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

I scrolled through my phone. Boring! I thought. So, I went through the few messages I had and made sure to reply to each message before I forgot. I tossed my phone aside. Gone were the days when the simple thought of being online excited me. These days na my diary get the gist. "Wayyo Allah na!"  Baddiya screamed, her phone in hand. My head almost fell off my neck out of fear before it crossed my mind. She was probably just being dramatic. Of all my friends Baddiya was the most dramatic of them all. Hands down, she takes the crown. People have called me dramatic too after all birds of a feather flock together. But I doubt it. A gentle girl like me. Then, she started to cry. She still had her phone in her hand but she was staring at something in it like her life depended on it. "Is everything alright?"  I asked, as I walked up behind her and snatched the phone before she could protest. I looked at the screen and I wanted to throw up. Here was a part of m

A Ramadan inspired post. Dead people can do no wrong. Ever wondered why people always have good things to say about those no longer with us? There's already the quote that says 'speak no ill of the dead' and one time enemies are now forced to rack their brains for those rare moments to share in speeches. The thing is every single living soul has an enemy. No matter how good or almost perfect you think yourself to be, there's that someone who just hates you for existing. Ask this person why they have so much hatred for someone and they have no tangible reason. Cross the oceans and seas, climb the highest mountain and bring heaven to earth it still wouldn't make meaning. Even the best of mankind, Our Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be on him. As beautiful as he was, in and out, as loved as he was and still is had enemies, what less we, with our series of imperfections. While love and hate are both very powerful emotions, the former is positiv

G one are the days when the only place to watch series is on a cable network and local stations. Nowadays one is spoilt for choice with varieties of series on the internet, found on streaming platforms like Netflix, Showmax, Amazon prime video, Irokotv and so on. Usually watching movies and TV series is only possible with a subscription fee that is mostly charged monthly and some streaming apps, also offer yearly plan and then you need a solid data plan.  Meaning you get to incur expenses in two ways; a subscription to access the movies and a data plan to be able to watch the movies, which to some people is a total waste of money, especially in places like Nigeria where data plans are still very expensive. In recent times, there has been an upsurge of alternatives to the series on subscription-based platforms called web series. As the internet involves and the demands of consumers increased so as the contents being churned out refined. These days you can watch quality movies and serie

For the lazy days. #Saynotoprocrastination It's a talent killer. Though it is fresh and flowing, I just let it lie So many things to do, yet I left them undone Days pass, weeks into months but still there's nothing that I have done Ideas keep running through my head, hands itching to pour it out yet I won't budge There is still time, of course, I will surely do something tomorrow And when tomorrow comes I leave it till the next Now I'm ready just like I was all this while only that this time I mean it Now that I'm ready all the things have been coned off The ideas are stuck somewhere and it's like my brain is switched off Now I have realised that there are some things that you must not dodge Now that I have changed, things have also changed Yes, things have turned the other way and now I have a bloated ink.

The story of the Shepherd who cried Wolf comes to mind whenever the story of another clout chaser(s) comes online. It was a story that stuck to my mind because it carries a powerful lesson and because I read it twice in two different books. Both stories had their variations but the lesson remained the same. These stories I had read in primary and junior secondary school or read them both in either. My memory of when I read it is a bit jumbled but here is the summary of the story. There was this shepherd who used to live in a particular place. He would take his sheep for grazing far and outside the village. So one day he thought it cool to play a trick on the villagers, so he ran back to the village after taking his flock out for grazing. He started to scream wolf, wolf. The wolf was attacking his flock. The villagers felt pity for him and ran out to help him but on getting there, they discovered it was just a trick. Angry that their activities were disrupted over a lie, the

