SEASON TWO CUPID'S RISK! Number Deleted...by Myne

Like I said earlier, Cupids's risk will be going to another blog with season two. That's the header of the new place.  If you want more, follow this link immediately..http://www.cupidsrisk.blogspot.com

If you want a little taste first, enjoy this and then click on the read more link to access the complete story. Read, comment, vote and contribute. See you there...

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Over the years in his life, Chinedu had learnt one policy. He never pursued something he couldn't let go of whenever the moment demanded it. So now he scrolled to Iphey's name and chose the option to delete. He hesitated, and then he pressed on the button. The phone asked him if he was sure he wanted to delete that contact and all their details. He closed his eyes and...

The ring tone to his phone startled him and had his eyes flying open to the phone in his hands. Chinedu glanced quickly at the screen, his heart beginning to race once again. It was Habib's new number.

"Hello?" His tone was dull.

"Hey Nedu, what's up my guy?"

"I'm at home, where else do you expect?"

"Dude!" Habib's voice was surprised. "What's the deal? Wetin I do you?"

Chinedu forced himself to laugh. "Sorry dude, na just some wahala with Iphey."

"You and this Iphey babe. It's nearly three months since you start to chase that girl." Habib laughed, "always one palava after the other. You go out today, tomorrow you're not talking. If it's not your past, it's her boss. What is it this time?"

READ MORE>>>

Bad boy, bad boy, whatchu gone do...

So no more rewrites, from here we go with the flow. But please keep the real comments and feedback coming. I may not post the reworking but be sure that it really helps me. Enjoy the story of Ijeoma and Ifeanyi. Like I said Cupid's risk starts in a couple of days, stay tuned.

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“Who's that girl?” Ifeanyi asked. He was sitting under the shade of the umbrella in one of the bukas in campus with his close pal, Johnson, relaxing with a bottle of chilled coke. The sun blazed down with its usual intensity at this time of the year.

“Which one of them?” Johnson asked in reply as they admired the two girls passing.

“The fair one, tall, beautiful, gorgeous...”

“Easy now,” Johnson laughed, “JJC, I can tell you that the girl is OOB,”

“What do you mean by OOB?” Ifeanyi asked disparagingly.

Do you people even have any slang in UI anyway?” Johnson gabbed.

“Answer me first,” Ifeanyi replied his eyes still following Ijeoma and Nneka.

“Do you mean she is already taken?”

“No... I mean she is `Out Of Bounds'. A real hard to get lady. Mark my words she is a real lady. Not ajibo for mouth, back for ground.”

They laughed uproariously slapping each other on the back in mirth.

“Oh God, you kill me,” Ifeanyi said holding his sides, “but fill me in man, fill me in.”

“On a more serious note,” Johnson continued, “the babe is now in her second year and hasn't had any beau through it hasn't been for lack of guys” he concluded.

“Hmmm,“ Ifeanyi nodded reflectively.

“In fact, when she was a jambite, a good friend of mine tried his luck and do you know what the lady said?” Seeing that Ifeanyi was all ears, he continued in a high falsetto, “I am too young to have a boyfriend and I want to concentrate on my books. And I also don't want to disappoint my parents,”

Ifeanyi smiled, “That's a good sentiment but I'm sure she's past that stage now, it's been more than a year since then,”

“Oh sure, you think guys have laid off on such a hot babe since then? The grapevine reports that she told one guy just a few weeks ago that she doesn't want to raise his hopes or break his heart.”

“She has already broken mine,” Ifeanyi moaned clutching his chest.

“You and half the guys on campus.” Johnson replied with a straight face.

“Mmm...” Ifeanyi thought stroking his chin, “I think I have an edge being a new face.”

“Don't forget to mention a handsome one too,” Johnson added, “Girls won't fail to fall for that your pretty face with a mysterious history too. Nothing like the bad boy aura you portray to get them.”

“What do you mean?"

“Rumor has it you’re a cult guy. What do you say?”

