QUEASY TUMMY, RAINY NIGHT

   

   Zona continued to stare at the road reading any and every sign post in sight. This was a very new world for her, even though she never left wade street, she could argue that this ‘lagos’ may very well be louder than the famed Newyork city and probably more dense with people and things. If only she had the strength to scribble, the pages of her diary would probably be filled with endless sign posts they had passed as they pulled into the Abeokuta expressway. Nonso quickly assured them that the traffic they had found themselves in was a normalcy and that it was usually so at that part of town around 8pm ish. The traffic was a slow one but thankfully they were nearing the SANTA INES HOTEL on Anifowose Street where they had planned to lodge for a couple days so that Zona can sort some paper works and other things out before seeking out Azuka Godson down east.

 “Madam make I on radio?” Nonso asked switching to ‘pidgin’ to lighten up the rather heavy mood in the cab as no one was trying to make any conversations. “If you feel like it” aunt Gertrude said not caring in the least what happens with the cab stereo “I have a headache so if you can, turn the volume to the lowest.” Zona removed her eyes from the road and shot Aunt Gertrude a quick look wondering what brought the condescending no-nonsense Aunt Gertrude back and where she had been for over an hour now, perhaps it was the combination of jet lag and the slow traffic. She couldn’t blame her; she too was beginning to feel drowsy and heavy headed. She knew she should at least close her eyes for a little while maybe catch some sleep whilst they were stuck in traffic but her curiosity wouldn’t let her tear her eyes off of the bustling city and weird hawkers alike.

“Zona! Zona wake up we have arrived at the hotel” Aunt Gertrude shook the teenager vigorously and she opened her eyes in a fright “o my God did I fall asleep?” she queried blinking repeatedly to send back what remained of the interrupted nap, “obviously” aunt Gertrude said as she stepped out of the cab with Nonso’s help of course. "madam bye bye, echezona bye bye" Nonso greeted waving them good bye after having helped them to the hotel reception and trotted happily towards his cab, apparently satisfied with the tip he just received from Zona . Wasn’t long until they were checked in and the hotel attendant showed them to their suite. Aunt Gertrude made sure to inform the attendant to bring up the food menu so they can quickly eat as it was getting really late. “I don’t think I want to eat anything at all” Zona said as soon as the attendant left the suite “I don’t think that anything I eat will sit well, my tummy feels really queasy right now. I should just check the fridge for some juice and probably eat in the morning when I feel better” she continued unconsciously rubbing her tummy at the same time. Aunt Gertrude shrugged and continued to set out some items on the mahogany night stand by the bed “you are going to have a cracker at least; you can’t go to bed on an empty stomach Zona!” she declared!

Zona was grateful for the heavy downpour or rather the chilly weather it created, she wasn’t sure if she might have been able to sleep otherwise with the jet lag that plagued her.

She looked at the table clock on the night stand and realized it was only 2:15 am, grateful for more sleep time; she threw the duvet above her head and easily slipped into sleep once more. There are a number of things she had to do when the day breaks which included asking Aunt Gertrude for Nonso the cab boy’s contact, but for now she will let nature run its full course and surrender her tired bones to sleep.

 ....See you soon loves.

Thanks for visiting, please please share and leave your comments. they are really appreciated to a large extent. I hope we are all having a great week, if you are going through some rough patch please don't give up, your time is here, trust the process and hold on to the future you dream. trust God and believe in yourself. don't let anybody try to make you feel less than you deserve or make you feel you are not enough, trust me you are more than enough. love love love you guys. you are the shizniz!!!

LOUD LOUD LAGOS

 “Aunt slow down I can’t catch up!” Zona yelled trailing Aunt Gertrude as they made their way from the baggage claim. She wondered how the septuagenarian moved so quickly that she often had to break into a mini sprint when it looked like she was losing Aunt Gertrude in the Murtala Mohammed II airport crowd. Zona was visibly exhausted from the 12hr flight and so was very thankful when Aunt Gertrude and the Cab man finally settled on a ridiculous ₦15000 bill no thanks to the recession the country currently was facing.  She didn’t understand the igbo language they spoke for the most part (and made a mental note to brush up on the little she learnt growing up, probably add some if she can) but was certain the dapper looking middle aged cab driver implied he had brought the price ‘below the usual rate’ because Aunt Gertrude was apparently his ‘sister’ or in his word ‘nwannem’. She wondered if every igbo person considered each other sibling or just when it mattered. “alright alright” aunt Gertrude said trying her best to mask her foreign ‘oyinbo’ accent, “help me get the luggage into the trunk – the boot” she corrected as soon as she saw the perplexed look on Nonso the cabbie’s face when she used the American terminology for the open space at the rear of a car. 

 She had since learnt from her many visits to Nigeria to make the conscious effort to sound very ‘Nigerian’ whenever she was in the country or at least in certain settings; sounding ‘abroadish’ in the market place will definitely have you buying goods at higher prices just for the mere assumption that you are in possession of the dollar or its equivalent in Naira which was big money, on the other hand being quite fluent with an outlandish English accent in an official setting gets things moving for you. Just roll your ‘Rs’, throw in some “wannas” and ‘gonnas’ and they will be eating out of your hands. 

