MIDELONII

I remember taking a walk one late Sunday afternoon with my siblings many, many years ago. We walked up from Kufang to some hills around Anglo Jos. There we came upon some relics of the colonial past, a crumbling house and a pathway lined with beautiful trees that probably led somewhere. The crumbling house was blue and it was surrounded by the detritus of a charmed existence, to my 13-year-old eyes. I forgot my siblings as I tried to conjure up the presence of those who had lived there, moving from room to room and imagining what life must have been like for them. There were the remains of a fireplace and there was a chimney, but its roof was the wide open sky. there was an orchard at the back, a lovely one but in a terrible state. I wondered how they were able to get up those hills to build it because we just happened upon it in our wandering. I wanted badly to explore the place and satisfy my curiosity about its surroundings but my sister called and said it was ...

Had this exhilarating experience. One of those things that happen on a whim, with no forethought. I had been travelling( driving) between 40/60. Taking my good time, reflecting on the past weekend and how faint the memory of it was. Then a line from a song just flitted through my mind.  I was about to connect to a major road.  My mood shifted. I searched for and found the song on my phone. Just ahead of me when I linked the road was a motorcycle. It wasn’t sure if it wanted to be in the middle or the side of the road. I hooted and it moved to the side. And then it was just me and a smooth tarred road. Another car appeared ahead. I recognised it. We were headed in the same direction.  It’s years younger and sleeker than mine.  I felt a rush.  I gained on it.  It took some seconds but I drew even and passed it. I was flying. Touch down. The most fun part of the drive was disrespecting the curves on the road while manually shifting gea...

    It was the last day of the year and Hannah was having a party. She wasn’t going to have one, but then she thought about how wonderful the year had been. She’d got a promotion at work and had been able to finish the house she was building for her parents in her hometown—a dream house that had left them completely awestricken. She decided there was enough reason to throw a party. It wasn’t a big party, just her closest friends and some colleagues from work. She’d contracted out the cooking to one of the best caterers in town. Her guests had a variety of delicious dishes to choose from: pounded yam, jollof rice, fried rice, amala, and an assortment of side dishes. There was also a huge velvet cake that had everyone salivating. Drinks were of the soft variety and in abundance. No beer. Beer was an absolute no-no. She had a few bottles of hard drinks tucked away in a cabinet somewhere for when she had her occasional cravings, but no one was getting drunk on ...

SUNNY FRIDAY It was Friday evening. The day’s chores and assignments were done. Time now to walk down to Sunny’s, order some food and drink, find a table close to the windows—there was always one available—and sit. She would then slowly eat her meal and observe all that was happening about her, those outside walking by and other diners, too. She would try to read them and take mental notes. Her pulse quickened. She got there at half past six. Not too early. Not too late. She got her food, the usual, fried rice with barbecued breast, some coleslaw and a cold bottle of ginger ale. She found a table. She ate two spoonfuls of rice, some coleslaw, and a bite of the breast and then the viewing began as she munched slowly on the juicy meat and savoured the taste. The stunning girl, dressed in one of the latest fashion trends, her online-ordered hair falling to her waist, was obviously on a date with her boyfriend. He had a full head of hair and a well-trimmed beard. ...