₦airaland Forum

PenAStory:
https://penastory.com/2016/04/18/chronicles-of-a-young-boy-blessing-ajagbe/

My family was never perfect but mother always made us project that we were. It was when I was eight years of age that I realized this. Before then, I always saw my family as the best family the universe could ever give me. Guess I was only being naive. Every Sunday mother made us sit together in church and no one dared to sit apart. Most of the time, she and father wore the same material of cloth to church to show everyone that even after seventeen years of marriage, they still loved each other. Mother made sure that she and father made donations to every church project even when they did not have enough money at the time. And we the children, followed our parents around like lost puppies and did whatever they asked us to do even when we did not want to. We were such a perfect family in the eye of the public that the Pastor often used us as example of a good Christian family for others to emulate.

Being the last child of three children, people often treated me like the child they thought I was. What could a boy of twelve possibly know? But I knew a lot, even things I wished I did not know. Things I wished I could erase from my adolescent mind. Like how father was having an affair with another woman.

It was a Saturday. Mother had gone to the market with sister and brother had gone out with his friends, leaving father and I all alone. Father and I were not best buddies but we got along just fine. When it came to parent-child relationship, mother and I were the IT thing. She understood me better like nobody else. Father was not the kind of man who stayed in the living room. He was mostly in his office reading the paper or working on his laptop. The only time he came to the living room was when he wanted to watch the news. To see him come to the living room and watch a movie with me that day was surprising. Little did I know that he was expecting someone.

The doorbell rang and he asked me to get the door which I did. Standing there was a tall dark skinned lady who looked like she was in her early twenties.

“You must be Chris,” she said. “Nice to finally meet you.”

I wondered how she knew my name since we had never met before. Father came over to the door and the two of them greeted each other. It was a casual greeting, but it felt like they only greeted each other that way because I was there.

“We have some business deal to discuss,” Father told me. “We will be in my office.”

She came in and I shut the door. As I went back to the movie I was watching, I was still wondering how she knew my name. Who was she to Father? Telling myself that it was none of my business, I concentrated on the movie. Few minutes later, I began to hear laughter coming from Father’s office. My curious mind did not let me rest as I wanted to know what was going on there. I went upstairs and slowly walked into Father’s office. Thankfully the door was slightly opened. I peeped and saw the lady sitting on Father’s lap, caressing him like she owned him. My blood began to boil with anger. How could Father do that to mother? She had done nothing but try to project a good image for the family and there he was spoiling it. Out of my anger, I opened the door and they broke free of each other’s embrace when they saw me.

“Chris, what are you doing here?” Father asked. I shot Father a death glare and stomped out of his office without saying a word. He waited a few minutes before coming to meet me in my room where I was.

“Your mother must not know about this?” I had no idea if that was a plea or a command. The way Father looked at me, I could tell that he was feeling guilty. What I could not tell was whether he was feeling guilty for being caught by his twelve year old son or because he realized that what he was doing was wrong.

Mother came home later that day and she and sister prepared pounded yam and vegetable soup. Father kept looking at me as we sat at the dinning, using his eyes to beg me not to say anything to mother. His constant begging was not what shut me up but because I did not want mother to get hurt. The poor woman did not deserve to be hurt like that. That day I lost every respect I had for father.

From that day father tried to be closer to me. He made sure that he often bought something new for me. Even mother began to get jealous about how close we had become. It hurt that she was oblivious about what was going on. Every day that I watched Father pretend to love my mother tore my heart into a thousand pieces. Something in me begged me to tell her but I ignored it. What she did not know could not hurt her, could it?

Months passed and I had not still told mother about father’s affair. He had told me that he was not seeing his mistress again but I knew he was.

It was when we came back from church one Sunday that Father’s affair got exposed. His mistress came to the house claiming she was carrying his baby. When mother heard this, she fainted instantly. Father rushed her to the hospital and my siblings and I did not agree to be left behind. As we sat in the hospital waiting for mother to wake up, I could not but blame myself. If I had told mother earlier, it would not have led to Father’s mistress getting pregnant. What if mother did not wake up from the shock? Father would definitely marry his mistress and she would become our step-mother. I shook the thoughts away. Mother would not die. At least not now. I prayed to God silently where I sat.

Please do not let mother die. I promise to be a better son if you spare her life.

