Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,143,207 members, 7,780,370 topics. Date: Thursday, 28 March 2024 at 01:12 PM

The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. - Literature - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Literature / The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. (20550 Views)

How Lust For A Teenage Girl Ruined The Life Of An Innocent Boy / TEENAGE LOVE Naivety¤¤¤¤part 1 & 2 / Journal Of A Teenage Nigerian Jambite. (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply) (Go Down)

The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 9:13am On Sep 05, 2009
'She sat in the restaurant,waiting anxiously. She was 16 years old,and she was waiting for a boy. His name was Orisha. She and Orisha had been classmates in primary school,and in pry 3,he'd been her first crush,and her first kiss. Not a real kiss,mind you;they'd been acting(the kinda acting little kids did during break/after school),and she'd kissed him on the cheek. "Was that the play or was that us?",he'd asked with a chuckle when they spoke about it years later. She'd left the school in pry. 4 and had completely lost contact with all her primary school music,this was way before the profusion of cell-phones into the Nigerian society. When she was in SS1,she'd signed up for facebook,and a few months later she'd found him there. He'd left the country after Pry. 6. They talked incessantly,catching up and reconnecting,sometimes exchanging as much as 86 messages in one day. He was a really nice person,and the fact that he was a thousand miles away made her feel safe and freer than she had ever felt with any guy;she even told him about the crush she'd had on him all those years ago. He was sweet,he made her laugh,he understood her passion-writing,because he had a passion of his own-drawing. Things had changed though. He was in Nigeria with his family,and she was definitely out of her comfort zone. They'd arranged to meet at the Mr. Biggs in Maryland,just them,before they met with all their old primary school friends. She bit her nails nervously. She'd always been self-confident about guys;whether they were handsome or not,but orisha was different. Maybe it was because she knew how different he was,and in comparison to the white girls he was used to,she felt inferior,inadequate somehow. He'd been in two relationships that hadn't worked out,while she,at the ripe old age of 16 hadn't even been kissed yet(except you counted the time she'd kissed orisha on the cheek). And then,she was insecure about her body. She wasnt fat,not by a long shot,but she was bigger than her elder sisters. She looked more womanly;

1 Like

Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 9:46am On Sep 05, 2009
'She had rounder curves;and as a result she was often the subject of much teasing from her family. She took it stoicly,oftentimes giving out a few disses of her own,but deep down,she was insecure. They'd both talked about their bodies and how they'd grown;he was taller,cuter and had even started shaving regularly(about every two weeks),and when he asked her how she'd filled out(because she was as skinny as a toothpick then),and she said she'd filled out pretty darn well. It was very easy to be self-confident online,but meeting him in person was very different. What if when he saw her he turned away in distate? What if he ran out of the restaurant and never came back? What if. . ? 'Get a grip',she muttered to herself. She'd been waiting for less than 10 minutes,but to her it felt like an eternity. Just when she thought she would explode with anxiety,he walked in. His bespectacled eyes scanned the crowd,searching for her. He found her,grinned broadly and then strode purposefully to her and she rose from the chair. "Hey Orisha",she said,her voice shaky,and she stretched out a hand for him to shake. He took it,and then drew her to him and hugged her. Her face against his blue cotton shirt,she blinked. Hugging boys wasn't something she usually did. "You're supposed to hug me back",he whispered in her ear. If voices could kill,she'd have died and gone to heaven that very moment.as she hugged him back,she couldn't stop thinking about his voice which sounded like chocolate and cream. His accent wasn't too much to be overpowering,nor was it too little to be understated. She couldn't stop thinking about how good he smelled or how wonderful it was to feel the sinewy muscles of his back through his shirt. She felt an odd tingling in her heart and then said to him;"You might wanna let go of me now. People are starting to stare". "Sorry",he said with a sheepish grin as he let her go. "It's just so good to see you,Mims",he continued,calling her by the short form of her name,Miriam.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by maedan(f): 10:19am On Sep 05, 2009
This is so cute! If it's one thing I like, it's a teenage love affair grin. I'm thinking of starting one myself, so I'll be watching and learning how your story goes, give myself some inspiration cheesy.

