBBISH
After our last "session", this "Man of God" had promised me an extra N1m for my Birthday. My going rate is N2m per night by the way.
Why??
Because my thighs are worth it. THAT'S why!!!

"Jerry, I am not a Priest, I don't hear confessions" I was getting furious!!
"Where's the money you promised me??"I spat.

There was silence in the AC chilled room for a long time.
He gave a long sigh then said,

" hmm.... the One million I promised you?"
I stood there in silence arms folded across my chest. So I shaved and came out tonight panty-less for nothing? Nawa o!!

"That's not a problem" he said slowly opening his IPad.
"But I never want to See you again. My church and family have suffered enough" he said finally.

This was bad, I thought
Why hadn't the "Jazz-man" warned me?I knew I should've brought extra charms. He was a good source of income and now I was losing him.I had to think of something....FAST!!!


" I won't accept One Million again" .I said with a lot of anger in my voice.
He stared at me curiously from his seated position.
"Since this is a pay off, you will pay me Four Million!" I Said flatly.
"WHAT"he stood up quickly, as if he wanted to physically assault me.
I casually eyed an empty bottle of coke by the bed.
Just in case.....!

"Do I look like a fool "I was shouting.
"Okay, so you're tired of shagging me abi? Unless you want this in the news!"
He had a shocked look on his face.
''You will pay me that money, if not eh"
There was another long silence in the room as we stood staring at each other.
He was a Man of God, I was a prostitute, he had a church, a family, a reputation,.....and I didn't care.
He knew I had him.
It was time to leave.

"Amaka please be reasonable''. was the last thing I heard him say as I walked out of the room.
" I await the credit alert. goodbye Jerry".

I knew exactly what I was going to do.


As I drove to the church premises two days later, I tried calling Jerry again and again. Still no answer. I remember smiling at myself. I didn't expect him to answer .He was at a Pastors' Retreat in Lagos. I just needed to be certain he was out of town.

Rule No1. Of being a Mistress "....when it comes to your money, always be ready to make a scene....ANYWHERE!!!"


I walked into the reception, ignoring everybody seated like I owned the place. I demanded to see Pastor Jerry's wife.
After about twenty minutes or so, I got to see her
Long story short,
I told her EVERYTHING.......I could see her hands shaking and the tremors across her face as I talked.
She was hurt, but more so ANGRY.
If she could've strangled me, ripped the tongue out of my mouth, torn out my throat with her teeth and set me on fire (in that order)she would've.

But wouldn't dare she WAS the Pastor's wife after all. What would people say?Besides,she was a church elder the last thing she needed was a scene in her office.
she was very quiet for a long time as she stared at me. She was barely containing the mini-volcano inside her.

Seconds passed.

"So I want my money madam, I am willing to do whatever it takes to get it."I said.
Your husband's ministry cannot survive a scandal like this....I have videos!"
Her eyes popped open at my last sentence.Ofcourse I was lying, but SHE didn't know that. And neither would her husband.
Another eternity passed as tears began to form in her eyes.
I almost felt sorry for her.
She was married to a man that barely looked at her all these years.
She had given her life to him. Now she was trapped in a lifeless marriage and because of her status, she couldn't tell anyone about it.
"Just leave your account number and get out of my sight,.....you will reap what you sow!"
Her voice was filled tremors. This wasn't a good day for her.

I left her office.
A day later, I received the Credit alert on my phone.
I was elated.


I don't care what happens to his marriage. His wife was shocked when I told her what my "duties"to her husband entailed. (don't blame me, she asked and I needed to get the pleasure of scaring the crap out of her)
Right now, he is busy with "damage control" trying to save his marriage(laughs)Do I care
A "soft-heart" has no place in the work I do.
Money is all I know.
Judge me if you must. My accounts speak for themselves.
I WILL NEVER GIVE UP THIS LIFE!!!
I am the Unrepentant Mistress!
Husbands/Wives, BEWARE!!!!!
.

Whether this is fact or fiction, marriage is sacred......and so are the promises we make to the people we claim to love
I'm no expert
I just tell it like I see it.



life is a choice my friend
so choose wisely
enough said

for more stories, check out my blog
www.opustjkwrites..com

"Do you ADA......." the Reverend was saying as the Bride and Groom stared lovingly into each other's eyes.I had to admit, they looked good together.
George(the groom) looked quite dashing in his black suit.Ada's mermaid wedding dress was sexy as hell.Both of them seemed to be glowing with "the radiance of love"...if you want to call it that.
The church was packed full.The were so many celebrities and 'high-rollers' scattered about the church.And I think the guy seated next to me was a celebrity or something.People kept on coming up to him and going;
"I'm your biggest fan....I love your show....bla bla bla" It was a little annoying especially since the ceremony itself had begun.

And on top of that, Mr Celebrity kept on staring down my bust-line as if 'my boobs' were an exciting new fashion trend he'd just discovered.
I threw a casual glance in his direction.Dude was sooo not my type.Besides I think he had bad breath.....either that or he farted each time he opened his mouth.


