Tag: flash fiction
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Temptations awakening
I decide to not knock on his door before going to church. I shouldn’t be the one to always remind him to go to church. He’s an adult. And he knows the route to church. I hear him on the phone in his room. Perhaps talking to another of his many girls. I wonder what…
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Sandra
As I descended the narrow hilly road leading home, I tried to imagine the scene behind me. The shop that was always open and yet I never saw any customer buying anything from it, the fenced land overgrown with weed, the house where funeral canopies, drums and decorations were rented out, and the main road…
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strange times
It all started with village folktales. Of ghosts loitering in the silence of midnight, stalking a wandering stranger or a lone recalcitrant youth returning home late. As mother lowered the wick of the lantern, the darkness in the room loomed large. I shut my eyes tight, careful to not think about dark tales of the…
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Sunday night drama
I turned to find mother crying. I did not understand why. But I always kept the incident in my heart, together with the storyline of the movie we were watching that day. When I was a child, every Sunday night there was this programme on television by name “Akan Drama”. It happened that on one…
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Pauline
She was lousy. Or so we all thought. Until she traveled. The first few days after her departure, relief! Finally, no more noise and fights and taunts in our ears. Her voice was loud. She was the first person I met on the compound when I moved in. She sounded nice and friendly, and the…
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Her name is Samira
My weakness was that I couldn’t be discreet. Which was why when I fell in love with the cook, the affair was like an open secret. Was it love? I couldn’t tell what label to put on a mixture of lust, loneliness and desperation. She didn’t resist my advances, neither did she give me the…
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fishing in new waters
Flies. They wouldn’t let the sores of a dog be. And the poor dog is forced to stay in motion to ward them off, all along jerking, flicking, tossing its head -all the frantic head shakes its creative mind could conjure. And yet, the savage flies pursue with renewed sadistic zeal. The dog stops and…
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We always smell it from afar
Back then, we knew nothing about sexual harassment. All we knew was that teacher Musah loved Mansa and we all envied her whenever she walked about the school head high like a princess. Many ugly girls in the school winced at the thought of not having half her beauty. That Mansa was a minor, we…
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Noise
She keeps talking and distracting my thoughts, and doesn’t seem to notice the cues I keep dropping to indicate it’s not a good time for chitchat. My approach has always been indirect when it comes to telling people things they won’t be comfortable hearing. But in my mind, the message sits there, in its crude…
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While it rained
It was raining heavily. I sat on the floor, my back against the bed, staring through the open window at the palm fronds swaying in the strong winds. The room still had a bit of the afternoon warmth, which was yet to give way to the cold outside. I thought of my flatmate who was…
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They all know
From the moment the cup is handed to one of them, they all know that the recipient is going to be the hitsong maker of that year. They never had disagreements among themselves like other categories of artists were fond of doing on social media, and were always cited as role models, until a video…
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Her late husband
She believed he always loved her. They had little misunderstandings like every other couple, but it was never the kind that escalated into an acrimony that involved the external family, something that threatened a breakup. And many could attest to how he was so fond of her. He wasn’t a billionaire, but he did everything…
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There will be bloodshed
He predicted that there will be bloodshed. Nothing like the nation ever saw. A few months after his wild predictions, he died. Nobody thought much about him or his prophecies of doom. Until ten years later. The first of his predictions was slowly turning into reality, like the seedling of a young plant indistinguishable from…
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She imagines
She imagines what it means to have a mother. Hers died while bringing her into the world. Like some marathon, she was handed the baton. And here she was, wondering what this race is all about. She recalls the many times she’s hanged unto someone she considered a mom. It didn’t take long to see…
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The watch uncle gave me
Mother had traveled. And upon returning, she brought me a toy phone and a wrist watch. Gifts from Uncle T. Normally, uncle would be called on the phone for me to say ‘thank you’ to him. But phones were not common those days, and my parents didn’t have one. Imagine my joy having a phone…
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Mouchidath and Yasa