Ifeanyi had completed his transfer to the University of Benin just three months ago in June. He’d come to Uniben because he wanted to change departments which he hadn’t been able to do earlier but the timing couldn’t have been worse. There had been a surge in the acts of violence, intimidation and murder perpetrated by the secret societies in the past two years. Since the new president had been sworn in, the country had been abuzz with anti-cultism slogans. Several students had been rusticated from many of the universities and many more suspended.

“Were you expelled from Unilag?” Johnson persisted.

“No I wasn’t, and I’m not a cult guy…”

“What is it with the Yoruba universities sef? I hear that vice chancellors sponsor the cults to maintain an upper hand in the school. Is that true?”

“How will I know? By the way wasn’t someone killed here in UNIBEN and even Ekpoma by cultists?”

“At least we have an anti-cult group. You know some guys just hacked down five people in Ife? And these were no ordinary guys o, they were the Student Union Governemnt…”

“Johnson, how do you even hear all this news?”

“I keep an ear to the ground. I hear they target people whose parents are loaded so I have to be careful. You have to be too; I hear your parents are one of those that own Benin…”

Ifeanyi laughed. “More stories. Please talk better thing.”

On BELLA NAIJA and AFRIKAN GODDESS

So what about the title? Well the new month has started off as one of enlarged coasts. An excerpt of A Heart to Mend has been published on the BN Prose section of Bella Naija. By the way, did you guys see Uche the lady behind Bella Naija on Oprah yesterday? She looked cute and I liked her contribution to the topic of beauty around the world, naija perspective. She writes on BN that it was a dream come true for her. I say kudos to her and may all our dreams continue to come true. Please go over and leave a comment HERE

Also Afrikan Goddess has put me on their writer's list to head up the Love and Relationships section with a debut titled What's sex got to do with it? Afrikan Goddess is headed by Amma Twum-Baah and is an online publication designed with the educated, professional, classy and sassy African woman in mind. My first article is in the March issue and is a review of an African romantic comedy and how the issue of sex within both married and unmarried relationships was handled based on The Perfect Picture. Do go over too when you can and leave a comment HERE

EXCERPTS



“Gladys, Gladys!” The sound of her name had her springing out of bed. It was late afternoon on Wednesday, and she was back in her bedroom after tramping the streets of Lagos in search of That Elusive Job. It was Aunt Isioma’s raised voice that had jerked her out of a reverie. She left the room and took the stairs down, two at a time.

“Did you call me?” She entered the living room breathing quickly.

Her aunt was watching television but looked up when she walked in. “Yes, sit down Gladys. I have something for you.” She gestured to the seat beside her.

“This was in my post office box today.” She handed over an official envelope.

Gladys turned it over and stared at the back. The return address was Zenon Oil and Gas. Her breath stopped and then returned accompanied by a rapid heartbeat. Her palms began to sweat. This was the final communication with them and if this was a refusal, then that was the end. Her muscles spasmed and she felt sick to her stomach. Her palms began to sweat.

Want to finish the story? CLICK TO GO TO BELLA NAIJA. PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT TOO...



The three girls navigate their love lives with the flair and panache one would imagine for their ages – they seem in their thirties. OK, so maybe the dialogue was a bit corny in parts and predictable in others but for a romantic sucker like me, I didn’t really mind. I like that the producers were bold enough to make a movie that tackles the issue of sex in relationships front and center. The married one and her husband cope with getting used to each other in bed once again. Our well-endowed lady goes clubbing and sleeps with her man friend with no questions asked. Even the quiet one has sex with her lowly mechanic and declares it, the best she’s had. I think she added “ever” but I am not sure now, lol.

Do you have an opinion on the movie or the topic? CLICK TO GO TO AFRIKAN GODDESS AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION

THANK YOU.

A rewrite. What do you think?

Ijeoma knew she was late to the Introduction to Business class. The hallway was empty and as she quickened her steps, her heels clicked sharply against the cracked cement floor. She walked into the packed lecture hall just in time because as soon as she sat down beside Nneka, Dr. Okafor strolled in. The man was a law unto himself, coming to class only when he liked. The only favor he did his students was to give them the course outline and reading list. As he went to write out the title of the topic for the day on the blackboard, Nneka frowned and thumbed her nose at him. Ijeoma’s snicker died in her throat when he turned back to the class already speaking.

