We Africa's sons
And daughters in the Sun's
We have seen the rays
The beams of the Sun tearing the wears
Of the bushes we ran past
We who have been scorched and pinched by
We who have sweat our lasts mixing dusts
In dirt in our slums filled with broken rafters
Littered grounds. Gutter paths, with black malodorous waters
Balls being black by and the soils minced with our bloods
Our backs have being on the grounds, grinding one another doing fighting playing
We twist twixt tattered cloths, we mix dried grasses with pebbled sands
Our paper kites wet till spoilt, spoilt tires we beat around cleansed
As we fill the mouths of an other mate with so since we fight
Making joyful sounds
Jump, we limp, we thumble jumbled, run bare
For we are youngs, thoughtless hands
Mean as menial as the crow flies a-row
But today as we fly, fighting playing, about
As we roll in our filthiness in joy
As we chase one another about
As we call each other to catch each other for fun
As we get injured, mince our bloods with the sands again
As we fight playing
have our backs on the ground
We see have seen the sky different
The sky's clouds are not Caribbean blue, no
They are not blank, no
They are as tick now as woolly as wools would be
Fused as cumulus could be
Cumulus and cirrus have formed
Darkly whitish form, thus
The heaven is pregnant
Loaded with rain to be born
To pelt
We assemble at our meeting squares to meet
To play on and on
It's African
Whites may not ian
It is what we do it's been a blessing
It is our heritage, our way
Let the rain have its way
As soon as possible it patters
We join hands and ball about scatters
We laugh away our troubles
We forget no food in the night
We forget what our futures might
We sweat we cannot see it
We laugh on and on shivering, we can see it
We even laugh the more that we quiver
We swim in it. And has it departs we groan for it again
Shouting saying singing again and again:
Rain... Rain, Rain...
Jodekss
©2014
African Rain by Jodekss Gloatkenf
Love is like hay
Leaves like Bee
Doesn't really see
Twixt I and thee
Or she and he
'Tis at times deaf
Like the protégé
Got ouch ends in' H
complicated nay aye
Come n' ask me Jay
Or you ask bro Kay
He'd say love's hell
Confusion came for 'em
As love leaves n' go
To come back to pea
Only if it's real to queue
In truth but how?
Blind, mayn't need dress
It's caring n' not pity
So rude n' can catch you
Then you pine like V
As love's doubled you
Not 'bout all day sex
You ask me why?
Love's caring really... as said.
©2016
A B C... Z LOVE by Jodekss Gloatkenf
Like last nice night
Right after I was done with my night meal which was sweet
I read this topic called mining in some text
It was defined to being the extraction of
Mineral resources from beneath the solid surface of the earth
I squeezed the definition into my brains
To recollect it whenever it's needed
Yes, it was a success
Afore I went to bed to nap.
I napped but couldn't remember even if my penis works like a tap
My mumsy said I was gibbering like a disc Jockey madly mixing some rap
Music was said to be played closed to my nada ears but wouldn't wake up
To dance to the tone sweet enough to invite some hoped hype
News had it that my new nephew did a hot shite in my new neat glass cup
One if I was not aslept I might guillotine him for, with a sharp rope
But I was down there in my mat, scattered.
I was sleeping but I was dead
For even the I definition of mining seemed faded
But the mo the breath of life was returned
I got up and saw with my ears what had happened
Whilst aslept or should I call it dead?
The truth, no need to keep
I used to die if...
I used to sleep
What can you remember whilst aslept?
You can only remember nothing whilst dead and buried
Liken
So, if people do really sleep
Then people do really die
And if people do really sleep and wake again
That means the the end time is real
Hell fire is real
Resurrection and eternity in the kingdom of God is also real
Too titchy is the pain and mimsy of this dark world
Not to fail to be amid the passengers of the kingdom of God
On board in the end
I know this cos I used to die
And you are reeling this too cos we all used to die.
