The Good Life

The day had been a very hectic one with endless chains of activities So the minute I got home, all I wanted was a warm calming bath, a massage, warm meal and a sound sleep I was totally spent Ahhhhhh The blessings of marriage I had my bath Dragged my ragged self to the sitting room and began flipping through channels Then I called out 'Babe can you make noodle for me I'm famished?' 'Sweetheart I'm as tired as you are if not even more. My day was equally stressful. Let's have tea and bread for dinner' he responded Tea and bread! Tea and bread!! I thought marriage was for living the life Am I a bird? So that's how this man is planning to kill me with starvation That is, coloured water and flour? Whatever happened to eba and soup, rice and stew and the likes? To think that I spent alot doing something on this man's head! I went to the side drawer on the bed and brought out the marriage list his family gave me when I went to pay his groom pri...

You are responsible for your past, present and future You are responsible for living your worst or best life You are responsible to get yourself to that future you crave You are responsible for building yourself when life throws stones that ought to have you caving in The great men of today never started off as heros It took blood, sweat, determination and an undaunting spirit There'd be whispers There'd be mockery There'd be those who support  And yeah, jesters  Look yourself square in the eyes Raise your head high You're worth everything good and You owe yourself every reason to succeed Remember failure is an orphan but success had many fathers

Kraaa kan kakakaaaakaaa The lid of the pot sounded as it fell on the floor As the eldest child, I was the automatically unopposed kitchen prefect so I was very quick to notice any intruder alert With the swiftness of James Bond, I raced to the kitchen to catch my younger brother red handed munching a large protein he had fished out from the pot of our Sunday stew Our parents were yet to return from church while my siblings and I were having a field day outside waiting excitedly, my younger brother snuck into the house thinking he could smoothly move in and out the kitchen after his operation He forget I worked with the FBI for 4 years until I clocked 10. Well, praise be the Lord because for my silence, he agreed to do all the chores I assigned to him for a week😉 Day 1 He did my share of the dishes Day 2 Laundry Day 3 Mopping and filling all the containers at home with water By the evening of day 4 he walked up to my parents and confessed his crime I lost my leverage He reg...

So they say leave married people alone Dem no gree hear Now dem colleague dey front of My Lord Maria and Kelvin all over the internet the past few days Maria a contestant in the recently concluded reality show Big Brother Naija has been accused of dating a married man and that they are cohabiting and this has further led to the wife filing for divorce Of course this is not the first scandal or news of its kind as it relates to marriage but this brings to mind the issue of faithfulness Marriage is a union of persons who are supposedly in love and committed to love, protect and care for each other And for whatever reason(s) one partner breaks this sacred vow is termed infidelity Faithfulness and commitment to our spouses or love interest is a daily choice. It simply means that even where you meet other persons in the course of the life span of your marriage or relationship you'd constantly and consistently choose your partner above any other Every beautiful ho...

So I don run reach stadium oh Na how to return house remain With my complete gadget I was ready to conquer the world Sneakers 5k Exercise outfit 3k Waist trainer 11k I even bought head band 1k With a stop watch on my wrist I looked like a winner Hip shaaaaa Hip shaaaaa Ahhhhhh my father!!! Waist don hook I couldn't breathe again oh So I respected myself and sat by the sidelines This cannot be the way na It's just Kim K I wanted to look like not commit suicide  Now see me panting like a deer that escaped a hot chase from a lion Press up Push up Sit up Squat  Skip Plank Lift weights And you say I should jog home With which legs? All these won't even matter in heaven sef Besides bodily exercise profiteth little Okada! Okada!! I gently went home, ate my delicious afang soup and garri and faced my destiny. IT'S JUST FAT  NOT CRIME!!!