Unfortunately, God did not answer my prayer. The doctor came to us and as in a formal voice told us that they tried all they could do. Immediately he said that, I knew what was coming next. Mother had passed away. The doctor said that she had died of a heart attack due to her high blood pressure. Sister began to scream, demanding to see mother but my brother held her and took her out of the hospital. I on the other hand could not scream or say a word as the tears rolled down my cheeks.

Just like that mother was gone. I would never get the chance to see her again. The rage coiled within me as I watched Father talking to the doctor. If he had not been having an affair, mother would still be alive. If he had not been having an affair, I would not have had anything to hide from mother. If there was anyone to blame for this it was him. At that moment the only thing I could think of was wasting his life the same way he wasted mother’s.

The ride back home was long and silent. No one uttered a single word. As I laid on my bed that night, I thought about how much effort mother had put in holding our family together. All of it was now a waste. Mother was a good fellow and did not deserve to die the way she did. If anyone needed to make things right it was me. Without thinking twice, I stood up from my bed and went to the kitchen to grab a knife. When I did, I went straight to Father’s room but he was not there. The only place he could be at this time of the night was his office so I went there. He did not notice my presence because the door of his office was left open and his eyes were closed. I watched as he kept drinking what I guessed was an alcoholic drink.

For a second I began to pity him. A second I said. The image of mother flashed through my mind and the pity left and brought a rush of anger. He finally noticed me and smiled a forced smile. Immediately fear took over him when he noticed the knife I was holding.

“W-w-what are you doing with that?” He asked, his voice trembling.

“You killed my mother”, I accused him. The tears started rolling down my cheeks again.

He stood up and walked up to me. He tried to collect the knife from him, but I pointed the object at him. A new being had possessed me and the only thing I could think of was driving that knife into father’s guilty heart.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized.

Hearing him say that made the anger in me boil more. Sorry. Like that was going to bring mother back.

“I’m sorry too,” I apologised and drove the knife into his heart. In that moment, I lost control of myself and began to stab him continuously. Every second he spent gapsing for breath made me feel good. When father finally gave up, my mind came back to its usual place. What had I done? Oh, no. I killed my father with my own hands. I looked at the blood stain on my hands not believing this had just happened.

“What have you done?” The voice of sister asked as she rushed to father’s lifeless body. Before I knew it, I was being handcuffed by a policeman and thrown inside a van. Sister had cried out for help and one of the neighbours called the Police. From that day on, I lost every bit of sanity in me. Every day as I sat in juvie, I would dream about how I killed my father.

The time flew fast and my siblings never bothered to check up on me. Not even once. I had no idea where they were or how they were fairing. There was only one person who never stopped coming to see me and that was Pastor. He would share some words of encouragement to me and pray with me anytime he came to visit.

It was Christmas and the first time I would ever celebrate it without my family. The Pastor came to visit me that day. He even brought some food for me. As usual he shared some words of encouragement to me and prayed with me. But this time before he left, he handed me a Bible as my Christmas gift. He then told me to read 2 Corinthians 5:17. As I sat in my cell, I contemplated whether to read it or not. I had never read the Bible on my own before. The only time I read the Bible was in church on Sunday. After giving much thought to it, I picked up the Bible and opened to the scripture he asked me to read. It said;

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Even though the Bible was written in plain English, I found it difficult to comprehend what those words meant. Every day I would read that portion of the Bible and anticipate the Pastor’s next visit for him to explain to me what it meant. For weeks Pastor did not show up. I began to think maybe he was tired of visiting and had abandoned me too. It was after four weeks that Pastor showed up. The first question he asked was if I had read the scripture he asked me to and I told him that I had but did not understand what it meant. Pastor smiled and began to explain that portion of the Bible to me. He said the first step was for me to give my life to Christ. If I do, Christ would forgive all my sins and help me to forget all that had happened. He told me to open to Isaiah 1:18

Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool.

That day I gave my life to Christ and I felt this sudden peace within me. Few years later God did a miracle and I was released. Before that, my siblings came to visit me telling me that they had forgiven me for killing father.

Today, as I stand here talking to you beautiful people, I am now a husband, father, doctor and a writer. My first book Chronicles of a Young Boy, is a book that everyone should read. If God can help someone like me then he can help anyone. Thank you all for coming.

The audience stood up and applauded him as he went back to his seat.