1 Like

Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by pinkylady1(f): 12:46pm On Sep 05, 2009
interesting i must say cheesy
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 2:46pm On Sep 05, 2009
They sat down opposite each other and started talking. At first,she was kinda stiff,but as the conversation went on,her tension melted away. "So how long are you gonna be around?",she asked about an hour later. He chewed and swallowed the rice in his mouth and said;"About three months. After which i'll receive a letter from Met U,find out whether they accepted my college application or not". She knew how badly he wanted to get into Met U;he'd mentioned it before several times. "They'd be crazy not to take you",she said,and continued;"I mean,come on. You're smart,you're intuitive,you're hardworking. . You'd be an asset". He smiled at her gratefully and said;"Thank you for saying that". "Your'e welcome",she said,smiling back at him,outwardly radiating cool self-assurance,but her insides had turned to jelly when he smiled. He had pearly white teeth,slight dimples,and his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed. "Uhh. . . It's been over an hour",she said a few minutes later,looking at heq wristwatch. "I have to go",she continued. "Bummer",he said,and rose when she rose. "I just got a new line. Could i have your number?",he asked. "Of course",she replied and gave it to him. He dialled it and cut the call after her phone rang. "Call me when you get home",he said. "I will. Bye",she replied. "Bye",he said and gave her a quick hug. She smiled at him and then left the restaurant.
********
A few days later. .
Miriam and Orisha had talked on the phone everyday since then. They'd even done one night call. His days had been very busy;he and his family had been visiting and being visited. He'd called a few hours earlier to tell Mimi that there'd been a last minute cancellation and they arranged to meet again at the Mr. Biggs in Maryland. Miriam was just getting down from the bike when she saw his lanky figure in the distance. She'd only seen him once since he came back,but the way he walked,and the way he looked,his height,his build,it was etched firmly in her mind and she couldn't get it out.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by maedan(f): 4:18pm On Sep 05, 2009
Atreus, hope you don't mind my asking, but what age bracket are you? 20-30, or 30-40?? Please don't take offence, but there's a reason I'm asking. If you can answer frankly, I will reveal the reason for my curiousity cheesy. I do a bit of writing myself and there's something about your style---Anyway, I hope you give an honest reply wink----
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 6:13pm On Sep 05, 2009
I'm on my early 30's, why? do i sound younger?
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by maedan(f): 6:25pm On Sep 05, 2009
Oh ok. (thank goodness you didn't take offence). Yes, you do sound young, but not in a bad way. There's a freshness and naivete in your writing - or maybe it's just because you're writing about teen lovers. Like I said once, it's cute; I like cute smiley. I think we need more cuteness in the world. And oh, sorry for interrupting the flow - I'm very looking forward to the next instalment wink!
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 6:40pm On Sep 05, 2009
Back to what i was writing-
'She entered the retaurant just before he did and saw him picking a seat. "Hey",she said when she got to him. "Hey",he replied,giving her a side hug and drawing out a chair for her. They talked,he enthusiastically about being back in Nigeria,she about how boring her days were becoming.
  "There are a couple of places i wanna see in Lagos",he said. "Yeah? Where?",she asked. "The slave ports in Badagry,the National theatre, Museum, beaches and uhh. . . that's about it. You know any cool places i could add to my list?",he asked. "I don't know any cool places,period",she said with a self-deprecating chuckle,and continued;"i haven't even been to the cinemas." "Seriously?",he asked,his left eyebrow raised in surprise. "Seriously",she replied. "Well,why not?",he asked. "My dad's not a very outgoing person. I think that's part of the reason why i'm not very sociable-i never had the chance to be anything other than that. My idea of a good time is being inside all day on my bed with a good book or just watching t.v.". "So you havent gone to the cinemas?" "No,i haven't",she repeated."Well,we're gonna have to do something about that. We're going to the silverbird cinemas this saturday night." She laughed in amusement and then said;"No we're not. "Why not?",he asked. "It's a very sweet offer,but i cant go with you on saturday night. I have a very early curfew. 5 p.m? And there's no way my dad would let me stay out late". "Oh come on! You're 16! You're through with school,you've written your waec,neco,jamb and pot-jamb,you were a model student throughout school;You're 16,Mims. You're not a kid anymore. I'm sure you could convince your dad to make an exception this time",he said persuadingly. "He won't",she said. "How can you be so sure? You haven't even asked him yet". "I know my dad,Orisha. He's not gonna let me go". "Just ask him,please?" "Fine",she said with a sigh. "I'll ask him,but i can tell you right now,he's gonna say no".
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 7:37pm On Sep 05, 2009
**********************************
                                                                                                                                                         That evening. . . . .