I look back at yesterday  And I'm grateful for today  Because today holds the promise of tomorrow.  Never lose sight of the future  because you are so immersed in the moment but also enjoy the joy  that comes with every moment Remember you are never in total control of tomorrow.  To love, To life, to dreams yet to be realised,  to the ones already achieved  to the ones still to be imagined. Alhamdulillah for everything. To those moments I've ignored  To blind to see what's within my reach. Forgive me,  I was ignorant  A bird in hand is definitely worth more than two in the Bush To the ones I love  And those that love me more There's always a space in my heart for you. Several thoughts dedicated to each of you every time I spend alone. To the gifts and blessings  I took for granted,  received on a platter of gold From the Source of generosity One independent of all  yet very dependable.  I had cast away these for far too long  but now away I put them no more. I want to e

I enjoy the good old feel of pen on paper. But I also love the flexibility that comes with typing straight away on my computer. The thing is, the good old way comes with its limitations and the fact is, it will still need to go through the typing process for the end product to be ready for distribution to readers, be it a hard copy or a soft copy. My first attempt at writing was in a twenty leaves notebook. I was in junior secondary school one (JSS 1). I had enjoyed all the story books I had consumed, why learning the English language and I wanted people to enjoy my stories too. So, one day I said to my friends " I want to start writing ." And they said " Alright ." They were wondering how I was going to do it and if I was even serious about it. Those friends of mine became my first set of readers. My beta readers , you could say.  The story I wrote was simple. It was a clichéd nollywood story about a girl who was always maltreated by her stepmother, sh

So I decided to dig out this old piece of mine from seven years ago on Facebook to share here. I used to wonder why eye contact was that important. Why some people would read a direct eye contact as arrogance while some would see its avoidance as disrespectful or even term it suspicious .  How did they even reach that conclusion? I for one, see eye contact as a vital part of communication but thing is,  don’t over do it . A Prolonged eye contact can be quite uncomfortable for some people. I once attended a criminology class as part of a general course required for my communication course. It was a one time class but I enjoyed that class so much that I wished that if I didn't major in it then it should have been made one of the minor course choice for Mass Communication just like Sociology and Political Science. In that class I learnt that your physical features could determine if you are capable of commiting a certain crime or not.  Months later I wanted to know more a

In life, I have come to realise there's a thin line between two extremes. Love and hate , Sanity and madness, good and evil, Life and death and how one tiny decision can flip you to the other side. Even the difference between days is just a second. Do you know that some minds can be so fickle? Or that the right choice of words could change even the most hard hearted. Balance, however important is not really what it is, equal . Balance in itself is a test because we spend our lives trying to create that natural balance in our lives. Have you ever wondered how two people could see the same thing from different perspective? Like how being straightforward could be seen as being tactless and a diplomatic person tagged a cunny being. I have always wondered if people would rather be comforted by lies or face harsh truths. The truth could be a bitter pill to swallow, if it's not something we want to hear. Even if someone asks for an honest opinion, be careful it might just

But as much as we want it, in reality there is no such thing as a true happily ever after. That is if your definition of it entails a smooth, problem free kind. While happily everafter is the end in movies and novels, in the real world it is just the beginning. The two lovers and their loved ones will still face challenges that will either make or break them. The process is a never ending one as long as they live. Still, this has not stop some of us from enjoying great romance stories. Call us hopeless  hopeful romantics and you won't be wrong. Here are two novels with a happy ending that I enjoyed because who wants a romeo and Juliet love when there is that of cinderella? ●• Love happens eventually  I won't lie, Feyi Aina has got me hooked on her books with her writing style, ( I know, 🤫 I'm not a nobel laureate  yet . So you can stop rolling your eyes at me.) I just finished another of her books and it was like it shouldn't finis

Sara had worn that pink dress she loves so much. She had been invited to a party but she didn't know what to wear. Then she remembered she has this pink gown she had reluctantly bought four years ago. She had worn it like six different to several occasions but each time she wore it felt as if she was wearing it for the first time. People never seem to stop telling her how beautiful she looked in it. A friend of the host she's meeting for the first time says "Your dress is so lovely." Sara smiles and goes on to say "Thanks. It's not really a new dress. I have worn it a couple of times but people never cease to stop admiring it." " Always resist the urge to shalaye " was something I heard from the Quam character in Quam's money played by comedian/rapper Falz but I could have seen it a couple of times online. Shalaye is a popular Nigerian slang mostly used in the southwestern part of the country. The word was coined from the Yoruba word Ṣe àlà

