Morning royver! I've bEen refreshing for updates when will you udate biko nu!!!b

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Nice story Roy, *grabs a seat.*

This is awesome! Well done, Roy.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Your write ups are all super. God bless

morsadh:
Logged in!

Been following your works since 'the day the world ended'. I must say you write some briliant stories. Hope to read some more of your shorts!

hmmm..., me am hoping to write like him someday

chistar01:
There's always a supernatural touch in all your works I've seen so far. This is nice. More ink to your pen.

i tell u, supernatural realm

SexySapphire:
I won't be found wanting on dis thread cos dis is the place to be. Happy new year to u Royver and welcome back. This protagonist reminds me so much of Chukwudi the great. Waiting to read more from u. Roy is jst too much.

or Nina, Chukwudi's boo, remember she's the one who's got Angel-like attributes...

Welcome back bro. I've been waiting eagerly for your stories. Happy new year!

Jeanfortune:

or Nina, Chukwudi's boo, remember she's the one who's got Angel-like attributes...

That's true but the protagonist is a guy. Moreover, where is ROYVER? He is wanted here with immediate alacrity.

Royver is @ it again. Such a 1derful beginning, ride on
jor

*Inhales* I love this guy!! more ink to your pen and HappieNewYear!

Hy royver! Nice story n may i ask, is dis story fictitious or its a real story?
And again, i want to bring to ur notice a certain 'olagoke olajide rapzy' to ur notice, cos i saw a part of ur story on his page tru a group i cant recall, its 'i see tins odas do not see' if am correct! So pls chect it up n do sumtin bou it! Damn plagiarists!

1.20am in the morning.


Bimpe was tired. It had been a very busy day and the night hadn’t been much fun either. Bimpe couldn’t wait to feel the soft cover of her bed and bury her head in the three soft pillows that adorned it. She had taken her bath in fragranced oils and smelt of lavender. She had dressed in her softest and coziest nightgown before finally retiring to her haven of sleep, her bed.


That was three hours ago.


The problem was, Bimpe couldn’t sleep.


Her eyes were fully open, her lids were not heavy at all; in fact, it might as well have been midday for all the sleepiness she felt. She had turned off the lights, put off the TV in her room and reduced the temperature of the air conditioning to something more comfortable.


Yet sleep eluded her. And she knew why.


She got up from the bed and went over to her wardrobe. She opened it and searched around inside one of her suit pockets until her hand closed on the paper package. She brought it out and carried it back to the bed. Beside her on the cupboard by the bed was a glass of water. She unwrapped the package and two tablets of sleeping pills fell unto her palm. She sighed and threw both tablets in her mouth, swallowing them and pushing them down with the glass of water. Then she turned to lie back on the bed and closed her eyes.


Still sleep wouldn’t come.


Bimpe sighed and turned and tossed. This was the fifth night in a row she was having difficulty sleeping. The sedatives she had gotten from her doctor were obviously no longer working. She reflected over the past six months, how insomnia had gradually crept into her life. Ever since she took the new job at the bank, sleep had eluded her. She had been suddenly placed under tremendous pressure to meet seemingly unreasonable targets; targets that would have been easy for her to attain if she loosened up on her morals a little bit. Engineer Kofo had dialed her phone number sixteen times since their last encounter three days ago and when she hadn’t replied, he had sent a text message apologizing profusely for his lewd behavior at his office when she came to ask for the balance of the money he promised to pay into the new account she had opened for him.


At least he had some sense of shame and regret. Many others had not bothered to call back after she had turned down their obscene advances. Mr. Dickson, one of her clients and a young billionaire, had told her bluntly that he would deactivate his accounts with the bank if she didn’t spend the night at his luxury home on the island. Her boss was on her neck, nagging her every day to meet up with her target, not to let him down, not to make him look bad among his colleagues for promoting her. He had given her this month to deliver or else she would find herself out of a job.


And that was when the bouts of sleeplessness began.


She sat up in bed, suddenly remembering something from her childhood. She smiled grimly in spite of herself; desperate times called for desperate measures.


She picked up her phone and dialed a foreign number. It rang for a few seconds and then:


“Hello sweetheart!”


Hello mum,”


“Baby what are you doing awake at this time? I’ve been meaning to call. Is everything all right?”


Bimpe smiled, her mum always seemed to know when something was up with her.


“Everything is fine mum, what time is it over there?”


“It’s about eight in the evening there, it’s got to be in the early hours of the morning over in there in Nigeria, right?”


“Two o’clock to be exact.”