Anyway, watching my best friend getting married was a strange sensation.In a weird way, I was happy for her(despite what "issues" we had)
I almost shed a tear as I watched them together.
Ada and I had been best friends for years.In that time, I'd stood up for her more times than I can count.There was this one time, some guy on face book was stalking her. Ada was so scared.She didn't tell me at first.
Why?
She was more scared of what I would do than how creepy the guy was.
Eventually, things got out of hand and the guy showed up at Ada's house threatening to bathe her in acid if she didn't date him.
I more or less blew a fuse after that.I was mad at Ada for not telling me. You see,the truth is, my Elder brother is currently the most feared Militant in Nigeria.
Being his baby sister comes with its own perks.People generally think twice before they mess with me...or my friends
I have some of the most dangerous people on "speed dial" just begging to do favors for me.
Lets just say after a few calls,we never heard from the creep again.
I would do anything for Ada, that's the truth.
So as I watched her and George exchanging vows, I felt sad.Sad because Ada and I would never be friends again.If today meant anything, it meant that I'd lost my best friend forever.

As I Surveyed the crowded Church, My brother's Eyes caught mine.We smiled at each other.On his left cheek was his signature scar.It'd earned him the nick-name "Scar-face".The scar was the product of a knife fight from years ago.The person that did that to him, didn't live to see the scar.
I saw that he came with his "entourage". There were at least Fifty of them seated around him.No doubt they were all armed.....just in case.
Of course that's not counting the other Hundred or so stationed outside the church.No doubt they were all armed......just in case.

I smiled back at my elder brother.Of course I knew what he did for a living..of course I knew where the money came from.But our parents were long gone from this world...all we had was each other.
To the rest of the world he was "Scar face,...Prince of Darkness."
to me he was just,"Soki".And we loved each other dearly.
And he was there because of me.

"...in sickness and in health...." The Reverend was saying.
It was almost time.I thought to myself.
I spied the Groom's men...not a bad bunch.I noticed Ada even used her younger brother Ike.
Personally, I think Ike's too short for a Groom's man.But that's just me.
My eyes caught the Maid of honor...Kaine!!!

"Mtcheeeeew!!!" I went out loud. Several people turned in my direction.I kept my eyes focused on the altar,....if any of them had asked me nonsense eh?
"Is everything okay?" Mr Celebrity said.His breath almost smelled like the fumes from a broken Suck-Away Pipe.

I ignored him with such coldness that after staring at me(and my Bust-line) for a few seconds,he simply looked away.

I kept on GLARING at the so-called Maid of Honor,...Kaine.
In a perfect world, I would've been Ada's maid of honor not this Maggot of a girl.
God! I hated her so much, but I was glad she was there.....so glad.

"....If there be anyone here who knows any reason why these two shouldn't be joined together in holy matrimony, you are to declare it, or forever hold your peace." The Reverend announced.

It's funny how every time these words are spoken at a wedding all the guests start staring at each other ...QUESTIONABLY.
And why does society always assume it's a "he" that would ".....make himself known?.." It always made me laugh when I heard it.

As the questionable looks continued, I watched ADA ...casually glance across the sea of guests....Her eyes suddenly caught mine.For a few seconds, I could've sworn she was about to scream.The look of shock soon became one of ....PANIC.
I simply smiled at her....then I STOOD UP, and my brother and his men stood up with me.


It felt like a silent shock wave swept across the Church's interior.
Everywhere, people were speaking in HUSHED TONES as I made my approach towards the altar.
I think Mr Celebrity tried to say something.But it was drowned in the symphony of hushed whispers that suddenly filled the air

"All eyes on me..." like my favorite rap song goes.It actually felt awesome being the center of attention at ADA'S wedding.

"I have something to say". I loved the sound of my voice inside the stillness of the church.

STARK-TERROR was the best expression that described Ada's Face. George and the rest of the "train"(including that Maggot of a girl) had a similar look.
Even the Reverend looked confused.

Ada's mum looked like were about to faint,her dad looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
As I strolled towards the altar, I threw a casual glance at Soki...my knight.He gave me his famous bad ass smile, urging me to go on.
I literally had the entire Port Harcourt staring at me.

"Priye...what are you doing?" Ada said in panic.
I'd always loved the sound of my name when it came from Ada's soft lips.But at that moment, the sound sickened me

"I and Ada are lovers, we have been lovers for ten years" I said.

It almost felt like they all held their breaths at the same time.
I half expected Ada's Dad to drop dead then and there.
If I'd fired a revolver in the air, I doubt if their reactions would have been any different.

"What's the meaning of this nonsense, Priye?" George said as he approached me.

"You come here to ruin our wedding.....ARE YOU MAD" even in his enraged state he was still quite fetching.I could really see why ADA fell for him.But that didn't give Ada the right to hurt me.No matter how handsome he was, we were supposed to be together.I LOVED HER

"Ask your darling wife to-be if I am mad,...ask her if she hadn't sworn for us to be together forever!!!" I was shouting now.
"Even as of yesterday morning, you George was simply a close business associate that maybe had a silly crush on her" My voice climbed even higher.

But I didn't care.Ada stood as if frozen by Medusa's gaze.
Her eyes were slowly filling up with tears.I knew I was hurting her, I knew I was breaking her heart.But I didn't want to let her go.I couldn't,not without people knowing the truth.

"I never even knew what a lesbian was until Ada taught me,"I said to George.
The Reverend quickly drew an invisible cross over himself as more hushed voices reverberated across the church.

"Because of YOU,...!!!" I stabbed a finger towards ADA. I suddenly felt like crying.

"....because you,I lost so many opportunities to get married....you told me to stay with you....(sob) and I did".

