₦airaland Forum

Strange things I discovered about my spending habits after using good saving strategy

Research has found saving money is one way everyone can attend financial freedom. And cutting down expenses by avoiding possession of liabilities is the easiest way.

But while this information is true, it doesn't work for me since my income was low. Plus I haven't developed any good budget-making habit.

So how did I latter get saving money easier?

I've read an article on personal finance where I learned one good way to find a good saving strategy is tracking one's spending habits by journaling every amount of money one spends.

When I tried it, I didn't only find it easier to save money. I discovered new things about myself.

First, I discovered I can feel the urge that pushes me to unnecessarily spend money or to buy unnecessary things. As I continue to document every amount of money I spend, once I feel an urge to buy something I notice the urge as my attention shifts to my expenditure account. And once this happened, I don't allow myself to spend money on unnecessary things.

Then, I felt how the urge comes. The urge usually comes whenever my mind is idle. I discover it is this feeling that always makes me not only spend money on unnecessary things but also spend my dear whole life.

Finally, I saw where most of my income go. Most of them go to my desire to please myself and people instead of to help myself and people. The difference between 'to please' and 'to help' is obvious but I couldn't control myself to do the right thing perhaps because I can't monitor the urge. Monitoring the urge is the first thing to do inorder to control one's spending habit.

So the bottom line is, documenting whatever we do everyday will always help us make better decision.

Unnecessary spending is inevitable if one can't track his or her spending habit. As Benjamin Franklin said:

"Beware of little expenses, a small leak will sink a great ship."

How to make yourself happy through this secret of public speaking

The best way to please yourself is to make many people interested in you. And to make people interested in you is to make yourself interesting.

According to Dale Carnegie, the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, to be interesting you have to be interested.

How do you become more interesting?

Although it's obvious that having wealth attracts more friends, addressing people correctly attracts everybody. Attracting everybody is an amusing thing to ever do in the universe.

Everybody becomes very interested in you once you're convincing or entertaining. By addressing such great number of people, you make yourself more interesting.

But correctly addressing a number of people is taking a bull by the horns. Infact, in all generations many people fear addressing people. A few who can do it are mostly the rich, from comedians to politicians to top executives.

There's even a say that those who can stand and talk are mostly the successful and happy ones.

So why are only those people bold enough to adress the public?

In my opinion, only those people are willing to take a risk. The risk is: nomatter how talented you're, you may either make grammatical errors or have a slip of tongue or make unreasonable statement.

It's trying to avoid that risk that most people write speech. But the problem with that is if you won't read verbatim what you've written, it's difficult to cram what to deliver. As reading a speech doesn't make any one interesting, there's no any public speaker that's interesting through reading a speech.

No wonder, most people aren't interested in listening to most government officials.

That's why some speech presenters resort to coming up with bullet points, using them with more creative illustrations to emphasize on certain isues.

Yet the trouble with this system is it's a big risk because you can lack what to say or beat around the bush. Only risk takers can, at the end, make good use of bullet points.

Therefore, it's only your willingness to take a risk that'll help you stand out there as a hero. Only confident people can take a risk.

How to be more confident to entertain and educate many people by addressing them

1. Have a lot of anecdotes in your memory.

Anecdotes are very short stories usually used to illustrate something. When you begin to tell people of yourself or someone else to illustrate or show the disadvantage of late coming, you're creating an anecdote. Anecdote usually ends with something like, 'So it's not good to mismanage your time' or 'What you sow, you reap.'

Usually interesting, anecdote is something you can create at any time and anywhere while you're at ease.

2. Always practice forming and explaining bullet points or topics.

Doing this, you're building rich vocabularies and grammatical structures in your memory so that when you stand before people and begin to talk, the right words and expressions will trickle like water.

After reading this article, you can list the most important thing you learn from it: whatever you list becomes a bullet point or topic. Try explaining each in your words as practice.

I find doing this easier with Holy Bible since Holy Bible is written in verses. I'd form a topic, then I'd take my time trying to explain one verse before another, giving illustrations based on the topic.

Then I'll try to retell the story of Joseph, Moses or Jesus in my own words.

Whenever I stand before people, I realize eventhough I'm not telling the story I practiced, I'm using most of the vocabularies and grammatical structures.

