29 Things That Make Me Happy: Writing A New Short Story!

Day 26...

Thought Relieving Stories

So that's a bit of a weird thing to make me happy but basically what I actually mean is that some nights when I can't sleep and my brain refuses to shut down because I'm an over analyser and I over think even the most minute details of life,  I write a super short story to just get all the thoughts out. Writing has always been an excellent form of relief for me and those sleepless nights are definitely no different.

The most recent one was me thinking about all the weddings I had been to recently, my friend's sister's one "All Shades of Pink" and my cousins one, "Engagement Tales and Wedding Bells". I'm always wondering what' going through the bride and groom's heads as they repeat their wedding vows at the altar and so I wrote something based on this. I literally wrote this in about 30 minutes so I know it's not the best work ever but I hope you enjoy it for what it is. I've called it "Wedding Bells"

This picture is by British fashion illustrator Hayden Williams from his Bridal Couture 2014 collection. He has actually been a source of inspiration for another of my short stories. I really love the simplicity and elegance of the dress.

She stood at the doors of the cathedral, her white dress perfectly fitted to flatter her every curve and conceal her every imperfection. She could hear the sound of the organ playing the wedding march, a tune she had hummed in her head over a million times before today, counting her steps to make sure she and her father reached the altar just in time for the grand finale of the tune. The doors were flung wide open and the room fell silent, all eyes in the room were fixed on her and her alone, she could feel her body jitter with every step and she leaned on her dad for support. Right at the end of the long aisle, beautifully decorated with white roses and petals, was the love of her life, her one and only Jimi. From where she stood she could see his chest heaving ever so slightly under his shiny black tuxedo, he was trying to calm his breathing and when she finally got to the altar, she imitated the rise and fall of his chest, breath for breath, heart for heart, life for life.

A lot of what the priest was saying was going over Sade’s head, she just really wanted to be declared the wife of this her perfect man and finally be known as Mrs Odusote. So when finally it got to the exchange of vows, she found her mind unusually cluttered as Jimi began to recite the traditional vows after the priest. She closed her eyes and tried to allow herself to truly exist in this moment.

“With this ring, I thee wed…”

She thought of all the times that she had thought Jimi was going to propose to her. They had been dating for 10 years and so many surprise dinners and unsuspected gestures of romance had turned out to be mini disappointments for Sade. With each disappointment she resolved in her mind that the next one would be the last and then she would have to ask him plainly. The worst one was at a hastily thrown together surprise party for her mum’s 53^rd birthday, her whole family was acting so suspicious that she was sure that would be the day. It turned out that instead her younger brother didn’t know how to tell the family he was leaving Lagos permanently for work and he and Jimi had orchestrated dinner as a way to break the news. When the proposal finally came though, she hadn’t suspected it at all. She was lying in bed one Sunday afternoon when Jimi appeared at her home and started babbling on about love and patience and taking your time to do things the best way possible. It wasn’t until his voice gave him away, revealing a bit too much emotion and she looked into his tear filled brown eyes that she realised exactly what was happening. He got down on both knees and presented the most beautiful canary yellow diamond ring with an engraving of their initials on the inside of the band and she said “Yes!”

“…With my body, I thee honour…”

Sex before marriage, infidelity and even abortion, the body was something that they both never gave much importance to. Sade hadn’t meant to cheat on him that night but they were on one of their breaks and she thought she needed the confidence boost from being able to successfully flirt with another man after 6 years of a relationship. She didn’t think it would lead to anything until she felt his lips on hers and her resolve too weak to stop him. She carried the kiss like a black cloud over her head for months before finally telling Jimi about it. His forgiveness had not come easy and it was only on the intervention of her best friend that he even decided to listen to her story. Jimi was not free of all blame though and every time she thinks of the abortion she never wanted of the child he wasn’t ready for, she cannot help but feel a little betrayed and so she pushes the thought out of her mind. This is their happy day and they had both gone through the necessary absolution and paid penance for their sins.

“…And all my wordly goods with thee I share…”

Forget about the wordly goods, to Sade there was nothing in this world that could ever come close to the feelings of love, companionship, freedom and clarity that she felt with Jimi. As a man he was imperfect as all human beings were but as her partner, he was the best version of himself and she of herself. At the end of the day it was never the possession of wordly goods that mattered, she felt extremely lucky to be with him and knew he felt the same about her. The fact that her father-in-law had a nice little apartment with their names on it surely helped matters though.

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son and and of the Holy Spirit…”

Even through their dark days and stormy nights, when the rains never seemed to desist, they held on tightly to each other and in the later years to God. Through falling in love with each other, they had both realised the need to fall in love with God first, to live a life mimicking that of Jesus. To be fully reliant on the Holy Spirit to guide them and order their footsteps. They became one with God and now on this day the 12^th of September 2014, they will become one in front of God.

“Amen.”

She opened her eyes against the tears that were threatening to fall and ruin her make-up before the photos and blinked frantically. It has finally happened, they were now officially Mr and Mrs. and even though she didn’t make it down the altar according to her precise counts, it didn’t matter because Jimi was finally all hers. Through the ups and downs, the highs and the lows. She was his and he was hers.

