Escape From Bamako by Ghandi

I still remember the day Ghandi said “I have something I want you to read.” That something turned out to be the first draft of his novel that completely blew my mind. The story held me spellbound from the beginning until the end and I doubt I have read anything that intriguing in a while. So because I am nice and I don’t sell fish, I am here to share the goodness that is Ghandi’s writing with you guys.

Escape from Bamako contains all the right amounts of adrenaline pumping action and plot twists to keep you glued to each page until the story ends. And best believe when it ends, you’ll be begging for more. Now this is the plot:

There’s a rebel uprising in Bamako, Mali and the international community gets really antsy and pressures the Nigerian President to intervene and settle both parties.
He gets there and after what everyone considers to be successful peace talks, he stays back for a state dinner organised in his honour.

The rebel leader is also invited but declines the invitation, citing fatigue. He drives out of the Malian presidential palace supposedly to go rest.

While the Nigerian President and his Malian counterpart are still at the state dinner, the rebel leader launches a full scale attack on the capital in a bid to take over the government.
News filters into the palace and back home in Nigeria and everyone is in a race to get the Nigerian President out of Bamako before the rebel leader takes over Mali.

This story really features some Hollywood action type stuff. Guns, aircrafts, espionage, fast and furious driving, explosions, the whole works.

Now that you have read the plot, I am fairly certain you are itching to read the book. It’s quite simple to make that happen, really. If you wish to purchase the ebook with your Nigerian account, you can visit the website https://ghandi.com.ng and click on the “buy from our store” button. It’s N1,100.

The book is also available on Amazon (Kindle) at https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07JBTQMV1 and on Kobo at https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/escape-from-bamako

Don’t hesitate to get your copy now.

You’re welcome!

Ps. I have been working on something interesting and I really can’t wait to share it with you guys. I am back to blogging now and I am so grateful to you guys for sticking around. But bear with me a little. It won’t be much longer now.

Love and Light,

@Oge_writes

Healing Begins With Salsa

He found her in Nkemakolam’s room huddled over the baby’s cot clutching a stuffed bunny. He had no idea how long she had been there but he suspected it must have been hours.

“Honey?”

She looked up and her glazed eyes met his in silence. He stooped down and took her hands, looking into her eyes.

“Honey, what are you doing here?”

When she gave no response, he placed his arms firmly underneath her shoulders and gently lifted her up. She held tightly to the bunny as he dragged her into their bedroom and laid her on the bed. That was when he noticed the tears.

Feranmi was exhausted- completely spent. It had been a year since they returned from the hospital without Nkem. The baby that should have been their miracle child after 7 years of waiting and trying. The baby that should have ushered in perfection and joy and laughter. One year later, Ifeoma had still not recovered. She had steadily sunk into depression, refusing therapy and any other form of help.

There were days when it felt like living with a zombie. Because Ifeoma went through life as though she were in a trance. She moved out of their bedroom and into the guestroom. She began stress eating and it showed in all the folds and excess layers of fat in every part of her body. She quit her job by simply refusing to show up at the end of the 3 months maternity leave she had taken. She barely left the house even.

Feranmi had been patient, struggling with his own grief yet trying to be strong for her but she shut him out completely. He still remembered that day like it had only been a few minutes even though a full year had gone by. He had stayed by her side while she labored for hours to bring forth their son. He remembered his exultant excitement as the baby was pushed out and his echoing panic that gradually rose to a crescendo when the baby made no sound. He remembered his heart stopping momentarily when the doctor’s eyes told him what his mouth could not put in words- It was a still birth.

Now one year later, having tried everything within his means to help Ifeoma overcome their grief, he was fresh out of ideas and completely spent.  Nkem’s death at birth had taken the light out of her life and his by extension. Gone was the vibrant, energetic, passionate woman he had fallen in love with and married. This woman in his bed was a complete stranger.

Feranmi left her lying in bed, shedding silent tears and walked out of the room. He went into his study and slowly paced the length and breadth of the room. He was inches away from having a mental breakdown himself and he did not know what to do about it. He loved Ifeoma with his entire being and for a whole year, that loved had been tested and tried and he was really close to giving up on it. Was this love worth his own sanity? Was this part of the ‘for better for worse’ phrase in his wedding vows?

His right foot kicked something as he paced and he bent down to pick a book lying oddly on the floor. As he looked around shelves trying to figure out where it fit, his eyes caught a portion of a particular shelf that held some albums. He dropped the book on the table and reached for the albums, carrying them carefully to the couch. As he flipped through the wedding album and their honeymoon album, he realized just how much he missed Ifeoma’s smile and the sound of her laughter.