My whole body was slowly losing its composure.And my voice was suddenly croaky as I went on;

"You made me swear..to you never to let a man touch me....(sob) we took an Oath... a blood Oath...do you remember that??"

The tears in Ada's eyes were streaming down in waves.

"Please... You must be joking, Ada say something!" George Began
"Priye you are a liar. Don't bring this demonic nonsense here...THIS IS OUR WEDDING DAY....WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE THROW HER OUT??!!!" he screamed into the crowd.

No one even stirred in the direction of "STANDING UP" .Soki and his boys were still on their feet like Roman Sentries.

"All I want...." I continued but it was difficult with the tears in my eyes.

".....all I want is....Ada to stop lying and tell everyone the truth...tell them how you LURED ME INTO LESBIANISM, HOW YOU CHASED ALL MY SUITORS AWAY OVER THE YEARS..(sob)..."

My shoes suddenly felt like they weighed a ton.The pain In my heart almost made it impossible to stand.

I faced the guests again

"Most of you have heard about me....how I am a lesbian...(sob) how I 'SPOILED'' Ada...I make no apologies for ..my lifestyle.But Ada was the one who 'spoiled' me....Ada promised we would leave Nigeria together and go...somewhere Our relationship would be accepted!!"

"SHUT UP YOU WITCH!"spat Ada's Mother as she rose from her seat.Her husband was trying desperately to hold her back,but she shrugged him off.She pointed a bony finger at me and shouted;
"..... I BIND YOU IN THE NAME OF.....!!"

"...IT IS YOUR DAUGHTER THAT IS THE DEMON HERE!!!" the violence in my tone cut her off.I glared at her with all the rage I had.
"I gave her everything. My friendship, my love, my body, my money. She has always been the centre of my universe, I have no other friend, male or female. We have been together for ten years. TEN FREAKING YEARS, and now this"

Long silence.

"She didn't even have the decency to face me" I went on.
"All I got...was a lousy message on BBM last night, Saying; 'Its over between us,I'm getting married tomorrow.Please don't show up, its for the best'
......IS THAT WHAT I DESERVE?"

All eyes slowly turned towards.....Ada.
She had her face in her hands as she broke into a series of uncontrollable sobs.
"This can't be happening...it can't be happening".she kept on saying.
"O yes it is happening baby" I replied

"So what do you want..Priye?"George asked.He sounded like a man that was out of options..
"I love Ada",he said.
"And despite whatever lifestyle she used to lead before,.....I still want to marry her"
"You must be joking" his mother said standing up, but his father pulled her back to her seat.

Numerous whispers followed his declaration.

As I stood there, it dawned on me that he truly loved her. In fact, George was more than what she deserved.

"I'm so sorry... Priye....please ..(sob)forgive me!!!" Ada pleaded as George came to her side to put his arms around her.They truly looked good together.I thought.

But the decision had already been made, Ada wasn't getting away with the pain she'd caused...no way!

I couldn't bear the sight of the two of them anymore.

I took one more look at Soki, and with the coldest tone I had, said;

"This wedding will not hold".

There was an immediate explosion of protests from the crowd as some people even got up from their seats shouting their heads off in anger.

I stared at my brother and put my hands to my ears.This was the part I wasn't looking forward to.

One of Soki's Boys casually brought out an automatic rifle from the long coat he was wearing, and let off some rounds into the air.

Even with my hands over my ears, it was still a deafening series of explosions.
Most people,including the Reverend and the all the Groom's men, fell to the ground covering their heads.

"NO BODY MOVES!!!" came the booming Voice of A large chested young man standing next to SOKI.

By now,the entire church was on the floor.Bits and pieces of Church ceiling fell to the ground.


I removed my hands from my ears and spoke;

"This wedding will not hold...Ada,must learn what it feels like to be deprived of something she loves." I said staring at the bride "huddled up " with the Groom in a corner of the altar.
Now they just looked pathetic.

".....If you insist on proceeding with this wedding today or whenever...there will be bloodshed!!!" As I spoke, I noticed how no one dared look me in the eye.Now I Knew how Soki felt on a normal day.It was awesome.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND??.....ANSWER HER!!"the young man by Soki barked.

A series of fearful "Yes sirs" echoed across the church.

Long Silence.

I turned to look at Ada one last time.God, I hated her in that moment.

With a silent signal from my brother,we left the Church.

Of course the wedding didn't hold and George(the lover) broke up with Ada........serves her right.

That was three years ago.I'm currently off the lesbian train.Actually have a boyfriend now.It hasn't been easy breaking old habits but I'm trying.
Haven't heard or seen Ada since then.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Life is a Choice my friend
so choose wisely
Enough Said.


for more stories, check out my blog www.opustjkwrites..com

POLICE REPORT COMPILED BY INVESTIGATING POLICE OFFICER : INSPECTOR GODWIN AMANZE

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF CRIME SCENE AT;
NO 12 Osaigbon Close Benin

MONDAY 23RD, FEBRUARY 2015

2:23PM

The Residence is a One Bedroom Flat.

Living Room and Kitchen are intact
.........Save for the Blood stains by the Kitchen sink



Door to the Master's bedroom is severely damaged.Wooden splinters litter the floor.It appears to have been SAVAGELY SMASHED inwards, possibly from numerous blows from a LARGE BLUNT INSTRUMENT
The nature of the weapon used in the attack is yet to be determined.But a safe assumption would be something Metallic.......probably.