“Entrepreneurship…the topic at the heart of Business…”

Ijeoma felt her eyes begin to droop as he continued but forced herself to remain awake by studying the lecturer intently. Dr. Okafor was a big man, about six feet two inches tall and dark skinned. He was bald but had hairy arms and a bushy beard. He reminded her of a bear. However, he was always very well put together. Today, he wore a black danshiki with red coral beads around his neck and left wrist. And these were the real deal. Some said he was a chief but she wouldn’t know.

“How many of you have read ahead on this topic?” His voice was very deep and strong, and as usual sounded quite intimidating.

Nobody answered and he began the long tirade that normally took up half of his lecture hour. He called the students all manner of names including lazy and unserious. He also promised them that they would all fail his course if they kept up that attitude. Ijeoma could not keep her eyes open anymore and by the time he started on the real lecture, she was lost in a snooze. However, she was soon jostled awake by Nneka.

“You! Tell me what I just said now,” Dr. Okafor shouted in rankled tones.

Ijeoma couldn’t understand what was happening till her friend pinched her. She looked up at Dr. Okafor and he was glowering at her under thick eyebrows. All sleep fled her eyes.

“Young lady, what did I just say?” He repeated slowly as if speaking to a dim-wit.

Ijeoma stood up lost for words, “Ehm ... Sir, you see... ehm... ehm...”

“Yes? Go on...” The lecturer encouraged. The sarcasm-packed voice made her wilt.

“You were speaking about a sole entrepreneur, sir and you said that...”

Before she could complete the sentence, one of the popular ajebutter girls burst out a loud sneeze. The whole class erupted in wolf whistles and catcalls. Some of the boys shouted “rendered homeless” while others stamped their feet and slapped their desks.

“What is this noise all about?” Dr. Okafor asked. He looked around as if expecting some thing to jump out.

A bold guy stood up at the back of the class and several others hailed him. “O-jo, O-jo, O-jo…”

“Sir, millions of bacteria have just been rendered homeless,” Ojo explained. “We were just trying to exterminate them before they contaminate us.”

“You are all sick,” Dr. Eboche declared with an air of irritation. While packing his books he began to smirk, “Well... since I don’t want to be infected too, I beg to take my leave.”

This last was said with the air of somebody who had been asking for something and it had been handed over to him on a platter of gold.

Some of the backbenchers continued whistling, but it was now in protest of the lecturer’s actions. Dr. Eboche was indifferent as he took up his stack of books and left the class.

“That man is a real truant,” Nneka complained as they left their faculty building.

“Imagine just leaving the class for a silly thing like that. I heard he thinks that as a senior lecturer in the department, he’s too big to teach first level students.”

“Nneka please leave that side. I was lucky you know. I would have faced the full force of that man’s ager. Don’t you realize that girl let me off the hook?” Ijeoma asked in reply.

Nneka stopped walking. “But really Ijeoma, what were you even thinking about? It is not like you to be absent minded in class.”

“My dear, the fact is that I wasn’t just absent minded, I fell asleep.”

“You don’t mean it!”

“I’m very serious…” A wide yawn overtook her words and Nneka laughed. Ijeoma continued, “when you left the library last night, Ngozi persuaded me to read TDB, you know now, Till Day Break!”

“You mean you read all night? I don’t even know how that is possible. You didn’t sleep a wink?”

“Exactly, you know me now, once I start reading I can’t fall asleep,” Ijeoma replied, “but trust Ngozi, she fell asleep once it was midnight and didn’t stir or wake up to read again till this morning when we had to return to the hostel.”

“The unseen swot,” Nneka mocked, “I don’t think I can deceive myself like that.”

They both burst out laughing as they continued walking to their hostel. That had been their last lecture of the day and Ijeoma knew that once she got to her room, it was straight to her bed for a very long siesta.

