Category: Creative Writing
Embracing Divine Destiny on an Unplanned Path
Life has a curious way of setting us on unexpected journeys, often leading us to embrace a divine destiny we never anticipated. My path took an unforeseen turn on a seemingly ordinary day at a bustling Nigerian bus park. As I stood at the ticket counter, my diminutive frame dwarfed by the imposing presence of…
The Day I Lost My Dad
I lost my dad! It was strange not to have been woken up by my dad’s honk. Whenever I slept off without seeing him, I was rest assured when he arrived, he would come to my room to give me pecks that I wholeheartedly adored. But that night, what woke me up was the choking…
A Young Mother’s Heartbreaking Journey to Truth
Falling in love with a soldier makes you a fool, or so they say. As a young mother, I learned this truth the hard way. The day I said yes to Ikem, I knew I had just said yes to life on the battlefield, and the life that followed only confirmed it. Everything felt different…
How One Girl Faced Her Family’s Dark Legacy
I thought of sheol, hades, and death as my grandfather’s hands moved in circular motions on Órogun, his chi and our family’s deity. As a young girl, I watched these rituals with fear, not yet understanding the weight they would place on my future. My grandfather touched the calabash just at the feet of the…
God’s Loudest Scream Came in a Silent Dream
I dreamt of Hajara. She wasn’t pregnant, even in my dream, and she made sure I saw her new engagement ring. She was getting married to another man. I also saw mangoes; the last thing I remembered before waking up was trying to pluck them, succeeding only when I used a plastic bottle with a…
Friendship Lost and Lessons Learned Too Late
Clutching my bouquet of roses with trembling fingers, I stood at the edge of Ozoemena’s grave, hemmed in by a sea of mourners. Familiar faces of coursemates blurred with strangers, all united in grief for a man whose friendship I had carelessly overlooked. The weight of the flowers in my hands felt like a mockery…
When Born Again Beliefs Collide With Mental Health Issues
As a counselling psychologist, I’ve learned to read between the lines, to hear the unspoken in a trembling voice or a hesitant pause. Yet, the complexity of faith-based denial especially from those who claim they are born again never ceases to amaze me. I’ve witnessed countless struggles but nothing could have prepared me for the…
How Love Turn
I still get this question to date, “How did I fall in love?” I still remember the day I met Matthew like it was yesterday. I was unpacking boxes in my new apartment, trying to make sense of the chaos around me. The doorbell rang, and I wiped the sweat from my forehead before making…
Religion Creates no Boundaries in Love
Everything’s fair in love… and religion. I uncannily discovered this, or dare I say, through the unexpected love story that I witnessed. It was a lesson that unfolded before my young eyes, challenging the beliefs I had been raised with and opening my mind to the unpredictable nature of love. It was about Aunty Zino.…
Goodbye, Afolabi
I still remember the day I met my husband, Afolabi. He was charming, handsome, and had a way of making me feel like I was the only person in the world. We fell deeply in love, and I thought our relationship was perfect. But little did I know, his mother, Barbara, (she preferred we called…
