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Speaking of the devil , Tolu, my team lead saunters into the office carrying a folder with her. I know her coming never carries any good with it. So I groan inwardly and mutter a silent prayer that this be quick. I click on the query I have just finished and drag on the words to select it so that I can copy and paste it into the body of the email I'm to send to Mr Jacques. The folder drops with a thud on my desk. As if my day couldn’t any worse.  “Talatu, I need you to work on these ASAP.” “I’m in the middle of something Tolu and I already have a pile waiting for me.”

Two days later Yasmin was convinced that agreeing to come to Damola's studio was a good idea and was confident that by the end of her visit, her decision about the place would be a positive one.  Before he dropped her off that Saturday, he had beeped her line so that she could save his number. Even when she mentioned that she didn’t remember giving him her digit, he just smiled and said I have my ways . She scoffed. Ways indeed. She suspected Lisa gave him but the naughty girl had not said anything about it to her and when she brought it up the next day, about not giving strangers one another's number. Her friend only rolled her eyes at her and said Damola was not a stranger. That Monday he had called her in the morning to confirm if their arrangement was still intact and she had answered in the affirmative. Later in the after, a few minutes to two he arrived and was parked outside the house. When her phone began she was certain it was him. Thankfully she was all dr...

I gingerly walked into the office I share with five others, they are all busy typing away at their keyboard with their eyes glued on their computer screens. But the desk next to mine is empty, Gbemi's, It's so unlike her. I walk straight to my desk and dump the envelope in my hand on it. I have read the contents like twice and I feel like even peering into it one more time will just open the dam of tears I'm trying hard to keep a lid on. The query letter also lies in my email, waiting for me to open it and read it. I could just ignore but the instruction from the new HOD states I reply and also type and print out my reply for proper documentation. I reluctantly clicked on the email, knowing every second counts toward changing the impression the new boss has about me. I'm Tolu our Team lead had already filled him in with awful things about me. Sometimes I wonder why she dislikes me so much. Issue of punctuality aside, she always looks for ways to pick on me. Gbemi walks ...

Asibi screamed before she caught herself. There were still a few customers left, five to be precise but three of them whom she assumed were friends were in the photography section of the studio. Only two of them were in the makeup area and they were both being attended to by Ayesha and one of her makeup artists. One of them turned to look at her, obviously irritated by the scream and she quietly mouthed sorry to her before excusing herself to the small room Ayesha used as her office, the same place she now shared with her. As she was leaving she heard Ayesha mouthing a quick apology to both customers for the fright she had caused. Three hours later just as the sun had set, Ayesha retired to the office. That was the end of that day's work except her VIP customers showed or maybe there were just too many customers for her workers would she stay up until 9 pm, the closing time. “What was that about?”  She asked as soon as she entered the office. Asibi knew she owed her not...

Hello there, remember those movie scenes you'd watched where a character's alarm rings and they snooze it for the umpteenth time or even turn it off totally before going back to sleep and then bagan bagan something else rings their head, a brain alarm, I love to call it.  One that resets their brain and they realise it's workday and they've snoozed their time away and they have just twenty minutes left to bath, get dressed, to eat. Well, well strike that last part. Latey latey no chop breakfast especially if they live in Lagos, on the mainland and their workplace is on the island. They would probably take a lunch bag along but that is not the day. There's barely any time left to do anything. That is everything that is happening to me at the moment as I put my shoes on and realised I haven’t seen my babies. I begin to panic. My whole situation overwhelms me. I have taken them to school . My husband calls out.  Oh, I didn’t even realise he is seated in the dining spa...

They sat in the dine-in area of a snack shop in the neighbourhood. Yasmin was digging into her cup of ice cream, strawberry and vanilla flavour while Damola had bought small chops with fresh mango juice. He had suggested an eatery not far off from the neighbour but Yasmin had insisted on the snack shop close by. He didn’t fancy much junk food but then beggars have no choice. It was either he agreed or his visit would have been in vain. After showing up unannounced, this was the least he could do. “So, the restaurant you work in is about to shut down?”  He asked, picking a piece of samosa from the plastic plate it was served in. “Hmmm,” she nodded. She took another scoop of the ice cream and shut her eyes briefly while savouring the taste and then open them. “They should close down in two months or so.” He watched her with keen interest while digesting the information she gave him. “That must be so good.” She quickly opened her eyes and gave him a quizzical look. “The ic...