The Bobrisky and Tonto saga plagued the internet for days unend and exposed alot of things we ought to appreciate daily but most especially, the gift of genuine friends Some may be lifelong Some we meet at certain places or situations and Some we might have known from childhood But a true friend is a rare and priceless gift So many have had the course of their lives altered negatively because of their choice of friendship Others have suffered great loss and even ultimately paid with their lives And yet there are those whose lives took a turn for good, those living their best lives because of genuine friendship Through my life's journey so far, I've enjoyed this blessing from one or two. When I had my second baby, all arrangements were in place for her arrival but life played a fast one on us. Unforseen bills upon bills started popping up and it was really overwhelming but we scaled through that trying time like it was nothing with the help of two great friends To th...

Angelica Bengtsson, A Swedish track and field athlete who specializes in pole vault She is a two time gold medalist. One at the 2009 World Youth Championship and the other in 2010 World Junior Championship in Athletics In a competition where she was attempting to clear the national record, Pole in hand she took off  And just when she tried to jump,  Disaster struck as her pole broke This was nothing short of every pole vaulter's worst nightmare It was supposed to be her last attempt One could only imagine the choatic emotions playing through her mind Broken pole Possible bodily injury Failed attempts.... Thankfully she was not injured and was given the chance to another attempt immediately She quickly borrowed a fellow competitor's pole and despite the fear, heightened expectations and the piercing gaze of thousands of faces she scaled through and made the jump She broke the Swedish pole vault record So your last attempt ended in a mudsliding flop and for that you...

After running round the room trying to dress D, I left the battle to the gods This little toddler didn't understand that his mom was light years older than he was and as such didn't have his hyper-active kind of energy He wanted me to expend the little energy I had just because he wanted wearing a different shirt from the one I chose for him I concentrated on getting his sister and myself dressed before going back for him and the merry go round began again Finally caught him and as I proceeded to get him dressed Next thing I heard was 'super gekko muscle' Ehhhhhhhhh, you say? As the little man wrestled and got away from me he screamed  'super cat speed!!!' Racing from the room to the parlour Next he was shouting 'super owl wing' when I caught him At this point I couldn't contain the laughter that had built up and so I erupted in crazy laughing  Seeing that all his super powers did next to nothing for him he resorted to screaming the names...

Mama joy stop was a very popular name around the university, she got dubed that name and rightly so because a stop at hers always brought joy to the stomach of students Mama joy stop sold fried yam and akara with pepper sauce beside the university gate so there was no way one would miss her It was Melvin's last week at his place of service. He was dedicated, cheerful and barely left a place without everyone around him smiling. 'Mummy, I was told they don't retain corpers so I'll go around to submit my CV from next week then return home next month' he said on the phone Jason couldn't help but overhear the phone conversation as he walked into his office. The Corpers were rounding off their service that week so he came into the office for the first time in almost a year, to bid them farewell Melvin ended his call and just turned around when Jason saw him and called his attention and as fate would have it, upon enquiry Melvin turned out to be the son of ...

I stared at the kettle Willing the water to boil quickly This was going to be my third try And I hoped I'd be done with this little business before hubby would notice Some things in this life can ultimately embarrass you Very little things at that Anyone who knows me can testify that I'm a good cook but you see this thing called pap, hmmmmmm As I poured in the hot water and stirred the pap didn't even bother acknowledging my efforts, it simply went from a little stream to a big river Three attempts and I got the same river of Babylon This pap did not only disgrace me, it used my good cook title to mop the floor and threw it out the window I was about turning it into the sink like the others when I turned to see hubby watching me Oh nooooooo After I had bragged? This thing is no respecter of perso n, title, colour or achievement in life Hubby quietly walked past me into the kitchen and in five minutes a perfectly made pap was sitting on the kitchen counter What i...

By  Anonymous W. It began like every normal day, I was at work when I got a call from one of my neighbours asking if I was home and how things were and telling me that some “MEN” took off from our junction to burn down some police stations in town. Well, I started calling my wife for over a thousand times and she didn’t pick my calls. That was when the adrenaline rush began.I ran into my car and sped off with only one destination on my mind – Home. I really cant imagine what was going on in my mind as I drove home  even though at the back of my mind  I had this knowing which I really cant explain that all was well, but then the humanity and frail side which always wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt had set my mind on autopilot. Driving past the only way that led to my house, I saw police barricade and quickly drove past them before they’d completely cordon off the area. I saw people motioning me to leave the road and park at one side but I didn’t even h...