What does this tell me and you?

It's clear our lack of confidence springs from our inability to generate raw materials that'll enable us express ourselves clearly. If you can clearly express yourself, what will you be afraid of?

3. Avoid pride.

Once you realize you're well equipped, over confidence can set in. So you may feel to brag or become arrogant, showing you're the king of public speakers. Nope.

This is the time to remember what Bill Newman, the author of 10 Laws of Leadership said: 'Don't let success go to your head. Remember--when success comes your way, walk in humility.'

If you fail to heed to Bill Newman's advice, what will happen to you is what Chinua Achebe, the author of Things Fall Apart; said in Chike and the River: 'Pride goeth before a fall.'

How to Position Yourself for Greatness


Why do some people make more money doing less difficult things than those making little money?

You may think the reason is they are well established, towering business people or civil servants worming constantly like sun. Their secret lies in positioning themselves for greatness. It's something that doesn't reveal itself to be astronomically evergreen at the start.

Which kind of a genuine business is this? Simply put: a variant of spokemanship. Position yourself through this newly budding, hidden variant and the result is an endless glory.

You may wonder why positioning yourself is easy.

Understanding the duty of a spokesperson is a key.

Who's a spokesperson? Simply put, great-looking, trustworthy person who speaks on behalf of a group or an organization.

Must you be employed to be that spokesperson? Must your group or organization recognize you?

These questions and more are answered here.

Most Nigerians don't put interest in becoming this variant of a spokesperson. They believe one must be employed to be a spokesperson. This is true for organizations, companies or government agencies but not for group.

Here are examples of some groups to choose in Nigeria: disable people, people in IDP camps, people living in infrastructure-deficit areas, people with lung and kidney failure, people with breast cancer, victims of police brutality, victims of rape and child abuse, the poor of the poorest, homosexuals or gay people, etc.

There're endless groups to ride on.

But while most people in your chosen group may not recognize you as their freedom fighter let alone pay you a dime, most of your readers and where you position yourself may recognize and offer you more opportunities to connect with the right people.

Some people are making money writing about climate change, right? Feminist writers have been making a lot of money representing women, right? Some writers are increasingly gaining from representing homosexuals, right?

You get the point and that's where I come in.

Most Nigerians are still wondering why someone would spend a mountain of money just to learn how to write, and why someone will lavishly pay you to write for him.

They never asked to know how publishers are lurking, making their augmenting profits from publishing an effective life-enriching content to more than 500,000 readers.

They don't also know any epic thing you write to represent a particular group of people is a big asset not for you alone and not for this generation alone. Thus, it's an authentic, automatic way of generating income especially to publishers and glory to the writer.

So how can we tap from this opportunity?

First, let's calm ourselves down to develop a rich skill of writing essential personal essay representing a particular group.

Writing this personal essay takes good time and it's sometimes boring. It's better to spend many months writing one that will succeed forever than writing a buffoon's legacy.

If you can't write what people would like to share and bookmark, this is just because you don't want to give yourself more time to ensure each word stalks a prey.

The key point is: to position yourself better, don't ever publish a mediocre work. Don't ever publish your best work yourself first. Submit to popular publishers, eg: Vanguard, Daily Trust, New York Times, etc.

How is that easier? How can you get the attention of popular publishers who rejected many writers?

Can it be possible?

The following points answer these and more other questions.

Divepen1:
*

*What You Get*
- Full training modules
- Thorough teaching on the basics of literature
- Training on how use this to make money.
- Bookcovers for top 10 people
- Book formating for first Five people


How it Works
- Monday- Friday
- 1 hour class


https://wiki.writertainpublishers.com/Learn

Nice one Divepen1. You're creating a new set of African great writers. Pls if there is any submission let me know.

By Maren John Mafuyai

I write about family, speech and writing industry.


Michael Wolff is the first nonfiction author on the list in 11 years.
Photo: Ralf Juergens/Getty Images. Design: Nick DeSantis, Forbes Staff

One thing made Michael Wolff the highest paid author in 2018: what Donald trump told the world about his book, Fire and Fury.

And here's how we've learned it so far.

Should we say just write for may be one day someone like Donald trump would say something about it to make you the highest paid author on earth too? Or should we write against the president if we have a good reason? Ofcourse, both may work.