©2013
I USED TO DIE... by Jodekss Gloatkenf
Bats were chirping quiet loudly in the air that midnight. The silence that moment had had the semblance like none before. Not even one sound could be recorded I could remember very well; everything was as dead as the cold hands of death himself. Except for the chirping of the those bad birds whose verses I averse so very well. And the continuous shout help help help that coupled the whir of the birds. It was the tone of Suwa, Fijy's mother, who was as old as the worst tattered rag one could ever picture.
Fijy had all ready woken and the shout which continued was not a great shock to him, in spite it was in the midnight, so he sped down like a squirrel treated for maniacal plight to the area the shout was coming from to know what was going on.
''Fijy, Fijy, Fijy. It was..., It was... Ah... Ah... Ah...'' Suwa said crying, gasping and quivering right in her room.
She was in the rest room where people rest of cause. The bedsheet, for covering the bed of cause, had fallen and the bed had shifted from its face to the back part. The stool, which receives food to be taken of cause, and all that that stood before the midnight had turned opposite. Even the pictures that were hung in the room had fallen again. The good food she was served she would not eat had developed maggots overnight again. Still screaming right on top of her loud voice, she was crying alongside with tear glands flocking up the floor of the room like the great ocean we were told in the tales. She was seated at the tip of the bed and it was the coming in of Fijy into the scene that quieted her.
Fijy entered and was aggravated and saddened to the core in the heart. His countenance dropped having seen what the well set room had turned to again, weariness was what took him up next with its painful tusks, for that night was not her first night to scream right in the mid of the night since her arrival from the village.
''Mama, is it your usual dream again or something else this time?'' Fijy asked mellowly putting on the light from the switch at the entrance into the room. Suwa would not talk again, in the stead of telling her son what went wrong she went into her sleeping position with her back facing the face of the bed. Fijy left the room confused again for her mother would not tell him what she saw in her dreams that would always make her scream almost midnightly. He was so very tired of neighbours asking him questions he has no answers to when the day breaks, about the causes of the screaming from his house. All he would always do was to lie that it was his mother who has mental problem. He loves Suwa a lot no doubt about that, even the intervention of his wife to send her back to the village would not make him do that.
In the following morny, the nightguards that watch over their streets came to pay him a visit.
''Dr. Fijy, we have been contemplating whether to come over here to come and ask you why someone would always make a disturbing noise in your building for long. So yesterday we agreed to'' their leader said. One of them added, '' sir, am one of the nightguards that watch over your affairs besides God when you have gone to the bed to sleep, the kind of noise that person makes would always make wake us up thinking may be thieves are on raid again. We have come really to urge you to tell that person to stop it, it is not helping, it disturbs and diverts attention, you are well read, am sure you would understand us''.
After three days, the same thing repeated itself at the same time it did the last time. The next Saturday even was the day and time scheduled for the estate meeting that happens twice in two months, the issue was what was discussed on through out the meeting. Suwa lied that it was his mother who was mentally ill that would always make the disturbing noise. The street elders then urged him to take her to the appropriate hospital for appropriate care, they made him aware they live in estate filled with persons of affluence, who have businesses they think about all day and the night's only when they rest but now his mother is denying them that. He promised he would do something soon and the meeting came to a close.
Suwa bought a local daily paper, a week after the meeting held, it had it that some pinchers were caught around Visuwo Street, Bopruz Avenue, Degi Area Ilumodun State and have been jailed for the assassination of Mr Plater, a white man, who had come to invest in the country. Their pictures were at the front page of the paper, the max. were enough even for blind persons to see and identify.
Out of disgust, Fijy soliloquised ''where exactly are we going to in this country?'' ''What's happened again my son?'' Suwa asked. Fijy picked up the paper n' showed his mother, ''see, these young men killed this whiteman who've come to come and help this country up''. ''Ah Ah Ah, my son this is a good news, this is the reason I make noise usually in the midnight''. ''What?'' Fijy asked confusedly.
Bogo - Female character
Mopo - Female character
Zozo - Male character
Toto - Male character.