“Baby what’s wrong?”


“I can’t sleep momma.” She replied. The sound of her mother’s voice in far away Florida soothed her in a comforting sort of way and she suddenly
felt the urge to cry. “I can’t sleep a wink and the pills the doc gave me are not working.”


“You got sleeping pills?” He mom exclaimed. “It must be serious then. When did all this start?”


Bimpe told her about the challenges she was having at work and her mom listened patiently. Telling her mother about her problems calmed Bimpe down a lot and she began to feel better. Her mom clucked and exclaimed at different intervals and afterwards scolded Bimpe for not telling her sooner.


“But I didn’t want to worry you mum, and besides there is nothing much you can do. Leave me to fight my own battles mum; I can take care of myself.”


“Indeed.” Her mom replied sarcastically. “That is why you cannot sleep and have resorted to calling me in the early hours of the morning.”


“I didn’t know what else to do, I thought maybe you could sing me that song you used to sing when I was little.”


“The Go-to-Sleep song?” Her mom replied and she could sense her smile. “Oh baby, Don’t you think you are a little too old for that? Besides I don’t think he’ll come.”


“I’m ready to try anything mom. I need to get some sleep.” Bimpe replied desperately.


Her mom sighed and cleared her throat as Bimpe laid down on the bed once more. She shut her eyes and listened to the soothing sound of her
mother’s voice as the old woman began to sing.



Go to Sleep, my sweet little baby
Go to sleep, my dear darling child
Go to sleep, the sandman is calling
Go to sleep, and enter dreams wild.



Of Circles and candies and many more treaties
Sleep little baby and dream of them all
Of little sand castles and sandy white beaches
Go to sleep, Child answer night’s call.


“You are a little too old to be here, aren’t you?” She heard a voice that wasn’t her mom’s. It was a familiar voice, a voice she had grown accustomed to in her childhood and one she hadn’t heard from in a long time, not before she went off to secondary boarding school. She opened her eyes slowly and gasped and dropped the phone as she stared in disbelief at the stranger before her. It was a man, but he seemed to be made entirely out of sand. He had a chubby but handsome face and wore a straw hat on his head. She couldn’t see what he was wearing clearly but it shimmered in the dark and was of the same sandy texture. She looked around and saw she was no longer on her bed but was sitting on the ledge of her window which was open and bringing in cool refreshing air. She turned back to the sandman who was still sitting on her bed and he smiled kindly at her.


“I must be dreaming.” She said and heaved a sigh of relief. “I must have slept off already! It worked!”


“That in itself is a strange occurrence.” The Sandman said, getting up and coming to join her on the ledge which had now become big enough to accommodate them both. Bimpe wasn’t scared at all at the happenings; after all, stranger things happened in dreams. They stared out into the starry night sky, the most beautiful Bimpe had ever seen. She felt no fear for this man and thought of him as a long lost friend.


“You are the one that used to put us to sleep when we were children and our mum sang to us.” She smiled at him and held his chubby hand. It wasn’t sandy as she was expecting it to be. He smiled back.


“You have a strong memory. Most people have no memory of me whatsoever when they grow up.”


Then he frowned. “What troubles you, child. I have not seen your slumber for many nights.”


“Oh, let’s not talk about my problems.” She said, basking in the euphoria of this dream state. She loved the way she felt weightless and free. She felt like she could fly if she wanted to and dance among the stars and never get tired.


The sandman cocked his head to one side as if hearing her thoughts, and then he laughed a cheery, chubby, bubbly laugh. He held her by the hand and before she knew it she had taken flight and was gliding through the warm night air in her night gown. She screamed with glee and soared upwards until she was among the stars themselves who were really little people dressed in flowing robes. They bowed before her and she bowed gracefully back and soon there was a great dance in which she was the main attraction. She laughed and danced and clapped for the others as they twirled around and twinkled and gyrated.


The Sandman watched but did not take part. She saw he had a thoughtful look on his face as he regarded her and she excused herself from her dancing partners and went to him.


“What is the matter, do I dance badly?”


“Not at all, you dance wonderfully well!” the sandman replied. “But it is strange you still possess the ability to open your mind like this. Your heart has not hardened to the things of the word yet. Interesting.”


“I wish I could stay here forever and ever!” She grinned as she floated back to the dancers but the sandman held her gently by the hand.


“No child, you have to go back. It is time to sleep and rest you head. You have a big day tomorrow.”


Bimpe turned away in disappointment and the night sky became cold and uncomfortable as the stars faded away.


