ShortStory I Life's Intrigues

LIFE’S INTRIGUES

       Chukwudi, ‘Chuks’ as he was fondly called, just stepped out from his lodge – cutely dressed – and headed for his lecture class with a notebook in his right-hand. He was conspicuously handsome, thus his black jean trousers, multi-coloured polo, transparent spectacles coupled with black sandals were to match. His average height, plump stature, and chocolate skin-colour seemed not unlike what the day needed to glow. He was to cover a trek-able distance, hence, he began to walk majestically towards his destination as if he was one of the lecturers in the university.

       He had barely covered a few metres when he caught the sight of a pretty-looking damsel who was walking just a few centimeters ahead of him. He hastily doubled up his steps to meet up with her. “Hi dear!” he exclaimed as he walked alongside the supposed recipient of the greeting.

       She snubbed him, kept walking, and never minded to even look at the stranger.

       “Just a smile from this angelic face would be enough for me for the day.” He teased as he tried to maintain the same altitude with her.

       The statement apparently caught her attention, thus she stylishly glanced at him and smiled subconsciously. No doubt, aside the gentleman’s pleasing words, his elegant outlook arrested her emotions.

       “That is exactly what I needed.” He applauded cheerily.

        There were several passersby, mainly comprising their fellow students, yet he wasn’t deterred nor overwhelmed.

        “I am Chukwudi,” he informed. “Chuks, they call me.” He added, paused. “Hope, you have a name?’

         She smiled again. “Damilola.” She eventually said.

        “Yoruba, right?”

         She nodded.

        “I must confess, your dress is so marvelous.” He flattered.

         She put on a pink gown spotted with black, weavon and black sandals. Her pink-coloured handbag that contains her notebook was to match.

        “Thank you.” She responded.

        “Honestly, it corresponds with your unhidden beauty.” He added in a jiffy.

        She was fair, slim and about 5.4-foot tall. Her complexion was so glittery.

        “Stop the flattery, please.”

        “Flattery..?”

        “Of course.”

        “You are getting me totally wrong.”

        “How?”

        “You don’t know how beautiful you are.” quoth Chukwudi. “Maybe someone was yet to tell you.”

        “Please, save the sermon.” She enjoined. “I am late to class; my lecture begins by eight.”

         It was 7:56am at the dot, and they were already on the campus.

        “So, are we seeing next time?’ he humbly enquired.

        “I don’t know.” She replied in false pretence.

        “Besides, what’s your department?’ He said.

        “Mass Comm.” She responded referring to ‘Mass Communication’.

        “Wow, good one.” He appraised. “Level?” he added.

        “100.”

        “I can see, you are new here.”

          She smiled. “Yes I am.” she concurred.

          It was first semester, meaning she hadn’t even written any examination in the university.

        “And you?” she managed to inquire.

        “Economics.” He replied. “400 Level.” He supplemented quickly.

        “Oh my God!” she exclaimed as she was struck by the information. “So, you are almost through?”

        “By God’s grace.”

        “I wish I am in your shoes.” She confessed.

        “But you will soon get there.” He said, as they suddenly applied brake to the motion. “So, you don’t need to rush.”

        The nugget of wisdom took her to a sober mood. “Yea, by His grace.” she appreciated.

      “Let me not take your time.” quoth Chukwudi. “Please, run up to your class, okay?”

      “Thank you.” She said, and turned.

      “Excuse me, dear.” He called as she was about taking her leave.

      “Your number, please.” He asked stretching out his cell phone towards her.

        She equally understood that phone numbers were yet to be exchanged and felt like reminding him, but there was no way she could thwart life’s extant principles. Hence, she was so pleased that he later recalled the ostensibly expensive omission.

        She calmly collected the handset, hastily typed her number and returned the gadget.

       “Thank you.” he said as he received the phone. “Let me flash you right way.”

        Before he could utter the second sentence, she already felt like asking him to flash the number.

        Therein, her handset rang in the handbag. “I got it.” She said as she attempted to step out.

        “Alright.” quoth the lover boy. “Please, save it.” He enjoined.