Miriam walked into the sitting room and sat down on a chair opposite her father. Her father was seated on the two-seater,his legs on a tablestool as he watched the evening news. "Daddy? I want to talk to you",she said. "As you can see,Miriam,i'm watching something". "I know,but after you watch the news,you'll eat dinner,take your shower and then go to bed. This is the most conducive time for you,and it won't take long. Besides,this broadcast is a repeat. You watched it in the morning,remember?" "Okay,Miriam,what do you want to talk about?" "I want to go ou done t this saturday evening with a friend of mine. We want to go see a movie at the silverbird cinemas.". "This friend of yours,is it a boy or a girl?" "daddy,what difference does that make?"  "Going by your cagey non-reply,it's a boy". "Daddy. . . " "No. My answer is no",he said curtly. "Daddy,it's just a movie. What does it matter if who i'm going with is a boy or a girl?",she asked in frustration. "It matters a greusting me,just this once?y noat deal,young lady. How can you come and be asking me for permission to go out on a date with a boy?" "It's not a date,dad. He's just my friend,"she said in protest. "I hear you. Friend! That's how it always starts,and then three months later,you end up pregnant". "Daddy,this is unfair. This is so unfair to me. what have i ever done wrong? Have you ever seen or heard of me doing anything untoward with any boy? Haven't i always been decent? How can you justify not trusting me,just this once?" "I don't have to justify anything to you. I'm your father,and i'm telling you that you're not stepping an inch out of this house come saturday evening." "Daddy,please. . " "I said No! Are you deaf,or do you want me to beat it through your thick skull?",her father yelled at her. Miriam clenched and unclenched her fists,her breathing quickened-classic signs of an impending outburst of her
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 8:49pm On Sep 05, 2009
of her temper'. "I'm not going to give any of my daughters the opportunity to get spoilt. Not in my house. You're going to stay where i can keep an eye on you",her father continued. "So you don't want me to get spoilt,ehn? That's why you want to keep me cooped up in here? did it ever occur to you,Dad",she asked,spitting out his name in anger,and continued;"that if i wanted to be spoilt,or promiscuous,i could've done so a long time ago?" "Shut your mouth or i'll shut it for you. None of my children will ever disgrace me. I won't give you that chance". "Oh. Ok. See,you don't have to worry about me getting pregnant and disgracing you,dad. I assure you,if i sleep with a boy,i'll have the good sense to protect myself." Her father leapt up with surprising agility and slapped her so hard her face spun. She stood up and moved away from him "How dare you? How dare you sit there and talk about sleeping with a boy? In my presence! Efe!",he yelled,calling her mother. "Come and take your daughter before i give her the beating she's asking for". "You don't need to call mommy,dad. If you want to beat me,then go right ahead and do it. I'm not that little kid who was terrified of being flogged by her father. Not anymore. Yils it unou wanna flog me? then go right ahead and do it,"she said quietly. Her father took off his belt and walked towards her menacingly and then stopped a few feet away from her,at which point she was supposed to throw herself at his feet and beg for mercy-except she didn't. "Go on dad. I'm not afraid of you,or your belt." Her defiance infuriated him the more,and he rapidly closed the distance between them and brought the belt down on her. The iron buckle hit her lip,and she clenched her teeth tighly to keep from crying out. Her father hit her,again and again. Miriam's fraught nerve ends screamed to her brain,her whole body racked with pain. the pain was agonising,gut-wrenching infact;she heard the soft swoosh of the belt sailing throught the air ant the thwip sounds made when it landed on her soft skin,but she still didnt cry. She'd sworn a long time ago never to give her dad the satisfaction of seeing her tears,and she wasn't about to break her oath now. The part of her brain that wasn't overwhelmed with pain caught a glimpse of her father's face and processed the look on it;he looked angished,almost as if it hurt him to be beating her,but he still kept on doing it until she heard her mother's voice from what seemed like a far way off.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 9:01pm On Sep 05, 2009
"For the love of God,Moses,stop it. Do you want to kill her?",her mother asked,pulling his arm. Her father stopped flogging her and shouted;"I can take a lot of things from this girl,but the one thing i will not tolerate is her disrespect!" "But you know she has a bad temper,just like you,and it pushes her to say and do things she doesn't really mean". "Temper or not,she needs to realize that she must respect me,and if whipping her's the way to go,then so be it." Her mother sighed in frustration and then went to help Miriam up. "Are you okay?",she asked in concern. "I'm as okay as i can be,given what just happened",she quipped. "Enough of your wisecracks young lady. To your room!",her father roared. "Yes daddy",she said and looked up at him for a few seconds,enough for him to see that she was dry-eyed and that annoyed him even more. Then she turned and went uo to her room.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 11:13pm On Sep 05, 2009
Sorry for all the typos.

