THe lasT waRd oN tHe leFT

My friend told me about his dad's mishap at the bathroom over a month ago while he was still in school,and as the weeks went by,i inquired further about his dad's health.When he came home two weeks ago,he told me daddy was recuperating but he had to be taken to the clinic for redressing on a daily basis.This week,his dad was hospitalized and i luckily happened to call at the right moment when they were together at the hospital.I asked him about his dad's health,then he felt glad that i did that cos daddy was right beside him.He handed over the phone to his dad and i wished him a speedy recovery.He was happy to hear from his son's very good friend and thanked me a lot for the care and kindness.A few hours later,i came into town and my friend picked me up to go and visit his dad at the hospital.We got there,and saw him playing a ZUMA game on his laptop.I was happy to see that he was feeling a lot better.We stayed for a while and left just as the doctor walked in to give my friend's dad his injection.I said goodbye to the old man and he thanked me once again.

Road TuNes

After lunch at my uncle's,we hit the road to Kaduna.Usually dad asks me what i'd like to listen to before the journey begins."what's a road trip without road tunes?"as Peyton Sawyer of the TV series "One Tree Hill" once said.The last time,i didnt have any cds onboard,so i had to settle with old school music and early rock.But this time,i was fully equipped.I'd specifically selected two alternative rock albums from my stash at home:Snow Patrol's "A hundred million suns" and Keane's "Under the iron sea" two albums i knew daddy would enjoy and relate to quite well cos if i'd chosen punk,he wouldnt have minded smashing the radio and throwing the cds right out the window.I opened my tiny bag and handed him the cds.He loaded both of them and off we went.Dad was totally hymning to some of the catchy choruses and even asked me "does this really fall under the rock genre?" i answered "yes,alternative rock to be precise" Both bands were from the Europe and they had quite a few singing styles that appeared to be common.I still havent gotten my cds back from dad yet,i just pray he remembers to return them,otherwise there's gonna be a remake of this cartoon series i used to enjoy as a kid entitled "My dad the rockstar" :-D

THe bOoK oF oPTicaL iLLusioNs

Dad pulled in to pick me up at my cousin's place on Saturday.As soon as i dumped my luggage in the trunk and stepped into the truck,he smiled and handed me a strange square-shaped book.He didnt say anything after that,as we drove out of town to my uncle's place.It was an art book,a rare kind that one seldom comes across.And even if we do,we try not to walk out of the store without it.It had a weird cover depicting a cat's face and a tiny mouse inside the face in a genius concept even an artist would "whoa" to.I opened the first page and there written with a felt tip red pen,was my full name and the date.Dad had already signed it as he always did when he bought me comics and MAD magazines.As i flipped the pages,i fell deeper and deeper into an imaginary world outside reality.So many abstract figures,symbols,illusions and other stuff you find only in your mind.Most of them were scary and seemed like they had hidden meanings.Sort of like the Da Vinci code cos most renowned artists from all around the world were featured in this book.I happened to figure out almost the entire pictures i came across.Some of them were actually moving or changing in depth.The puzzles were quite baffling as well as the symbolic diagrams.As i read on,dad asked me if i liked the book.I just nodded my head and said "yes,very much" cos i was spellbound at that moment.This book was awesome and challenging.One i could use to brag about for a long time too as it was a collector's item.We took a left bend after the bridge to my uncle's neighborhood.And that's when i actually snapped back to reality.I didnt even realize how far out of town we'd gotten cos i was entirely in another world buried in this book.A world of the creative,unique and extraordinary...

BReaKiNg tHe baRRieR

Since my friends left for school last year,i could say that i havent really been in touch with them.And if memory serves me right,i may only have contacted a few of them once.This isnt as a result of not caring a straw as most people would think.The "out of sight,out of mind card" may come into this picture and blot the landscape,but it isnt so.Most people who leave find it hard to communicate instantly as they need to arrive,settle and acclimatize before thinking about finding a tiny card to insert into a phone and contacting you.Well,i have been meaning to give them a ring atleast to find out how life's treating them there cos we never know.So a few days ago,i promised myself that i'd give some of them surprise calls.The Egyptian's phone was switched off,the Malaysian had already returned home.But i managed to reach the two English men and did some catching up.It was nice talking to them after umpteen months,atleast somebody made the first move to break that hard wall standing in between the friendship.