Source: PenAStory www.penastory.com

Elmeerah:
So I started writing this story in school and i thought i should share it with my fellow nairalanders, please your comments would be appreciated weda good or bad. cc KingJB

I stood by the road waiting for James to come, he has kept me waiting for over thirty minutes. I was really angry because I was not even supposed to report to office today but my boss called me as early as 6 am asking me to come in, on getting to the office my boss was not on seat so I had to wait for him. He arrived forty five minutes later and could not even apologize for keeping me waiting, he just went straight to the point by telling me to go and interview the famous movie producer, Evelyn Gold. I could not believe my ears when he told me, I tried telling him that interviewing a movie producer was not related to investigative journalism but he just looked at me like I was crazy and told me I should be at Evelyn’s house before eleven am. I left his office and called James immediately someone that famous deserved three to four pages in our magazine, James told me to meet him up somewhere in Asokoro so he could pick me up, and thirty minutes later he was nowhere in sight. I tried calling his number again maybe he would pick up this time around.
“Hey, Zarah.” He said as soon as he picked the call
“Where are you James?” I could feel my ears burning up like they do when I get angry. “Do you know how long I have been waiting for you here!” I practically yelled at my phone.

“I’m really sorry love , honestly it’s not my fault, I just say make I pick this my…”

“Save your explanations for the boss because you are going to need it by the time we miss this interview.” I said before he even finished his sentence.

“Zarah you get angry easily jare, I said I’ll be there now.” I could hear him smiling and for some reason it annoyed me the more that I ended the call without even saying bye. I was thinking of what to do when a big bus swerved dangerously to where I was standing and I had to jump back to avoid being hit.

“Aunty you wan die abi, you no go comot for road before car jam you stay there dey do fine girl for there.” The rude bus conductor shouted at me, I could hear the passengers of the bus laughing at me. I decided to leave that area as embarrassment washed over me. My phone started ringing I checked to see who was calling, it was my boss.
“ Hello, sir.”
“Yes Zarah I just got a call from Miss Evelyn’s personal assistant and she said you have not gotten to her house yet. Why if I may ask?”

“I’m sorry sir, I am waiting for the photographer.”

“You are really incompetent , this is a big shot movie producer and you are telling me nonsense on phone. Do you think the Evelyn is going to wait for you?” I was imagining myself in the presence of my boss right now looking at the veins popping out of his neck as he yelled at me.

“But sir it’s not as if I’m late or anything.” I was already losing the little patience I had left “After all the Madam Evelyn has been disappointing us, she should be able to forgive us to if we don’t make it in time.” I snapped back.

“Zarah! You had better not carry that attitude to Evelyn’s presence, if we miss this interview because of you consider yourself fired.” He disconnected the line.
At that point I was so irritated and angry, this idiot boss of mine didn’t know how much I hated this job, always listening to all this showbiz people gosh about their fake lives while I listened attentively so I could spin a very interesting story later on. I was sick of it! My mother is the reason I still have this job because of her relationship with the owner of the magazine so my direct boss can only threaten me but he cannot fire me.
“Yes hello?” I answered my phone immediately it started ringing “James, I hope you are happy with yourself?”
James was laughing his head off “Babe I’m so sorry, you wont believe who I met on the way.”
“I don’t want to know, where are you right now?”
“See ehn that’s what I called you about sef, just head over to Maitama I’ll meet you there.”

I was so angry I knew James was going to do this to me, I was seeing red, I dd not even disconnect the call before I kept marching on. I did not even bother to take a taxi I need to walk so I blow excess steam. I notice people staring at me but I just kept walking until I heard a deep voice.
“Hey Maltina bottle, so for your mind now you chop liver abi?”
I turned around to see the fool that wanted to add salt to my injury, when I saw a tall, well build man in an army camouflage walking or should I say marching towards me, at that point I looked around and discovered I had walked straight into an army check point and in my mind I just knew that I was finished and my day just got worse.

MisterLawyer:
The coward terrorists have no doubt destroyed properties,traumatized and killed innocent lives. Our girls have been kidnapped for more than a year by those coward terrorists. In honor of the innocent lives that have been shortened and our future leaders that have been kidnapped,I wrote the below poem.



cc.lalasticlala





TERRORISTS ON RAMPAGE.

by...Olawoyin Mustapha Tolani







They have taken over our streets

Sons of a thousand fathers they are

Their faces masked, hands stained with death

Their bags full of explosives, in their heart no shred of

mercy



Terrorists on rampage!