1 Like

Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 11:49am On Sep 06, 2009
********
On Sunday morning,Miriam sat in the dining room,slowly chewing the food in her mouth. Her mother,father and her junior brother to find her sitting there,and they were all dressed up for church. "Aren't you coming to church?",her mother asked. "No mum",she replied. Very briefly,a look of pain flashed through her mother's face. "Okay,then. Let's start going". "You go and start the car. I'll be down in a few minutes",her dad said. Her mother and brother left the house. "Why do you always do this,Miriam?" "Do what,dad?" "Antagonise people. You know how devout your mother is,and how important it is to her that her children be spiritually inclined. Why cant you do this for her?" "I love mom,but i can't be something i'm not. I believe in God,but believe that going to churches to be fleeced,like sheep being led to the slaughter is the way to serve him. I'm not religious,dad. I'd rather stay at home than go to a church and become a part of the blatant hypocrisy therein",she said with feeling. "Just come",he said. "What for,dad? So i can sit down doing nothing useful for the next three hours". "Why is your own always different,ehn Miriam? Why are you so problematic? Your sisters never gave me this kind of trouble. Why cant you be more like them?" "Because i can't,dad",she said softly and continued;"I'm not them. I'm not an extension of your perfect daughters. I'm me. And i can't be someone i'm not,no matter how much you want me to". "Fine. Have it your way",her father said in frustration and left the dining table.
          ********
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by ginky: 7:44pm On Sep 06, 2009
Please Atreus, continue. You are keeping me in suspense.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 8:27pm On Sep 06, 2009
Half an hour later,the doorbell rang shrilly.
"Who is it?",asked Miriam as she walked to the door. "Me",replied a deep male voice. It was Orisha! Miriam walked quickly to the door,her heart racing,and opened it to see him standing there. "What are you doing here?",she asked in surprise. Orisha didn't answer her;he just drew her to him and hugged her tightly. "O. . kay,now why are you hugging me?" "Because i was worried",he replied. "Come in",she said,and continued a few seconds later when they were inside;"i don't get,Orisha. Why were you worried?" "You wanna know? Okay. You were supposed to get back to me,to tell me what your dad said about movie night-except you didn't. Not only did you not reply,it seemed like you just dropped off the surface of the earth. I called you later the day we had lunch;your phone was switched off. I called you the next day;same thing. And the next day,and the day after that-still switched off. I sent you messages on facebook,you didn't reply any of them. i didn't see you online. So i was worried. I couldn't help but wonder,what if? What if you'd had an accident? What if you'd been kidnapped-seeing as kidnapping's all the rave in Nigeria,i was worried!" She smiled at him oddly,oblivious of his apparent irritation and slight annoyance.  The only thing she was thinking about was that he was worried about her,and 'that meant he cared about her to some extent,didn't it?',she asked herself. "What happened mims?",he asked her. "My dad seized my phone. And banned me from using the computer for a week",she said. It was  part of her punishment. Losing her phone,and access to the internet hurt more than a hundred beatings combined. "Why?",he asked. She didn't answer him,so he asked another question. "This didn't have anything to do with you asking him whether we could go see a movie,did it?" "That's by the way. My dad and i had an argument,that's all". "Oh. Shit. I caused this?" "What? No . . No",she said,rushing to assure him and continued;"This had nothing to do with me asking him about movie night. Okay maybe it did have a little to do with it,but the point is,it was bound to happen sooner or later. There were. . underlying issues that have nothing to do with you,so don't go beating yourself up about it." "What else did he do,apart from seizing your phone?",Orisha asked through clenched teeth. "What does that matter?" "It matters to me",he said. "Well i don't think it should. Now can we please stop talking about this?" "Why?",he asked. "Because i don't feel comfortable talking about this". "Why?",he asked again. "Because." "Since when did because  become a logical excuse?" "Orisha just drop it,will you? I don't feel comfortable sharing stuff". "That's the problem. You don't share.You keep everything bottled up inside and it's not healthy! You did the same thing when we used to