Let's start with the hard way. Now many writers create a blog specially to advertise their books to the larger audience. Within a short time, they become fed up and bored because it is hard to make it this way. Maybe the reason is, the book is in eBook format--most people still don’t take eBook serious--or the author is the only one talking about it. If you want to be successful like another author, the truth is research to know how the author succeeded.

The system is clear: if a famous person like Trump talks on media about you or what you do, millions, if not billions, of people would like to know you or it. What if it is a book, expect the gain to be astronomical.

For example, when I read the news on Forbes I felt desperate to read that book to know why the US incumbent president, Trump condemned it. 1.7 million People, or more than that have already done that.

Writing isn’t easy, everyone knew. You write a lot of shits or chaos several times before getting it right. You need to friend an agent to pitch an idea first before writing, Scott Young, an author of ULTRALEARNING and a founder of scottyoung.com, advised. If not, you would end up like many who struggled to find people to read their books and finally got disappointed. Compare successful writers with successful musicians, do you always see them advertise their products themselves? If publishers accept your writing idea and get your writing published, the current tradition is they are responsible for advertising your book.

From Fire and Fury, the author Michael Wolff earned an estimated $13 million from June 1, 2017, to June 1 2018, wrote Forbes staff Hayley C. Cuccinello.

Here are The World’s Highest-Paid Authors Of 2018, according to Cuccinello.


10. E.L James (tie)

Earnings: $10.5 million

10. Rick Riordan (tie)

Earnings: $10.5 million

8. Nora Roberts (tie)

Earnings: $12 million

8. Danielle Steel (tie)

Earnings: $12 million

7. Michael Wolff

Earnings: $13 million

5. Dan Brown (tie)

Earnings: $18.5 million

5. Jeff Kinney (tie)

Earnings: $18.5 million

4. John Grisham

Earnings: $21 million

3. Stephen King

Earnings: $27 million

2. J.K. Rowling

Earnings: $54 million

1. James Patterson

I am very interested in family, speech and writing industry.

By Maren John

I write about family, speech and writing industry


Three kids paused, watching a man, a note book on his laps
Manu Nathaniel

News sites want to publish something everyone can trust. For this reason, their managers welcome personal essayists in the name of opinion writers or columnists even with money to entertain, educate and inform readers.

On several occasions, I read such writers online publishing almost everything about their children's habits and preferences. One day, when one of them said her son said ‘he hates Donald trump’, I asked myself two questions: did she ask for the consent of her son before publishing him on this media? And did she ask herself whether her son would like what she published now when he becomes adult?

Generally, whether the answers to those questions are all yeses, the woman is wrong to publish that about her child who wasn't mature enough to understand reputation let alone to guard it.

However, for wisdom sake, I wasn’t in a hurry to say ‘no'. I considered her background first instead. As written in her bio, she was a contributing writer on a big media site that would not tolerate such opinion writers who can tell the world who they are not. And she had contributed more than 15 articles on this platform alone.

As it finally turned out, this American woman was a highly discipline and respected writer who should be thinking of the future.

By maren john

I write about family, speech and writing industry.

A woman in front of a computer
Uman Austin


I guessed you think it is coding. People call it one skill everyone should learn in this century for the future too. But, longer than that, the topic reads every aspiring writer not everyone. It's about writing.

Writing works great. So I went through most writing topics on Google to learn to be a writer. I read many advice I became lost on which to follow.

I wrote gibberish, hissed, mourned and said I would never be a good writer. I would have never been if what I say is what would become of me. But this would have affected my teaching carrier.

Writing is not being taught in school just for knowing sake. It is school itself and all the best entertainment industries—music, movies, documentary and theater.

So I found out one skill every aspiring writer should learn is to be a good editor, instead of writing a useless junk of works. One of the factors that distinguish between learning to write and learning to edit is that failed writers failed forever but not editors who have more chances to be the best writers. Or think about it yourself!

Professors who advised me to follow outlines are good editors but I rejected their advice because, like most aspiring writers, I followed shortcut which became a wrong way. Even E.B White who said most of his writings are unplotted still said in The Elements of Style (2000) that a paragraph should be a unit of writing composition. But If you have 10 paragraphs, doesn’t it mean you have 10 units of writing? Then what is the difference between the 10 units and 10 outline points?