From our conversations, I inferred that she wanted to marry someone older than she was, someone more financially stable. I was surprised she thought of giving Yasa a chance. Yasa was much younger. Perhaps it was because he had money. I wouldn’t say she was materialistic. Yasa had helped her a lot. He got her…
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I will get there
I munch food noisily. Not deliberately. Naturally. I did not know this. I’ve been living alone and I had never paid attention. Until I found myself at a dinner, in the midst of respectable people, with no music to mask anything. The discovery was embarrassing. There and then I had to practice eating in a…
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Butukwen and his mother
Her son had a challenge. Physically, he was alright. Mentally, he was unstable, couldn’t sit at one place and behaved more like a toddler for his age. Personally, I felt his mother should have looked for a personal teacher for him, a teacher who taught him at home. Or maybe, the school should have separate…
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This too shall pass
We all acted ok, but deep down things looked bleak. My friend was sick, and I could see that though we were both broke, his situation was worse. He had no money, no food, nothing to buy even a leaf to cure himself. The note in my pocket was my last flour and oil to…
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Sack of trouble
Outside were parked beautiful cars belonging to students, and the entrance of the new hostel was busy with students moving in and out. Some from shopping malls holding with them fancy shopping bags loaded with provisions, others were moving in, aided by the porters who carried their fridges, microwave ovens or giant fluffy teddy bears…
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Tension
The receptionists were new. I exploited their inability to distinguish guests from staff. Slowly, I approach their desk. A stranger desperate to bypass them without being checked will try hurrying past while they were attending to some visitors, and this usually aroused their suspicions. I’ve been observing all this from a distance. And so, I…
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The new preacher
I stared at the WhatsApp post for a while. Of course I recognized the face. An old classmate. Lost touch with him since we completed school many years ago. Here he was, on the WhatsApp status of a close friend, posing as a preacher. I found it hard to accept the change. That boy has…
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Expedition to Mango heights
It was a long wall along a busy road. We stood by the wall, waiting, patiently. There always came a moment the busy road became quiet, kind of deserted. The very moment we were looking forward to. Ali bent, I stood on his bent back, and yet couldn’t properly reach the top of the wall.…
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At the prayer grounds
You see all kinds of things at the prayer grounds. Done praying. And as I gather my mat and double my steps through the thick bushes, I contemplate on the porridge in my locker that I intended using to break my fast, my thoughts distracted by the diverse prayer groups dispersed under various trees on…
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Note to self
She looks like she doesn’t know anything. I wouldn’t say she’s an idiot. Maybe she is. Perhaps I might get to know something positive about her if I draw closer. Wasn’t particularly surprised at what Itaka told me yesterday. She’s descending the stairs. I smile and greet. Only if she knew what I was thinking.…
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New year, same motions?
She asked if I haven’t become tired of the motions of 31st all-night church services where new year resolutions and prayers are made for a year that promises much but delivers nothing. Perhaps, frustrations were providing her the lens to see things with such clarity. I try to cheer her up by saying a consistent…
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Dawn prayers
Was woken up at dawn. Had to listen for a while before I knew what the noise was all about. Dawn prayers. At this point they were in the middle of a sermon. Was about to return to my sleep when I heard something amusing. The preacher was talking about how we black people are…
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Mother’s ritual
Mother and her syringe. Colourful symbols of my childhood. As I reflect on the past, I see my legs high up in the air, suspended by mom’s left hand while her right held the syringe filled with a herbal mixture. First, I am bent over, the syringe is inserted into my anus, and the green…
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The anus of a fowl
He was planted among us on purpose, but we did not know. He came across as honest, complaining just like the rest of us of the hardships we all faced. We assumed he was one of us. It started with my resignation. He was the first to call. I still remember where I was when…
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to the hospital
It’s my birthday. Unfortunately, I will be spending it in the hospital. Following my instincts, I do not leave early. Which is something nobody would do. Because, our hospitals are famous for having too many patients than any number of doctors can handle.Patients tend to rise early to make it to the hospital on time.…
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Wandering in the woods