Scent Stories: Coco Mademoiselle

She tiptoed quietly into the room in her pale pink dressing gown, the morning sun streaming in from the window and caressing her skin. She sat at her dressing table and perused it, wondering what jewellery to wear and which powder to apply to her nose. She crosses her legs, then uncrosses then recrosses. She's slightly anxious, it's her fiance's surprise party and everything needs to be perfect. The caterers have arrived and the decorations have been done, the live band and the DJ are setting up. She's always had a flair for throwing exceptional parties and this one was to be no exception. She opts for her pearls and slips into her white slip dress and white louboutins, a slightly sexier version of what she's imagined of herself as a bride.

She went down to the living room to do her final checks as she awaited the 20 invited guests, a glass of rose in her hand to calm her nerves. It felt like their wedding day all over again. The food was laid out, the candles were lit to give a romantic feel and the doorbell buzzes announcing the arrival of her first guests. They are greeted at the door with bellinis by cocktail waiters and ooh and aah at what she's done with the place while she fusses over them and makes them feel welcome. It's 7.20 now, 10 minutes before her husband is due home, all the guests have arrived, thank goodness. He thinks he's coming to pick her up for dinner at a nearby restaurant, little does he know. She hears his horn and compels all the guests to be still and silent as she hurries outside to meet him. "Mademoiselle" he calls to her, as he's always done since the day they met, even though neither of them are French.

She smiles a wide smile at her dashing fiance and kisses him softly on his lips and urges him to come in briefly as she grabs her purse. They enter the house and the dim lights flicker on as all the guests scream "Surprise!". She sees the looks of shock, then confusion and finally realisation pass on his face as she turns to him and says "Happy birthday, my love"

Scent Stories: Attimo

You can hear her long before you see her, the office automatically transforms from a place of ordered chaos to a place of order. Plain order. The fast paced clack clack clack of her black leather Feragammo pumps remind everyone that she's a woman on a mission. A woman with a job to get done and get done excellently. I met her on the very first day of my internship at the bank, I walked right up to her feeling self-confident and assured. After all, I had heard that she herself had made the selection of the top 5 candidates and I was one of them, I wanted to formally introduce myself, to tell her how grateful I was for the amazing opportunity she had granted me. She didn't even notice me, she breezed straight past me clack clack clack, leaving a flurry of personal assistants and other subordinates in her wake, everyone wanting to say something or the other to prove themselves.

Disappointed as I was I was strangely elated. Surely being in the presence of such a great woman could only mean greatness for me. I was determined to follow her lead and emulate her in any and every way that I could. I even traded my flat black shoes for low-heeled pumps so I could also practice the clack clack clack that seemed to scream authority. I listened to her speak and saw the way she dealt with high end clients in a manner that was at once firm and feminine. I never knew such a compromise existed, all through business school I had been taught to be tough, to think and act like a man whenever possible yet here she was, the perfect blend of stern and sexy. 

During my three months at the bank, I got to see her a few times and physically be in her presence even less. She seemed to never be in the country, one day China the next Hong Kong and then sometimes America. On the last day I was giving a presentation to some management when she walked in to the meeting room. Apparently some half-wit had double booked the room. Instead of kicking us out though she decided she would quite like to listen to all the presentations her interns had to give and choose who should be offered the graduate role. My heart stopped beating for a moment and then fired up instantly. Here she was, in her Feragammo pumps and her Birkin bag wanting to listen to us, to me! I looked at her and instead of being met with the cold eyes I had come to expect, she smiled warmly and said "How would you like to go first Aisha?" The fact alone that she knew my name made me feel on top of the world and I was glad I was dressed appropriately and with minimal make-up unlike Selena who was now fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

After the presentation she called me outside saying "Attimo, prego". Then and there, I got the job!

Scent Stories: Si

My girlfriend once asked me to describe what I found most attractive about her. We had only ben dating for six months at the time and truth be told, I was at a loss for words. I wasn't sure how she would respond if I told her the truth. That I liked the way her naturally curly hair frazzled again as soon as she was done straightening it. Or whether I should admit to her that I loved the way she smelt after she showered and had a fag like she did every morning. The combination of shower gel, body cream and tobacco binding into an impossible to describe smell that turned my head this way and that. Or even that I loved her smile and her laugh; loved to see the way that her full lips parted to reveal the gap in her teeth where no doubt she had hidden my heart. I could not admit to her all those things, no matter how true. It had only been six months!! and I was not usuallly one to fall in love so fast. So instead I looked at her and said with what I imagined to be a cheeky boyish grin "Your arse." She was not amused. Her mood dropped from 100 to subzero and no matter how hard I pleaded, teased and joked, she was not having it. She curled up on a sofa with a book, pretending to be deeply engaged but I knew she was hurt. I was again at a loss for words, well not really.. but to reveal my true feelings would be to make myself vulnerable to her. A scary feeling that I was sure I never wanted to experience. Luckily I eventurlly won her back with charm and pleading and joking and teasing. That was another thing I loved about her; her headstrongness if that's even a word. It was sometimes all too easy to forget how stubborn she was and how she sometimes held on to things a little too long. Such was the sweetness of her that small flaws could easily be ignored.

