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If you ever fall in love out of sympathy, you will regret it.
If you make anyone fall in love with you out of pity, you will be use-less.

Days ago, I encountered a friend who narrated how he fell in love with a lady whom he developed affection for, out of pity.

He narrated...

“I started dating Kate some years ago.

When the relationship was hitting a year old, I discovered one of the hidden dark sides of my girlfriend. I never knew she was suffering from such illness until one night.

Okay.

She stayed in my place for that day.

That morning, we were in the bed, after spending some nice minutes, something that baffled me occurred.

Suddenly, she became stiff, her muscles were as hard as iron and she stretched herself uncontrollably while her muscles cracked. She foamed profusely and I was scared to the extreme end of almost seeing my own death.

She lost her consciousness all of a sudden.

It was strange to me.

I called for help immediately.

With the help of some neighbours, we were able to revive her.

What a relief! I said.

After making my findings, I discovered that she had been suffering from the illness for a long time.

I made up my mind to let her go a separate way after the scary discovery.

“I'm sorry, I won't be able to continue with this relationship. I wish you all the best in your endeavors,” I told her as I intended to cut the relationship off.

“You are leaving me because of my predicament? Is that how it should be?” she commented sympathetically.

I felt guilty after hearing the word from her.

It felt like I was taking advantage of her predicament to toy with her emotions.

I pitied her, I had to withdraw my words and we proceeded with our relationship.

I started developing feelings for her more than before, out of pity.

Sometimes, I would just look at her and say, “oh, she must have been through a lot. I need to treat her very well.”

The love grew harder and I never cheated on her. Any time I felt like cheating, my conscience always disrupted the motive.

It continued like that until the relationship hit four years old.
It was after four years I discovered that I've been in the wrong affair.

I got a call on a particular day, it was the voice of a young man who threatened me to leave Kate alone.

He rained several curses on me after introducing himself as the boyfriend to my assumed girlfriend.

That was just the tip of the iceberg.

Few days ago, I checked her phone, I discovered many romantic conversations she had with numerous guys.

This is the same person I have been pitying, thinking that her predicament would also make her submissive, and loyal to me alone. I was wrong all along.

That moment, I knew I was the cricket in the hands of a player.
I went deep into my findings which revealed many hidden facts about Kate.

A huge percentage of these guys know about her challenges. At a point or another, she had been to their places to spend one or more nights over, while I was seeing her as a faithful girl.

I took a bold step to cut the relationship off, even though it was no longer as easy as I thought, but it was the decision I had to take.

Again, she said the same thing to me

“you are leaving me because of my predicament. That means you never loved me.”

I felt ashamed of myself after hearing the statement, as usual.

I tried to give her another chance, but with a condition.

“If you wish to continue the relationship with me, break-up with all the guys you are cheating on me with,” I issued the condition.

She acted reluctantly, but she didn't want to loose me as well.

“If you can't break up with them, then, I can't continue sharing you with some idi-ots!” I told her.

I cut the tie with her, never wanted anything to do with her again, but my heart is still craving for her up till this moment.

You know why? Because I was in a PITIFUL RELATIONSHIP. I was captured by my affection”

©️Olawale Ogidan
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082485533317

After I scolded Sholly for selling his conscience while she was alive, she disappeared and my door swung backward. Looking at the door's direction, I saw my brother rushing into my room.

“Who are you fighting?” he expressed concern.

“Who did I tell you I was fighting? Please go back!” I transferred the aggression to him.

Hours later, exactly the following day, I got myself ready for the journey to my hometown where I would be exercising my franchise. On my way out from the house, I saw the white reflection of a lady who was sitting on a public seat at the opposite of the house. She was sitting alone, nobody saw her but she could see everything that was going on.

On sighting Sholly, I pretended like I didn't see her so as to escape embarrassing myself in communicating with her publicly.

“I wonder why she keeps hanging around me, useless ghost,” I complained silently.

Sholly saw me and the contact was obvious but she didn't stand up to follow me as I went to the park to board a bus to my town.

Finally, I found a bus that was conveying passengers and I quickly occupied the front seat. Later after some minutes, the driver started the engine as we embarked on the journey.

I felt the fresh breeze that was influenced by the motion. Other passengers initiated Political discussion in the vehicle, the driver also joined the discussion.

“I just hope our people will be wise this time around and vote their conscience instead of voting for the money,” a passenger started.

“Anyone who doesn't collect money before voting for any candidate is daft. What's the point of voting for free when the one who will eventually emerge is visible? It's better to sell the vote so that you don't loose from two sides. Whether you collect the money or not, the person who will emerge will emerge, so, why not collect the money and let's face the fate together?” the driver shared his contradicting view.