“It’s really good if one can read throughout the night, but my friend, the disadvantages are just too much for my liking…”

“Like falling asleep in Dr. Okafor's class.” Nneka interrupted.

They both burst out laughing again.

Another Journey begins; come with me.

So I have started working on my next manuscript. The work in progress (WIP) is titled; Ghost of the Past. This is just the very rough first draft, so expect a lot of typos, grammar errors, etchetaram. Also, names are subject to change, places and settings are tentative, and a lot of cleaning up will definitely take place before this even becomes a manuscript. But if you want to observe and partake of a writer's journey, come with me. Please your feedback is very much a part of it and will be really appreciated. Thank you.

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10 years ago. A small university town, Nigeria.

Ijeoma Oraka arrived at the lecture hall just in time because as soon as she sat down, the lecturer strolled in. It was Dr. Okafor, the BUS 201 lecturer. The man was a truant, coming to class only as he liked. The only favour he did his students was to give them the course outline and his lecture notes.

As usual, he went straight to the blackboard and wrote out his course and the topic for the day. He then turned back to the class.

“How many of you have read ahead on this particular topic, Entrepreneurship?”

Nobody answered and he began a long tirade that always took up half of his lecture hour. Finally he started on the real lecture and seconds later, Ijeoma was lost in a doze, oblivious to the bustle in the hall as the lecture went on. “You! Tell me what I just said now,” Mr. Okafor shouted in rankled tones. Ijeoma started awake but couldn't understand what was happening till her friend pinched her and she looked directly at Mr. Okafor to see him staring under glowering eyebrows at her. All sleep quickly fled from her eyes.

“Young lady, what did I just say?” He repeated slowly as if speaking to a dim-witted and recalcitrant child.

Ijeoma stood up lost for words, “Ehm ... Sir, you see... ehm... ehm...”

“Yes? Go on...” Mr. Okafor encouraged with utmost sarcasm in his voice. “You were speaking on a sole entrepreneur, sir and you said...”

Before she could complete the sentence, the whole class burst out in wolf whistles and catcalls as one of the ajibo girls sneezed loudly. Some of the boys shouted “rendered homeless” while others stamped their feet and clapped their hands. “What is this noise all about?” Okafor asked looking around perplexed. A bold guy stood up at the back of the class and replied “Sir, millions of bacteria have just been rendered homeless and we were just trying to kill them before they could contaminate us,” he ended.

“You are all sick,” Dr. Okafor declared with an air of amusement. Packing his books he declared, “ Well... since I don't want to be infected too, I beg to take my leave.”

This last was said with the air of somebody who had been asking for something and it had been handed over on a platter of gold to him.

Some of the backbenchers continued whistling, but for a different reason, as the lecturer took up his books and left the class.

“That man is a real truant,” Nneka complained to Ijeoma as they left the class soon afterwards. “Imagine just leaving the class for a silly thing like that”

“I was lucky, don't you realize that girl let me off the hook?” Ijeoma asked in reply.

“But really Ijeoma, what were you even thinking about? It is not like you to be absent minded in class,” Nneka stated.

“My dear, the fact is that I wasn't just absent minded, I was dozing,” Ijeoma replied. “You don't mean it! Nneka admonished.

“I am very serious. When you left the library last night, Ngozi persuaded me to read till dawn, you know now, TDB.” Ijeoma told her with a yawn. “And you didn't sleep a wink?”

“Exactly, you know me now, once reading I can't fall asleep,” Ijeoma replied, “but trust Ngozi, she fell asleep once it was midnight and didn't stir or wake up to read again till this morning when we had to return to the hostel.”

They both burst out laughing as they walked to their hostel. That had been their last lecture of the day and Ijeoma knew that once she got to her room, it was straight into her bed for a very long siesta.

“The unseen swot,” Nneka mocked, “I don't think I can deceive myself like that.”

“It's really good if one can read throughout, but my friend, the demerits are just too much for my liking, sleeping in the class for one.” They both burst out laughing again.

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ps, the Cupid's Risk series will debut on March 10th, get ready. Anybody interested in contributing for this season should me an email. myne @ mynewhitman.com.