INSIDE the Master's Bedroom.

Signs of a VIOLENT STRUGGLE.
BLOOD SPLATTER patterns on the wall, the floor and the bed.The dressing mirror lies in Broken fragments across the room.
Bloody towel by the bathroom door.

The victim is FEMALE, Age 29
Name- EBERE.

Her body lies FACE DOWN on the floor by the bed......NAKED.
Hands tied behind her back with what appears to be a long USB CORD.

The surrounding Blood on the Carpet has long DRIED OUT leaving a large dark Circular pattern around the body.

The back of the victim's head is BASHED beyond recognition.It would appear the victim was VIOLENTLY HIT with a blunt instrument....over and over again.
Very likely, the cause of death.
The back of the skull was literally SHATTERED. Chunks of bloodied hair and skull fragments litter the scene.

One can only speculate that the object used to smash the door and the murder weapon are likely one and the same.


Witnesses( who choose to remain Anonymous)claim to have heard screams emanating from the Flat that morning between the hours of 6 am and 7 am .
When asked why they chose not to intervene,one Witness stated,...and I quote;

''......this is not the first time We've heard such screams coming from that flat.They were always fighting.Each time we tried to intervene, EBERE(the deceased) would warn us to stay away,that it was a 'husband and wife' issue........and so we minded our business.....!.''.
End quote.

The Victim's husband- ANDREW 36,was the only one in the Flat at the time of the screams.He was apprehended by Concerned neighbors whilst attempting to flee the scene.
According to the neighbors, ANDREW had numerous blood stains on his clothes.

He is currently in Police Custody.He is our ONLY suspect.
We need to question him further

ON A PERSONAL NOTE;
This was a very brutal crime.


POLICE STATION


ANDREW was brought into the Interrogation room.One of his eyes was swollen.His lower lip split open..He looked like a man that had just received the beating of his life.
The two officers ROUGHLY placed him in a chair..The interior of the Interrogation Room was essentially a small space with bare walls, a window and a ceiling fan.

There was barely any air inside the Humid Cell.

The Inspector sat directly opposite the BROKEN and badly bruised ANDREW.

There are those who would have felt sorry for Andrew because of the state he was in.But the Inspector had learnt a long time ago never to trust Appearances.
Besides after examining the body of Andrew's late wife, the Inspector could barely restrain himself from BEATING the suspect to death .
Inspector Godwin Leaned forward and stared into ANDREW'S eyes.

''Oga, you don't look like a killer'' the Inspector said calmly. ANDREW flinched at the sound of that last word.It almost seemed to cause him physical pain.

Andrew turned around fearfully, to stare at the two officers behind him.The one on the left had kicked him in the groin on the way here.
His life as he knew it was over.That was for sure.

He turned to face the Inspector again.

''I'm ready to confess'' he said finally.

With that, the Inspector leaned back casually into his chair.Andrew clearly had his undivided attention..

'' My late wife wasn't a very sane person'' Andrew began.

''She had a very bad temper, but I loved her anyway.Even while we were dating, I could see the signs .
She always thought I was weak.No matter what I did. I loved and treated her with respect.But it was never enough.Months into the marriage,She told me she'd made a mistake. She shouldn't have married me, She said to me one morning.
She told me I was weak,she wanted a real man.That love wasn't enough,She wanted a man that could 'beat' her when she was bad.
I was too soft and weak for her.What was she thinking She screamed at me.How could she end up with such a loser
From that day,the marriage became hell for me.She never let me touch her again......said my 'touch' irritated her.
I kept doing my duties as a husband,paying the bills and all.Buying her expensive gifts etc.
You see, that is the only way I know how to love. Without violence or drama.
I've never hit a woman before in my life.
But she felt this was what a man was supposed to be ...a 'beater'.That all her EXs used to beat her that's why she loved them.

Some nights she'd pour hot water on me while I slept.Afterwards she'd scream obscenities into my face, Daring me to hit her.

I took the matter to our Church.But all they told me to do was pray.Every where I went,was a waste of time.
Sometimes, I'd ask for us to talk, but all she'd do was taunt me.

Anyway soon after that, I lost my job and fell on hard times.So we had to move from a 3 bedroom to a 1 bedroom flat.That's when she started sleeping around.

It didn't matter who the person was.There were unconfirmed rumors that she slept with My mechanic.
Each time I caught her,she'd ask for my forgiveness and I would forgive her.....then she'd do it again.
The pattern kept on repeating itself.

This morning,I woke up to the sound of Moaning coming from my living room.It was about 5:30am. The living room lights were on.
I opened the door to find our Pot-bellied Land lord on top of my wife's naked body.
How he had managed to enter the house without me waking up, I had no Idea.

He jumped up in a mad panic when he saw me.He pulled up his pants. In a blink he made for the front door at a speed I didn't think was possible for a man his size.He banged the side of his face against the door as he dashed out of the house.

Ebere was still lying on her back.I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
In my house?

Ebere rose up from the floor slowly, her beautiful body as Naked as Eve.At that point I decided that I was having a nightmare.It couldn't be real I thought to myself.
Ebere was laughing.

I suddenly felt dizzy as the sound of her laughter filled my ears.I had to steady myself. Black spots were at the edge of my vision.

'Can you imagine?'I heard Ebere say.

'You want to faint?' her voice had the familiar Taunting edge to it.