All over the north, their presence is felt

South, East and West not excluded

Cowards, I call them

Chickens living in shadow and evil



Terrorists on rampage!



Their looks strike fear and death

Yet deep down they are scared to death

Nothing qualifies them more than heartless

A disgrace to the womb from whence they'd come!



TERRORISTS on rampage!



They are days and numbered.

#SayNoToTerrorism

anitapreeti:
Stiff-necked creature!
Watered but dry by nature,
Naturally or nurtured to be
I don't care! Failure is he.
My pain is the tree of his smile
Even when I walk a million miles.
A sweetheart of stone!!
I have tried to work on my tone,
But he is such a being
Who was made for the bin
He has turned me to a sadist
For in his smile, I see a beast.
I loathe his joy and happiness. Yes!
Let me be what you think, not more or less.
I say "necessaries" Him "on your marks"
"Fleeing never solves a thing, but adds"
He chanted all the while 'in the future
So fine like the sand in the seashore'
How I wish the future is eternally for me
Passed, dusted and the glory eluded me.
"The future is bright" I saw it before dawn.
It was illuminating and like wax, its gone.
I wish my past is present, not future
For my future is clearer in the picture.
But the future is passed
And am headed to the past.
I wine and dine in sadness
For ahead is the burning darkness.
This blind affection is also deaf.
Now with my head on the platter and he, the chef.




by Ifunanya Nwodigwe

Please drop your comments, critics.......

pomide:
1. TARKWA BAY BEACH

Takwa Bay Beach is a highly exclusive beach which is located across the harbour of Lagos and a little further down Victoria Island from Atlas Beach. As you relax on the beach, you will in all likelihood see the local fisherman going about their work (tuna, shrimps and crabs are all fished off Nigerian waters). Further in the distance you can watch the ships and containers come and go at the Apapa Port and Lagos Harbour. There are waves breakers that enable you swim freely without the fear of high waves. Also, because of the fact that you cant possibly get to Tarkwa Bay on Land means you enjoy a 15 minute Sweet BoatRide from CMS and also A Lot of White Tourists(Babes) Visit Here!


2. ELEGUSHI BEACH

Elegushi beach situated around Ikate area of Lekki is known to offer exquisite restaurants, night clubs, and hangout spots that feature local food, variety of live shows including music and jamborees all week. It also hosts Copa Lagos – a world famous beach soccer tournament that features best teams from all continents. A white sand beach that provides rippling waves(For surfers) that lap the
shoreline. It provides the ultimate relaxation and fun for any person. Thier fish pepper soup no be here! . Also, Celebrities usually frequent this beach.

3. ELEKO BEACH

An Old Beach, been going since i was 7 months , Eleko Beach is For those beach bums looking to get out of Lagos altogether. The beach is a mere 60km trip east of Lagos and in a 45 minute car journey along the Lagos-Epe Expressway. The beach is particularly popular with local families and facilities here include the option to rent a beach hut for a day and have a BBQ made for you. Also has High Dangerous Waves, Not for Learners.

4.ONIRU BEACH

Oniru Beach Oniru Beach is the perfect destination for those looking for a peace and quiet and a break from the hustle and bustle of Lagos. The beach is located on Victoria Island and features a number of bars and
beach huts following a recent estimated 15 million Naira investment by the beach’s owner, Sola Oniru. Note that this is a private beach and so payment is required for entrance.

5. BAR BEACH

Bar Beach is situated on Victoria Island. The beach is long and traverses the coastline from the west of the island by the Institute of Oceanography all the way to Eko Hotel on the east of the island. The beach is particularly popular with young locals who flock here in their masses on the weekend. I kind of Dislike that beach now.

Nairalanders can Kindly Extend the list....which beaches outside Lagos too

MarryJOANNA:
IF YOU WANT COPY MY STORY.... ITS JUST A WORK OF A NOVICE WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT WRITING A STORY... I'm here so that people who are experts in this line can correct and show me how it is done


Name: Jaiyegbade James Cornelius

Alias: JJC (Johnny Just Come)

I don't get it Description: Black, tall, cool and gentle fa[s][/s]ce, clean shaven beard and mohawk (gallas) hairstyle.... No wife, nobody except his dad