Nooooooo Their voices pierced the air Screams, sweat, tears  Under the night's cloak The bullets rained free Straight to the hearts of the youths Before their voices could be heard Don't let me die they cried in their final moments Please don't let me die As Nigeria fed on her blood Twelve months past The mystery still remains unsolved Who gave the orders? The crown denies it The guns are lip sealed Others pretend about it Yet the blood curling screams of the heros past can still be heard As the youths sing again today By the Babylon of Lekki Tollgate  Her prayer remains the same until salvation comes #Endsars #Endpolicebrutality #Reformthegovernment #GiveNigerianyouthsachance           ' The labour of our heros past                  Shall never be in vain' 20/10/2020 WE WILL NOT FORGET

Dear Lord, how are we ever going to make it through this period? I thought as I tried to keep the tears at bay It was indeed a financially challenging time, we were down to the last of our son's cereal, milk and diaper, Not to mention,we  had spent all we had with no hopes from anywhere whatsoever So when hubby told me about the cash gift he got at work that day My eyes lit up like Christmas lights Until he told me he rejected the gift 'Why?' I asked 'Because the gift was for me to alter some results and give a false report'  And for the first time I could see the tears in his eyes as I starred at him 'Sweetness, I thought of our baby's needs, I thought of you as well and I was almost tempted to take it but my principles won't let me' he said One of the many things that got me attracted to hubby was his integrity, principles and discipline So it didn't come as a surprise when he said he rejected the cash  Ohhhhh but my mind imagined all the money...

I'm not happy at all oh Na bad thing to be elder sister? So me that bought the gown I don't know the function? It's Monday morning I woke up with the joy of the Lord Sang my way through the bathroom and make up Only the get to the wardrobe and I couldn't find my new gown I raced to where my phone was and dialed her number No wonder she came visiting and was in a mighty hurry to leave Baba God  In this perilous times, your daughter saved up some cash after denying herself a few pleasures just to buy this gown and the lady you sent to me in the guise of a younger sister kidnapped the dress My Lord the most painful part is that I wanted to launch that dress today, I even took time to do a good make up Now she's not picking her call Why me Lord!!! I beg you for sister? I beg you? Father, you sure say dem no change my real real sister for hospital when my Mama born? Just because of her small handbag I said let me use  God you know I was helping her so that th...

I've been trying to write my lines To create my pathway in life's shine To let the world see the fire in my flight Not really about the rhymes nor to make empty chimes But to fill my place in life's call The woman in me at my heart she does tug Like claws her nails dig deep into my soul As she commands my passions to cry out And so like an echo I have begun Not as you may know it Cos am turning it up and inside out Yes turn on the lights and hand me the mic Little by little am gonna pave my way to sunshine I see the clouds gather in applaud to my  stand Just as the raindrops of light bath me with vibes as I take to the podium of life And when the voices of my passions and dreams like a ripple does knock at your heart I know I'll be seeing you smiling as your words cheer me on to the light.

Juliana cried herself to sleep After all the time spent researching and studying, with every other preparation in between, she lost the contract This was supposed to be 'the one' Raymond couldn't believe his luck Things just weren't going as he had planned His neighbour Chuks just opened his fourth store while he was struggling to open his second Another promotion and Mercy wasn't promoted 'Babe see all my mates na, dey don dust me by far' she complained to friends If life dealt with us based on where we feel our mates are, then we surely would be lost Some of our mates are dead Some in the hospital Some haven't had a reason to smile all year Others have no inclination of what to do with their lives Ohhh yesssss, some others have been pretty successful But then take a look at your life Where you started and where you are today You may not have achieved all you set out to do but you're not where you used to be Your today is someone's p...