“Driver, that's the point! You are right,” another passenger supported the driver's thought.

I was disappointed after hearing the thought of the driver.

“Will this country ever be great, with this kind of mindset?” I questioned my mind.

“I don't think so!” the voice emerged by my side.

I looked sideways to see who was speaking but I couldn't find any mortal, later, I heard the voice again.

“It has been like this for a very long time and I doubt if anything could change in the next decade,” the voice added.

As I looked by my side, I saw Sholly in the car, sitting beside me. I could not feel her body but I saw her clearly.

“Why do you keep following me? Don't try to embarrass me, we are in a public transit,” I cautioned Sholly without letting people notice me.

“But that is the truth, look here, Olawale, many people who are going to exercise their franchise are going there because of the money involved, including the Youths who have been busy spending their time canvassing for a new nation, the few among them who do not love money will be at home watching their favorite channels and rendering online support, some will be discouraged by their peers who believe that votes don't count and then, they won't go out. You see... ”

“Just stop! Sholly, enough. Don't talk again,” I interrupted and shut Sholly up.

“Well, I'm telling the truth,” she said while her face turned downward.

“That was then, we are now wise and we will decide rightly,” I refuted her assertion.

“We shall see.”

While I was having the conversation with Sholly, the driver and other passengers were dragging another conversation, so, I doubted if they ever noticed that I was talking alone.

The driver and others were carried away by the topic they were talking on at the other end.

Suddenly, the unforseen and deadly event occured; the driver had lost his mind to the discussion and he lost control over the vehicle as the it changed direction and headed to the river which we were riding by the hill covering its side.

“Driver, watch out!” the passengers screamed.

I was scared, too, because of the danger that lied amidst the trouble. The driver could not maneuver the speed of the vehicle, therefore, we were possessed by fear and we prayed that God should take control.

As we all expressed fear, I noticed that Sholly was no longer by my side, out of curiosity, I checked the front of the car and I saw Sholly, she kept blowing an intimidating wind on our vehicle until the vehicle's speed was limited and the driver twisted the steering to avoid entering the river. Soon, the driver marched the brake.

No one knew the impact that Sholly took but I did. While everyone kept rejoicing, she came to the window side.

“I just saved your life, I will be back to ask for a payback. You have no reason to decline writing my story now,” Sholly declared as she vanished.

To be continued...

©️Olawale Ogidan

[url][/url]https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082485533317

You can read my previous posts on how the story started.

After the bread which I bought for the man caught fire, he stood up quickly and picked his usual race, and then, Sholly appeared to me.

She was extremely angry that time around, and I could see that the atmosphere was not friendly when she appeared right before me.

“Young man, I have told you to stay out of this matter, why do you keep interfering? Do you want to share from the cup of vengeance?” she yelled ferociously at me.

As Sholly spat the vengeful words, I was shaken by the fierce appearance. I looked at the bread which she mysteriously set on fire and I was amazed seeing a tip of the ghost's power.

Suddenly, I developed the boldness to look at her in the eyes, and I challenged her.

“Sholly, this man is being traumatized. He is emotionally and physically stressed. You can even see that he is internally damaged as he has not eaten anything. This man is hungry, can't you see?”

“And who told you that he is not eating? Who told you that he is hungry?”

“Sholly, this man, is obviously hungry, unless you want…”

“He is not hungry!” she screamed as she cut in.

“The silly human is eating every second,” she reiterated.

Hearing Sholly saying that the man whom I've seen running non stop is eating every second inscribed doubt in my mind.

“Impossible. How do you say the man who spend every second and minute in the days of his life running aimlessly, is eating?” I questioned her.

“Because the race you see him having every day is enough to be his food. If the results of your work can not satisfy you to the fullest, then you have done nothing in life. As for him, that is the result of his work and he must eat to his fullest satisfaction.”

“If I may know, what is the man's offence? What is even his name? What transpired between the two of you before you embark on the mission to frustrate him to de*th? ”

“To de*th, you say? He will not di-e unless he does what I want him to do. Even if he doesn't eat for 10 years, he will continue to live his life use-lessly until he bows to pressure and do what I want him to do; as for his name, it's none of your business! Also, about what transpired between us, it's not what should come out from my mouth to you because you are unworthy to ask those questions!”

Sholly walked aimlessly befor me as she talked, with her expression of anger fully inscribed on her face.

I guessed it was time I had to tell Sholly the reasons why I kept finding her non-stop. With that thought in my mind, I opened up to share my mission with Sholly.