RoRo tHe meNace

My brother handed over the keys to the dusty Civic to this bellboy at our house.Atleast i could refer to him that way considering he runs errands,does chores and the likes of such.He was instructed to clean only and that was it.But when my brother was out of sight,a crazy thought crossed the boy's mind.He wanted to actually see if the screeches and stunts he saw on TV are really as easy as they seemed.So when we were all having a session at the sitting room,we heard the sound of a starting ignition.None of us paid close attention to it as it sounded a bit distant.Next we heard a louder sound as the boy stepped hard on the reverse pedal.That's when we paused and looked out through the curtains.And there,right before our eyes was the naughty boy in the driver's seat.He could barely see a thing in front of him,but still didnt mind accelerating at a fast rate.He was totally oblivious to the other vehicles parked there and almost put a dent on the nearest car to it.We screamed out his name,but the glasses were up.Nothing mattered but his stunt lesson.My brother dashed outside in the nick of time to save a life.Luckily,he prevented some minor damage on the side of that car by going for the door and asking the boy to get the hell out."what do you think you're doing?are you crazy?" the boy felt so abashed and frightened on the spot.He froze for a bit,then apologized and walked away.My brother parked properly and joined us back inside the house.Thank God for the life and cars he saved on this day.

HoMe aLoNe aNd loviNg tHe zoNe.....uNTiL.......

The entire house left for Jalingo to attend my cousin's wedding taking place tomorrow morning.Its quite unfortunate that i couldnt be there,for some cryptic reason still unknown to me.My brother was supposed to meet me here from his trip to proceed to Kaduna together.But little did i know that his plans had changed.He took a U-turn and hit the long road home without me.So here i am all alone in this majestic home.Indoor bound,except the 15 minute walk i took to perform my Friday prayers and the brisk stroll i took to get myself a voucher.Other than that,i've been in this room burying myself in my writing pad,sketching new characters,reading my MAD magazines,relaxing behind my headphones and reciting my holy book every now and then.I like it,dont regret being here by myself one bit.The fortress of solitude is a haven,a sanctum that i could always find solace when the shadows grow closer.But everyone back at the headquarters was anxious for me to come back,so mum called and incisted that i should accompany dad on his trip back to Kaduna tomorrow.Guess i'll be heading home where my missing heart is waiting for me to arrive and put it right back into place.So much for the silence i say,for its time for me to take a holiday.Atleast until Monday :)

BLiNd daTe

My friend had always teased me about tying the knot whenever we were at a wedding ceremony.He's made it his hobby horse to discuss the marital life,though its funny that he's not even in a relationship.A few weeks ago,i received a beep from him notifying me that he'd already set me up with somebody and needed to tell me how much he screwed up.I found it rather intriguing and inquired for chapter and verse until i had all the necessary details.He suggested that i'd give it a shot since i was single and he assured me that it was a good wager considering she's heard a lot about me and couldnt wait for her phone to ring.The first episode commenced when i sent her a jocular beep introducing myself.She didnt reply,so i decided to give her a ring two days later.I was diverted to another line which explains why my message was still hanging in the air.She picked up and we had a little chit chat.Then we laughed it off and set a rendezvous on facebook.I showed up with a request,but the confirmation was pending again.So i browsed through her pictures to see for myself what the voice behind the phone looked like physically.She was cute,and quite a shutterbug.After a few riffles,i got tired and logged out.Finally,she accepted my request the next day.Then we began talking and chatting via mobile.Got well acquainted,and took off as friends.I even named her "Hawaii" a derivative from her name and she liked it.So far so good,the jelling is going like clockwork.Then i found out that we even lived in the same town as she was done with her exams and returned home.I didnt make inquiries about her address then,and i still havent.I think slow mo's the wisest decision for now.Last week,she told me she'd be leaving for Dubai to spend her holidays.I wished her a safe trip and now its been a few days since she's been gone,so am still looking forward to hearing from her again :)