See ehhhh Call me anything you like but this life? I musto enjoy am Story! Story!! One week after wedding You know how you'll be glowing and feeling like one kind brand new Corolla That was me oh Love no allow me see road that time So in the spirit of honeymoon Hubby took me for a little chopping and flexing in Enugu Why are you looking at me somehow? It's not like my Daddy did not take us out when we were kids It's just that as umu pastor, we spent 99% of the time dealing with devil The other 1% was for house chores and being obedient children So when I finally got married to hubby I needed to catch up on all the merriments of life Brethren that was how we landed at SHOPRITE Somebody say glory!!! As we drove in kpammmmm Your dear Chi-Baby sighted Ferris wheel Heyyyy my God That thing we see on TV! I flew there Batted my eyelids and hubby paid for our ride Next thing I know wicked operator don suspend us for air I knew it!  From the way that guy was looking at u...

Dear Daddy, I hope some day I'd make you proud That the mere mention of my name would bring you smiles Dear Mummy, I saw you stay awake in thoughts The precious jewelries and expensive clothes you parted with for a paltry sum just to make sure you gave me your best Dear Daddy I've grown from that little girl to a woman And from a woman I'm daily striving to be that epitome of goodness, a standard and an embodiment of generational impact Just like you taught and raised me to be I saw all your sacrifices I see all that you still do When you traded the trendy To gift my siblings and i a better chance at life Your mid-night prayers Your wise words of counsel Your endless cheer and support I'd always cherish I promise to give you all of the grand lifestyle and a thousand times more For all your labour will not be in vain Sweet Daddy and Mummy Today may not seem to be the day But in just a little while Your tears of yesterday would be forgotten  Cos we I'll su...

There's this trend going around I saw another lady post hers Kai everybody's getting it Chi-Baby no escort other people come life to dey count their enjoyment na Sharp sharp Operation on- point strategy They say the way to a man's heart is through good food Some say it's the acrobatics of za oza room Well for this big move I combined both Pimmmm pimmmmm Hubby was back Heyyyy Baby girl gonna gerit tonight I had put the kids to bed early Made his favourite dish and it was hot and waiting Scented candles everywhere Love was in the air my brethren I knew I had him on lock down Ran him a hot bath Sumptuous meal, check Good girl behaviour, check Hubby was drifting to sleep after we did the opa Gangnam style Perfect timing So in the sweetest of voices I said 'Baby, everybody's getting a push gift but see me na after two kids, I want Range Rover.....,' 'Ehen' he replied I tap him  'Is that all you have to say?' I asked 'Yes na, Babe l...

'Daddy I want to run for Hostel Governor' I said 'Hmmmmm, that's nice, but why not run as SUG President?' he replied Ahhhhhhhh That was me as a 200 level law student who felt I was already achieving a mighty feat seeing that the position for Hostel Governor had always been occupied by final year students And my Dad was asking me to run for SUG? I was privileged to be raised by a father who always taught me to aim for the highest and the best. 'If others can get it then you equally deserve it and if no one has done it, even better, because you become the pacesetter' he'd say I thought he'd be wowed but he challenged me to go further Your limitations lie only in your mind You are your biggest propelling force or your biggest obstacle If your mind can conceive it, then it's very possible  Ohhhh what if I don't hit my target? You'd have left the chicks on the ground and would be soaring high with the eagles Challenge your mind tod...

Chioma!!! Mama Peter called again 'Ma' I answered as I ran to her 'Abeg help me put this kunu for my head' she said Mama Peter was our neighbour years back Her husband was retired and had no other business so he basically sat at home always while his wife made puff-puff and kunu which she hawked around Mama Peter had 11 children in all By the 9th one we couldn't understand why she kept giving birth Until I overheard her telling my mum one day 'My husband say him must get man pikin wey go take after him, so na boy we dey find, abeg put me for your prayers oh' she said They eventually had a boy as the 11th child but Peter grew up to become the neighbourhood terror Ohhhhh how we wished him away several times Papa Peter just wanted a son and cared nothing about how the kids were brought up Every financial burden rested squarely on his wife Many years later in his old and weak state, it was his daughters who catered and cared for him. Today, the world...