Zozo:
welcome friend, it has been long since we have sat together like this. Don't you think! How is school?
Toto:
Just there jare, we are pushing it little by little. Well, before we know it we are done. And when was the last time and you and our friend talk?
Zozo:
He did not call and neither did I. You know, as it is with him so it is with you. People don't call much these days you know, Facebook, whatsapp and all that are there. Only megabyte and battery suffer the consequence. Uhm! I am taking that exam again you know, my keen passion for education is still there. I am choosing another ivory tower jare my friend. In fact enh, home bores now, really friend, am tired!
Toto:
You just don't give up brother, it is gonna be fine you know. Even if you have lost that passion we would feed you till death... ;)
Zozo:
You are crazy. :)
So, gist me about your babes on campus ehn!
Toto:
Ahem! I do not have their time o. It is my book and I only. My book is my big babe! :*
Zozo:
Your eye brows blink faster when you are lying you know;). Well, Serve me with something guy.
Toto:
Okay, I hope you do not mind a warm drink! Yes of cause you don't mind. Soooo, gist me about her. Is she around? I mean Bogo!
Zozo:
Ah, that one, yeah, she came around but I learnt she had returned. Well, you know, people like her be one of the reasons my passion for education should remain. We are not really into relationship like that anymore. She is now wiser you know. I am at home she is in school and almost done. She has started giving attitudes. You know am not surprised. When you tell a girl she is the only one you have, she starts taking you for granted and all that. Let's just forget it friend.
Toto:
I understand your position friend more than you could ever imagine. I fell into the same depth when I was still at home. In fact, my own was more serious than yours. It was painful. When you got pulled into a relationship by a girl and the girl got you so serious about it but along the line, to change the whole story to something very horrid. It pained me but you know, ''a gecko that thinks it owns the whole night has certainly forgotten lizards own the whole day''.
She kept telling me she had someone else, someone better, you know, she even showed me the engagement ring and the pictures they took together. So, I thought about it very well and said well, since it has changed into that, that means we are just friends after long years of being together. I let her know my stance and she acted it is fine and would not want the husband to be to know there is even friendship twixt us. So, the only one picture we had together she deleted and warned me not to tag her anymore into pictures on social networks.
Zozo:
What! Is it Mopo?
Toto:
Yes.
Zozo:
Guy, why are you just telling me this now?
Toto:
I am so very sorry, it is a story I do not like remembering let alone telling. But to cheer you up is the reason am telling you now. Let me quickly paraphrase the rest, we need to go out.
So there was a day I was walking past her place, I called to greet her parents. When I got there I got to know she had been around for weeks. I asked her why she would not let me know. She said she forgot. Well, we sat and talked outside, it was in the night. She told me she needed money for something so very important and what she needed it for. I did not know if she was telling the truth or the otherwise. Luckily for her, I had just collected my salary. I dipped my hand in my back pocket, counted the exact amount she said she needed and asked her to have it. But her reply really was the last straw that killed it all because I wanted give her that money for no purpose but to help. She said, ''I cannot take it, because if I do ehn, that would open door for you to propose to me''.
Zozo:
Awww... That was childish.
Toto:
I was expecting you to say so. :)
Zozo:
I put the money back and promised not to come back there again. That was the last time I saw her really. A friend close to me and close to her told me till now she is still single.
Toto:
Gush! And what about now? Any other lady in your life now?
Zozo:
Yes of cause, a better one, in fact the best of the best. She is studying pharmacy. Wait, let me show you her picture.
Toto:
Oh boy! You caught a good fish. I hope she has the right attitude! Physical beauty dies but the inner lives for ever as you would always say you remember?
Zozo:
Of cause I do. We met when I gained admission.
So if you are being pushed away by a girl because of your right heart and because you have no leverage. Eat the dirt and never give up. There is nobody like her but there are millions more that better her. Prayer, patience and or fortitude does it bro.
Toto:
Awww... All right. Let us go out.