It's been three and a half years since she asked me that question and with everyday that passes I wish she would ask me again, just so that I can admit to her my innermost feelings. Of course she knows I love her, no one in their right mind could doubt that. We're walking through a park now enjoying the cool autumn's breeze and sighting a good spot to sit down for a picnic. She looks beautiful as always and keep scolding me for putting my hands in my pockets instead of around her waist where they should be. If only she knew the weight of what I was struggling to conceal. We ate under the shade of a tree, its leaves starting to turn the colours of sunrises and sunsets. I turned to face her and look into her eyes, the moment felt right. I was completely ready to let the vulnerability in, to fall into her like the leaves gently floating down from the autumn trees. I told her I found her hair attractive and I loved her laugh and her scent drove me insane but most of all I told her that I was sure I wanted to spend the rest of my entire life with her. I asked her to be my wife, right there and then under the oak tree, sitting face to face. Me with the ring finally free from my pocket and her with her brown eyes turning a liquid gold with tears. Her answer was a simple whispered "Si". So soft I almost missed it.

Scent Stories: La Petit Robe Noire

She slinks across the room, not one foot after another like all the other common folk around her. No. She glides on the surface of the dirty woodwork, barely making a sound, nothing short of feline. Whenever she begins to move, everyone round her stops, conversations dissipate and turn into whispers. Those who watch her usually start starting at her from the bottom up, defying gravity. Her legs always seem to stretch on for miles and miles. Legs that start with red-painted toe nails on dainty little feet in sky high heels. If you so happened to be directly in her path, she looked to you like a living Barbie doll; long legs, slim waist slightly pinched inwards in the middle and long birdlike graceful arms adorned only with the simplest jewellery. A watch and a bracelet maybe. Hardly any more. Her hair was left to do as it pleased, intentional beach wave curls to give the illusion of one who did not take to much time to reach such a high level of sophistication. Her features all seemed so small and dainty. All except her eyes which seemed to be like a dam, holding back a river full of secrets. Everyone watched her when she walked through the clubs, dancers ceasing their up-tempo, off-beat gyrations and giving way, the air filled with both envy and desire. She rarely ever speaks, just looks out onto the world with those river dam eyes.

Should you ever have the chance to stop her, to be near enough to her to speak with her without her entourage cutting in then there's only one question worth asking; "How does something so beautiful survive in such a dark place?" To which she might answer "There's always the faint hint of something pungent, even in the sweetest of smells." Or she might look upon you with her full kohl-lined eyes and show you that sweetness is just a facade, yielding to many more layers carefully covered up. And still, she might ignore you, pretend she never heard your question. Long after she is gone, you might find yourself wondering if the encounter was even real, did you really see the infamous club owners daughter? Her petit robe noire et talons hauts? Maybe you did maybe you didn't, for she is gone as silently as she came, never lingering but always the same.

Presenting "Scent Stories": A miniseries

So to the people that know me personally I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I decided to do a whole miniseries on perfume! I love perfume and various scents and I'm not sure when this love started all I know is that it's done nothing but cultivate a bad perfume-buying habit in me! Lol. The last time I went through duty-free was the very first time that I didn't but myself a new fragrance and it wasn't for a lack of trying but for a lack of time!

When I was packing up my flat in Manchester at the end of last year an idea to do something with all the scents I currently owned came to me and I thought; why not try and describe in words the way each of the perfumes made me feel? Or what I felt they embodied. I decided not to do a story on every single perfume I have ever or currently owned because the list would have been endless so I narrowed down my cast to 7 characters.

Presenting to you..... Scent Stories!

Starring in no particular order:

Prada- Candy

Britney Spears- Twisted Fantasy

Guerlain- La Petite Robe Noire

D&G- The One

Chanel- Coco Mademoiselle

Ferragmo- Attimo

Armani- Si

The plan is to have a different story come out every day from this Sunday till I'm all out of characters, they're going to be quite short and unrelated to one another which is why I've called it a miniseries. I really do hope you enjoy it because I love drawing inspiration from all around me and have many more ideas to come. See you on Sunday and don't forget to share and follow if you enjoy :)

Reni xx

Short Story: For Him, For the World

So I wrote this short story this morning after seeing this picture that someone had made from two illustrations by the extremely talented Hayden Williams. The picture pretty much sums up the theme. Enjoy and see you on the flipside!

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I opened my eyes and waited for them to adjust to the semi-darkness of the room, I could still feel his arm wrapped loosely around my waist. I wriggled to free myself from his warm embrace, careful not to wake him; he was fast asleep, snoring softly. His face was the picture of perfect peace, if you saw him now you could not tell of the activities of last night. Of how he kissed and caressed my body into sweet oblivion before taking me fully and making us one again and again. Don’t think that he did all the work though, I giggle inwardly as I look around the floor, random pieces of lingerie strewn around the room and the tell-tale chair of a lap dance still sitting awkwardly in the middle of the room. I pick up his baby blue shirt and put it on, doing up only the middle button and head to the bathroom to freshen up. It’s only 6.30 a.m. and the day ahead is a gruelling one.

