₦airaland Forum

Ciara9251:
Abnormal times indeed May God help us all. Nice story, sir

you are welcome

It's almost mid-day and I am stuck in the house. If you had asked me in January, where I would celebrate Christmas, I'd have pointed to the beautiful park some distance away from my house.

That was our usual practice. Sim and I. We often went to the park together as early as possible. Just before the throng of fun-seekers, a motley of kids and adults descend on the usually serene piece of greenery.

Today is different, just as it has been for a large part of this unfortunate year. Coronavirus was not just in the newspaper and television headlines, it was present in my home. Two weeks already seemed like an eternity each time I remember how much has changed since Sim got sick. It has been a huge burden taking care of him.

His belaboured breath often breaks beyond the sheltered surrounding of the corner he occupied in our bedsit. Every now and then, I had to go ask if he needed anything. The turgid smell of garlic, lime and tumeric hung in the air.

He was supposed to be getting better, especially after he was sent away from the overcrowded isolation centre. His case was deemed not deadly and without a home care assistant, I played this role, very much like a dutiful partner.

Now, I sit staring at the walls of the apartment. I yearned for those cheery voices once again. Those voices which in normal times were both a delight and a nuisance to the ear. I sat thinking of what I would do with Christmas as a lone person.

"What was Christmas without the occasion?"

A yearly event eagerly shared with a crowd of revellers and party-goers.

Sim's voice broke through the bubble. His words were not bold enough and I stood up to meet him. He wanted the radio on.

"Where was the radio?"

I knew nothing about that piece of item and I got my phone instead. I turned on the FM radio in my phone. The Christmas anthem "Joy to the world" broke the silence of the room and I sat back to enjoy the boisterous feel of the tune.

Now, I could imagine what joy Mary could have felt after she had birthed Jesus. May be, my cluttered space could be comparable to the baby Jesus being born in a sheep house and kept in their feedbox. I probably was playing out the vision of the better times that felt less like it. Those times when we were sure of not contracting a disease through random handshakes with stranger.

Those days when putting on a mask was the preserve of medical workers. Now it seemed like a necessary accessory. Sim was more than a reminder of the deadly effect of Covid. He seemed a potent symbol of this disease that has turned the world upside down.

Then I thought of Mary and her travelling with a paranormal baby in her womb. She knew little of the fact that the baby she would birth was going to introduce a new way of life to the world. May be Jesus had to be born in an abnormal place to ensure his safety from the inquisitive eyes and voices of patients and nurses.

Sim was singing. Hoarse, unclear but a good feeling seemed to well inside me. Another Christmas tune was playing in the radio. I have not been listening and now I am caught up in a state that I never imagined. May be I am happy after all even though we live in abnormal times.

Now I realized the fact that Christmas is what we make of it.

thelinguist:
what do you consider a good pay per word? I think if the work is steady #2 is fair.. What do you think?

N3 to N5 is more suitable for a mid-level job

Hanabian:
Nice story bro.

Good write up!

thanks so much

Ciara9251:
I love long stories like this. I wonder why NL members don't fancy such

good to have you here.

They do and read longer versions than this.

He looked extremely contented. The smile on his face accentuated by his brisk movement was in sync with the calm bustle of the morning.

He bounded up the steps, and followed a trail of partitioned offices. He stopped some three doors away from the stairway. He opened the door to a calm and refreshed office, already cleaned by the sanitation staff.

Friday seemed a while already. Yesterday and more recently, the time he spent in church had been some of his enjoyable experiences. In such moments, he seemed free of the raging battle in his mind. He looked around the office and his eyes settled on the bookshelf.

The books in the shelf seemed to transport him to a world away from freedom. This was his major weapon and also the door to his vulnerability. He had always wanted to be an academic and had met the erudite professor Frank who has provided adequate mentorship. He had made a rapid ascent up the ladder and he was certain to become a professor before he clocks fifty.