oNe sTep cLoseR,two sTeps bacK

Rumor had it that the then governor of Kaduna state had been appointed as the new vice president.Though he hadnt resumed office and wasnt sworn in yet.The mere speculations on everybody's lips had the entire crowd stirring stories about the past life i shared with this man's daughter two years ago.I dated his daughter when he was in office,but unfortunately called it quits the following year.We hadnt and still havent been in touch since then.A large opaque barrier has built its wall between us and i really dont see it becoming any clearer soon."good riddance" was the final card she played in the game,so i actually had no regrets cos her mind had already been made up.The silence from the crowd prevailed until her father was announced vice president on TV and radio last week.That's when the endless calls,congratulatory messages and tweets emerged out of the blue.I didnt even know what to do or say,but wish them well on their appointment.The teasing still continues with me being a sell out in the picture;a wet blanket who's stopping his people from being connected with the second person in command in the country.I know i didnt mess up,fate had it all figured out.If only these people who have made me an effigy could see through my eyes,they'd know that a good thing happened for all the right reasons.

THe sicK cRadLe

My baby niece had been ill for almost a week and it had both my mum and sister facing sleepless nights staying awake for vigils in turns.Apparently,the infant had a boil or something of that nature in her ear and was constantly crying every night.Even after the hospital consultations,the pain only subsided and resurfaced again.Shortly after the first few shots into the baby's system,good health started seeing the light of day.Everyone was excited cos we all faced a painful ordeal the past week.Now baby's fully recovered with perky giggles and the subtle baby talk ;)

THe coLdesT sHouLdeR

Okay so it was a saturday afternoon and i was watching the O.C on TV.Suddenly my phone rang and an unknown number was calling me.I paused,then answered and there was a strange female voice at the receiving end."Ahmed" she said,"how are you,guess who?" i didnt have the slightest idea who it was cos her voice didnt sound familiar at all.When i gave up,she said "its Hadiza,your old classmate.Hadiza Blell" first of all,i was mute.I didnt say a word until she asked if i'd recognized her.I said yes,but had a funny feeling that somebody was playing a prank on me.She was so disappointed that i didnt shriek or show any excitement one bit after all the years of silence.She said goodbye with a cold low tone and hung up the phone.A minute later,she sent a text with terse contents expressing how hurt she was and how much it had shocked her to hear me utter those words.Later on,i felt very bad about what happened on the phone and decided to call and apologize to her.She didnt pick up the first time,then i called again.Still no answer,so i gave up and rinsed the thought off my head.Though its materializing again.Am not proud of what i did and hope she'll eventually forgive and forget everything.People make mistakes,that's what makes us human.

Road TRipPiNg

Daddy was leaving for Kd today and coincidentally i had already packed and was set to skip town.Mum called me and told me to wait up and come over with him later in the day so i did.After 5pm,his driver picked me up at the office and took me home to get my luggage.Then we went straight to daddy's place without wasting any more time.I put my bag with his suitcases in the truck,and we were good to go.Daddy asked me for my favorite genre of music.I told him i was a sucker for rock,and he tuned in to a station which played my sort of jams.He was amazed by my choice and even promised to get me the famous Led Zeppelin album on vinyl which he owned during his prime times.We talked shop and caught up a lot.Seemed like my dad was trying to get to know me better by throwing random favorites and awaiting answers.I told him about my job and how exciting i was about it.He encouraged me and gave me pointers to ponder on and innovative new ways to win my crowd.He also told me about his current projects,status,and future plans for the family.It was the most interesting conversation i've had with him this year.And considering the number of times we see eachother,i treasured it so much and utilized it to the fullest.Seldom do dads have time for their boys these days,but on this special day,we fastened our seatbelts,just the two of us and rode hobby horses driving past distant skylines and nearby turnstiles.When it started getting dark,dad turned on the radio and we listened to an islamic program until we pulled inside the house.Fun fun fun trip.I totally loved it!