chat online or when i called from the states. You'd shy away from personal questions". "Because i'm a private person",she said. "No. Because you're scared." "You don't know anything orisha." "But i'd like to. I may not know anything about what you're feeling,but i do know that talking about stuff helps". He paused and waited for her to say something. She didn't. "I have to go. I'm attending afternoon mass",he said with a sigh,and continued;"When you're ready to talk,you know where to find me" "Great. Now you're giving me ultimatums. I don't like ultimatums",she said. "It's not an ultimatum,Mims. I'm your friend,and you're mine. You should be able to talk to me. You should be able to trust me with what's bothering you. I've gotta go now,though. And if something ever happens to your phone again,then call me from a payphone and let me know what's up,o.k?" "okay",she replied quietly. "Bye",he said. "Bye",she replied,and continud;"And thanks for checking up on me." He smiled at her and then left.
                                      ***************
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 11:17pm On Sep 07, 2009
More.
Two weeks later. . . . .
Miriam and Orisha had been spending a lot of time together. By some sort of unspoken arrangement,neither of them mentioned the talk they had that Sunday. Her parents went to work everyday,and her junior brother went to school,so her days were free,and she spent them hanging out with Orisha. They'd checked out the Badagry slave ports earlier that week. Now they were at the beach. They'd gotten there early that day,before the sun came out,and now they were seating on the cool sand under the shade of a luxuriant palm tree,eating the little picnic he'd packed. Miriam knew he wanted her to open up to him. He hadn't said it,but she knew that was what he wanted,and that was something that wasn't easy for her;opening up to someone. She was a bit of a loner,even in the company of her family,often retiring to the seclusion of her room to write;since she needed silence to 'get her creative juices flowing',in her own words. She bit down into the piece of chicken thoughtfully,and a little sauce dribbled down her chin. ''You've got a little something on your chin",he said,and without thinking about it,picked up a serviette and dabbed it off. His fingers,'beautiful fingers actually',she thought absently and couldn't believe she'd actually thought about it,his fingers lingered on her jaw. There was a moment,during which the sounds of the ocean around them faded out and they were in a world of their own. Then his phone beeped-he'd just received a message. The moment was broken,and she looked away. About half an hour later,just after they'd finished eating,she asked softly:"Is it okay if we talk now?" "Yeah",he replied. "My dad and i. . . don't get along",she began. "Things were fine between us when i was younger,infact we were kinda close,but when i hit teenagerhood,things changed. My dad started comparing me with my big sisters,which was,and still is very annoying. I . . don't get noticed when i'm around them. It's almost like everybody compares me with them,and i always fall short;i'm not perfect enough,i'm not pretty enough. . . . " "You're beautiful",he cut in softly,his deep voice resonating with feeling. "I'm okay,Orisha,but come on! You've seen my sisters. You know what they look like. They're unbelievably gorgeous",she paused,and continued,sounding conflicted;"I love my sisters,i really do,but it's just. . . It's hard to be in their shadow all the time. And then recently,my dad's been obsessed with making sure i don't get spoilt. He wasn't a liberal father before,but now things have gotten worse. He thinks keeping me cooped up in the house will somehow protect my virtue",she said,getting riled up just thinking about it. "He doesn't give me an inch of freedom,he doesn't trust me. . . It's suffocating. No one understands me. Even when i'm surrounded by my family i feel alone. . Different",she said. "I know what it feels like to be different",he said,and continued; "When we moved to the states,everything changed. We had a new house,new neighbors,new school,new weather,new everything. Moving away from the people and things i knew and loved was incredibly difficult. For months,i felt different,out-of-place,like i didn't belong. It was hard." "So how did you take it? Did you act out?" "If by act out you mean did i dye my hair purple,smoke pot",he joked with a smile,making her giggle,and continued;"then no,i didn't,but for a while,i was really angry". "At who?",she asked. "My parents. We left Nigeria pretty suddenly. No one asked me what i thought-we just up and moved,and i was angry at them