Even if you don’t follow outlines but write gibberish and send it to editors who must edit the work, they would, like ghost writers, make outlines. But the work is cumbersome. They would break the manuscript into several units, first chapters if it is a book, then passages (short text) and then finally paragraphs so that they would understand where there are faults. After that they would give each paragraph, then each sentence good attention to make the whole work coherent: before they would now look for line and copy editors. All these they do because here are fifty-nine words that could change the world by Professor William Strunk Jr.:

‘Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.’

3 basic things to consinder to be a great writer

People still need good write-up. They want to be entertained. And, as one can write more than 600-page book in less than a year, being a great writer isn't a rocket science.

Have a style that works

Editors and readers won't read weak prose. Never.

All kinds of writing should do two things: entertain and deliver the message.

You should spend a time trying to craft such writing.

Have a goal

If not, find it difficult to stay put. One must have something she wants to achieve.

If you want to have your work in all bookshops, literary magazines and public libraries, you will find it easy to start writing.

Promote yourself

People dont read your work until everyone talks about it. Make people on media talk about it. Dont hesitate to have paid interview of any kind, just make sure you are known for your book.

Every hard worker deserves wages.

For her best interest

"She used her husband's phone line to call me, her phone line is in her purse for a reason best known to her. She is eloped for her best interest."
"Or for a reason that I couldn't disturb her with useless phone calls", I said.
"They arrived UK yesterday. Just yesterday." She had a lot of work. She was cutting carbon papers to draw letters according to colors. Pregrade need variety. She carried a marker. Blue, I guessed, or black, the one that could match. She was hurry or something. "I suppose", she said, "you've got over the anger. Or you still think I am kidding. Or perhaps she does not belong to you. Or it must take time first, I guess, she still belongs to you."
"Not really, that's why I'm nervous."
"You want to tell me something, I guessed."
"I want to tell you I miss her."
"She still belongs to you."
"In UK?"
She touched her neck down below her left ear where her artificial hair had a boundary with her collar. "You could change the way your head looks."
"You could. You could also improve or damage your beauty through that."
"You don't refer indirectly to me."
"Not this time."
She traced the letters with makers of different colors--blue, red, maroon, black, green, violet. The style slowed the work but made it straight.
The room was always bright so I looked through the window to see the whether. The cloud insisted in the southern sky up the hill.

3 basic things to consinder to be a great writer

People still need good write-up. They want to be entertained. And being a great writer is not a rocket science. A person can write more than 600-page book in less than a year.

Every aspiring writer needs these tips:

Have a style that works

Editors and readers won't read weak prose. Never.

All kinds of writing should do two things: entertain and deliver the message.

You should spend a time trying to craft such writing.

Have a goal

If not, find it difficult to stay put. One must have something she wants to achieve.

If you want to have your work in all bookshops, literary magazines and public libraries, you will find it easy to start writing.

Promote yourself

People dont read your work until everyone talks about it. Make people on media talk about it. Dont hesitate to have paid interview of any kind, just make sure you are known for your book.

Every hard worker deserves wages.

He stretched his right hand to put on the radio. His colar was dirty. There was also a dirt on his shoulder. The shirt expired. I carried a remote control and put on the TV. After some minutes, we sarted watching: a woman sashayed, then a man sashayed. It was a fashion show. Masok laughed and I poutted: because of this power presence, he would spend other four or five hours. I suffered in town, s'il vous plaît.

How I discover my writing voice through keeping a journal

If you are following me on wordpress or facebook or twitter, you will know well how I wish I become a better writer but it is unfortunate even though I have some well written blogs by hazard.

Usually, I try to explore different ways of writing something that pleases me: extracting sentences from well written blogs to imitate, numbering sentences from the first draft and writing sentence by sentence. Yet, none of these techniques helps me. They only make me delete a great part of my writing on earth. Perhaps, who knows if I would have written a big book?

So depressed, I tell myself: "I will not write again for publication. I will only keep a journal in French for mastering french."

Then I discover a lot of what I write in my journal can be published. In other words, I discover my voice.

The truth is...

We fail in writing because we want to write something that looks or sound similar to that of our favorite writer. To write better, it is advised that we write without trying to sound like someone else.