As I finish brushing my teeth I hear the sound of the maid quietly leaving the morning coffee and newspaper outside our bedroom door. Maria was one of the best maids in the house; she was never late with the coffee or the paper. I wheel in the morning cart and get back into bed next to my husband. It still tickles me to refer to him as my husband, even though we’ve now been married for two years. His arm automatically finds me and draws me in closer to his warm body so that we are lying back to chest. “Good morning my darling” he whispers in a voice still thick with sleep, his warm breath tickling my neck. I turn around and kiss him good morning, letting the butterflies in the pit of my stomach run wild as I remember the events of last night once again. “You’re wearing my shirt I see, let’s get this off so you can go and shower” he says as he kisses me again and undoes the buttons with one hand. I resist weakly and even though my mind knows we have less than 90 minutes to be ready and picture perfect, my body doesn’t care. I run my fingers across his face and down his chest and hear his breath quicken as I roll him on to his back and sit on him with my knees on either side.

I kiss him from his neck down to his belly button before sliding off him and grabbing my dressing gown from a nearby chair. “You, sir, need to shave and drink your coffee before it gets cold” I say “It’s only t minus 67 minutes until your speech to the farmers of this great city and I need to prepare to speak to their wives and children.” I feel rather than hear him groan inwardly as he pulls himself up into a seated position and locks eyes with me. His eyes as dark as the milky coffee he now holds in his hands, and once again I feel rather than hear him say how much he loves me. I hope he feels me back as I break the gaze with a soft laugh and head to the guest bedroom down the hall to get ready. No time to share our bathroom now, plus the tension in the room is palpable.

After I shower Grace, my personal assistant, is fawning over me in the most ridiculous fashion; making sure my skirt is straight and my shoes are polished and my unruly hair is pulled back, while rattling on about all the things I need to remember and the people that are most important in the community. It’s now t minus 22 minutes till we have to be at the community hall where my husband and I will attempt to woo the farmers into giving us their votes. I head down the stairs and see Mark already in the car waiting for me, looking handsome and fresh in his white shirt. We ride in silence for a few minutes while he finishes scanning the newspaper and then he turns to me and says “You look absolutely beautiful in your suit Mrs. O’ Connor” and then in a hushed tone “I can’t wait till your back in your birthday suit tonight.” I glance away slightly embarrassed and catch the eye of the driver who I’m sure heard everything and then look back at Mark who just grins that boyish grin I love and winks at me. We arrive at the hall and just before we are called on to the stage I whisper something into Mark’s ear making his eyes go wide but before he has a chance to respond we are called onto the stage and are met with thunderous applause.

“The Senator and his wife Mr and Mrs Mark O’ Connor!”. We hold hands as we mount the stage and I can feel his pulse still racing in the palm of his hand. Game face on now, it’s time to take over the world. Oh you want to know what I said to him? Well… that’s a shame because a lady never tells.

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Hope you guys enjoyed it, let me know what you think in the comments section. Your feedback means the world to me!

Reni xx

Let's Play A Game

Hey beautiful people, so I've been suffering a seemingly incurable bout of writer's block but on the train last night I think I was finally cured! Wrote a short story so read and comment please! It's partly inspired by Rihanna's "Russian Roulette".

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She could feel the sweat dripping down her face as she slowly regained consciousness; small beads forming on her forehead and then trickling down her face slowly, like lazy raindrops on the window, eyes flitting open. “How did I get myself into this mess?” she wondered. Her head was pounding where someone had struck her. Hard. “She’s waking up boss” she heard a man say in a voice that was too high pitched to be respectable. She wanted to laugh but her breath caught in her lungs. Her chest ached. Looking down she realised had been bound hands and legs, and there was duct tape firmly around her mouth. “What should I do with the haggard thing?” the voice said again. Ashleigh tried to remember how she had gotten here in the first place, the last thing she could remember was getting into a rich guys car. He drove a Maserati and she felt lucky to be the one to service him that night

“Hey Mistuh, you need a lady friend for the night? I only charge £1000 till the morning and I can do you nine ways from Sunday,” she cooed in her southern drawl, shoving herself through the open window, cleavage first. It was well after dusk and the streets were cold. Business was slow and she would do anything to climb into this matte black car and be carried off into his swanky apartment somewhere uptown, never mind what she might have to do for the next few hours. “Really? All nine ways?” his voice was a rich deep alto and she could feel the vibrations in her ear as he spoke. “Yessir, maybe even more” she offered, snapping her gum and smiling flirtatiously, playing coy because she knew what men like this wanted. It wasn’t that she liked doing this… ‘job’, but sometimes there was simply no other way to pay the bills. She only worked the streets when she needed to, when her three year old could no longer eat broth consisting mainly of water and cried for some meat or bread, sadly this was becoming more and more frequent, she even had a couple of regulars. “Well hop in then, but I’m only giving you £300 no more.” He said with a smile “That’s still higher than some f*ckers offer so I’m in.” she thought as she clambered into the car, feeling the cold leather seats on her thighs.