Zozo:
Put the bottle in its crate there at the entrance. Let me go and take my bathe, dress and we go out pal.
Jodekss
©2015
Mother Suwa by Jodekss Gloatkenf
Chapter 1
Welcoming the Twins
Ade
My heart raced speedily as I paced up and down the waiting room of the hospital with my wife in the labour room. Mixed emotions clouded my thinking faculty as my thoughts went haywire like a rogue firework. The thoughts included me being a father, me being a single parent, my child coming out a stillborn and losing both wife and baby.
She had been in labour for the past eight hours and had refused vehemently to undergo a caesarian section even after pleas from me, my parents and her parents. To be honest I was scared to my marrows.
Two hours later, ten hours after she had been wheeled into the labour room, the doctor came out with his stethoscope around his neck, removing his latex gloves and a very bright smile across his face he said "congratulations Mr Ade, you have given birth to two bouncing baby boys".
"She is fine, just exhausted but besides that, she is fine."
I jumped again and asked "can I go and see her?"
"Of course, you can" he replied
I rushed from the waiting room into the nursery. At the door, I composed myself and went in like I didn't panic or rejoice wildly earlier. I went in stealthily and crept silently to where my wife laid. She was peaceful in her sleep; one of the things I always loved about her. I looked into the cot and saw my twins. I wasn't prepared for what happened next as what I saw drained the color from my face.
I was preparing rice and stew and plantain in the kitchen ; my sweetheart's favorite food when my tummy contracted. It was a short contraction at first so I shrugged it off. I added more seasoning to the stew on the left-back face of the gas cooker while the rice an Olatunbosun
occupied the left and right front burners respectively.
I was screaming so loud that I was trying to tell myself to power down the noise but I couldn't bring myself to. Carrying a pregnancy was a different scenario from f
giving birth. Deep down in my heart I was apologising for all the wrong I've wronged my mother.
First things first, I am a sucker for beautiful women, its a heirloom. My mother is a goddess even at fifty years she still gives young ladies a run for their money. Even after having a ravishing woman for a wife, my father still philanders around earning him the nickname "Casanova" among his friends.
"Mike Tyson, " he started "I see you've treated yourself to a fine meal. I understand, fighting is a very exhausting business. You need food to replenish the lost energy."
I stood rooted on the spot and all I could say was "welcome sir"
"It is I that should be welcoming you. I hope you had a stress free journey."
I kept mute.
"Ade, you're an idiot, you show no sign of remorse for your actions yet you have the nerve to eat in this house. I thought I asked Maria to lock the pantry."
On further scrutiny of my hand he saw the bread nylon and that infuriated him the more. He didn't like us buying food outside.
"Now my son is buying food by the roadside like an urchin." He threw a slap at me which I dodged. Then from nowhere I heard subtle voice
"I have ulcer, that's why he rushed to get it for me when I had an attack Sir. He hasn't even eaten because according to him, he has no right to eat because he feels ashamed of what he did."
It was Tola, the whole world stood still, I wondered if he salvaged the situation or blew it straight to hell.
"Is this not the boy you fought?" My father asked
"He is sir" I replied shakily
"What is he doing here?"
"His parents are in England and he doesn't know any of his relatives' place and I thought that since I brought this on him, I couldn't leave him to wander the unfriendly streets alone."
"Hmmm, that's okay. Go to your room."
I looked at the twins in the cot and I couldn't believe what I saw. In that same instant, my parents came in with my Elder sister who had flown in to spend summer with us. On seeing the twins, she looked me in the eyes but I couldn't meet her gaze.
"Ade, meet me outside right now" she commanded.
On getting outside, she looked at me ad said, "how come your twins look like your best friend? Night"
"How come your twins look like your best friend?" My sister asked with clenched teeth.