Particularly, just write without fear and you will atleast appreciate your writing.

One day I do an experiment_____to know the better way to write for publication. First, I extract a fraction of [my] journal and translate it to English. And what I discover shows we should just write without fear, editing will not be difficult as we think.

Finally, I am very happy that I continue to write in my journal since its beginning. I would write with no interuption. Obviously, I love writing and the reason for writing [the] journal is an inspiration earned from that journaling helps in mastering a foreign language. And I witness improvement in my French. Attempting to write my thought and experience in French forces me to absorb a lot of French new words and expressions. This one you are reading is translated from my French version.

Maren John Mafuyai

In the morning Sara May tighdied the room in one of her husband's father's houses in Jos town, prepared breakfast and began peeling potatoes. In the afternoon she took lunch from her husband's mother and started watching Nollywood movies until evening when she set about cooking dinner. It is important to realize that her husband was in his final year of undergraduate studies for which he stopped his teaching work with a private grade and secondary schools. While she worked as a contract messenger with federal government, collecting a peanut, she helped in supporting the family. She was also active in a very small scale farming in town. Significantly, in 2016 she harvested over 60 measures of maize, 15 measures of soya beans and 10 measures of local beans.

In the begining, in 2012, Sara was still learning how to knit as an aparentice from her teacher, Theresa Brook, in her residence when May was still teaching with St. Lessing Private Secondary School. Shortly, Theresa employed May to take her daughter, who was in Grade 3, English extra lesson at home. May would then teach her and other JSS 2 students French at St. Thomas Schools in 2018. One day, in 2012 May invited Sara to pay him a visit at home and she did and then often since that day. As the result, after a few months she became pregnant and married him.

When people in Ghanah, Angola, Kenya and other countries are glorifying Nigeria you laugh at them that they're doing this only because they don't know Nigiria as you do, don't you? Nope! I'm sorry to tell you this: Nigeria is more than what you think. We all know the only problem now.

Moreover, it is through development that Saudi Arabia appreciate Western Education and USA. Not only that, she also respects other religions. Before, Saudi Arabia was not like this.

Now it is up to us! What are we the graduates doing to make babaric Nigerians appreciate Western Education? Is it by (ladies) dressing half naked in the street? Is it by yahoo yahoo? Or is it by just showing people I can speak English? Nonsense! We are passing the era of I-qualify-only-because-I-can-speak-English. Be current.

When the president woefully fails

You know them, those very people who say you are not capable, those people who criticize you as though they are gods.

We all know them. Or if you dont...

Three things this kind of people ever did to you

1. They always wanted you to use their ideas but they wouldn't use yours.

2. They always try to point out your mistakes.

3. They easily condemned you.

You could avoid them but...

Not as easier as you think.

One thing you should do to overpower them: allow them to rule. That is where they'll disgrace themselves. They'll mess like hell.

The experience

No any leader ever condemned the past one and did better. Or can you name one whom the world glorifies?

I can give real examples. El Rufai of Kaduna did, where is he today? Jonah Jang of Plateau did, where is he today, General Buhari also did, where is he today?

Boko haram started before. Why can't Buhari stop them now as he promised? Corruption started before. Why can't he stop it as he promised?

Now the most deadly ones are herdmen. Declare them as terrorists he will not.

But this is not what we come here to know. We come to know: if you condemn the past leader, your own case will be worse.

One good news is:

These may save Nigeria from her problems:

1. Continuity. Current leaders should continue executing projects from where the past leaders stopped.

2. Infrustructure. Government should concentrate on develping and managing infrustructure.

Perhaps we all know this but I still say it with no apology.

One more thing to say: or a question to ask:

Am I better than___________(fill in the blank)?

I am not. And if I insult someone here (which I know I don't), my own case will be___________(fill in the blank).

One more thing but, before that, let me say if I am too much you can skip but I know I am not. I love development.

I want to see every Nigerian living in a modern city like Eco Atlantic. That remains the purpose of this post.

O.K, since notted, can we now proceed to that one more thing I promised? Here is it:

Religion.