Now the same alto voice was saying “Leave her for now, wake them all up first.” For the first time Ashleigh realised there were other people around her. Girls dressed almost exactly like her; scantily clad, some stripped down to their underwear, obviously ladies of the night. She saw the guy with the high-pitched voice, he was stout and dressed like an undertaker, even including the hat. He went around the room brutally kicking and slapping all the girls until they were all on their feet. There were about 8 of them, all tied up with lips that had been sealed. “Now, now Caleb, don’t be so harsh, they have enough punishment waiting for them.” The alto voice said, reverberating through the room.

Ashleigh wondered where they were, all she could make out was that it was unfinished and the concrete on the floor grazed her bare legs constantly, there were also a few sparsely spaced windows. It must be a warehouse of some sort. The voice sounded even closer than it was before as it spoke. He was standing in front of one of the girls. “So tell me your name sweetheart” the hooker stood shaking before him speechless. “Very well then, let me explain the rules of my little game to you.” Emerging completely out of the darkness to reveal his 6 foot 5 frame, with a wry grin he said. “It is my job as a bearer of the light, to rid the world of all things sinful and all things immoral and you my dear, all of you,” he says looking intently at each one of them “are both sinful and immoral” Ashleigh watched as he ran a finger carelessly down the hookers face and stopped right at the end of her breastbone, in between her breasts. “Because of your undignified means of living, I have chosen you to play this little game with me, oh don’t cry darling, it might all be quite alright in the end.” He smiles slightly as he watches the hooker shake with fear, then he jab her forcefully in the chest with two fingers. The girl doubles over and falls, completely out of breath. “You simply must choose between 2 options. Caleb, show them the games rooms.” With that the lights went off again and there was an image cast on the wall directly in front of them. From what she could make out, there was a table with a gun on it.  She could hear the baritone voice explaining the rules of the game, and the game was Roulette. There was only one cartridge in the gun. Anyone who managed to survive would be allowed to leave and everyone else… could finally meet her maker. The only catch was a pack of rabid dogs just through another door, waiting to devour anyone who took more than two minutes to pull the trigger. Ashleigh felt sick to her stomach; this job cannot be the reason for her being here right now.

She closed her eyes and began to remember all the decisions that had brought her to this place. Dating Chris, the neighbourhood bad boy even when her father told her not too. Falling out with her mother after she failed to side with her. Isolating herself from all her siblings as she claimed they had all never been in love before. Her decision to move out of her parents house at the age of 17 and live with Chris instead. Loosing her inhibitions one night and indulging fully in his pleasures. Staying with him even after he beat her continuously. Getting pregnant and dropping out of school to have his baby. Chris eventually kicking her and her baby out of the house no matter how she pleaded. Meeting a woman who got her started in the ‘business’, getting her her very first client. Wondering to a perfect world in her mind while different men constantly filled her womanhood; old, young, poor, rarely rich. Nothing good had come out of this and all Ashleigh could think of was her baby girl, sleeping in the dingy apartment. She could only hope someone would save her.

All of a sudden there was a loud bang and then a thump on the floor as the first girl’s body went down. She saw Caleb drag the lifeless body out of the room “Feed her to the dogs” the alto voice said. “Yes boss” answered Caleb. Shivering convulsively and crying at the sight she shut her eyes tight again and thought of her perfect world. Another bang and another thud. Dreams of bright summer days and white Christmases were interrupted by a hand placed firmly on her shoulder. “You’re next” She looked at him with all the light left in her soul and pleaded with her eyes for him to let her go. Her deep brown eyes swam in tears waiting to fall at the bat of an eyelid, but all she was met with were cold black eyes, devoid of any emotions. Caleb grabbed her roughly and she wriggled and thrashed about trying desperately to be freed. Four slaps in rapid succession met her cheek, life had dealt her a heavy blow. Now locked in the room she stares at the revolver, her only escape. Picking up the cold lifeless gun like the eyes she had just seen her hands begin to shake. She stares into the barrel and realises they look exactly like the eyes she has just seen. Her knees buckle and she sinks slowly to the ground. “Only 1 more minute before my puppies come in to play.” says the voice through the speakers. “There are some truly sick people in this world” she thought as she spins the cylinder. “Better to take your chance with the gun than the dogs.”

“30 seconds”

Clicking the cylinder into place, she wills her hand and her heart to be still.

“20 seconds”

She raises her eyes to heaven and says a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening.

“10 seconds”

She lifts the gun slowly to her temple and feels it ice cold on her skin.

“9... 8… 7… 6…”

Slowly and deliberately she squeezes the trigger.

Red Skies

One of my more recent poems, would really appreciate some feedback so leave some comments please! :) 

Red skies at night, sailors delight;

Thoughts of azure mornings,

Stretching for thousands of miles.