"Its a long story" I replied
"Does it look like I'm in a hurry? I've got all summer"
"Okay then, I'll tell you"
I saw the world flicker in those huge eyeballs and I said to myself, this is a goddess. I moved up to her,
"You know, if the music wasn't so loud and I can see my friend here, I would probably think I am in heaven"
"And why would you think so?" She asked with a flirtatious blink of those eyes.
" Because I am definitely speaking with an angel. Does God know you are here?"
"Well, sure he does."
"Then I am sure that he sent you here specifically for me. Pardon my manners, its not everyday one stands in the presence of an angel, my name is Ade."
"I am Sade"
"Exactly what I was saying. Ade, Sade, you were sent here for me. Do you wanna know what the 'S' stands for?"
"Humour me"
"Soulmate"
"And we thought all the smooth moves ended with Casanova"
"We have got James Bond. But to be frank, I would like to get to know you better"
"How would you propose we do that?"
"Out of the vast array of numbers in the world, I just need you to spare me a few so I can reach you with"
"Okay then,"
"I swear to you, I had no idea. This is one of the reasons I don't drink. I lose my semses and start misbehaving"
"Don't blame it on the drink, the drink only brought out your innermost desires"
"Of course it did, but I wanted it to be very special, spectacular not something as crude as this. I feel like killing myself right now"
"Ade Ade, you must be a very good actor. Its all so convincing"
"I swear I am telling you the truth. Okay let me show you."
Chapter Four
Sade was discharged from the hospital after three days due to the amount of energy she had expended. For that three days, there hung an air of uncertainty and awkwardness between us. After dropping us at home, my parents left for their place. It was time for me to man up.
"Everything will be alright baby. I caused all this and its my mess to clean up. I'm sorry for all the pain I might have caused you. We'll get through this baby. I love you. We'll raise the twins together."
"Ade, are you sure of what you're saying, you want to raise kids that are not yours?"
"Family isn't only relationship by blood. I'll raise them as mine at least they belong to my brother too."
"You're just too good Ade, but what would people say?"
" Its their funeral, not mine. I choose how to run my family so its a no contest."
"What if Tola decides he wants to claim them?"
"He can have them if he decides to claim them immediately"
I couldn't believe what my ears just heard. I had expected a civil war but I just got a mind relieving dialogue. I didn't deserve this man. He's just too good for me. If only he knew the truth.
" Uncle Tola what are you doing here? Susan has travelled home"
"Hmmm, I know. I was in the neighbourhood and I knew you'd be bored so I said I should help you kill boredom."
"How thoughtful of you. What should I offer you?"
"I was thinking we could hang out."
"Wow! No problem then. Let me change then."
"Uncle Tola, what are you doing?"
"Responding to the signals you sent to me"
"So you caught on to them, why didn't you respond earlier?"
"Susan is very perceptive. She catches on to things quickly so I had to act as if I didn't see anything."
" You are a bad guy Uncle Tola"
"Uncle bad guy to you"
"I know I deserve that, can we see? Let's talk."
I replied with "time and place?"
He sent me the venue and time and I told him I'll be there.
"Here I am thinking you were going to stand me up. So glad you proved me wrong."
"Are we here for small talks or you really want to talk?"
"Come on Sade, you know you used to love the foreplay"
"I'm not in the mood"
"Okay then, I don't want you dating Ade. Is that straight to the point enough for you?"
"My dad is at home and I don't remember him using and dumping me"
"Now that's bitterness talking, you knew the game was dangerous before you decided to play it. Don't hate the player, hate the game."
"Well, it's okay. I'm not leaving Ade alone. Have it in mind, blackmailing me won't work this time, I'm willing to lose all, but the question remains 'are you?"
"Ever wondered what happened to those kinky videos we made? I burned them on lovely DVDs. Truth be told I loved our sessions, you were like a psychologist giving me therapy. Such a shame you saw it fit to end the good thing we shared. No hard feelings though."
"You diabolical bitch" he snarled
"What breed is your mother? Look, if this is what you called me here for, I think we are over it."