A quiet afternoon. Two lovers drift into woods nearby. Intermittent giggling echoes through trees as they run on, as if to escape the prying eyes of the sun searching through trees swaying in the late Friday afternoon winds. It looked dangerous from outside. Now that they were inside the jungle, they saw things differently. The…
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End of play
We had been rehearsing for weeks, although I had no clue what it all meant and for what occasion. But from the repeated motions day in day out, I figured out some pieces of the puzzle : it was a play about a baby who was to be visited by shepherds. Who this baby was…
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Gone with the wind
There are days nothing spectacular happen in our lives. Just routines. And yet one day we look back, and miss those ordinary times. Like I am looking back right now and seeing myself beside a tomato farm right behind our school wall. Almost everyday, while teaching in a classroom on the last floor, I stole…
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Bleak house
Already, they were suspicious. So, my going there was a gamble. Part of my reason for going there was to gain their trust. That was why when they offered me a meal, I did not hesitate to thank them and head towards the dinning table. They had eaten already, so I was the only one…
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This nosy Tijani of ours
Watching him from the summer hut under which we grilled meat and prepared drinks to be served to customers reminded me of spy movies I watched a long time ago. He looked like a spy. Or maybe he was one. One could never be sure. We could predict when he’ll come, the things he was…
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The psychologist
She said she couldn’t see anything in her dreams whenever she slept in a dark room. The lights must be on before she could make sense of anything in her dreams. “You mean when the lights in your room are out, there is neither sunshine or any ray of light in your dreams? “ the…
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Holidays
Whenever we were caught up with so much work in the office, we longed for public holidays. Then like rain on thirsty lands, we receive some update on a WhatsApp platform or online news website: some public holiday had been announced and was lurking behind the uninformed, waiting to see their surprised looks and giggles…
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My enemies have won
They said moans could be heard from the living room on the Sunday morning she died.It was a child playing on the compound who first heard her. Soon, many ears gathered. And eyes too, as they thronged the living room. There, Adzo, on the carpet floor, leaning against a sofa, her face and posture twisted…
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Another day
Nervous. Tensed. As I prepare for class. The truth, I haven’t read ahead of the class. It’s a discussion and I wonder what contribution I can offer. This is a small class. If you’re not prepared, it will be obvious to everyone. A word of prayer is all I could say, and hope for the…
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Deliverance
Woke up terribly sick. So weak I am unable to move or even scream. It was all so sudden. Went to bed feeling strong and well. How did all this begin? I tried to sit up, with great difficulty. Perhaps it was malaria. All over the room, I vomit, having no strength to go to…
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The picture of a deceased wife
The picture of a deceased wife, on the wall. Seems to stare at the new woman in the home whenever she passes by it. It’s like a living picture, a window through which the dead the old wife could still monitor the affairs of her home from the underworld. It seems to frown whenever things…
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The streets of Accra
Why did she call? I contemplate while hurrying home, checking the time on my phone every now and then. Would be odd to have her arrive there ahead of me. Those roommates of mine, we are at loggerheads so they won’t bother to let me know someone came looking for me. In my direction is…
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Love finds you
She said love finds you. Perhaps it hasn’t found her, worthy, yet. We didn’t know why she wasn’t married, yet, at her age. We dare not ask. She wasn’t the approachable type. Besides, we wanted to live long. Didn’t want any tigress pouncing on our young lives. She was well advanced in years. And we…
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The world doesn’t pity the poor
The sun was scotchy, and as its heat intensified, so did my fatigue and hunger. I doubled my steps, my mind working out shops to pass by and what to purchase so I wouldn’t get home and regret purchases that should have been made. Occasionally I would turn to be sure some reckless driver wasn’t…
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Lazy morning
I wake up, unsure what time it is. Can’t remember where my phone is. I doze off a little, waking again not knowing how many minutes extra I’ve slept. I look up at the windows. Slightly lit. Must be 5am thereabout. I grope in the slightly dark room, on my bedsheets, for my phone. There…
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Trouble, brewing
He did not say it, but it was written all over him. If the visitor pushed, Marlon would break from the mother church. The Archbishop was ill and this was not a good time to stir up trouble. There were already rumors that after the Archbishop dies, the church would split. There was a lot…
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It’s a long story