Damian was a very dedicated and diligent staff. He was never found wanting with regards to discharging his duty and always met his deadline. No wonder he won the staff of the year awards. One day, he slumped and was pronounced dead on arrival when he was brought to the hospital. Two weeks later his positioned was advertised and by the third week a his replacement was on seat. Chrislia, a well know seamstress, had gained the reputation for never disappointing her customers. Come rain or sunshine she delivered She saw vacation as a waste of productive time Her mantra was 'Na only dead body dey rest' Hence, you'd only find her absent if and only if she was critically ill She was very passionate and dedicated to her job Until one rainy August day she began to bleed Three days later she was wheeled out of the hospital wearing the heavy cloak of sadness and pain She had lost her three months old pregnancy There's no reason for you to become  part of the statistics...

'So this is the house they are living in?'  Lady A whispered And everyone giggled  'Shhhhhh abeg she dey come' You see, we got married and lived in a one room apartment till we had our first baby And as is socially customary, we had some well wishers who came visiting I stood transfixed to the spot as I heard those words The tray of refreshments I was carrying suddenly felt like a bag of cement Ohhhh how those words hurt but then I shrugged it off Few months later it was like a dream when we moved into our own beautiful home. The societal expectation was for us to have been living in probably a three or four bedroom apartment but we knew we couldn't afford that How would we have been able to maintain the lifestyle given our income? So we chose to stay put and focus rather on building our own house which we already started unbeknownst to anyone Guess what? Irrespective of the many rooms in the house, we and the kids still love to share a room every night ...

Susan watched as her world crashed right before her eyes. It was no one but her supposed friend Jules with whom she shared all her juicy relationship tales, in bed with her fiance.  Ted couldn't believe it, after he threw the party with his friends in celebration last week the clients call now to cancel on the contract? A contract that very well could be termed sealed in every sense of the word? Davido's FEM comes to mind        E be like you don dey talk too much        Small talk, you don dey talk who talk        Fem       Oboy, you don dey do too much       Small talk, you don dey look who talk        Fem What makes you think everyone would be happy to hear your big news? Some persons around are just there to watch your every move Some, ministers for information Them say na rat wey dey inside dey tell the one outside say food dey house. Food never don ev...

Too many tubes were connected it looked like a mind boggling web with Jenny in the middle lying on the hospital bed A single tear rolled down her face as she said 'Mummy please pray for me I'm tired and I'm loosing my mind I never in my wildest dreams envisaged that my life would turn out this way I'm truly truly tired' My mum and I listened as she poured out her heart in nothing short of painful pictures It would be a disservice to Jenny if she were to be described with words She was indeed beautiful through and through With such a magnetic personality and charisma As the first daughter the pressure began to mount when she clocked 28years and by the time she clocked 30 years, she was ready to say the solemn vows to any man Three months into her relationship with Kendrick she knew he wasn't the man she wanted but she chose to go ahead when he proposed. At least she'd shut people up from asking endless questions and give her parents the bragging r...

'Die die in the name of Jesus Give me broom, give me... Hurry up.. You can't escape me This is your end....' That definitely was my mum chasing mosquitoes We grew accustomed to her wails and screaming Her prayer power, second to none All the window nets in our house attested to how deadly her punches were as they all had holes to show for it If you missed her punch you surely wouldn't be missing the gallons of the blood of Jesus littered everywhere. My super Mama has been waging war since time immemorial against all insects or pests Whatever made anyone find their way into our house was quite a pity because coming across her was tantamount to untimely death. I just couldn't understand it Woman of God had broken glasses, windows, nets, chairs, destroyed our brooms, torn too many books, all in a bid to probably catch one mosquito. Why not just spray insecticide Mummy? Really couldn't understand it I was drifting away,  A hair's breath from heaven...