for making me leave. And then i was angry at myself for resenting them when i knew they were just trying to make things better for our family. But,eventually,i got over it." "And i will?",she asked with a smile. "Yeah. Pretty much",he said in reply. They fell into a comfortable silence. She was wondering how to thank him for listening to her vent about her issues. Venting hadn't solved anything,but it'd certainly made her feel better. She had to thank him,but she didn't want to sound sappy either. While pondering over her little dilenma,he handed her a canned sprite. "Thanks",she said,and continued;"for this,and for everything". "You're welcome",he replied and continued;"Now hurry up with that. I see some killer waves on the horizon. Let's go get drenched!". She grinned at him broadly and drank the canned coke as quickly as she could,after all,the waves were calling out to her.
                    ********
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by MyneWhite1(f): 2:56am On Sep 09, 2009
Atreus please don't keep me hanging. I hope you enjoy writing this as much as I do reading it. Well done. Maybe you can format it better for us and check typos too. Thanks.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 12:38pm On Sep 11, 2009
@mynewhite-what exactly do you mean by format?
Back to what i was wrting:
'Orisha and a couple of their old primary school friends were organising a party,a get together of their set. The party was being held at Paul's place(Paul was a mutual friend),and with the way things were going,the party was going to be a huge success. Those were the thoughts running through Miriam's mind. It was a Friday evening,and the party was to be held in exactly one week. Her parents were seated in the living room,watching the evening news when she came in and sat down. She took in a deep breath,and then said;"Daddy? I need to ask you something." "What?",he replied. "I need you to please extend my curfew next week friday." "Why?",he asked. "A couple of friends have organised a reunion of our primary school set and it's next week friday". "You want to go to a party?",her father asked. "Daddy,please. They hold these reunion bashes every year-i've never been to any of them. Not even one. This would mean so much to me dad",she said earnestly. "No. You're not going to any party",her father said. Miriam laughed bitterly and asked aloud;"Why did i even bother?". She stood up from the sofa and went up to her room.
"Okay,this is getting too much,Moses",her mother said to her father after she was gone. "What's getting too much?",he asked. "The way you're treating her. She's not a kid anymore Moses. She's 16,and she's never been to a party!". "That's not true Efe. She's been to parties. . . " "Yeah. . Wedding parties,and birthday bashes that end at 5pm. They don't count. She hasn't been to a real party",cut in her mom. "Oh,so you want her to go to this party?",he asked. "I should've sai this a long time ago,Mo,but i didn't. You're the head of this family,and i didn't want to question your authority. . and i was confused. I didn't know what to do with Miriam-and maybe i still don't,but i do know that what we're doing now-flogging,threats,yelling,it's not working. Not for her. Maybe it's time we changed our methods. Miriam is 16. She's young,full of life,and very responsible most of the time. She deserves to have a little fun,and you need to realize that",she said. "I don't believe this,Efe",he began,and continued;"I'm trying to protect our daughter,and you're criticizing me?". "From what,Moses? What are you trying to protect her from?".she asked. "You know very well what happens in parties,Efe",he said.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by sugabelle: 2:13pm On Sep 11, 2009
Nice ones, Atreus - I'm wondering though about the name "Orisha"? Why did you use it and do you know what it means? I just wonder? But the story is very true-to-life, some parents can be so strict. I wonder if Miriam will end up being wayward like most kids of stifling parents cheesy. That would be fun to see. Like maybe she sneaks out for the party?? grin
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 6:56pm On Sep 11, 2009
It's orisaebuka,and no,i don't know what it means,i used to,but i can't remember anymore. I do know 'orisa' means god in some languages.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 6:58pm On Sep 11, 2009
I toyed with the idea of her sneaking out but it seemed really cliché,predictable. So her parents are gonna give her permission.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by MyneWhite1(f): 7:02pm On Sep 11, 2009
Atreus when you say orisha is short for orisaebuka, you spell wrongly,