“Look, I'm following you around because of my passion for writing. I want to know the truth behind your indulgence in vengeance, so that I can put it into writing for the whole world to read. The man you are chasing here, a lot of people think he is insane, some took compassion on him while some of them mock him. Nobody actually knows his origin or the cause of his predicament. Tell me your story; how did you d*ie? Who kill3d you, and who was this man to you during your lifetime? Let the world vindicate you after reading your story.”

“Haha…” Sholly laughed uncontrollably, later she stopped.

“Mr. Writer, you are insane! You want to write my story? Who will believe that you saw a ghost? Let me give you this warning: stay away from me and my mission or else, you will be just like that man. You will be tormented on earth and heaven will record it,” she disappeared as she gave me the intimidating warning.

I later recovered my sense only to discover that I've been speaking with Sholly in public, the crowd has gathered on me, watching me talking to myself, since they could not see what I saw, they thought I was just speaking to myself. The feelings embarrassed me as I walked back to my house shamefully. Before SHOLLY would turn me to what she promised, I decided to back off.

On getting home, I saw my brother dusting his voter's card and he placed it in his wallet.

“Bro Olawale, where have you been since morning? I have been looking for you” he inquired.

I ignored my brother as I walked inside my room. The room was covered by darkness as a result of the windows that were unopened and the curtains that covered the ventilation spaces. So, I switched on the light to have a clear view.

I was shocked to see someone sitting on my bed, smiling. It was Sholly.

“I already stopped following you, why are you here, after you made the crowd think I was insane?”

She stood up from the bed and moved her legs on a walk towards me.

“Just stay where you are! Don't come closer! ” I shouted at her.

“Okay, Olawale I won't move closer anymore.”

Mentioning my name surprised me, so I craved to know how she discovered my name.

“How did you know my name? I never told you that.”

“I overheard your brother calling you that, just now.”

“So, what do you want?” I frowned as I let the question out.

“I have agreed that you should write my story. I'm ready to tell you everything that happened, including how I was killed.”

“Why did you change your mind all of a sudden? I thought you told me that I should stay off.”

“Because I have finally achieved my aim. The mission is now completed. I just want the story written before I go back to rest finally. Look here here, I have been confirmed dead for some days now, but I've not been buried. I'm the one using my power to delay the burial process because I need to take revenge on my killers before I will be put to rest. I've now completed the mission, I want to rest as I'm in severe pain. But I want you to have my full story, exclusively, before I go to rest.”

I have decided to stay off Sholly's story because of the strange things I have seen her performed. To someone who threatened to make me run mad if I don't stop following her, I should stay away from her.

“So that after writing your story, you will make me go insane right? I'm sure you've killed that man I saw you chasing. You want to do the same to me? Please leave me alone, Sholly, I want to focus on something else; election is coming in few days, I need to get prepared, to speak to my friends and family to vote for the right candidate.”

Sholly developed interest in the election topic as I talked about it.

“Wow! I'm disappointed because I can't vote in the forthcoming election since I'm dead,” she commented with low tone full of disappointment.

“Who would you have voted for?” I asked her.

“The one with the highest price of course. During the last election, I voted with my 10 voters cards, and I collected money from every polling unit that I voted in.”

“What!? 10 voters cards? How come.”

“Yes, 10 voters cards. I registered under different identities from different wards.”

I got angry at Sholly immediately.

“So, you are among those that destroyed this country! And you later died, leaving us to face the consequences of your actions. You are a useless ghost! Get out of my room!” I tried to slap Sholly as I confronted her.

She disappeared immediately as my door swung backward while my brother rushed inside.

“Who are you fighting?” my brother expressed worries.

To be continued...

©️Olawale Ogidan
[url][/url]https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082485533317

Check the previous post on my wall.

I was too scared to move an inch after Sholly turned to a shadow and ran after the man who was misbehaving.

I just had to quit proving strong-head, so I went back home.

Throughout that day, I couldn't get myself right.

My head was shaking, my body was heavy, my tongue was bitter and I couldn't taste food as the experience of the day kept roaming in my head.

Who would believe that I actually met a ghost and communicated with her?

I narrated the experience with my brother, he didn't believe me.

“Bro Olawale, I don't believe that thing! How could you see a ghost and you said you spoke with her? Ghost kor, holy ghost ni,” he mocked me.

“I swear!”

“Oga, I don't believe you!”

I swore by many things to convince my brother but he never believed that I had an encounter with a ghost.

“Maybe it's because of those stories you are writing that are making you to imagine that you actually saw a ghost. There is nothing like a ghost anywhere! Bro, all are fallacies!”

My brother found it difficult to believe me. He claimed that I've been developing trauma because of the stories I do put up on the media.

Immediately as he mentioned story, adding that I'm being influenced by the ghost stories I write, I developed the inspiration to dig deep into the full story of Sholly.

I went into my room and I contemplated.