In his eyes I see love, desire and pleasure

Sure as the days promised light,

Nothing can spoil this,

In him, is the rest of me.

Red skies in the morning, sailors warning;

Clouds, dark and roaring take over the skies.

What has become of my lovers tongue?

Should he spew venom alone?

Of lust, anger and debauchery?

Whatever happened to his warm eyes?

I do not recognize him.

Tonight my sky is starless,

Charcoal as the demon,

That painted it so.

My heart is restless,

It beats an unsteady rhythm like the lips of my lover;

One moment cursing,

And the other caressing.

Oh how I long for the dusk to come,

Where I shall reunite with my scarlet knight.

Staying Single: Part 10- The Finale II

Previous Posts

Part1: I Will Be Single! Will I?

Part2: Poor little Sola Boy

Part3: Return of the Mac or umm, the Ex?

Part4: Pure Carnal Lust

Part5: All Hail the Queen of Awkward Moments

Part 5.5: A Suitor, A Disciple & A Sola

Part 6: Cut Your Cloth

Part 7: The Number One Suitor

Part 8: In Love With S

Part 9: The Finale I

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Woman: Gyal ima need you to get outta hya. I can’ hev you stinkin’ up d pliayce, get a cab and go ‘ome hunny.

Embarrassed and still feeling sick, Kemi lumbered out of the ladies and through the masses of people till she got outside. She called Remy.

Remy: Giiiirl, what’s up?

Kemi: **sobbing** Hey, I think I messed up

Remy: Kemi are you crying? What’s wrong? Where are you?

Kemi: **spluttering** I’m walking down King’s Road, looking for a taxi.

Remy: No, go back to the club, just wait outside, I’m coming to meet you there right now okay? Kemi did you hear me? It’s not safe to walk about by yourself.

Kemi: Okay.

Her chest ached, her tongue was parched and there were trails of black mascara winding all the way down her face, she looked like an evil clown. Walking back towards the club she hears her name being called but decides to ignore it, she can’t have anyone see her like this. Maybe I should go back into the bathroom at the club till Remy gets here. But the voice just grows louder and she can hear footsteps quickening behind her. Someone grabs her arm and she jumps, trying to shake free. Through her misty, tear filled eyes she sees none other than the Ex, staring down at her face in confusion.

Oh gosh, I’m really not in the mood for this boy to come and rub things in my face. Can this night get any worse??

But surprisingly, seeing her tearful face and dishevelled hair the Ex feels nothing but compassion for her.

The Ex: Kemi what’s wrong with you? I saw you walking up the road; I was just on my way out.

What is wrong with me is you, you’re the one who broke up with me and left me feeling foolish and vulnerable and now I don’t know how to be happy with any other person because I’m still so messed up from you!

Holding her hand the Ex looks at her again

The Ex: Kemi talk to me. Or at least let me get you home.

Kemi: It’s okay; Remy is on her way to get me now. She’s coming with Jide.

The Ex: But Remy lives all the way at London Bridge, it would take them forever to get here. Call her now, tell her to just go to your house, I’d drop you there.

Kemi had forgotten how far away Remy was and seeing no other options but to stand here and awkwardly talk to the Ex while she waited, she decided to allow the Ex to take her home.

In the taxi

The Ex, genuinely concerned about her well being asked, “So are you going to tell me what happened?” Looking him straight in the eye as if to imply that all of this was his fault Kemi replies “I’m just confused, I keep messing up when it comes to guys, picking the wrong ones and letting the good ones get away. “ The Ex slightly uncomfortable at being put on the spot shifted about awkwardly. “Kemi you just have to know what you want and go for it. You always take the long way round things. I’m guessing things aren’t so great with the Suitor?” Kemi, taken aback by the truth in his words and the tenderness in his voice began to sob again.

The Ex: Kemi please don’t cry. It makes me uncomfortable when girls cry; I never know what to do.

And with that he puts his arm around her shoulders and allows her to cry into his chest, deep heavy sobs that eventually subside into whimpers, all the while trying to comfort her. Her phone rings;

The Ex: Hey, it’s Remy; did you forget to tell her I was taking you home?

Kemi hastily picks up her phone and explains the situation to Remy.

Remy: Don’t do anything stupid oh, you can’t let him take advantage of you in any way, I wish you had told me, I’m almost there now.

Kemi: He’s being way to nice to even dream of taking advantage. This is The Ex I fell for, the one I used to love. Don’t worry I’m fine.

Remy: I’m coming straight to yours now.

Kemi: Okay, see you soon.

They reach her house and Kemi and The Ex go into her apartment together so that the Ex can make sure she’s fully settled and take care of her before Remy takes over. Kemi remained inconsolable, fresh waves of tears taking over as soon as the old ones dried, try as he might The Ex could not console her or make her laugh. Her phone rang again.

The Ex: Oh Sola is calling you. Here.