Every year the school send off students but not every year was a speech and prize giving day. This year was one of those special years because it was not only a day when outgoing students were celebrated but also a time when the other students who had performed well in learning and character were rewarded. This year was going to be interesting because some not so known faces had made it into the 'league of prize collectors’ . But you know what, I looked forward to those sweet Zobo drinks and delicious Jollof rice that would be served at the dining hall. And that got me thinking, so una sabi cook sweet food like this? What’s up with the coloured water for breakfast, the tasteless soup at lunch and the runny beans for dinner. That day was special, call it Sallah and Christmas combined. Latest gossips were usually treated like some sort of delicacy and the bearers prefer to serve them hot, hence the coinage 'hot hot' . When you hear that you don know say sweet gist dey ground

These four African books are a must read lovers of good stories. First of all, let me say this, I was not paid to write this or review anything here. When I recommend books and movies, it is because I enjoyed them myself. I try to avoid posting anything that's not worth your time. I review hyped stories to let you know if they met expectations or not (which is like an exception from what I wrote a few lines above, about writing what is only worth it).  This is not a review but just a brief summary to give you an idea of what each book is about. The books are definitely worth your time and a great add to your library. With that cleared, please let's move right into this beautiful list I made, just for you. Starting the list is this Nigerian story, Mrs Unmarried . It is a thrilling story about Ezinne, a married and battered woman who later becomes the prime suspect in the murder case of her husband because all fingers points at her. She alone has the most motives to do it and aft

It has been almost a week since its release on Netflix and this movie is still enjoying massive attention from Nigerians. Both part of the movie have managed to appear in top movies of the different categories of the streaming app. Movie lovers like myself have had to rewatch the prequel to make sure I don't miss out on anything.  In case you are still yet to watch the movie. Here's why you might either want to play or skip this movie. And yes, I'm going to be very careful so that I don't give out spoilers.  Here's a a brief summary of the prequel. A Wealthy man dies and is survived by a wife and a son or so they thought until mistresses and children start to spring up claiming to be married to him or fathered by him and therefore entitled to the inheritance.  Chief Daddy 2: Going for broke is mainly a continuation of the endless drama in its prequel and just like the subtitle states our main characters have all gone broke all thanks to some certain character. Reme

Believe it or not, everyone one of us has a positive and a negative voice. It does not matter what you choose to call yours or what you see yours as, they are what they are. I like to see mine as friends; the friend who makes me feel I can be whatever I want to be once I set my mind to it and the friend who reminds me of my limitations. The thing is we all love that voice, the one that fills us with power, the voice that gives us the energy to go out and own the world. With this voice every one of us is a conqueror of all our problems and obstacles. But we also need that voice of pause. The one that makes us stop a little, to think ( wait, is this going to work?) Now, don't get me wrong. I know I called it the negative voice. Yes, it is. But only when you don't tame it or better put when you don't watch it!.. Like seriously, you need to watch this voice. You need to put it in check. Only when this voice gets out of hand, then it becomes a negative voice, hindering every

I am a corp member currently serving in Abeokuta city of Ogun State.  Today I am giving you some major things I have observed since I was posted to the city to obey the clarion call. Well it’s more like things you need to know about the city and its people. Other corp members I have spoken to about these have also confirmed it. Yes, they’ve noticed these things too.  Topography This is not strange. The name Abeokuta literally means under the rock or beneath/below the stone, so one wouldn’t be surprised if the whole city is rocky. There are lots of rocks everywhere that I kept thinking Olumo is scattered everywhere not until