“This is going to be an interesting findings; Why was the ghost chasing that man? Why was he telling her to leave him alone? I must find out and write this story,” I made a conclusion that night.

My conclusion was to never back out unless I know the reason why Sholly was tormenting that man. So, I picked up my bag and my phone even before the day break as I couldn't sleep throughout the night.

I exited the house without being noticed and I embarked on the journey to investigate the ghost and her victim. I thought about how to find Sholly before an idea crossed my mind.

“If I could find that man, then, I will see Sholly,” I strategized on how to find the ghost.

I walked a lot of miles, hoping to see the man who was being tormented by Sholly; I arrived at the exact place where I saw him the last time, but I couldn't find him. I went to the place where he ran to when Sholly was chasing him, yet I couldn't find him.

“Where exactly could he be? ”

At that point, I became frustrated, but I summoned courage because of what I aimed to achieve by looking for the man.

I traced the direction that he took before Sholly turned to Shadow and chased after the man, and after walking for two minutes, I finally heard the groaning.

“I am hungry... ” the voice resounded.

I traced the voice to check who was there. It was the man whom I was looking for. He looked really exhausted as he was lying down helplessly. But Sholly was nowhere to be found.

“I am hungry... ” he groaned again.

I took compassion on him, and I went to look something eatable within the vicinity.

I bought bread and rushed back to give it to him. I was extremely scared to move closer before giving him the bread, so there was no other option than to throw it at him at a close range.

Surprisingly, mysteriously, the bread gut fire after I threw it, and Sholly appeared right before me.

“Young man! I warned you to stop interfering in this case. Didn't I warn you?” she expressed anger as her eyes reflected flame.

Sholly's voice made me stagger and I fell on my knees.

To be continued...

©️Olawale Ogidan

I was walking around, sometimes ago, and I saw a man who looked unkept.

Everyone was seeing him as a mad person because of how he behaved.

Sometimes, he would just embark on a long run like Usain Bolt. He had ran from one joint to another, shouting, “leave me alone!”

The sound of the man looked like he was fighting with someone, but almost everyone who were watching him accused him of being mad.

“His marijuana is too much!”

“His brain has been destroyed by excessive amount of cocaine”

Those were the comments coming out from people who were looking at him.

Some of them even laughed and mocked him because he was so fun to be watched. But something was telling me that the man must have been facing torments, so I followed him quietly without being noticed untill he reached a place that was extremely quite.

Not so long, as I approached the man further, I heard a strange voice that said, “why do you keep following him? Do you want to share in his punishment?”

I looked around, fearfully but I didn't see anyone.

“Who are you?” I asked.

There was no answer coming through for my question.

I walked towards the man who was misbehaving, but he picked the race again.

This time, I walked more faster to meet up with his track. I didn't run like he did so that people won't feel suspicious of my actions.

Again, the man arrived at another quite place as he kept shouting again, “Is it by force? Leave me alone!”

I moved closer to the man once more and asked him some questions:

“Who are you talking to? Who are you fighting?”

I expected him to give me some answers but he didn't say anything, instead, he threw a stone at me. I dodged the stone while it strayed past me.

I looked at the point where the stone landed, and then, I was shocked by what I saw. It was a shadow.

“Is this my shadow?” I made a rhetorical question.

I moved right and left, expecting the shadow to imitate my movements but it didn't move.

“But it is very close to me. Why is it not moving?” I became scared as I asked myself another question.

I raised my hands up, the shadow didn't reciprocate.

I raised my right leg but the shadow didn't move.

“Stop bothering yourself. It is not your shadow,” the voice emerged from the shadow.

Then, I moved back a bit as i was overwhelmed with fear. I started sweating profusely even though I didn't make any attempt to run away from the mysterious shadow.

“Th-en, who are y-o-u?” I trembled as I threw the question at the shadow.

Suddenly, the shadow changed to human being in the form of lady who was on tattered clothes and blood was dripping down her belly by the right side.

Her eyes were reddish and they were fiercely focused on me. Her lips were dried. Her hair loosely drew down to her shoulders.

“Young man! Be careful! This man you pity does not deserve your empathy. He is reaping what he sowed. It's better you turn back and stop following us now!” the lady strictly warned me.

“But who are you? Why are you tormenting him? ”

“I am dead but my spirit is on the mission to take vengeance on him. My name is Sholly, I won't rest until I finish this man just as he finished my family. ”

At that point, I realized that I was speaking with a ghost.
The awareness created more shock in me, it also rendered me mute for some seconds.

“Ghost,” I muttered.

I looked behind me and saw the man running forward again, and like a wind, Sholly turned to shadow and ran after him.

To be continued...

©️Olawale Ogidan
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082485533317