Kemi stared at her phone blankly until it stopped ringing, it started ringing again and still she let it ring. She could feel the Ex looking at her confusedly, he had no idea what had just transpired between her and Sola. Even though she had no idea what Sola was calling to say, regret and injured pride would not allow her to pick up the phone and have him either shatter her dreams or elate her from this self-pity. She turned off her phone. Remy would ring the buzzer when she gets here.

Kemi: Sola is the last person I want to speak to right now.

She sits next to him on the sofa and allows herself to be comforted by her ex again. The boy who had hurt her so many times before now became her friend in this time of need. Looking up into his dark eyes, she felt reassured that tomorrow would be a better day still. And they kissed.

The End.

Staying Single Part 9: The Finale I

I have slight OCD and I just couldn't bear to have the series end on an odd number so I've split this last post into two. It also makes for easier reading I'm told :)

If you haven't been reading this from the beginning then don't ruin the ending for yourself, start from the very beginning. A very good place to start!

Part1: I Will Be Single! Will I?
Part2: Poor little Sola Boy
Part3: Return of the Mac or umm, the Ex?
Part4: Pure Carnal Lust
Part5: All Hail the Queen of Awkward Moments
Part 5.5: A Suitor, A Disciple & A Sola
Part 6: Cut Your Cloth
Part 7: The Number One Suitor
Part 8: In Love With S
_________________________________________________________

The Suitor sits in shock and Kemi sees in his eyes for a fleeting second all the hurt he tries to push down.

Suitor: I don’t understand. You told me you guys barely even speak anymore.

Kemi: We don’t, I don’t know, it’s just really complicated.

Suitor **visibly angry**: So how can you possibly be in love with him when you’ve spent the last 2 months with me?

Kemi has nothing to say and she is starting to regret this plan, she should have at least waited till they were out of the club, at his place or hers. Now this is going to turn into another of her world famous scenes.

Suitor: Oh so now you can’t speak? Kemi I need an explanation.

Kemi **lowering her head**: I don’t know what to say; I don’t know how this happened. I didn’t think you were taking us that seriously.

Suitor: So you think that me seeing you every other day, taking you out and spending money on you is just me being casual? **raising his voice** there’s nothing casual about that Kemi and you know it!

Kemi: Please stop shouting, can we just go. Lets go somewhere quiet and talk about this.

Suitor: Kemi please, don’t piss me off. There’s nothing to talk about, you’re just a stupid slag who uses people. I can’t believe I fell for you. You're a f*cking b*tch.

As he said those words, the music quietened down, one of those dips between one song and the next where you find that the voice you were speaking in was way too loud. The Suitor’s words had caught everyone’s attention and he got up and stormed out of the bar leaving Kemi sitting alone awkwardly. Glancing around and not seeing any friendly faces she got up and went hurriedly to the ladies. Seeing as I’ve already ruined things with The Suitor I might as well call Sola and tell him everything

The phone rung five times before Sola eventually picked up and with every ring Kemi was regretting her decision to call him, what exactly was she going to say? She hadn’t even given it a second thought before deciding to act so irrationally.

Sola: How far?

Kemi: **rambling on** Hey Sola, I know that you might think this is random and wonder why I’m deciding to just do it now, but I don’t know what’s wrong with me and I don’t know if there would ever be a right time to say it and everything is just so confusing in my head right now and I don’t know if I’m even doing the right thing because I know Nkechi is my friend and I’m being a terrible friend by doing this but I don’t think I can stand for you to not know any longer and..

Sola: Wait, slow down. What are you trying to say? I can’t even hear you properly.

Kemi: I’m trying to say that I love you, that I’m in love with you and I’m sorry it took me so long to realise.

There was a long silence on the phone after Kemi’s confession and for the first time she thought of the off chance that Sola really had moved on and didn’t care about her deeply anymore.

Wow, what have I done now? I don’t understand what’s wrong with me. Why do I always mess everything up with boys that genuinely care about me and treat me right? And then I end up acting a fool for the likes of the Ex. Kemi you need to get your act together.

Sola: Babe, let me call you back. Nkechi is waiting.

And with that he hung up. Kemi was left staring at her phone as it beeped the end of the conversation. She wasn’t sure if what had just transpired was real or if she was hallucinating. It was one of those out of body experiences for sure. The woman in the ladies was staring at Kemi who was staring at her reflection in the mirror.

Woman: You araiy gyal?

Kemi shook her head and the tears started flowing as she thought of the possibility of losing both Sola and the Suitor. Something that had never occurred to her before. She felt all the shame, regret and confusion rise from deep inside her belly, climbing gradually till it reached her throat and then she leaned over the sink and retched multiple times.

Staying Single: Part 8- In Love with S

Part1: I Will Be Single! Will I?

Part2: Poor little Sola Boy

Part3: Return of the Mac or umm, the Ex?

Part4: Pure Carnal Lust

Part5: All Hail the Queen of Awkward Moments

Part 5.5: A Suitor, A Disciple & A Sola

Part 6: Cut Your Cloth

Part 7: The Number One Suitor

After the party is over and everyone has gone home, The Girls were all in Stephanie’s room talking about the gist from the night. Of all the not-so-shocking revelations such as Remy spending the whole time glued to Jide, the most shocking was the following:

Remy: So guys, everyone has casted themselves except Nkechi, are we really going to let this slide?