Orisha in yoruba means 'small gods' secondary to Olodumare I think

The right way will be Olisa which means God in some riverine Igbo languages

Olisaebuka then means God is very big = He can do all things.

Hope that helps
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 7:28pm On Sep 11, 2009
Back to what i was writing:
'As do you. When you were her age,you really knew how to pump up the party,or have you forgotten?",she asked. "Of course not. When i was her age,i lost my way. I hurt myself,and others before i found it again. I don't want her to have to go through that",her father said. "Messing up is part of growing. Failure,mistakes,they're part of life. You know that",she said,paused and continued;"I know you're trying to protect her,but this is not the way to go about it. You'll just end up hurting yourself". "Myself?",he asked. "Yes. Yourself. You keep this up and she's going to end up resenting you. It's already started Mo. She's angry at everybody,but mostly at you. If you keep treating her like this . .",she said,throwing her hands up in frustration. "You don't want that,do you? Miriam resenting you?",she asked softly a few seconds later. "Of course i don't want my daughter resenting me. She's just so. . problematic". "Because she's angry. And she's lashing out at the people who are making her angry. Us. Mo,we've raised her. We've taught her right from wrong,good from bad. We've taught her to respect others,and to stay focused. We've told her that the greatest achievement any human can have is to love God,themselves and others,and we've lived by our words. We've taught her how to fly. Now we have to let her go. She has to find her way,make her own path,and it's a journey she's going to make on her own",her mom said. "Her sisters weren't like that. They appreciated our guidance,welcomed it even. Why is her own different?",he asked in seeming frustration. "Because she's different. She's always been different. When her sisters always went along with what we wanted,she'd do the exact opposite. She's always had a mind of her own-right from when she was a toddler. So she's got to start living her life-and if she makes mistakes,if she falls down,then she's gotta learn to stand up,dust herself and keep moving,and she has this spirit,this will,inner strength,and the principles we've imbued in her.'
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by sugabelle: 8:02pm On Sep 11, 2009
Ok Atreus but pls pls change the name to Olisa, it sounds much cooler. I don't know why but that name Orisha distracts(more like scares cheesy) me from the great story. I'm v. sure you mixed up the names as MyneWhite guessed. Pretty please smiley??
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 9:34pm On Sep 11, 2009
i dunno. . . . My characters are already well established in my head. Changing his name in the middle of the story would upset my flow and then it wouldn't be any good. Sorry. . . (but orisha's not that bad,i mean orisaebuka is a good and proper name,and it's pronounced orishaebuka,isn't it?)
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 9:50pm On Sep 11, 2009
back to what i was writing:
"Miriam's my strongest child,but she's also the one i worry about the most",her mother said. "You worry about her too?",he asked. "Of course i do. I worry about all our children,and i'll probably still be worrying about them when they have children of their own. I worry about them,but at some point,i trust them. I have to,if i want to maintain a good relationship with them",she replied. "So you think if i let Miriam go to this party,it'll fix things between us?",he asked. "Not completely,no. But it's a start",she replied. "Fine. I'll extend her curfew by two hours. 7 o'clock". "7? That's when the party'll be getting started!",she said in protest. "My point exactly",he said. "Moses. . .",she sighed in exasperation. "Fine. 9 o'clock sharp. Not a second
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by sugabelle: 11:07pm On Sep 11, 2009
Nooo, Atreus, Orisha and ebuka can never be part of the same name cheesy grin!!! One is Yoruba, the other is Delta/Ibo. Do you know anything about Nigerian names at all smiley smiley? Ok, ok, I'll back off, but the name is just not making it work for me, sorry. It's your story though, so knock yourself out wink!
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 8:52pm On Sep 12, 2009
***
Party night. . . .