“I don’t want to go to work tomorrow.” She said quietly, “They will fire me tomorrow anyway. I haven’t made my target. I can’t do what the others do.”


“And what is that, my child?” the Sandman asked and she told him.


“I see. Well, a good night’s sleep will keep you refreshed and help you to think clearly when the time comes, don’t you think? The stars will always be here to dance for you but you need your rest.”


She nodded in agreement and they flew back down to the ground, to her room and her window. She floated unto her bed and landed among her bedsheets as light as a feather as the sandman tucked her in and kissed her on the nose.


“Good night child.” He said, his voice soothing and calm.


“Goodni…” she trailed off and was soon fast asleep.




The next morning Bimpe woke up early feeling more refreshed than she had ever felt in a long, long time. She rubbed the sleep sand from her eyes and jumped out of bed, happy to breath the fresh air, glad to be alive. Damn the bank, If they took the job from her then so be it! She couldn’t lower herself to the level they wanted, she wouldn’t, and she would tell the manager as soon as she saw him.


By the time she got to the office, it was 7.30am. The Manager called an impromptu staff meeting and made sure she sat down at the front. Not looking at her, he began the morning prayers and attended to other activities while Bimpe waited for the moment she would be called up and used as an example for the other marketers. She had already steeled her heart for the worst and had mentally prepared what she would say in her defense. She wasn’t going to lose this job without giving them a piece of her mind.


“And finally, Miss Bimpe. Please stand up.” The Manager said curtly. Bimpe stood up, trying hard to remain calm.


“You all know me. The Manager began. “I always give credit to who credit is due. I also will not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone who falls
out of line in their jobs or targets. That is where Bimpe comes in.” He turned to face her.


“In six months Bimpe has risen to an esteemed position among the marketers in this company. I can boldly say that she has done so through dedication and hard work and upholding her integrity. In fact I daresay it is her integrity that prevented her from going higher faster, which brings me to the crux of today’s matter.


Bimpe felt her hands and lips tremble.


“I was proved wrong. In the early hours of this morning Mr. Dickson, her latest client, called me to tell me he was impressed by Bimpe’s character and credibility and would be a faithful member of our bank and to that effect has opened an account with us worth 18million naira. Kudos to you
Bimpe. I daresay you are one lucky person.”


The small crowd got up and cheered and Bimpe just stood there, stunned. What had just happened? She smiled, confused as the manager congratulated her and her other colleagues joined in. She joined in the cheers and jokes and when the meeting was finally over she went back to her office still feeling overwhelmed and confused, so much so that she didn’t realize her phone was ringing until the third call.


It was Mr. Dickson.


“Hello Sir.” She held her breath.


“Have you gotten the money now? Is your job secure?” Mr. Dickson asked, asense of urgency in his voice.


“Yes I have. I want to thank you very much for changing your mind…”


“Changing my mind has nothing to do with it!” His voice cracked over the phone. “I promise to never lay another hand on you or threaten you in anyway, and of course I will continue to do business with your bank.”


His voice broke and she listened in surprise as he began to sob.


“Just please, tell your sand friend to return sleep back into my eyes!”

oghenekome51:
Hy royver! Nice story n may i ask, is dis story fictitious or its a real story?
And again, i want to bring to ur notice a certain 'olagoke olajide rapzy' to ur notice, cos i saw a part of ur story on his page tru a group i cant recall, its 'i see tins odas do not see' if am correct! So pls chect it up n do sumtin bou it! Damn plagiarists!

thank you. will look into it immediately.
Lol @being real. I'd rather not say

Aimedrey:
*Inhales* I love this guy!! more ink to your pen and HappieNewYear!

i love you too sweedie

SexySapphire:

That's true but the protagonist is a guy. Moreover, where is ROYVER? He is wanted here with immediate alacrity.

in genie voice****You called me, I am here!

And he does it again!
Awesome as usual Roy....Fire down

Roy I swear u are too much, just too much! Applaudisee

Prahahahahhahahahaha
......sand man paid someone a visit

You, Royver, are a genius. Didn't see that coming.

You're seeing things again, Royver?

Royver, pls kindly reply the email I sent.

teetee92:
Royver, pls kindly reply the email I sent.

pls email me on royjerymaklin@yahoo.com, i didnt get any email from you. Do noy use my nairaland email pls.

I'm going to start writing!

Royver:

pls email me on royjerymaklin@yahoo.com, i didnt get any email from you. Do noy use my nairaland email pls.