"Let's call this a farewell flexing. Truth be told, you sure as hell know how to treat a lady right but you messed it up at one point, bringing Linus in. It showed you were unsecured. You wanted to eat your cake and have it. You can only have your cake and eat it bro. Uncle bad guy."
Regrets
The Truth (Part Two)
I couldn't afford to lose out in this game. It just wasn't fair so I had to come out with a win, albeit a consolation one and Ade was it. Ade was what the proverbial cat dragged in.
"Tola, what's the matter with you? Susan left you?" Ade asked jokingly.
"Just having one of those days man" Tola replied with a shrug.
"Are you sure?"
"Dude, you damn right I am. Sorry for venting but I really need some mental calm right now."
"Sade, Sade" he whispered as he tapped me.
"Hmmmm, what is it?" I responded in a fake slumber tone.
"Let's talk"
"Can't it wait till morning? I want to sleep, besides you had all evening to talk to me. That enough shows its not of much importance therefore it can definitely wait till morning".
" Sade I love you. I can't allow you to date Ade out of spite for me. I'll do anything for you."
"Is this out of jealousy or you in a sincere mode?"
"Jealousy? Nah. Jealousy is for the petty. Why would you think me petty? Come on, I mean it."
"What took you so long to say it then?"
"They say you never know what you've got till its gone. It took me seeing you already had one foot outside before I found myself longing for you."
"are you serious?"
"As a heart attack" I replied
"Great news, see you after work baby. I love you"
'I know I might not have spent may years on this earth, but I'm sure as hell wanna spend the rest with you. Folasade, would you marry me?"
"Still waiting for your response baby"
"Yes Ade mi, I would marry you, I would spend the rest of my life in your world. I want you to become my King, my everything. I love you Ade, I love you"
"Susan what did you say?"
"Its over Tola, do you need me to spell it out to you?"
Regrets
The Truth (Part Three)
" Ade, what is this nonsense you are telling me?"
"That I am getting married to Sade of course"
"Is it that you're plain stupid or you're joking with me?"
"If I was joking, would it ameliorate your blown fuse?"
"Maybe, but your looks tell me its not a joke"
" That's because it isn't . I thought you'd be happy for me. Besides I'm not growing any younger. You're the best man. Take it or leave it. I don't know why you hate that poor girl so much."
"Hey, hold it right there, best man for who? You and that tramp? I'd be your best man if you were marrying my sister and you sure know how protective i am of her but not Sade. Dude, don't let her loins blind you. If it's great sex you want, there are so many fine pieces of ass out there you can dig into but not her. Come on Ade, we both slept with this girl."
"Tola, she's pregnant for me and you know how I don't shy away from my responsibility. I can't abort my first seed. So if you're not going to support me, I might as well look for someone else to be my best man."
"I'll be your best man"
"Are you serious?"
"Ask me one more time" I said with mock anger
"I dare not do that"
"You think I'm going to let our years together go down the drain over a lady so much I wouldn't walk you down the aisle? Its actually a funeral"
"Funeral? How do you mean?"
"Weddings are players' funerals"
"Fool, get me a drink"
"You know where the drinks are, get it yourself. Let me finish this stage. Its been defeating me since last night and you know video games are my wives and mistresses." I said as I sank in my chair and resumed my video game.
"Speaking of wives and mistresses, dude, don't you think about settling down? You ain't no kid anymore or do you want my kids to call you by your first name until you get married or do you want to wait until you're dragging a girl with my first son before you consider it?"
"Dude, face your wedding and after that we can both face mine. 'Aproko'"
"Hey baby, what's up?" I asked managing to clear the pain from my voice
"Well, I just saw Sade's twins, guess what, they look like you. Handsome, cute smiles scruffy hair. Wow! You're such a snake. I hate you, so you were sleeping with my best friend all along. Well, I hope you rot in hell forever. That's where snakes go. Its over between us!"
"Susan, what do you mean?"
"I said its over, do you need me to spell it out for you. Okay then grab a crayon, you can scribble it on the wall, I,T,I,S,O,V,E,R,B,E,T,W,E,E,N,U,S. Got it? Good bye playboy."