In the day, folks with British accent usually got such preferential treatments but not since it had become a trend and ‘British accent’ learning schools started to pop up in every city was the VIP treatment only reserved to the folks with the rolling Rs, our American brethren.  “here, call Obiageli and let her know we arrived safely alright?” Aunt Gertrude handed Zona a little phone that looked like it only came out whenever she was in Nigeria. “Ok thanks” Zona said and quickly started to key in her mom’s number whilst giving herself a mental reminder to visit an AIRTEL office and get herself a viable ‘SIM’ card as she had initially planned after a thorough inquiry as to the best network service providers in Nigeria. “Don’t expect the call to be entirely smooth o” (adding the ‘o’ at the end to sound as Nigerian as possible) Aunt Gertrude said as Zona waited for her mom to pick up; a wait that seemed to be unending. “International calls are better and clearer during night time anyway, but just let her know we arrived safely and maybe at night you two will talk if you have the strength to that is” Aunt Gertrude said almost at the same time that Obiageli picked up “mom! Mom it’s me, Zona! Can you hear me? hello hel- hello” “I don’t think she can hear me Aunt, ugh the connection sucks” Zona said frustrated with the less than average quality network and hoped that when she eventually got a SIM card from AIRTEL Nigeria, the network reception would be a lot better than whichever ONE Aunt Gertrude was using. “Maybe I should simply send her a text” she said questioningly to Aunt Gertrude who nodded in affirmation “that would probably be better cos’ am not even sure I have enough call credit in that old thing”. Zona had already started to type a message to Obiageli when the Phone went off without prior warning, she cursed under her breath and Aunt Gertrude apologized for the whole phone troubles whilst asking Nonso to help her charge the phone with his car charger. Zona wondered what was odder between Aunt Gertrude’s rare ‘niceness’ and Nonso’s clearly polished English with what she thought was a hint of British accent.  She will have to wait for some other time to call her mom, for now she will fix her eyes on the road and maybe find out if there was a commotion of some sort ahead or the ‘city’ of Lagos was just extremely Loud!

Till next week...

Foot Note: Hi guys, happy weekend. Sure your day is swell? I am so so so sorry didn't post an episode in the past week, my computer broke down and I couldn't fix it as soon as I had wanted. I feared if I have let you guys down, please bear with me. Am back now *drum rolls* 👏👏👏👏👏 

I sincerely hope you are enjoying my public diary and sharing with your friends too. love love love you guys! Zona says hi too lol! have a great weekend.

MIGHT AS WELL FACE IT..

  

  Obiageli had been in a very foul mood since the beginning of the week, she was no joy to be around and highly irritable. She didn’t want to admit that suddenly she doesn’t want Zona to make the trip, what kind of mother would she be if she did that? She started the whole Nigeria business after all so why back out now? Maybe it was because her heart was on the verge of breaking, she didn’t know this emotion she was feeling or how best to handle it.  Zona, just like her mother was highly introverted. She never traveled, never went to summer camps or anywhere Ashley had tried to drag her to in the past. Frankly she hadn’t stepped a foot out of Eastwood. Obiageli tried to warn her about the dangers of staying in Eastwood all year round, but was admittedly grateful she had her daughter around especially on days she would reminisce and become a bit depressed. Now she would have to say goodbye to her, Thank God Albert was in her life now. She won’t be lonely anymore; not in the least, but she will definitely miss Zona and constantly worry about her.

“Mom, I can travel by myself, I don’t think it is necessary to make me travel with Aunt Gertrude, you know how she can get” Zona wasn’t a fan of her mom’s eldest cousin aunt Gertrude and absolutely abhorred the idea of being ‘chaperoned’ by her all the way to Nigeria. Aunt Gertrude was quite set in her ways; she traveled biannually to Nigeria to stock up on native food items. She wouldn’t let anyone send her any; she feared she may be ‘bewitched’ by evil relatives, if ever she received a package, she forwarded it to Obiageli and Zona. Apparently they are immune to ‘witchcraft’.

 Albert was to drive Zona and pick Aunt Gertrude from not so far town of little hills and drive them to Rosa Parks international Airport come Sunday evening. She would have to be on her best behavior if she was to travel with and live in 'prim and proper' 'condescending' Aunt Gertrude’s family house. Thankfully her headsets and iPod were coming with her. “I know sweetheart, believe me” Obiageli said, “but it is important that you go with her, we should be grateful she is here to take you because you know I can’t dear.” “fine mom!” Zona sighed and accepted her lot.