I've sent you a mail dere. Please treat ASAP

Roy with another masterpiece, ur writing is just unique. Lovely!

roy thanks for de update. chuks the great helping people with a pure heart since time immomerial. broz how work/life - more ink to ur pen and oil of creativity to ur imaginative mind

Savigne, Fatalveli, JeffreyJamez, MhizDare, morsadh, Frankenstein, teetee92,
write2obi, lenmafon, Nmeri17, et al.

thanks much!

@lenmafon that guy no be chukwudi o
but I'll relay the message just the same

MY SURVIVAL STORY

This happened many years ago when I was about fourteen years old. My mom had decided to take us on holiday to Abraka resort in Delta State. There was a man-made beach bordering on the Abraka River there that was all the rave that time. My mum packaged all my siblings in the car with me and in two hours we were at the resort.


I was very excited because this would be the first time I would see a river up close and swim in it also! I had learned how to splash about in swimming pools back home and had been told it wasn’t the same in a river; the currents could drag you where you didn’t want to go and one could find fish swimming alongside one if he was lucky. Different scenarios played through my head and I couldn’t wait to change to my swimming gear and dive into the water.


It was a sunny afternoon by the time we reached the place and it was packed full with people who had come to enjoy the cool water too. My mom sat at a corner of the sandy beach where she could keep an eye out for all of us while I and my brother and sister immediately changed into our swimming clothes and jumped into the water where the other children were.


The first thing that struck me was the warmth of the water. I was expecting it to be as cool as in the swimming pools back home. Then the floor of the river was covered in gritty white sand which you could dig your feet into. I played with the sand a bit, enjoying the feel between my toes and the coolness as I dug deeper; but I wasn’t really enjoying the swimming itself as the water was too crowded with the bodies of other children.


I felt a light but persistent tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see this skinny chocolate coloured girl who smiled genially at me. Filed with raging hormones at the time, I lost all my senses as soon as I saw her sweet smile and playful eyes. She asked if I knew how to swim and I answered yes immediately, puffing my chest a little for good measure. She nodded and said good, we should swim to the other end of the river, away from the crowd, that the water was cooler there. She didn’t wait for a reply but disappeared beneath the water and the next I saw her she was afar off and beckoning me to follow.


I turned to see if my mom was looking at me; she had her hands full with my small sister. I turned back with a grin and began to splash towards the girl. She laughed and swam expertly onwards towards the isolated part of the river, swimming under the thick protective rope that marked the deep end. I followed blindly, I had stopped trying to swim now and was wading in the water, absent mindedly throwing the rope over my head and following this beauty of the river to wherever she might lead. I wasn’t scared since I considered myself an averagely good swimmer and my logic was the river would increase in depth gradually like the swimming pools back home and I would turn around if it became too deep for me.


I was in for a rude shock.


I had taken another step when suddenly it seemed the sand beneath my feet gave way. I stumbled around in the current, trying to find my footing and finally got some firm ground to stand on. The river was a bit cloudy at this point so I wasn’t sure what was going on. I stopped moving and allowed the water to settle before I took another step. It was then I saw what had nearly happened.


The river did not taper gently downwards like it did in the swimming pools. The riverbed was shallow up to the point where I was standing, then just sloped down suddenly into the depths. I watched in horror as a big fish, as big as my left leg, swam by me. I realized the water seemed to be flowing forward and I was being gradually pulled further into the depths. I tried to calm myself and started a gradual gentle paddle with my hands backwards. I did this for a few moments and gradually I found myself moving back. I took another step backwards and then another until the river bed I was standing on was no longer falling away beneath me.


I looked up and saw the girl had reached the other side of the river and was beckoning on me to come. I turned around and saw I was very far off from where the kids were and most of the adults were afar off and not taking note of me at all, being occupied with other matters. Also I didn’t want to raise an alarm so as not to invite the wrath of my mom later. I turned around slowly, still feeling the current of the water trying to pull me into the depths, and started a slow paddle like swim back to the shallow side.


Soon I was back to safety. I grabbed on to the safety rope and turned around but the girl had disappeared. Maybe she lost interest in me and had gone to play with her peers. I followed the rope back to the shore and climbed out of the water and lay on the sand for a long time. My feet felt heavy and my heart raced like I had just run a 100 meter dash. But I was soon in the water again, only this time I stayed well within the shallow zone.




The rest of the outing was uneventful and I never told my mom about the incident. As far as she was concerned we all enjoyed ourselves immensely and without incident. She had no idea one of her sons had stared into the jaws of the abyss, and survived.