Hubby drives home from work I run out as the loving wife material that I am and throw my hands around his neck and kiss him.😋 Me: Baby welcome    How was work today? Hubby: Was good. Lots of files to treat... Cut him off Me: Baby where's the bounty? Hubby: which bounty? Me:  (feign surprise)       I told you I wanted chocolate na, and you promised to buy it on your way back. Abeg hurry before the kids hear you. (Pretending to be angry? Hubby: Hahahaha ohhh ok,           My drama Queen is at it again?          My Dear that pattern don clear         Go and tell Baba, the format don cast         It's not working again. Try harder next          time. My thoughts: So this Igbo man has finally caught on to me? Let me try another strategy. I employ a meek disposition and wear my cutest puppy face Me:  But Baby Hubby: Madam abeg ...

                                             By                                                                 Anonymous.              "She is still a virgin, her hymen is still fully intact” my colleague reported Impossible!” I replied  “From her family history I took, she said she has been married for four years” I received the rude shock of my life that fateful day. So I had just started work recently in the Federal Medical Centre when this couple waltzed into my office, with the husband wearing an expression like a lamb who was being led to the slaughter. The couple were sexually active but after 4 years without a child, they decided to visit the hospital....

FIL:You mean your father is......? Me: Yes Sir FIL: This indeed is a small world. I know your Dad from years ago when he was still a single young man, till he got married. He's one of the few genuine people I know. He's really a great man........  Give me his number, I'm calling him immediately. I was meeting my father-in-law for the first time and that was it. I was practically accepted as part of the family without the drilling and grilling we are culturally accustomed to. Long story short, three weeks after, hubby and I were traditionally married. A good name is said to be better than silver and gold and my Dad's name and good legacies worked here for me. Growing up, my Dad taught my siblings and I that there were things much more valuable than physical cash. From a sound character, to a good name, to having principles and integrity, to being tolerate, patient, loveable and open minded, having empathy, contentment, respectful, teachable, kind, forgiving, ...

Growing up in a Pastor's house was a shade of different emotions and experiences from happy to indifferent, sad times and mad fun. There was never a dull moment in the house because we had lots of people living with us, so like a beehive, something was always happening. Aunty Judy was one of those who lived with us for the period of her internship program. A young and assertive lady, her shakara level was first class, so was her wickedness. She always woke everyone up in the wee hours of the morning with loud screams of prayers of maiming and killing the devil in unimaginable ways. Aunty Judy was all nice and lovey dovey whenever our parents were home but once they turned their backs she'd always send my siblings and I to meaningless errands, gave orders you couldn't counter, the most painful part was how she'd always cut our ration of meat or fish. Who would we report to except the Almighty God? We took her matter up in prayers that God would help us punish...

                                                    By                                           Inspired Cecee Growing up, I hated going to school or maybe hate is too strong a word, so let us just say I did not look forward to going to school. But there is a little twist here; I did not look forward to going to school but I did not want to be home either. The reason is that I was a very playful boy, so I wanted to always be in the company of my friends and classmates who doubled as my playmates. This meant that a part of me looked forward to being in school while a part of me just could not wait to get out of there. LOL.  Being that I did not enjoy school but the thing I enjoyed doing most (playing) and those I enjoyed doing it with most...

Happy Independence day!!! Birds chirping in the woods Balloons in the air We hear another presidential speech The national colours fly high But the inhabitants of the nation bow their heads Independence from what? From glory to glory is the prayer we know But our reality is beyond the description of retrogress  Independence from what? Another community slain and displaced Kidnapping, banditry, cultism, police brutality, Increase in unemployment, daily skyrocketting of the price of food, little or no basic amenities  Independence of the judiciary or legislatures? No accountability of government Incessant foreign loans Migration of our youths and intellectuals abroad Tribalism, nepotism, religious wars We prayed We sang We protested And they killed us Today we pray again and we shall once again rise to protest evil until it's chains be broken Oh God of creation Direct our nobel cause Guide our leaders right Help our youth the truth to know In love and honesty to grow...