Steph: That’s true oh, where were you? You were ghost through almost the whole thing.

Nkechi: Hmm, you guys need to stop asking too many questions, I told you I was busy.

Remy: Busy doing what? Girl, it’s either you tell or you sleep in the corridor tonight! **laughing**

Kemi: I agree oh, spill the beans

Nkechi: Well if you must know I was just getting to know a certain Sholly-boy better.

Steph: Hahaha, you were with Sola?!

Kemi: Wait, which Sola? Sola Akinlaja??

Nkechi: Ahh, yes now. Which other Sola! And I must say, he knows how to get down if you know what I mean **laughs**

Remy: You you’re just a hooker, I’m tired please I’m going to sleep.

Kemi: Hmmm, Sola.

Steph: Ah babe what’s your issue?

Kemi: Oh nothing, it’s just funny that’s all.

Nkechi: I mean to be honest I don’t like the guy; he’s a bit young for me. He’s cute though! I know you guys are bestos but you’re cool right?

Steph: Of course she’s cool! After the story she was just telling us about the Suitor!

Kemi: Yea exactly, I don’t like him or anything.

Remy: **coughs suspiciously** Goodnight guys.

After the lights went off and everyone was trying sleeping, Kemi lay awake thinking about Nkechi and Sola’s rendezvous, was it possible that Sola liked Nkechi? Because she knew Nkechi definitely didn’t like Sola, and if he did then why her? And how far had they gone? And again why Nkechi? Lost in her thoughts Kemi admitted to herself that the fact that the girl was Nkechi wasn’t what bothered her, it was the fact that Sola was getting with people in the first place.

Why shouldn’t he be allowed to get with other people? So what he was saying to me all that time about liking me was just bull?Sola can’t be with anyone else, that’s not fair. The jealousy in her gut was unshakeable, even as she tried to daydream of her episode with the Suitor; she kept replacing his face with Sola’s. Do I actually like this boy or am I just upset he doesn’t like me anymore? After many hours of deliberation through the night, Kemi decides that she in fact does like Sola but now that he’s trying to get close to Nkechi what is she supposed to do?

But what about the Suitor? Well he’s leaving soon so it doesn’t really matter! Once he’s gone, she can work on Sola again, she can’t directly make him fall for her; she has to do it carefully, and with this resolved in her mind, she falls asleep.

15 days later

The weeks that had passed involved Kemi seeing the Suitor as many times as she liked, they had gotten physical a few times but nothing beyond the first time. She also met up with Sola at their usual spot in Café Rouge and he confessed to having “slight feelings but nothing serious” for Nkechi. Kemi had also told Remy about her feelings for Sola.

Remy: You don’t like him, you’re just plain jealous that he’s moving on. Don’t go and do anything irrational! Nkechi is your friend!

Kemi: But she doesn’t even like him, she said so herself!

Remy: I just think you’re being selfish. This is exactly what the Ex does to you whenever you start liking someone else and it’s not nice.

Kemi: Okay fine, whatever.

But Kemi wasn’t convinced, she was sure she liked Sola, no one understood her that’s all, she would prove to everyone that they are meant to be together. The perfect opportunity finally presented itself in the form of a Tuesday night at Juju Bar, none of the Girls were there, Steph and Nkechi who had another friend’s birthday party and Remy was being a boring housewife with Jide. The music was good and the drinks were flowing. Kemi didn’t mind though, there would be quite a few friends there. Seeing Sola seated by himself in the corner, Kemi positioned herself to make sure he gets a good view and begins to gyrate in a most seductive way to the voice of some dancehall artist, she can feel Sola’s eyes on her back as she moves. The Suitor, seeing his girl dancing by herself makes his way across the dance floor and grabs her waist. Kemi slows the dancing pace and eventually stops.

Suitor: Oh, why you doing this to me?

Kemi: **looking bored** my feet hurt, these shoes are kind of tight.

Suitor: Her feet are killing her I call it her shoe-icide. Let’s go and sit for a bit.

Kemi: **glancing over at Sola she realises she has lost his interest completely,** Why did this Suitor boy have to show up at the wrongest time! Now Sola is never going to take me seriously. slightly annoyed she turns to the Suitor, she needs to get Sola’s attention again, but not right now**

PAUSE

Now I must interrupt this story here, to let you, the readers, know that Kemi is not a bad person, neither is she a slag, well not really. She does actually like the Suitor but remember he was always a short-term solution. She’s just a vain, naïve girl who wants attention and to be loved.

CONTINUE

Suitor: So I’ve been thinking of something, I want you to be my girlfriend

Kemi: Wait what? How did we get here?? But you’re all the way in America, it would never work

Suitor: I know myself; I don’t need anyone else right now. Just say you’d try at least.

Kemi: **in a small voice** I can’t.

Suitor: Why not? I thought we had something good going?

Kemi: I really like you, don’t get me wrong. But I’m in love with Sola.