Everything he had tried to do before now to bring her out of depression had failed. But now his eyes lit up with a sudden realisation. There was one thing he was yet to try and even though it seemed like a brilliant and yet stupid idea at the same time, he decided he would try it anyway. He would take Ifeoma on a trip. Somewhere nice where she could enjoy the sun and put her feet up. A brilliant idea because Ifeoma enjoyed travelling and had not done much of it after they got married, yet a stupid idea because Ifeoma had refused to leave the compound since they got back from the hospital one year ago. What was to say she would want to travel?

It took Feranmi another 4 weeks to put everything in place and as he walked into Nkem’s room yet again to find Ifeoma on the floor by the baby’s cot, his heart thumped wildly in his chest. If she turned this down, there would be nothing left for them. Their marriage would be over.

“Honey, I got you something.”

Ifeoma looked up blankly and Feranmi held up the passports with the tickets in between.

“We’re going to Barcelona.” he said with an uncertain smile.

Ifeoma gave no response.

“There’s a lot we can see and do there. We can go hiking, swimming, take long walks, enjoy great meals, go dancing…”

It was the dancing that earned him a vague semblance of a smile which disappeared as quickly as it came.

“I don’t want to go anywhere without Nkem. His spirit is in this room. If we travel, he’ll be lonely and afraid.”

Feranmi’s heart rate tripled as it became evident that Ifeoma was suffering a proper mental breakdown. He gave himself a few minutes to think before responding gently.

“Honey, his spirit can come with us too. We’ll pack a small bag with his clothes and you can bring the bunny too.”

Ifeoma sighed resignedly.

“If you say so.”

Packing was a hassle. Ifeoma had several crying fits over clothes that no longer fit and Feranmi soothed her kindly, promising to buy her new clothes and anything else she wanted but hours later, they were ready.

Barcelona turned out to be a brilliant idea. After checking, into their hotel on arrival, Feranmi arranged for a spa session for Ifeoma whilst he unpack their bags. She returned two hours later and her face held a familiar glow. They ate a late lunch in their room and Ifeoma promptly fell asleep. Feranmi watched her sleep and ached to cuddle her but she had laid out a tiny blanket and pillow in between them where according to Ifeoma, Nkem lay. He stayed staring at her until he fell asleep.

Hours later, they woke up and made their way into town, taking a long stroll down La Rambla, the longest tourist street in Barcelona. Ifeoma seemed to enjoy the sights. She marveled at the dexterity of the artists who sketched caricature images of interested tourists as well as actual portraits, some with pencils, others with charcoal. There was a wax image of a woman sitting pretty and for a few minutes, Ifeoma was convinced it was an actual person. When she realized it wasn’t, she smiled and Feranmi thought his heart would burst.

At the end of the street, Feranmi grabbed Ifeoma’s arm and pointed ahead.

“Honey, look!” Ifeoma followed his finger and saw the towering sculpture of the Columbus Monument and she gasped. “Wow! It’s so huge!”

They joined a teeming crowd of tourists to admire the structure and take pictures, especially of the huge lion sculptures that surrounded it at the bottom. Two little boys ran past with their mother chasing after them and Feranmi noticed Ifeoma’s face fall. He squeezed her hand and asked that they keep moving.

“I hear there’s a mall built on water. Let’s go check it out.”

To get to the mall, they walked over a long wooden bridge surrounded by a massive expanse of water littered with numerous yachts and smaller sailing boats. At the end of the bridge, they came face to face with the Maremagnum mall and Ifeoma gaped. It was huge. They walked in and explored the various shops on the different floors. The entire place was crowded with children and for a few minutes, Feranmi thought it was a bad idea, until a cute little girl walked past with her mother and smiled at Ifeoma. Ifeoma smiled back and the little girl came back and said to her “you’re so pretty!”

Ifeoma swallowed hard and tried to stop the tears but failed. The mother quickly came back and apologised then took her little girl away. Feranmi hugged her tight, littering her forehead with a thousand kisses, all the while muttering “I’m really sorry honey.”

When she looked up at him eventually, she was smiling through her tears. “She said I was pretty.”

They spent another hour walking around the mall, catching a small rock concert that had been set up somewhere in the back. It was not Ifeoma’s cup of tea but she stayed beside Feranmi for the few minutes that he stopped to observe it before moving on.

At night, after dinner, Feranmi mentioned a club he had found online. Ifeoma was reluctant at first until he specified that it was a salsa club. Dancing salsa was Ifeoma’s absolute favourite thing to do and Feranmi was hoping she would enjoy it.

Her healing began with the salsa dance. They walked into the club in time to catch Marc Anthony’s Vivir mi vida and while they stood at the bar to order drinks, Feranmi observed her tapping her feet and swaying gently.

“Maybe we should leave the drinks first. Do you want to dance?”

“You can barely move your feet and you always say salsa isn’t your thing.” Ifeoma said.

Feranmi smiled. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor. With his right hand circled around her waist and her left hand firmly in his left hand, he began to dance, counting the steps in his head like he remembered. He had spent 4 weeks practicing because he had meant for this trip to be worth it and the surprised smile on her face as he led her in a cross body lead was fully rewarding.