'A real man......' she said defiantly
'....would've chased him down and given him the beating of his life,but you.....'
she starts laughing again.This time uncontrollably.

'....you, catch a man sleeping with your wife,.....and you want to faint?.....TAH!!! Godforbid!!'

She was standing naked clapping her hands LOUDLY.

' TAH!!!!'she went on.

'Calling you a boy would be an insult to boys......you are worse than a woman..so you want to faint eh'

With that she rushed into the kitchen.I was still feeling faint. My chest was pounding.
I could hear her going fiddling with the Mortar in there.

In seconds she was out, brandishing the Pestle in her hand.

'YOU WANT TO FAINT ABI.....ANDREW JUST DIE!!!'

That was when she attacked me.

I felt the back of my head explode with pain as the Pestle made contact.

'JUST DIE!!!! SO I CAN HAVE PEACE.....JUST DIE!!!!'

She swung the Pestle again.But the memory of the first assault had woken me up.I wasn't dizzy anymore.I felt a sudden coldness inside me as I grabbed and wrestled the Pestle from her hands.

In seconds,I'd thrown her against the bedroom door.Her naked body made a funny sound as it hit the wooden frame.

I now had the Pestle in my hand.

For a few seconds we stared at each other.It was in that moment that the rage took over.In an instant, the coldness was replaced by a kind of rage I'd never felt before.

EBERE saw the rage in my eyes.I think in that moment she realized what was about to happen.
I'd never seen her so terrified before.There was Raw panic in her eyes.

That's when I charged.

To be fair, she put up quite a fight.
She Rushed into the Master bedroom slamming the door behind her as the Pestle BASHED against the wooden frame.
If she'd stood there for another split second, the Pestle would've smashed into her face.

From inside the room, I could hear her screaming for me to stop.
I slammed my foot into the door with all the strength I had.The entire flat seemed to vibrate.For some weird reason, this made me feel good.The way the entire building seemed to respond to me.

I don't know how many times I hit that door(with the Pestle and my Feet).But it was a real thrill to see it splinter.
Ebere was still screaming.I could hear her trying to lock her self inside the Bathroom.Which was pointless because.Our 'cheap house' didn't come with a bathroom door that actually LOCKED.

I gained entry into the room,smashing the dressing mirror as I went by(I hated the damn thing anyway....it saw more of my wife's naked body than I did)

By the time I'd pulled her out of the bathroom (by her hair)she was pleading for her life.I could barely even hear her.

I ordered her on her knees.

She obeyed,Even as I forced her to lie on her stomach, she was crying. I don't know when or how the thought came, but I suddenly had the urge to tie her up.
I can't explain it.The thought was just....there!

I grabbed her USB cord lying next to her Laptop.Then I bound her wrists behind her back.

All through this, she was screaming my name,begging me in God's name, asking for my forgiveness.

'Baby,..please..don't do this...I...love you' she was saying desperately as I tightened the cord.

Then I heard it again ;

'I...love..you' she said. I hadn't heard her say that in years.It felt alien to me.

Then the image of The landlord on top of my wife came back to me again.

That's when I struck the first blow with the Pestle...

......then a second.

...then a third.
After that, I lost count of how many times I hit her head.

All I know is by the time I stopped, I was out of breath, and she was...SILENT.

The back of her head was all mashed up and BLOODIED.Their were chunks of flesh(which I later learnt were parts of her brain)dripping down my face in Bloody streaks.

I must've stared at her broken skull for a long time.

Oh, God!! I thought as I fell backwards, resting my back against the bed.

'Oh GOD' this time out loud.There was blood everywhere;on the floor, on me,on the sheets,on the wall......just everywhere.

In confusion, I tried covering her up with a towel.But the blood soaked it up real fast, so I threw it away.

So much blood...

I threw the Pestle under the bed.
This isn't happening I thought,......This isn't happening.



INSPECTOR GODWIN. had sat perfectly still for the duration of the story.

LONG SILENCE.


''Why was there blood in the kitchen?'' The Inspector asked calmly.

Andrew sighs and says;

'' Ehm before I threw the Pestle away, I tried to wash it at the kitchen sink.....but decided it was a stupid Idea''

''So you returned to the room with the murder weapon you'd tried to wash in the kitchen,.....and later decided to throw it under the bed?'' The sarcasm in the Inspector's tone is merciless.As he maintains a steady stare .

''.....em....I was confused and I didn't......''

''Why walk all the way to the Kitchen, when the bathroom is closer?'' The Inspector asks without blinking.

''.....like I said sir,.....I was confused''.Andrew's voice was in tremors.

Long silence


''One last question,'' asked the Inspector as he rose to his feet

Andrew looked up expectantly.


''Where were you going?''

''......going?'' Andrew repeated clearly confused.

''When the neighbors caught you......where were you going?''

Andrew stared at the Inspector and calmly said;

''I don't know...I was confused''

Another long silence.


''Don't you think it's odd that your security man at the gate didn't see your Landlord arrive or 'dash out' like you claim this morning.?''the Inspector asked curiously.


''I AM TELLING THE TRUTH'' now there was panic in Andrew's Eyes.

Then the Inspector Leaves



OUTSIDE the Interrogation room.Another officer asks the I.P.O;

''So what did the suspect say,do you think he's innocent?''


After a long pause, the Inspector says;

''Honestly, I believe he is.but then again,Only God knows what really happened in that flat this morning.