“Honey just try and hold it together so you don’t spook her” Albert said to Obiageli as he put down the last of Zona’s luggage in the trunk of his Army green Sedan. He too was distraught with emotion but he wasn’t going to breakdown the way Obiageli was on the verge of doing, one of them had to be level headed and from the look of things he was that ‘one’. He slammed the trunk shut shaking off the emotion building up inside him “Zona! We are gonna be late” Albert yelled towards the front porch where Joshua and Ashley were saying their goodbyes to an overwhelmed Zona amidst sobs and muffled cries. In about a minute, the three were finally able to drag themselves from the front porch to Albert’s waiting car. Zona got into the back seat and Albert closed the door, he went around the car in quick long strides, got in, started the engine and started to pull out of the driveway. Joshua and Ashley stood affixed and waved vigorously at the now dim sedan that quickly blended into the evening save for the rear lights that shone through the fog.

They arrived at the airport with barely 25minutes to spare and Aunt Gertrude was literally visibly upset, she went briskly ahead of the trio who were saying their last minutes goodbyes. “Please call me as soon as you land okay?” “remember everything we talked about, stay close to Aunt Gertrude at all times until you get to her house, don’t go anywhere without informing her of your whereabouts…” Obiageli was about to give Zona a rundown of the instructions they had earlier discussed but for the timely and very necessary intervention of Albert reminding them that the last call for Zona’s flight had just been made.

Obiageli couldn’t find the strength to walk back to the car or to her life with Zona on her way to far away ‘Africa’. She tried very hard not to break down as they said their goodbyes but had lost it as soon as Zona had boarded. 

...same time and place darlings...

Footnote: sorry again guys I have been quite  busy hence the reason I didn't post on the weekend. maybe once a week will do? not sure or should I just go with the flow and make nothing definite? well hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoying your weeks already! Thanks again darlings, don't forget to share and drop comments. Have a great week ahead! Enjoy! ...Ogadimma.

Shuttertock, many thanks for the pictures!❤💋

QUARTER TO NIGERIA.

 Obiageli looked a vision in her Grecian styled form fitting dress. Ashley had made her fro into a fine up do that offset her oval face perfectly and had adorned it with beautiful silver rosettes to appear like a crown around her head; leaving a few gossamer strands to fall on the nape of her head that softened the lines at the crease of her eyes. Zona had chosen flat knee high silver gladiator sandals that were revealed by the generous slit in front of the dress. She had achieved the ‘Grecian goddess’ themed bride she set out to create and Obiageli couldn’t hold back her surprise when she stared at her image in the dressing mirror. Admittedly, she didn’t quite understand Zona’s idea at first and wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but now she was certain she wouldn’t have had it any other way. She was mostly grateful for the comforts the flat sandals provided.

She was a bride to be; Albert Carter’s bride to be, handsome wonderful loving Albert. It was unreal.

The wedding ceremony was just splendid from the church service to the mini reception. Everything had gone on as planned and the music played on into the evening. Albert was every bit the dapper groom, his double breasted navy blue suit complemented Obiageli’s caramel skin color perfectly. It was a match made in Eastwood heaven. Obiageli has never looked forward to the future as expectantly as she did now.  Everything was going to be different from here on out she thought. Good different. She could hardly wait for their lives together to start, but for now she has to turn her attention towards Zona’s trip to Nigeria.  

 The paper works required for Zona’s trip now concluded, had taken a back seat when the wedding preparations started and resumed as soon as Albert had moved in. He tried to put in as much effort and time as the church schedule allowed into helping Zona prepare for her travel. He drove her places she needed to go if he was available, advised her on ways to handle herself in certain situations and stressed the importance of having a pepper spray handy. He went on to teach her a bit of karate to defend herself incase hoodlums flew from the sky in Nigeria, one would think the Rev. had just returned from a rather ill fated trip to Nigeria; he had his fears alright but like Obiageli, he too believed Zona would survive.

 It always started out as a make-shift karate session in ‘a’ rearranged living room and ended as a bonding session between the new father and daughter; some days Zona was either too tired to lift a leg or just altogether unwilling, Some other days she was game. Other days the reverend ran out of karate styles, his knowledge, no thanks to bootleg karate DVDs he watched as a young boy, was indeed limited on the subject even though he refuses to admit it. In fact, most things he demonstrated were very far from an actual Karate. But in his mind, it counted if it could protect Zona God forbid a situation presents itself. 

“I still cannot believe she will be leaving for Nigeria this weekend” Obiageli said to Albert as they drove home from church , “I mean I knew that at some point we would get here but now that we are here it is really difficult to accept” she continued. “I know” Albert said “it is unreal, I only hope that we have done enough to prepare her mentally and otherwise” Even though Albert hadn’t known Zona for the most part of her life, he had come to love the girl as the child he never had from his first marriage and hence became quite protective of her. Just like her mother she really was easy to love and now she was going to a place far from ‘home’. Was there make shift karate-bonding session enough to endear him to her he wondered; he nursed the fear that she may reconnect with her father, maybe rediscover their bond and he will have to be second place in her heart. 

 ...till the weekend loves...

Footnote: Hi guys, am sorry there was no post yesterday as promised, had quite the busy day and couldn't squeeze out time not for lack of trying though. hope you guys had a wonderful weekend and are having a great week. 

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