She hung the phone up on me.
Ade
"Hey Susan"
"You've killed him" she sniffed as she sobbed on the phone
"I hope you eat his corpse, I hope you're happy now....
"Damn!" I swore out loud. I can't believe what was happening. I couldn't help but think about the irony of nemesis. This payback was on a major scale. It was barbaric in nature more like old testament vengeance. This was just tearing into anything in its way.
"What do you mean?" I barked back into the phone visibly irritated at Susan's antics. She wasn't one to make unnecessary fuss so this scared me.
"Tola is in the hospital, he had an accident"
"What?! When?! How?! Where?!"
"Don't sell me crap, this is what you've always wanted so stop pretending"
I got pissed at the remark and went ballistics,
"Susan, you did this, not me so don't paint yourself a saint because you and I both know you're no saint. You are a villain. We all are, but you, everything you touch withers and dies. If you had done what I asked you to a long ti.e ago, we would not be having this converaation."
"Sue Sue, how have you been?"
"Ade, life has been rough for me but I'll get by."
"Life is not a bed of roses. You take it as it comes"
"My case aside, why did you call up this meet?"
"I'm sure Tola has told you about our relationship. About how close we are"
"He said you guys are pretty close"
"Good, Susan, I like you a lot truth be told and if circumstances were different, I wouldn't have called this meeting. I need you to stop seeing Tola."
"You idiot, who the hell do you think you are telling me what to do"
"Its glad to see you've still got that rage"
"If I did, you'd be in a pool of your own blood. Why are you doing this to me? We used to be best of friends in school. You were the only one who knew my secret, now you're using it against me. I guess its true that two may keep a secret when one is dead"
"Susan, I am not using it against you, I am saving my friend's life. Do you know that the fatwa is still out on your head?"
"Of course I do, but the can only try, they can't get me"
"But they can get someone you love, they got your mother and you couldn't even protect her. My friend is not a warrior, maybe intelligent but he's no fighter. What if you get married and have kids then one day you come back and find your husband and your children in a pool of their own blood? I know he loves you and he wants you but you're bad for his health. You can't protect yourself if you have to think about someone else. If you love him let him go. He'll breakdown for a while but he'll get back up again."
"Part of me hates you right now, but you are telling me the truth. I haven't really forgiven myself over my mom getting condemned to a wheelchair. It sucks that the first guy I loved in my life has to go because of the things I've done in the past. I'll let him go but you will have to give me some time to arrange it and make it foolproof."
"Okay then, no problem. Thank you for understanding but please don't let it linger for too long."
"You were the only one who could always reach me mentally. I always wondered why you never asked me out despite knowing I had the hots for you"
"I dated a lot of your friends, moreover we were really close"
"That's no excuse, now tell me the truth"
"Okay then, I had a wager with Banjo and Chinedu that I wouldn't sleep with you."
"Why did you make the wager?"
"They argued that you and I being friends was like using a sugarcane as walking stick, whenever I got thirsty, I'd take a bite."
"How much was the wager?"
"A hundred grand"
"Was it worth it?"
"As much as I'd love to get laid by you, the respect you gave me was worth more than the money so the wager was worth it."
I didn't even shower as I grabbed my car keys, and set course for the hospital. I did not want to lose my best friend. I could not afford to. I was met with traffic and my frustration grew. I called my dad and narrated the situation to him. I was just venting on anything amd everything. The pressure was getting too much to bear. It was finally getting to me.
" who are you to him?"
"I'm his brother Ade"
"He's been mumurring your name since they brought him in but he's in surgery right now"
"Can I hang around?"
"Sure"
"By the way how serious was the accident?"
"Three broken ribs, compound fracture on both legs, punctured left lung, broken ulna, shattered jaw. It's a miracle he didn't die on the spot."
"He has always been a tough nut to crack"
I couldn't even laugh at my own joke. My parents came in and hugged me. Our second time together in a hospital in three days.