THE COURT IS YET TO DECIDE ANDREW'S FATE.


LIFE IS A CHOICE MY FRIEND
SO CHOOSE WISELY
ENOUGH SAID.


For more stories,

Please visit www.opustjkwrites..com

“Would you like some?” I asked politely as I turned to face him.

He had a puffy face with crooked teeth that was a shade darker than brown rice.The skin around his large nose housed a small colony of Pimples that looked liked they could “pop” at any moment. The awful fumes were still oozing from his opened mouth.Facing him took a lot of courage. He smiled at me flashing more dark brown dentition. “No I don’t take such things,……….. They cause mouth odor!” he said, waving my offer away with an ugly grin. And then he kept on talking .
I was in trouble. He talked about the Government, Abortion and some how stuck on the benefits of premarital sex. I silently prayed for this man to fall asleep, the plane to crash, a mild seizure……. anything to get him to shutup.
But Mr Potbelly just went on and on and on, sending out one stink wave after the other like an effective sewage system. An eternity passed.


Thankfully we got to Abuja(after I had lost all sensation on the skin around the side of my face). “…..and that’s why I don’t believe in using a condom……….!” Mr Potbelly was saying. (How he got to this topic, Jehovah only knows) I couldn’t get out of there fast enough . Moral of the story? Dental hygiene is essential .Please brush properly.Or have some mints handy. (A pack of Orbits is just 200 naira) If you can’t, and you are a “GISTER”,then seriously pray that the person sitting next to you(on a bus plane or in church) has very bad catarrh.

Life is a choice my friend
Choose wisely. Enough said


www.opustjkwrites..com

Here’s the scenario I boarded a flight to abuja from Port harcourt. I somehow made it to my seat after navigating my way through the sea of small bags, protruding stomachs,a pissed off pregnant lady and the opened armpits of people placing stuff in the over head compartments. I hate flying by the way, call it acrophobia,aviophobia, or simply Village-Man-Syndrome .Planes terrify me.Some how, the notion of being inside a large metallic object thousands of feet above the ground isn’t very comforting.
All the Re-assurances of modern Science and Technology haven’t seemed to help either.Planes scare me.Enough said. Anyway there I was on my seat(as far away from the window as possible), dreading the next hour or so.Passengers were still settling in.

On the flipside, I thought to myself, the seat next to me was still vacant which meant there was a possibility (how ever remote) that some attractive young female could end up sitting next to me (it was a long shot I know, but what’s life without hope?)
Anyway, that didn’t happen. The seat next to me was taken by a large Potbellied man that faintly smelled like a room that had been closed for days after a small family of rodents had died inside it. Anyway, 5 minutes into the flight (after my heart rate had come down to a slightly manageable pace and after I’d confessed my sins to Jesus again and again).

I thought of starting up a conversation with Mr Potbelly! He wasn’t a young attractive woman but at least he’d be a much needed distraction from the turbulence of the flight. “Juice sir,? Came the voice of a very pretty female flight attendant. I looked up at her. She had a smile that was like sun light and she had a very nice body. She was pushing one of those weirdly nice looking inflight food trays.
I saw her and wished she were the passenger seated next to me.She was really pretty (sigh).

Anyway,I was still staring at her when the Mr Potbelly spoke into the side of my face. “She’s talking to you” His voice was deeply husky (bear like even), but the foul stench and strangely hot radio-active breath that followed was unbelievable




Tears filled my eyes instantly as if a small canister of tear gas had been unleashed. I felt the temperature on the side of my face rise like a bad fever. His breath smelled like seasoned urine from an alcholic. I didn’t bother looking in his direction (for fear he would open his mouth again).
I quickly smiled at the waitress and said a quick “No thank you,” and promptly kept my face away from Mr Potbelly. Trust me, I was prepared to stay that way for the duration of the flight, than encourage a conversation with him.
“Do you live in Port Harcourt?”Mr Pott belly asked. The man was evil.I thought.The air around my face had barely recovered from the first onslaught and now he was speaking again.How the hell was I suppose to think with that smell inside my head.? I didnt have a breathmint to offer him and couldnt change seats.The flight was full.
“You look like one of my brothers from…..!” Mr Pot belly was saying to me. Sh*t! He was a “Gister”(the type that could hold a conversation all by himself for hours) he’d probably talk for the rest of the flight which meant being subjected to more waves of his sewage-like stench for at least another 40minutes. “…..I have a brother in the House of Assembly…,”
He went on as, more of his stink enveloped me. I promptly beckoned the Pretty Flight attendant, she gave me a coy smile and walked towards me.Desperate times call for desperate measures.So bad was his mouth odor that I’d totally forgotten about my fear of flying.


“Please do you have any mints?”I’m sure my voice sounded desperate but I didn’t care . Still smiling, she reached into a small compartment on the tray and produced a handful of Tom-Toms. I smiled at her in gratitude,unwrapped and popped one into my mouth.
The air around me was foul. “…..He was married to one Bayelsa girl….!” Mr Potbelly was saying.Totally oblivious to the discomfort he was spreading.

I know this might sound silly,but is kissing a lost art??

Has anyone ever had a ‘dental collision’? Okay,I made it up.Sue me!
According to THE OPUS CONCISE ENGLISH DICTIONARY 1st edition, A Dental Collision is an


unpleasant collision that occurs during a kissing session".