I can’t remember what sent me there that morning. I had assumed she was awake by then. Many of her next-door neighbors were still asleep when I got there. There was one worker who was leaving early to work. He told me he heard her voice so I should knock a little louder. Perhaps she…
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Shame
The children were all looking beautiful. Even though it was a competition, the children were all happy to see one another, exchanging friendly glances and giggles. To them, it was just one of their usual fun times. To the adults, this was a warfare they were all determined to use any means possible to win.…
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The Missing Keys
One Christmas evening, we were returning home after a visit to one of our aunt when I felt my pocket and realized the bunch of keys to our house was missing. “Oh! “ I exclaimed. ” I forgot the keys at Aunt Regina’s place. My big brother was the kind that hardly smiled. And it…
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Fatigue
Traffic jam. I check my time. Probably won’t be home as early as planned. The driver is contemplating changing his route. “Anyone alighting at Third Gate?“ he asks without turning to the conductor. ” One passenger, ” the conductor tells him. The driver seems annoyed by that piece of information. I shake my head staring…
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Ladies on a balcony
They were a bunch of female students, on the balcony of the last floor of our hostel, hooting and jeering at passersby. I hadn’t seen them until I was stabbed with a remark about my clothes. They said my combination was off. It was embarrassing. I took a look at what I wore. They were…
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Family
Their mother did not know her birthday. She was born in an era and place where no priority was placed on keeping records. And so when she had to get a national ID, their father guessed a date. On WhatsApp statuses, her children see other children post their moms on their birthdays and feel unable…
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A lesson well learnt
The first time Mina moved into her hostel, she noticed the cold attitude of her roommates. It was as if she needed to pay them to respond to her greetings based on the number of words in their responses. One was actually sitting on her bed and the reluctance with which she stood up was…
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The comeback
Was she sorry for what she did? A question that constantly roamed Joe’s mind and wouldn’t settle. Where could she be now? He hoped time will teach her a lesson. Time was a fertile ground on which character took root and bore fruits – some a hundred fold, some fifty. He prayed her harvest will…
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This too shall pass
Was like some sort of rebirth. Finding oneself in a new land, a strange land. Many of the strongly guarded values back home do not hold here. It’s like some new set of rules for living, tailored to the needs of the people, existed here. A stranger, Louis strolls through the streets of his new…
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In search of bread
Early morning. I have somewhere urgent to go in about an hour and half. Back from my morning jogging routine. Very hungry. Forgot to take my wallet. Had to to go to the room to fetch it. The atmosphere in the room is different. It’s quiet and a little stuffy. Outside, there’s so much fresh…
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Memories of home
It became the norm, sad as the situation was. It amazed her that one part of the world could live in such quiet, peace and harmony whereas another part of the world was in chaos, where hope was torn into pieces by bullets sweeping past the ears of fleeing children and mothers and fathers and…
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Could this mean something?
The tarred road which served as an alternative route to the main one was barricaded. Perhaps the contractor was yet to be paid. Ama took the quiet, tarred road. It was barricaded to vehicles, not pedestrians. She bypassed the UPSA hostel overlooking the Presbyterian Boys Senior High school. A few pedestrians passed by. She tried…
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The meeting
Kwame returns from a long trip. Before he arrived, there were a couple of people in the city who wanted to see him. While he stayed in the city, nobody needed his assistance in any thing. But once he traveled to his hometown to see his parents, suddenly he received all kinds of phone calls…
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A journey through a dark school
Those days our village had no electricity. In each home were lanterns we bought kerosene to power. For big events in the village such as political rallies, funerals or mega religious activities organized at nights, generators were used to light the settings. One night, we ran out of kerosene in our house. Usually, it was…
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Boma
Boma doodled on the blank sheet of paper in front of him. He glanced left, then right, head still bowed as if engrossed in some paperwork. But it was all a façade. Deep down he knew, he was only fooling himself. He was illiterate. But he had suddenly been put in the spotlight and he…
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He thanked her, and walked away
Kezia looked at the gentleman in front of her, from feet to toe, toe to feet. A reminder of how low she had sunk. How rich and handsome guys used to pursue her. How she could easily choose them like wine, sip just a little and try the next. It was a privilege for a…