Tada! I present to you, my latest work 'It's Tee's Day.' It's Tee's day is a fiction-reality series that focuses on Talatu, a prolific writer and amazing mother of triplet and a great wife.

She plucked the phone off her ears and stared at the screen. It was a new number. The soft voice, she could recognise anywhere but it had been a while since they spoke last. The last time they communicated was two months after she arrived in Lagos and it was on a number she had stored in her contacts. But that phone number had been unreachable since then. “Yasmin, is that you?”  The voice asked again, uncertain. “ Shafa? ” “Oh, Alhamdulillah.”  Yasmin could relief in her voice.  “I have been on this for like an hour. I have tried more than ten numbers and was about to give up.” Yasmin didn’t want to say that because she wasn’t sure she understood what the other lady was talking about but all the same, she was about to say long time but Shafa beat her to it. “ Kwana biyu Yasmin, it’s been ages.” Yasmin smiled and was about to voice her agreement but the former continued. “I'm so sorry I'd not called all this while. My family were getting suspicious that I kne...

Do you pack up this new life and revert to your old ways or do you continue on this trail? Well this place is a no judgement zone. I very well know we all have our different battles to fight. Everyday we strive hard to make it better than the last. And this month is given to us every year to start afresh. Those of us lucky enough to witness it seize the opportunity to get our slate of bad deeds wiped clean. The fact that you had abandoned your old ways to focus only on the worship of Allah in this month shows what you think is more important. The fleeting enjoyment of this life or the eternal bliss of the hereafter? Yes, this life may be hard and striving

Yasmin sat, legs stretched on the sofa in their living room, a book in hand and a plate of chin chin on a small stool in front of her. She chewed slowly as she carefully digested the contents on each page of the book. She was so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t notice Lisa walk in until she spoke. “Still that novel?” Lisa asked while touching up her make-up. “Unhmm”  was all Yasmin said not even lifting her head. “I finished that novel in two days. This is your fourth day and you are just halfway through.” Her friend pointed out. “I love to be thorough with my reading.” She replied. “Like you are going to write exams on it.” “Whatever!” Yasmin said and then she looked up and realised what her friend was doing. “You are going out?” Lisa rolled her eyes. “I thought you wouldn't notice till I was long gone.” “We planned to spend the weekend indoors. What happened?” “Plans changed. I'm going to visit chike.” “He’s back? When?” “A few days back.”  Lisa replied a...

You can only try this when nobody reads your blog. Original post coming up InshaAllah.

Damola drove into the hotel premises where the party was happening. According to Adejare, it was a small get together of friends to celebrate another friend's achievement but what he saw didn’t look small. From where he parked, he sighted a few familiar celebrities in the entertainment industry that he went to say his hellos before heading towards where his friends were seated. “The king arrives.”  One of the guys on the table where his friends were sitting announced. They used to be well acquainted when Damola was still actively involved in the industry but now they only saw one another at very important functions. “It so hard to get hold of you these days.” The man continued. “How have you been?” “Good.”  Damola replied as he took the seat next to Jare. “And how have you been too, Mike. It’s been ages?” “Great. We are where you left us. Heard you and Jare now run creative schools. That’s a nice ‘give back to the society.’” Damola laughed.  “What can I say, m...

You have a very vivid imagination, Maryam."  The editor said as I got through to her. She was specially picked out for me by my publisher and she had told me we were going to be working together for her to capture the true essence of my stories. "What was going through your mind when you wrote these?" I sighed, smiled and replied. "Happiness as sweet as honey, sadness as bitter as bile." May our best dreams come through. May our hopes never be dashed. We each, on our journeys, strive to be the best of ourselves. Faced with uncertainties, and frustrations that could bring about depression. We need to persevere on our chosen course. Our persistence, patience coupled with our faith would go a long way in realising that dream so much desire. Keep on with the hard work or smart work like some people prefer to call theirs. Either way, just make sure yours is not the illegitimate type. There's this saying that where preparation meets opportunity, succe...