        “No wahala.” She replied, turned and walked away.

        “Pretty indeed.” He enthused as he watched her depart.

         When he got to his department that fateful morning, he couldn’t concentrate. All he could think was when next to meet her again. All the lectures he received on that day weren’t properly absorbed unlike him, owing to the thoughtful mood he abruptly found his person. Notwithstanding, he had to hold himself till the next sunny day which would surely come to past considering how the first sunny day ended.

         Damilola, on her part, was equally emotionally unstable. Her mind kept fixed on his face in absentia. She was foreseeing that having Chukwudi in her life would help to upgrade her social and academic stance in the highly revered University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she secured admission barely two months back. Apparently, she needed a close company, and to her, the dude in question wouldn’t only serve as such but a guardian. In other words, coming across him was seemingly divine.

       What transpired afterwards ought to be a narration for a different episode, thus stay tuned.

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Opinion I How Not To Love Nigeria

HOW NOT TO LOVE NIGERIA

       

The last time I checked, countless Nigerians claimed to be patriotic citizens. But when closely examined, you would observe that they actually meant something contrary. Sure, anyone can put up a claim as it pleases him or her, but representing the true meaning of the claim is a totally different ballgame.

        

In life, there are two major phenomenon you must not take for granted; when you are truly in love, and when someone really loves you. You are bound to understand when your heart is wholly and sincerely attracted to a colleague, relative, associate, friend, or what have you. On the other hand, you are required, at all times, to be aware of when someone cares about your happiness. If you take any of these factors for granted, you may live to regret it.

        

The truth is, life is controlled or governed by a four-letter word known as ‘Love’. This is why the Holy writ stipulates that it (love) is the rudiment of every commandment provided by the Creator; because if you really love someone or vice-versa, any rule binding the relationship can easily be adhered to with ease. If you love someone with your whole heart, you can sacrifice anything whatsoever towards ensuring that he/she does not lack happiness regardless of the circumstance.

          

Same is applicable to a pet in your household. If you love your pet passionately, you can do anything to keep it alive. A society isn’t left out when discussing love; if you care about the wellbeing of a society you belong to, you would never attempt to indulge in any act that would be to the detriment of the happiness of the society in question. Let’s get it straight; if you are a citizen of any country, and you are of the view that you love the country, you would always do things that would contribute to the country’s welfare.

         

At the moment in Nigeria – particularly in the socio-political domain – several citizens tend to showcase a façade that they truly care about the country, unknowingly to their followers or the onlookers that they are only interested in personal aggrandizement. For instance, if Mr. President erroneously implements a policy, rather than criticizing constructively, they would prefer to display an action that would end up causing more harm to the polity. If you candidly love a country, you would always think of the effect of your proposed criticism to the country before tendering it.

         

First, we need to acknowledge that there are some basic recipes that are expected to accompany any criticism. When you criticize, courtesy demands that you proffer a remedy to what is being criticized. The primary aim of every genuine criticism ought to be to address any presumed anomaly. So, if your interest truly lies on the wellbeing of the country, you would invariably focus on how to make amends, or the way forward, instead of constituting more troubles. When you criticize, endeavour to concentrate on the lapse, and not on the personality of the initiator of the policy/process being criticized.

         

A true lover of any country should be concerned on the uplift of the country, and not the other way round. In politics, the reverse is often the case; people claim to love the country but mean otherwise. If you are a leader of a country and its development matters much to your person, you would willingly wish to carryout projects as well as initiate policies that would see to the betterment of the state, and so does a good follower.

         

A good and genuine follower or stakeholder, as might be the case, is always interested in way forward at all cost; he is tirelessly involved in issues of general interest rather than personal; he is invariably ready to sacrifice something toward ensuring that the concerned society becomes a better place to live; he’s prepared at all times to compromise some attitudes for the sole interest of the society; above all, he always think of other members of the society in all his actions as well as concerned about what their reactions would be as regards any criticism he intends to come up with.