We have a problem of religion. Although no one will like his brother or sister to go to hell, you can't force him or her to go to heaven. It is his choice and it is her choice altogether. Let's say or face it all and forget about illiteracy in the melting pot: religion is a personal affair. And the fact we meet together in the church or mosque to worship doesn't change it. If I die today, I will suffer for my own sins not for yours. Just like if I steal a goat, I am the one to go to prison not you. It is that simple.

This is what will happen:

When Eko Atlantic City is open, there will be a rise of Niger Delta region too with big modern cities. so we can have somewhere like Saudi Arabia in Nigeria!'

Obviously, your enemies always tried to put you down, making you independent, being which is a key to success.

So don't worry.

Generally an enemy means someone who doesn't want you to progress or live so that If you know him, you'll try hard to remain vigilant and meticulous.

In that case if you are vigilant and successful and things don't work better for you, perhaps you're the most unluckiest person on earth. Or perhaps you're doing nothing about your enemy.

Knowing this kind of people, you can track whether you're succeeding or not. Who? Your enemies.

As evidence, when everyone is happy when they see you, it is clear that you're not progressing in life. In other words, progress and they'll smile and we all know such wicked smile which further reddens their hearts.

Do you think all those people who smiled and congratulated someone when he returns from NYSC camp are truely happy?

First thing to remember, let's be very careful with telling them our success story, being close to them, collecting their money and eating what they give us. Evidently, almost 92% of negative effect of jealousy shown in Nigerian Movies is really happening on daily basis. Therefore, the more you try to be careful, they more successful you become.

_____________________
Maren John Mafuyai is a bonafide fan of Nairaland Forum. Most of his writings--the bad, the good and the ugly--have appeared here. Thanks to Oluwaseun Osewa.

Nigerian Aspiring Fiction Writers: Fire on the mountain

By Maren John Mafuyai

nonfiction|x x x|2018

There are only two ways to succeed: either by favor(luck) or by hard work (physical or abstract). This isn't the case we aspiring fiction writers are finding. Both by favor and by hard work seemed to fail. Web masters, especially Oluwaseun Osewa, made platforms to help us succeed, but still.

You as a writer, you're not sure whether you're right or wrong. You always need help. You always lack help.

I suffered (and still suffering). I can testify, I would write a lot and later found out they're clutter. I would copy a contact address from LindaIkeji blog, Bella Naija and other notable Naija blogs: however, once I set to write, I would think, 'Would they accept it?' I wasn't sure of myself. And it couples with the fact that I didn't have a computer--because professional writing with Nokia Asha 200 couldn't work.

In addition, I can't hire editors, but not only due to lack of money but also because I feel what I have written is better. This is against the knowledge that over 95% of great writers learnt the craft through working hand-in-hand with editors, canceling the first draft, writing it afresh or rejecting it if they dont have time or good money to rewrite it.

There are different sort of editors. There are newspaper editors, fiction editors and research editors. There are also copy editors and provereaders attached to each of the above types.

Choose an editor that is suitable to the genre in which you write.

If a fiction sounds like a newspaper report or column, one can guess the editor who edited the piece and get it right. I avoid reading news until I'm through with third or fourth draft so that its spirit won't affect my fiction.
_______________________________________
Maren John Mafuyai is the author of a short story, Makintosh. His fiction has appeared on Nairaland.com and . His poems have appeared on Facebook and Tweeter in form of images. Find out more on Twitter @Write__Man

Becareful.
_____________________
Maren John Mafuyai is the author of a short story, Makintosh. His fiction has appeared in Nairaland.com and . His poems have appeared on Facebook and Tweeter in form of images. Find out more on Twitter @Write__Man

Till Evening

by Maren John Mafuyai

fiction|Bleep

Two days ago following written descriptions, I arrived at Pulkovo II International Airport at night, slept in Pulkovskaya Hotel near the Moskosvkaya Metro Station and, in the morning, moved to Peterhof where my mum lived for unofficial divorce.

I phoned mum before I booked the hotel room and after I left the hotel. In Peterhof I waited at the door. When mum opened the door, she received my bag. Inside, she sat on a sofa as she kept the bag on the table. A feel of the fire place.

She asked about the journey. I said I was only black in the midst of thousands whites. She laughed. My eyes turned over a wooden statue of King Jaja of Opobo and a blue English-Russian and Russian-English dictionary on the table. Enlarged picture of Nelson Mandela over the wall.