He grabbed a textbook and browsed through it. The words looked interesting enough to capture his attention. He was already relaxing into its ambience when he heard a tap on the door. He looked up shortly and turned to the book. The sound was clearer the next time and he stared at the door, contemplating for a second, the best answer.

“Come in,” he said.

The door opened and he saw her. She was the fairest of them all. A well sculpted face, sparkling eyes and a beautiful feminine physique. The top of her blouse hung loosely revealing the cleavage of her supple breasts. He had noticed her among the students as usual but had not thought of inviting her. Unfortunately, she had come to his sanctuary.

"Good morning sir," she said.

“Good morning, what can I do for you?”

“Sir, I have a challenge with ECN 302.”

He could guess as much. Four units course was a lot for any student and it offered consistent prey for desperate lecturers. He offered her a seat.

“So what is the challenge?”

“I understand little each time I read the course and the few materials I have are not comprehensive,” she said.

A sense of déjà vu flushed his mind. He probably should not have let the girl in judging by his past.
Is it not true that the past was gone and he was a new man?
So he soliloquized as he thought of an appropriate response.

“Miss…”

“Sophia…my name is Sophia.”

“Sophia…everything you complained about is probably what you should be doing until you are able to understand the course. Also, you can get any of your mates to teach you.”

“I have tried all your suggestions sir.”

“So what else do you think I can do?”

He thought of the implication of the words as soon as he said it. He felt overwhelmed immediately, and wished he could retract the words. He averted his gaze and once he turned to face her, she had a twinkle in her eyes.

“Dr. Patrick, I can do anything for you but to read and pass.”

He understood that voice. It usually did not sound that way all the time but the end was the same. A day or several days of sex with every girl who had approached him in like manner.
She had done her homework and this seemed to put him in a corner. He rested on his chair. She was unrestrained, watching him earnestly. Her beauty was really enticing, probably more than any he had encountered in the past.

He was thinking for too long when he remembered the admonition: flee from every form of sexual immorality.
Suddenly, he felt like a prey. He, who was supposedly the predator, realized that he had been a slave to sin for too long.

“Get up,” he said slowly.

“Sir.”

“Get out of my office,” he barked.

She startled and got up hurriedly. The clatter of her phone on the floor proved a distraction. He turned to look at the phone and got attracted to the screen.

“What is that?” he asked.

She looked unsettled. She was visibly frightened and looked from the phone to him. She mumbled some indistinct words and bent down to pick the phone.

“What is that?” he asked again.

She said nothing while trying to get the phone in her hands.

“Let me see it?”

He felt in control and stretched his hand to have the phone. She gave the phone to him reluctantly and he touched the screen. It came on and he saw that it was on record. He looked up in alarm at her shaking figure. He stopped the record and played it.

Few seconds passed before a knock on a door and he heard his voice. She had been recording their conversation.

“How dare you?” he screamed.

She knelt down quickly and moved her hands rapidly, pleading with tears suddenly taking residence in her eyes. He averted his eyes and went to sit on his chair. He was confused for a moment, unsure of what to do.

He could easily punish her but knowing how much he had sought mercy recently, it would certainly be him playing the role of an ungrateful servant. She cried and pleaded at the same time.

“Get up,” he said.

“I am so sorry sir,” she pleaded.

“Please, stand up.”

She stood up and gathered her bag.

“Sit down.”

She sat slowly, his eyes watching her cowering under his gaze. It was a look of mercy rather than one inflamed with lust.

“Who gave you this idea?”

She bent her head and mumbled some indistinct words.

“As for your request, I can only assist you when you have distinct questions. I suggest you meet up with any of your mates who understand this course and they can put you through.”

“Okay sir,” she mumbled.

She stood up and was about leaving.

“Wait, have your phone,” she took the phone. “Do not try this with any other lecturer as you might not like the result.”

She left the office. He watched her leave and suddenly he felt free like a bird in flight. He had found the right path and was prepared to fight the demons of the past just to enjoy his newly found peace.

Good narrative

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Interested, let's talk on mail, prosperous650@gmail.com or click on the number on my signature