Usually, this is what happens
Guy and Girl are kissing, the scene’s really intense, limbs and hands all over the place,there's enough heat in the room to power a small gas plant(or at least start a small fire),sex seems imminent...then.......it happens.

Their incisors (front teeth) collide in........ "mid-kiss"
"OUCH!"
There goes another lost moment. A lot of Times these collisions(when they are mild)are usually ignored by the Hot couple.
But other times.........,they're not.Especially when they REALLY HURT!!

Guy and Girl terminate kiss IMMEDIATELY! And then stare at each other with question marks in their eyes
"Was it my fault?" They seem to ask each other. Typically,Guy and Girl have three options available at this point;


a) Laugh over it and recommence smooching,

b) Secretly check if all their 32’s are in place,(which is advisable)

Or

C) Make a mental note to google "kissing for dummies/idiots & ignoramuses."

That's what happens when you kiss a "Collider"

Here’s a tip for identifying a "Collider" .
During a kiss, their teeth are always in the way. Enough said.

Aside from ‘colliders’, there are ‘drippers,piranhas and numb tongues’
The Dripper. ‘One who goeth to and fro the earth with a small lake of saliva in his/her mouth seeking an unfortunate face to drown"



Basically the Dripper seems to … well.......salivate during a kiss. He/she usually has saliva everywhere else (except in his/her own mouth) during a smooch.

Put it this way, you know how some people drool while sleeping? Well a dripper drools while kissing. How does one identify a dripper? The sad truth is you’ll just have to kiss one to know one. Sorry.

The Piranha. A close relative of the collider. They both choose to use their teeth during smooches. But the difference here is the piranha seems to confuse ‘making out’ with ‘eating out’. One false move and....SNAP!!! Severed tongues or lips. Trust me, it really hurts. Here’s a tip with kissing a Piranha....
KISS SLOWLY
Most of their munching during the smooching occurs when they are excited. So take your time or risk having to use salt and water to gargle for the next two weeks.

The Numb tongues. Part of the bliss of a kiss is in the artistic movement of one’s tongue in your lover’s mouth.
Anyway, if there are heavenly tongues, then it is not much of a stretch to have a hellish tongue, that’s a numb tongue. It doesn’t caress or move around; in fact it doesn’t do anything. The tongue just sticks out of its owner’s mouth with no specific intention in mind. It’s kind of like a flaccid penis. You just can’t do anything with it. During a kiss, the numb tongue goes in your mouth and… just stays there (like you needed a second tongue).
I hope I’ve helped.

Guys, Girls, Beware! These people are out there so protect yourselves. Colliders. Drippers, Piranhas, and Numb tongues are out there.

Life is a choice my friend
So choose wisely
Enough said

Feel free to share your encounters with any of the above type of kissers.


visit www.opustjkwrites..com for more short stories

How to be a runs girl 2.. Amaka's Monologue


"When will these married women learn?They simply can't compete and they shouldn't even try.I am young athletic,beautiful and sexy as hell.
I am a dark force of nature, every married woman's worst nightmare.


I own houses in Dubai, three in banana island, currently building another estate in Abuja
My collection of cars, rivals most welthy men's in Nigeria.



I have been all over the world . Yes including antarctica. I own a chain of boutiques in the UK and my family lives like royalty.
What more do I want?
I am the modern Courtesan.Call me a runs chick,prostitute,LovePeddler of Babylon,the wayward woman..(giggles) who cares??



I am the Fantasies of men,they crawl on their hands and knees seeking the warmth of my bed.I am the phone call he leaves the room to take, the whisper he masturbates to and the face he sees everytime he kisses you.

Why would I want to give up this life of pleasure??

My hunger can not be satisfied by one man's body,nor his pockets.They line up outside my door like starving beggars outside a homeless shelter.
"Who cares if they have wives or serious girlfriends?"
These men do not even remember their names when they're between my thighs.
Women go around with the mistaken belief that women like me want to snatch their husbands. hahaha very hilarious. I have men exactly where i want them. Eating from my palms, vying for my attention, trying to outdo each other in pleasing me. Do you get that in
MARRIAGE?
Mtcheeew!!!!!! I wonder why women choose to enslave themselves.Marriage is for the weak.

What do I want from it? what does it have to offer me?
Companionship.......? HA!
I have your husbands and boyfriends to keep me company whenever I want.I have them all on speed dial.I can have a different man everynight from now till Christmas. Rest assured, we wont have time for boring conversations.

Security Not at all....
My accounts and businesses are more than enough security for me.If only you knew how much money your husbands pay into my accounts everyday.


Children??
In a few years time,I will announce the man that will father my children.I want just two. Don't shake your heads and say "God forbid!" just go kneel down and pray I don't choose your "darling husband" as the lucky sperm donor.
As much as your husbands plead and profess undying love, i am not interested in being shackled to any man.
Look at John,he has a large Company and has been begging that I forsake all men and marry him.
What for??
You see,Mariam has no idea that her husband's fantasy is to be dominated.The day he asked her to tie him up in bed,she freaked out.
ME??
I tied him up real tight and spanked the Shit out of him.I'm gangster like that.lol

What about Tolu's husband Jonathan?Jonathan has always wanted the "thrill of the Chase". As soon as he married Tolu, he began another Chase....ME!
how have I kept him chasing after me for years(while spending on me)? Story for another day.