In my uncle’s sitting room in Rio de Janeiro a wooden statue of Nnamdi Azikiwe took the stool top besides the TV, the enlarged pictures of the Nigerian president and his vice were on the wall, and Chimamanda Ngozi’s “Half of the Yellow Sun” clouded a portion on the center table.

Mum phoned her bro. She phoned her friend.

I said I needed to see her bro. She said he was a plumber, a contractor–sometimes in Kolpino, Zolenogorsk, Lomonosov and Pavlovsk: sometimes in Kronshtadt, Sestroretsk, Pushkin or even Moscow. He owned big money properties in Lagos, Abuja and Johannesburg.

She took me to a white corridor and showed me a room. She opened the door, turned on the light and said, “You can keep your bag here, and you can rest and sleep if you like.” There was a heavy looking blanket on the bed. There was a reading and writing stool with a lamp. She dressed a window curtain. She carried a TV remote from the floor and kept on the pillow.

We returned to the parlor and there was that atmosphere of a foreign woman with her son in Peterhof. The bag was still on the table, I didn’t think of evacuating it now. She sat on a sofa she sat before and appeared relaxed but not too freely as before. As I sat looking at the dictionary cover I guessed she would ask me about dad.

“Your father sent you, I guessed”, she said.

“No”, I lied. “How we wish you return, we really miss you.”

I looked through the window. Two white boys were playing with toy guns.

“You need to go back.”

“I’m obliged”, I shrugged. “I’ll go to China.”

“You’ve become an eye of your father, it looks like.”

“You’re the one he needs most.”

“My problem with your father is, he’s one of those PDPs.”

Walking towards a tree, the boy shouted, shooting a gun.

“My sister’s wedding, he said till evening. My mother’s birthday, he said till evening. I asked for money to repair my car, he said till evening. This till, till I don’t understand. I can’t spend my old age this way.”

As I stood on the street, one white boy watched me from a distance. They become two and soon three in ash coats on top of sweater. They wore hoods. When I looked at myself from head to toes, I wore the same. But my face was black.

On my journey I took only a few things: cloths, shoes, handsets and a diary.

Mum would return home after a month.

_____________________
Maren John Mafuyai is the author of a short story, Makintosh. His fiction has appeared in Nairaland.com and . His poems have appeared on Facebook and Tweeter in form of images. Find out more on Twitter @Write__Man

Can I Talk to You?

By Maren John Mafuyai

fiction|x x x|2018

I loved Bucky Coffee Shop. I revise my screen writing, take coffee and freewrite.

A woman who came from Italy to teach Greek and Hebrew in St. Johns University brought more than 10 foreigners there.

On St. Valentine Day she brought over 20 white foreigners, 15 men and five women. She took them to St. James Art Gallery. They appreciated fine works of art. They enjoyed St. James Hotel & Suits. They took red wines, danced and had a helicopter tour. They whatched the man who owned most of the St. James properties speak in Rolex. They explored St. James Tunnel with Ferari sport cars, they drove as though they were in the fantasy world.

In the night they watched Opera Show in St. James Square. People took beer, watched European football match and danced.

I followed her to St. Johns University. At the door of a corridor, I asked:

'Can I talk to you?'

She stopped.

'I would like to have a coffee talk with you.'

She smile.

'You're beautiful.'

'I am not intrested.'

2

The next day, I entered Bucky Coffee Shop. They entered and had party-like breackfast.

In the afternoon they watched people pour out of St. Gabriel Parish. They stopped at a busy point in the metropolis.

In a virtual reality shop, they watched all the human races of this world. They watched many things seen and unseen.

People didn't look at them: tourists weren't new in St. James.

I saw incredible connections of foreign successful business persons. I met one of them: the woman said she managed forests as amusement parks in Australia.

'Can I talk to you?'

She stopped.

'I would like to have a coffee talk with you.'

She smiled.

'You're beautiful.'

'You're too dark.'

I felt nervous as race stood in my way.
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Maren John Mafuyai is the author of a short story, Makintosh. His fiction has appeared in Nairaland.com and . His poems have appeared on Facebook and Tweeter in form of images. Find out more on Twitter @Write__Man