"Son, its going to be alright" my father said.
"It had better be dad, I can't bear this"
"I'm sorry but Mr Tola succumbed to his injuries, we lost him"
I went down in a heap, my vision became blurry and began to cry. My father helped me up and sat me on a chair in the waiting room. I was just smiling amidst the tears.
"You will when he's moved to the morgue."
I was devastated, secretly hoping the doctor would say something like "gotcha" or "April fool" but he didnt . I hoped that Tola would come out from the theatre with his crutch and make a wisecrack like
"So you believe the bullshit this doctor is selling you. I'm tougher than to die an accidental death."
"Hear those cries, he never really left us"
"you can't be happy while I'm mourning. Its all your fault Ade. You should have just left us alone. I already told him about the fatwa on my head. He didn't mind. We were supposed to leave for London after our marriage, until your slut of a wife decided to have his babies. I don't know if you knew, but they were sleeping partners before she met you. Its why he did not want you to marry her so I just saved you a future of pain. I knew but I didn't mind, I loved Tola, I still do he was the only man I would never hurt. It was because of him I never took vengeance against Sade. Take care of the twins, they are mine as much as they are Tola's and yours."
"You don't deserve to die, you were being a good friend. Your intentions were good but they served no purpose"
Regrets by Obasa Olatunbosun
Sissies see see silly sickly are you
For your lose
Lose
Lose of virtue
Virtue
Virtue which in the past your sexes
Sexes
Sexes prevent with ardour, dignity n' high honour
Sissy see see silly sickly are you
For your pants
Pants
Pants for air via your wear
as we see there, glare
Glare
Glare tummy button; bottom , black, blue, green, yellow, white and black, green with
With
With spots all over suffering from blight bites
Sissy see see sickly are you as
As
As you bend down to pick your pen we can measure your oranges
Drooling, shot, dropped, packed, stacked with
With
With brassiere to convince
Convince
Convince what? You have sold your worth for naught
Naught
Naught is for you as you have clays
Loamy
Sandy resources to mould cements on your faces
Faces
Faces of heaven see you and begin to weep
Weep
Weep as you run in kilter to safe your shame
Your face
You race
Foundations erase
Then you'd pine
Not feeling fine
Your powder which makes you pretty
Which took aback brother Femi
Is out
You are all out
Shattered in psychic
Would not eat nor farm in agric
You rely on fiction bro Patrick
These girls think beauty is everything
Pretty is nothing
Cream costly as hell is another waste
O, culture come back around now with haste!
Oh, cleanse unnatural ethics moderately!
Skirts, get sense; Amen
Pants, get sense; Amen
Brassiere, get sense; Amen
Close your laps standing lost
Cover your two bombs the best
And help our sticks not to break
With your pants out as you shake.
Jodekss
(Art) Photo Credit: Jodekss.
Si sissies by Jodekss Gloatkenf
Atmospheres The politics gore via voice
Today reek bad Looters yet there ‘N’ rejoice
The thieves are Storing wealth in at least
Getting’ richer There - dug stores there in unity
Up there whilst Here, we eat plosive stones to mark
The poor bear Young soldiers fall o’er there her birth
The brunt bare In their own bloods facing fires no death
A-head on pins To chest they didn’t lit if check’d her pride
Caustic ground This lib is just constriction her fame
As money’s to every freedom got has fain her green
Ease our pains Our leader have their own her white But few feed… Blames as us too have a her oil
On and on on lots of duties to do her soil
It as a few fall Both the young, the... moil
Of toxic tussles Old tho’ let’s come on
‘;’;’’,.;;’’’;’’’;’;’;’;’;’’’;’;;;..,..,;’;…;’’’;;’’;….,,;’;.’;;’’.;,.’.,;’’..,;;;’’;.,.;;;’..,,..,.;’’;;..,;,’;.,;.’.’;.,.’;.,;;’…,…,.
By Jodekss Gloatkenf