*smiles*.... it's a fiction dearie.

Cynthia is my name. I am twenty-five years
old. Or should I just say I will be twenty-five
next month. It's gonna be a memorable birthday
for me because I will be getting married that
same month. I will be getting married to the
son of my father's business associate. A US-
based rich and handsome medical doctor.The
dream man of every single lady. I will relocate
to the US after my wedding. I should be
happy. But I am not. Not because I dont love
my future husband, or because he is not
eligible, but because I hate my father. And my
sister too, Tonia. Wait. Have I told you about
my father? And my sister? Let me just take
you through my family.
My father is the Managing Director of a
Mortgage Bank in Abuja. He is fifty-three. I
hate him with passion. I have just one sibling,
Tonia. It's just the two of us. She is thirty-
two. She is married with two kids. The first is
a boy who looks so much like my father. I
despise him. Given a chance I could kill him.
The second is a cute girl with a permanent
angelic smile. I love her so much. My mum is
late. She died when I was nine years old. Tonia
was sixteen then.
Our house is full of activities because of my
forthcoming wedding. Everybody is in high
spirits. My Dad has ordered the whole world.
My fiance arrives next week. My soon to be in
laws are all over the town. Jingles are being
aired on all radio stations. I hate this so
much. I just hate the noise. All my father
wants is to impress me. He knows how much I
hate him. He knows how much I wanna kill Tonia
and her son. He knows how withdrawn I have
been since my mother died. He knows how
irritated I get when he talks to me since that
day I lost my mum. He knows everything. That
is why he is happy to see me out of the house.
That's why he is bent on me relocating to the
US. The only thing people do not know is why I
hate Dad and my sister. They cant figure it
out. Our neighbours, family friends and
extended family too feel the tension between
us. I know they all think I am possessed. Or
that I am the only one who never came out of
the shock of my mother's death. To some
extent that is true, because I never did and
can never get out of the shock of her death,
of the way she died and of the circumstances
surrounding her death.
Mum died when I was nine and Tonia was
sixteen. That fateful Saturday we went
visiting grandma. I was to stay with her till
Sunday, but I changed my mind at the last
minute and cried to follow mum back home. We
left only Tonia at home. Few metres to the
house mum's car broke down so we had to park
it on the road and trek home. It wasnt so far
and the weather was cool. The gate was open
when we got home. That was unusual but mum
thought Tonia left it open when we left. The
front door was locked so she used her keys.
Probably Tonia was asleep. Mum left for her
room, the room she shared with Dad, while I
stayed in the living room to watch cartoons.
The only thing that gets me so mad till today
is the fact that I can no longer recollect the
exact words that were uttured that day. All i
can remember now is that i heard mum's
scream, like she was in shock or something. So
I rushed towards the room. There I found
Tonia stark naked and mum was on her,
screaming, biting and scratching. Dad too was
struggling to get into his underwear and
trying to restrict mum at the same time.
What's happening? He wasn't home when we
left. His car was not even in the compound
when we came in. Why was he naked with Tonia?
It didnt make sense to me. I was a little girl
though but I knew the sight wasnt short of
disgusting. I ran out of the room in tears.
Not because I understood what was happening,
but because I hated the screams. Both mum
and dad were upset, and I hated that. And
mum was hitting Tonia. I couldn't go out to
call anyone. We didnt have next door
neighbours. I would have to step out of the
compound to call anyone. I didnt call anybody.
I stayed put at the living room. Suddenly I
heard a loud bang and rushed back to the
room.
What I saw is the reason why I have been
mute all these years. What I saw is the reason
why I will always hate Tonia and my Dad till
the day I close my eyes in death. What I saw
is the reason why I will never be a normal
woman again. There on the tiled floor was the
lifeless body of my dear mother, blood trickling
out from a corner of her mouth. Tonia was
leaning on the door, arms folded without any
efforts to lift the woman. My dad was there
too, looking down at the body with a kind of
hatred I cant describe. Feeling my presence
there, he turned and looked at me,
communicating a dreadful message that didnt
need to be said in words. I knew that look and
understood immediately. Since that day I have
been mute.
Tonia got married when she was twenty-three.
My father shed tears on her wedding day. The
whole crowd was moved. What a great
affection! She was pregnant outside wedlock
though, the reason why the wedding was
improptu. Her husband isn't from a wealthy
family so the dude was glad that my Dad
sponsored the wedding 100%. Her son really
looks like Dad.
They are the only immediate family I have in
this whole wide world. And come next month,
they are giving out my hand in marriage. My
dear father and my wonderful sister, Tonia.

Abeg na fiction o. Anyone who has done that wouldnt have the gut to put it here. Still, things happen, and pple have worse secrets.