         

The bone of contention is that, Nigeria isn’t interested in those who claim to love her; but those who genuinely strive relentlessly to ensure that her wellbeing is not tampered. Nigeria is only pleased with Nigerians who experience sleepless nights while thinking of how to help the government usher in sound governance; she is interested in seeing people who wish to ‘die’ for her good.

        

To this end, it’s needless to reiterate that anyone who keenly loves his/her country must be involved in activities that would assist the government to succeed. Indulging yourself in actions or causes that are aimed at generating societal upheaval is obviously how not to love a country, and Nigeria is not exceptional. Think about it!

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Opinion I 2017 Int'l Women's Day

PROMOTING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN NATION-BUILDING AS THE 2017 INT’L WOMEN’S DAY IS MARKED ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 8

           

Wednesday 8^th March, the world over celebrates the International Women’s Day. The day, which was endorsed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities as well as to conscientize others to participate actively in every lucrative societal activity within their reach. 

           

No society in existence can be said to be complete if a woman is yet to be found in it, regardless of its nature or size. We can testify to this assertion by considering how a woman came into the world. Having created man, God thought it wise to form a woman from the rib of a man; this was so because the Creator realized of what benefit a woman would be to a man in any society/arena he might find himself.

          

For instance, a family, which remains the smallest society on earth, can never strive if a woman is missing. Realistically, a family cannot be formed in the first place if a woman is nowhere to be found. And having formed a family with the help of a woman, if she eventually dies, the affected family would live to suffer the vacuum created by her eternal demise.

          

This implies that psychologically, no widower can boast of being a happy man, especially in a situation where his late wife had children. Sometimes, even when the man had eventually settled down with another woman, he shall remain in a seeming endless emotional trauma provided the late wife left some indelible footprints behind.

           

The womenfolk, ab initio, has been considered to constitute the integral part of the wider society. It is obvious that a social gathering or union cannot achieve an effective and efficient goal if the women are not carried along. It might sound a bit controversial or vague but the truth remains that nature had ordained a woman to be the most attractive being in any society she happens to be part of. This is why a woman’s presence appears to possess a natural tendency of arresting the heart of a man irrespective of what the man in question is made up of.

         

The political terrain is not left out. Any man occupying a political position would boldly testify to the fact that his beloved wife is the reason he is striving assiduously and successfully. It suffices to say that, a woman is indeed in charge of any leadership position even when her impact is ostensibly invisible. The   advisory role, both morally and otherwise, a woman plays in the life of a political office holder who happens to be her spouse supersedes whatever advice or counsel he receives from his employees/appointees, friends, or well-wishers, as the case may be.

          

Considering the church, which remains one of the oldest societies across the globe, it’s needless to reiterate that its sustainability from the outset has been possible owing to the effort of the womenfolk. A woman has been proven beyond doubts to be more religious than a man; this is the reason she remains the engine room towards the uplift of the children’s spiritual lives. And, a person or family whose spiritual life is porous is apparently living like a tree without a root, thus could be blown away by the wind at any time.

          

Indeed, the role of a woman both in her immediate and wider society cannot be overemphasized. From the above instances, it can be deduced that without a woman our children cannot be properly raised, be it morally, academically, and religiously, among others. Similarly, without a woman, a man’s social, political as well as emotional life shall remain incomplete.

          

But, it is noteworthy that it is only a virtuous woman that can impart positively on her family or any society she belongs. Needless to say; it takes a virtuous woman or one with an acceptable lifestyle to bring the desired change in any society. A virtuous woman, in a nutshell, is that woman who is morally correct; that woman who possesses an acceptable lifestyle; that woman whose interior idiosyncrasies are welcoming or near-perfect. To say the least, a woman’s lifestyle can be said to be acceptable if she is responsible and responsive; above all, god-fearing. This implies that women are expected to distinguish themselves wherever they find themselves with a view to contributing effectively in nation building.

           

Hence, as the global community celebrates the International Women’s Day, we are required at all times to contribute our individual/collective efforts toward the promotion of the womenfolk in our respective communities or societies, as well as preach against any form of violence against them. Most importantly, the parents/guardians ought to note that a well-trained girl-child has the tendency of attracting the world to her person. Think about it!

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