SHawaRMa scouTs

When i got back home,my brother was still snoring.I waited patiently for him to wake up so we could grab some dinner.Luckily,his phone rang and he woke up.It was only a flash.He asked me if i'd eaten and i said no.So he spruced up a bit and we went off to a fast food joint to get some shawarmas and beverages.Atleast that'd suffice for the night.We parked at our favorite spot on the roadside and devoured like hungry bears.A few minutes later,we headed home and it was straight to bed.Goodnight folks!

THe sTaRiNg macHiNe

While my brother was snoring in bed,i went to the nearby salon to take a haircut.I walked passed the barber without even noticing him until i got in and found the ladies doing their hair.The woman in charge sent for him,and in a few minutes he showed up.He welcomed me and asked how i'd like to cut my hair.I instructed him to cut it low.As he was fastening the cloth around my neck,i noticed the girl behind me sitting on a chair and staring at the mirror without taking off her eyes even for a second.Everytime i looked up,i'd find her scoping even with her head slanted and the barber blocking her view.She bided her time to watch me whenever there was contact between her and the mirror.This went on until i was finished and good to go.I almost asked her "excuse me,do i look like someone you know?" but i hesitated,grabbed my change and stepped out of the building.

RaiN agaiN

Since we arrived in the morning,the weather was cool and suitable for a good rest.Its usually hot in this town,but it rained today and everything changed.I wrapped myself in a warm blanket after having my bath and still i cant get up.The feeling's so good and the drizzles sound serene.I didnt sleep cos i was scared of what i'd miss if i closed my eyes.So here i am,enjoying the moment while it lasts.Atleast i wont be up,not until sundown when i get up to say my prayers.What a day!

MiNd oF a soLdieR

My brother has always fancied the army cos of discipline,courage,power and respect.Lately,he's been applying for available jobs and plying every angle seeking for employment.But his missions were almost impossible in the end.After umpteen trials,he gave it up to apply for short service as an air force recruit soldier.Atleast that would replace the redundancy and also open up avenues for him as it's a lucrative career that's booming in this country.Last week,the list of lucky applicants was out and his name had appeared there.With utter excitement,everyone at home gave him maximum support as well as advice.Plus,the pros lectured him with briefings and all the necessary details.Yesterday,i offered him my backpack as he gathered his required belongings.Then he went to the salon and shaved his scalp bald as an egg.All night,he waited patiently for his early reporting at the base the next day.This morning,he came over to my room and said goodbye."No phones or communication for now" he said,and went off like a soldier.Goodluck bro,train hard and see you when i see you again...

THe sacRed socceR souveNiR

My brother's friend Farouk had given my brother a merchandise cap of the soccer team Arsenal to put on and display to other fans around town.It was authentic and unique,and the moment i saw it,it caught my eyes.Blue's my color,and this cap had three different shades of blue on it.The main material was navy blue,the emblazoned label writing was aquamarine and the Nike tick in front was light blue.So i wore it to work for a day,everyone complimented when i passed by.I knew this cap looked good with the Umbro sports top i wore.It made me feel like a sportsman.Quite ironic if you ask me.When Farouk noticed how much i fancied the cap,he decided to give it to me as a token from him.I was so surprised when he handed it over to me considering he was a huge fan and i wasnt even doing a foray into the game.This is why am gonna treasure this cap with all my heart.But it wont lead me towards the soccer street,this am pretty sure of.

MaY DaY

Yes,i finally had time to catch forty winks and recharge my batteries.The first day of May is usually a public holiday for everyone around here.However,it didnt really seem like a holiday considering its a weekend.But as it extends,i know that lucky feeling will exude out of me either way.Thank you May for giving me a day off work.Its fun,but atleast a little break once in a while wouldnt hurt.