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The laughing hen (Merry Christmas! )
One Christmas morning, a cold harmattan morning, my dad woke up and decided to give some food to the poultry he reared. All around him he scattered corn, and greedily the hens and cocks and chicks ate. The hen to be used for the festivities of the day received more corn, which fell closer and…
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Bull’s Testicle
Times were hard. It was the kind of difficulty that forced enemies to collaborate and thrive. My friend Desmond and his roommates frequently fought. But during tough times like these, no one had energy for quarrels. Initially, Desmond phoned his parents. They were tired of his constant complaints of not having money. “What happened to…
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The last time we saw him
They said it wasn’t his time. That the accident abruptly ended his young life, and great dreams. They said the incident wasn’t normal. That was why the night he was proclaimed dead, no one could sleep in his house, as an invisible hand scattered bowls and plates in the kitchen, opened and closed doors in…
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A lot has changed
Giovanni, a lot has changed since you left. Mango Street is no more what it used to be. Remember the spot where Alima and Saada fought one New Year eve? We woke up one morning to find a thief lynched and tied to an electric pole there. We did not know how the whole incident…
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Pages flipping
An album, pages flipping as its owner narrated the stories. Of how they met, when he proposed, how many times she turned him down even though she liked him, the games and finally the trophy, which is her ring she got for winning. “What about you, Paul”?“Me? ” I asked, stunned.” Yes! “” Tell us…
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Missing cigarettes
I used to steal from my father’s pack of cigarettes. I hid somewhere to smoke. I remember the sensation as smoke escaped my lips, into the air. It felt great. Especially the effect of the heat on the tongue. This went on for weeks. Little did I know that the old man was aware but…
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Gadji’s wife
Gadji’s wife, Olivia, needed a nanny. The girls were off to boarding school a few weeks after she gave birth to her only boy. Soon, her in-laws would be visiting. She had sent a message to her mother to come and spend some days with her as the business of housekeeping was becoming overly burdensome.…
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A moving song
My next-door neighbor. She was humming. A moving song. Never heard her sing. I lay on my bed listening, wondering what trouble kept her awake this late night, singing to herself. Suddenly, something drummed against my roof. Rain! Without warning? I rushed out to take clothes off the line and in the process, bumped into…
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One starless night
Dark melodies, playing over and over all night from a nearby cottage. Anna sat in their little farmhouse, attention fixed on Grandpa recounting dreadful tales best left untold, and hoping that evil spirits will catch a whiff of the incense mother was burning and be warded off. “For years she had no news of her…
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Fertile connections ?
To passers-by, this was luggage. To Awal, it was his destiny wrapped in a box, carried on his shoulder. What he once called homeland is now a stretch of empty hopes he’s given up chasing. Initially, when the idea of abandoning his shop first occured to him, he thought it was his impatience speaking to…
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On the airwaves
It’s Earl Nightingale on the airwaves and his talks of strange secrets.As I listen, my mind wonder off. It’s been three years now since I left home for greener pastures. The pasture here is no greener than that of home. Damn! And I haven’t saved. Only once have I sent money home. Shame on me…
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Date
It was weird. The food, the music and her attire that evening. What was on her mind? There was something odd about her movements as she served the food. The food tasted nice. She didn’t use most of the spices on the market. Chemicals. And chemicals have become the bulk of what we eat these…
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She isn’t picking up
She isn’t picking up. Just like yesterday. Everything seems normal till it’s late night. That’s when it all starts. Is she seeing someone? He sighs. He shouldn’t be the only one calling and texting all the time. Yesterday she said her phone’s battery was empty. That was why when his call went through for a…
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Perhaps
It was her first time visiting him. She was hesitant in going, wondering how he would react to the ugly scars and stretch marks on her back, buttocks and breasts. Pretty face. Fine body shape. But many did not know what she sees when she stands before a mirror, naked. It was the reason she…
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Flash
Rain. Lightening. A glimpse of his foot in an old shoe trekking a familiar road. Reminds him of the old oversized overalls he wore, and his affinity to antiquity which the rain seemed determined to wash away. Flash of lightning. Reveals an approaching shadow that arrives and greets. No responds. This was no time for…
Diary of a Wanderer 