Miriam entered Paul's house nervously. It was Friday night,and miracle of miracles,her father had let her go to the party. She'd heard the news from her mother in shocked disbelief. Even as she entered the living room,she was still a little bit shocked that she was actually there. It was about 6:20pm,and it was starting to get dark. She'd left her house around 6 and had taken a bike. She walked around quietly,wondering where everyone was. She waited for a few seconds and then heard voices. She followed them and found her way to the swimming pool area. There were already a few people there. She scanned their faces and saw him in a corner at the exact same moment he saw her and they both smiled simultaneously,and he walked to her. He was wearing a light pink short-sleeved shirt,black denim trousers and a pair of palm slippers. The pink shirt perfectly complemented his complexion which was somewhere between light and dark. The first two buttons of his shirt were open,and she saw the silver chain he always wore lying on the soft cotton of his white singlet. "Hey",he said,smiling at her. She wore a casual white gown with little blue flowers all over it,a small black jacket and black flats. "Hey",she replied with a smile of her own and then couldn't resist adding;"You clean up nice". His shirt was faintly formal,and his outfit was in stark contrast to his usual sweatshirt/cargo pants look. "You don't look too bad yourself. What did you do to your hair?",he asked. "I flat-ironed it. You like?",she asked. "Yeah",he replied,and continued;"It suits you. You look really pretty". "Thank-you",she replied shyly. She wasn't used to receiving compliments. "I wasn't really sure you would make it. I thought your dad might change his mind at the last moment or something",he said. "I'm still in shock myself. But,he didn't change his mind,and so,here i am. I just have to make sure i'm home by 9". "Speaking of which,how do you plan to get home?",he asked. "I dunno. Taxi? Or a bike".
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Atreus(f): 9:30pm On Sep 12, 2009
"I could drive you home",he said. "I don't wanna impose. . . ",she began. "You're not imposing. I offered,remember?". "Okay then,i guess you're driving me home",she replied. "And who do we have here?",asked a boisterous male voice from the middle of nowhere. She turned to see a guy who was a bit taller than her. He had Elvis-like sideburns and wore some pretty cool shades. He took them off and asked with a broad grin;"Don't you remember me?". "Uhh. . . No,i'm sorry,i don't". "It's Mike. We used to drum together,remember?",he asked. "Yeah. . Oh shit! Look at you! You look great!" "Thank-you. Thank-you very much",he said with an exaggerated drawl that made her laugh. Mike had grown into an incredibly handsome young man. She looked at him closely,and in his face saw traces of the young boy he was when she'd left. . it was probably the way his cheeks dimpled when he smiled and his cheeky gap-toothed grin. The Elvis-like sideburns and his impersonation of 'the king' intrigued her;they suggested an eccentricity that she found fascinating. "You've changed a lot",she said after he hugged her. "Yeah. But you,you haven't changed at all,your face i mean. The rest of you is all grown up",he said with a rakish grin. "Look who's talking. I used to be taller than you",she said. He chuckled and said hi to Orisha,after which he asked;"Why did you just disappear? Did you move to another state? Leave the country?". "No. I've been in Lagos. It's just. . . .i'm not very outgoing". "Then how come you're here?",he asked. "It was Orisha that told me about this party thing",she replied. "Good thing he did. Hey,there are some people i'd like you to meet-from primary school",he said. "Cool. Hey Orisha . . " "No problem. It's cool. Go catch up",he said with a smile. She smiled back at him gratefully and left with Mike.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by Scofield007(m): 3:13am On Sep 15, 2009
Nice piece atreus, how come i'm just reading this. Well better late than never. I just hope we wont have to wait to see it continue the way we waited for paloma and diego on ait then. I dont believe that's what suspense is called. I'll call that hoarding.
Re: The Beginning Of A Teenage Love Affair. by semid4lyfe(m): 7:40pm On Sep 15, 2009
@ Atreus

Nice but too many typos.

I can easily relate with the characters ~ Infact one of them reminds me of someone in my life.

I'll definitely be following up on this thread.

E ku se!

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (Reply)

Perfection / Writers' Checkmate / Story:lost In A Cold World(an Emotional Story)

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 152
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.