This lady before me is sad, but I dont know
how to console her. She is my friend. We grew
up together in the same neighbourhood and
attended same elementary school. Tola is her
name. My name is Omolara. Her fiance of many
years has just called off their wedding that
should take place next month. I am supposed
to be the maid of honour. Tola does not know
why, but I know the whole truth. Now how do I
explain to her? I cant even let her know I am
involved in any way.
Tola has been my best friend since childhood.
Growing up we were inseparable, until high
school separated us. She attended a Federal
Government Girls' College in Warri since her
mum was from Delta State while I attended a
military high school in Kaduna. We rarely saw
within the year until yuletide but we kept our
friendship tight, even as there were no mobile
phones then. We wrote letters and sent words
to each other.
Leaving high school we gained admission into
different universities. Still we kept in
contact. Gratefully the era of mobile phones
in Nigeria came, though they were quite
expensive but we both were able to afford
them. It bridged the gap between us as we
communicated almost everyday. Tola schooled
in Osun State while I stayed back in Ibadan. UI
was close by and my parents didnt want me
far away from home, not after the bruises
and body pains I brought from my Kaduna
military school. Our semester/session breaks
were rarely same time, so it was quite
difficult seeing if not for phone
communication.
During one of my session breaks, Tola invited
me over to her school as they were still in
session. I was eager to go since Ibadan was
boring without her. I got my stuffs together
and left the second day. It was our
penultimate year in the university.
She stayed in one of the private hostels off
campus. She was very happy when she saw me
and didnt hesitate taking me around and
introducing me to all her neighbours. It was a
Friday so we went clubbing in the evening. It
was fun. We got home about 4am the next
morning and didnt wake up until we heard a
knock on the door. It was quite late in the
afternoon. Tola got up and opened the door.
The figure standing at the door made me open
my eyes wide. It was a very handsome young
man. Tola ushered him in amd quickly introduced
me. Though I was groggy I managed to say hi.
I quickly rushed to the bathroom to shower. I
got dressed in the bathroom since it was a
room self contained apartment. I entered the
room to find Tola and Jimi (that is his name)
necking. I knew Tola didnt have to tell me who
he was, I already knew. I just smiled and
looked away, afterall I had a boyfriend in
school too. Tola cooked and we all ate. Jimi
left around 7pm.
The next day was Sunday and I was to leave
in the afternoon. I went to church with Tola
in the morning and got to know Jimi attended
the same church. He came home with us. Tola
was in the kitchen when Jimi opened a video on
his phone and fixed his earpiece. Already we
had started talking very well. Tola was happy
about it because she needed her best friend
and her friend to be close to some reasonable
extent. He fixed a piece in one ear and gave
me the other. I looked at his phone screen to
discover the video was pornographic. I was
shocked and quickly removed the earpiece, but
he held me firmly and before I said jack, he
kissed me hungrily. My mind rejected it but my
body said yes, so I gave in and kissed him
back. Tola was busy in the kitchen and didnt
notice anything. We kissed and fondled and did
all sorts before we noticed Tola was rounding
up, so we stopped. She came out and we ate,
then I gathered my things to leave. Before
Tola came out Jimi dialed his phone number on
my phone and saved it. I saved his too. They
saw me off to the park and I left for Ibadan.
I started having phone conversations with Jimi
after I got to Ibadan. And it wasnt up to two
weeks before I went back to Tola's school.
This time to visit Jimi, and not Tola. She didnt
even know I was around because Jimi prevented
her from coming to his apartment all through
my stay. It was meant to be a fling with Jimi
because I knew it was wrong but I just
couldnt leave the guy. Deep inside me I pitied
Tola because I knew I was the one she
trusted most and there I was sleeping with
her boyfriend.
My affair with Jimi spanned through that year
till I graduated and went for national service.
Still he didnt break up with Tola even though
he had started giving me more attention than
he gave her. Tola didnt notice because she
was the type who trusted so much. At a point
I felt so guilty and suggested we ended the
relationship but Jimi said no and used Tola as
bait, saying the moment I left him he was
going to break up with Tola. Already we were
all working and comfortable. I wasnt in any
other relationship and was ready to end it
with Jimi to free my mind of the guilt and
make myself available for the right man. Still
Jimi threatened to leave Tola if I did, and
already they were engaged. I couldn't bear it
anymore. The wedding day was fixed and I was
to be the maid of honour. One fateful morning
I called Jimi and told him I just couldn't
continue. How could I continue sleeping with my
best friend's fiance. What I knew wouldn't
stop even after they got married. I just had
to end it, which I did. I hung up and dialed
Tola's number to know if she was home. She
was out of Ibadan and said we should see in
two days.
Here I am with my best friend. She is soaked
in tears and can't even speak. She is in shock.
Jimi just called from the UK cancelling their
wedding without reasons. He left the country
yeterday since it was easy for him to check in
and out anytime. He is a British citizen. His
parents and even Tola's folks are all worried
and in the dark. Nobody knows why he did that,
and he is not offering any explanation. I am
the only one who knows what is happening. But
how can I tell anyone without getting stoned
by the whole Ibadan community?

lamps011:
lohontoba ma in o..
TP, victory college .ONDO

haaaaa sweetheart le oooooo

Divepen: Na here d tori go stop

yes ooooo

Royver:
seriously?

Yes love

Aipete2: Am crying here o plz, wont u continue?

Awwwwww
Stop crying
Dts the end of d story