Now.Gloria is a woman after my own heart.When she realised I was in Her husband's life for good, she mellowed and dialogued with me.
The result??
I make sure I send him home on time and he doesn't miss anniversaries.

Believe me,if you piss me off(like Mariam just did) I will go on a loooong vacation with your husband.Rest assured that he won't be buying her that SUV for her birthday.I will make certain of that!!!
Hmmm! I think I want that SUV(already have one,wouldn't mind a different colour)
Women like Mariam don't known how to keep a husband.So I help them.

The worse kind of women are the types that think they can beat and threaten me.
Nneka brought thugs to one of my shops in Lagos.They beat me and vandalized the place.
Very good, you say?..(laughs)
Her husband replaced everything, paid an insane amount of money into my account, to show he was sorry, then sent her packing after that.And till this day,she's still begging him not to leave her!


Wives and Serious girlfriends beware! This is not just a warning,but a guarantee.If the "wandering eyes" of your man finds me,....he is done for!
I do not go searching for your men. They come chasing after me like dogs In heat. I dont care what you do, or how you do it, just make sure our paths dont cross
Oh weak men!beware my power."



It takes less than an hour to destroy a relationship that took months/years to build.
Infidelity is a bad thing.Being unfaithful is a choice,....and so is being a home-wrecker

life is a choice my friend
So choose wisely
Enough said.

2 b continued.....

opustjkwrites..com

PHONE RINGING

CLICK!!

CAROLINE: hello.....

AMAKA:Yes?? hello.......who's this please??

CAROLINE:My name is Caroline.......Mrs Caroline Douglas


STATIC

AMAKA:Hello...?.(more static) can you hear me?? hello.....?

CAROLINE:Yes i can hear you!!

AMAKA: who did you say you were again


CAROLINE: (impatient) I AM MRS CAROLINE DOUGLAS, JOHN'S WIFE.THE MAN YOU'VE BEEN straffing!!!

(LONG SILENCE)

AMAKAlaughs) I've been expecting your call my dear

CAROLINEshocked) WHAT DO YOU MEAN??

AMAKA: (calmly) i know you've been going through his phone.wetin you dey find sef??Oya nau, see me here!!!!

(PAUSE)

CAROLINE(To herself) My GOD! so you're not even denying it AMAKA,ARE YOU HIGH?

AMAKA: No be by shouting abeg. Yes I'm straffing your husband, so?

CAROLINE: JESUS!!!

AMAKA:Listen my dear,John is in love with me and there's really nothing you can do about it

CAROLINE:AMAKA?AMAKA? (tries to calm herself) I am warning you!!

AMAKA:...(laughs)what will you do? in all fairness i feel sorry for you. I really do because it must be hard sharing a bed with a man that doesnt love you....Its a pity! when was the last time he had sex with you? wasnt it eight months ago and wasnt he drunk?(laughs)
Do you want to know why he was so drunk and troubled that night? because i threatened to breakup with him(laughs again)he was Hot,drunk and frustrated......thats why he even contemplated that sad body of yours(LAUGHS LOUDER)

CAROLINEsnaps fingers) GOD FORBID!!! AMAKA you are demon!


AMAKA'S STILL LAUGHING

CAROLINE: God will punish you AMAKA,My God will punish you ASHAWO!!!

AMAKA:John tells me everything my dear.....thats what lovers do.shout and rain abuses from now till the next election it wont change anything.I AM PART OF JOHN'S LIFE.....DEAL WITH IT!!

CAROLINE:I will deal with you AMAKA!Port harcourt is a very small town!!

(STATIC)

AMAKAraises voice) YOU WILL NOT DO ANYTHING!!!!John will never leave me.There's nothing you or those Goat-like children of yours can do about it

CAROLINEvoice breaking)you.......called my children goats?(sobs)

May you give birth to goats!!!!

AMAKALOUD LAUGHTER) my dear you're just wasting saliva.if you and your ewu-looking children want to stay in that marriage,then you MUST accept me as John's mistress.
GBAM!!!!

CAROLINEcrying)AMAKA leave my husband,leave him before (sobs) i do something i will regret.

(STATIC)

AMAKA: u no fit do anyting. the highest you, your ugly children and your over-sized vagina can do is leave the marriage And by the way, John is still in that loveless marriage because of those......."Homo-sapiens" you gave birth to.If not eh? he wouldve left you siiiiiiince..

CAROLINE:HA!!Do you think that John would leave me to marry a UniPort ProstituteYou're JOKING!!!!!

AMAKA LAUGHS non-stop for almost half a minute

AMAKA:if to say i want ya husband, I for don marry am siiiiiince.I am ok with being his mistress.abeg.what is in marriage sef?You that is married nko?are you happy? in the last one year of marriage has he even looked at your body like something that belongs to a human being

CAROLINEcrying)


AMAKA:I'M not interested in marrying John.(snaps fingers)Godforbid!!!I dont want to wake up one day and become you!
You have no business calling yourself a woman when your husband masturbates daily in the house..


CAROLINE: (sobs).....Jesus!!!....God will punish you(sobs)....(cries hysterically)

AMAKA:Mtcheeew!! Please I'm trying to sleep abeg.
cry all you want, i am here to stay

CAROLINE STILL CRYING

CLICK!!!!

LINE DISCONNECTS

Inspired by real life events

NAWA!!!!

Life is a choice my friend
Choose wisely
Enough said



to be continued..........


do visit www.opustjkwrites..com