He faltered a little bit and her soft giggle was even more rewarding. They danced together to the next song but his moves were basic and he could tell she was warming up for more. The moment Elvis Crespo’s Suavemente came on, he nodded to some Latino guy he had observed checking them out and the guy came and took Ifeoma’s hands. They moved so fluidly and were a delight to behold. Feranmi returned to the bar and observed them from there. The light had begun its return to Ifeoma’s eyes and he was grateful.

Just as the song ended and Ifeoma began to walk back to him with the biggest smile on her face, Don Omar’s Danza kuduro came on and everyone began cheering. Before Feranmi could figure out what was happening, the entire club lined up on the dance floor and began moving harmoniously in line with steps being proffered by a leader.

What happened next felt like magic. One minute, Ifeoma was in the second row, digging in the moves with a great deal of enthusiasm and the next minute, she was front and center leading the pack and throwing in random Nigerian dance moves with a huge smile on her face and a great deal of laughter. First there was the shoki then some shakiti bobo and finally some shaku shaku which the dancers managed to imitate fairly well. Feranmi fought back tears of gratitude. This was the woman he married. This was the woman he had loved for 10 years. She was finally back and the constellation of stars that shone brightly in her eyes were full proof of her return.

Later that night, after a warm shower back at the hotel, Feranmi cuddled his wife in bed for the first time in over a year.

“I really missed you honey,” he whispered into her ear, with her head buried in his chest. Her response came minutes later in form of soft gentle kisses that trailed from his neck to his ears and eventually to his lips. Their lovemaking was slow and passionate and that night in the beautiful city of Barcelona, Taiwo Nwachinemelu and Kehinde Kaosisochukwu were conceived.

Home

X is laughing with his hands to his chest, shaking his head with a look of mock fear on his face as you drive into the compound and slowly bring the car to a stop.

“That’s it! You are never driving me again. I’m really, really not ready to die yet.” He says

You shrug and flash him a grin as you step out of the car.

“You’ve seen the whole world already, what else is there to live for?”

He looks at you and shrugs.

“Nothing much actually. Just my parents, siblings, and maybe you know, this crazy woman I’m contemplating spending the rest of my life with.”

You laugh as he makes his way out of the car and to your side, taking you by surprise as he steals a kiss.

You squirm out of his hold, suddenly feeling shy and he smiles.

“So this is it?” he asks as he looks around.

You nod quietly and look around you as well.

“This is it. This is my home.”

The tranquility is relaxing- a quiet stillness. Even with the gentle breeze that blows, there is no sound of rustling leaves because the compound has been swept clean. The faint pattern of the broom strokes give that away but it is nothing like the artistic patterns you and your siblings deliberately made while sweeping the compound all those years ago.

Above your head, the pride of Barbados flowers sashay ever so gracefully from the branches down to the ground. And that moment, that moment when you look up and catch a single petal falling down to your nose is so magical, you want to pause time and preserve that moment forever.

X observes the faraway look in your eyes and he links his fingers with yours, tugging gently so you snap out of your reverie.

“Let me show you around.” You say.

He follows your lead and as you walk towards the back of your father’s compound, it suddenly feels like déjà vu. The memories of your childhood come rushing back to you but even more formidable is the memory of you sharing this space and all those childhood memories with Obinna. You falter in your steps and X cautions you.

“Easy Mi Vida!”

It is only then that you become fully aware of the fact that you haven’t been home since that weekend two years ago when you brought Obinna to attend your father’s birthday dinner. If a flicker of guilt or sadness dims your eyes, X misses it because you chin up and keep walking.

The rose-bed that used to lie in front of the house is no longer there. Of course it wasn’t there on your last visit, but neither were the flower pots your father has now placed right under the windows. Tiny sprouts are peaking out and you make a mental note to ask him what he planted there.

The garden looks a little different from your last visit. It is almost as if something changes every time you visit. The fence at the entrance of the garden has been collapsed, alongside the fence at the corner, backing the garage. So rather than a garden cordoned off from the main compound, what you now see is one large compound extended to envelop the garden. So when you walk right round the garden, you soon find yourself right where you started at the entrance of the compound. X laughs at the slight surprise on your face.

“Something wrong?”

“Oh no. It’s just… different. There was no access from this point before.”

“Ah. I see.”

You smile at him and with his fingers still linked to yours, you return to the garden again, this time letting yourself get drowned in the endless waves of nostalgia that hit as you tell him stories of your childhood. X is thrilled and the way his eyes light up as you regale him with your tales is so rewarding. You have been teased for talking too much but that is one “defect” X is unwilling to help you cure. He is always so attentive and engaging when you speak, one would think you were constantly spitting gold.

Your tour ends right under your favourite guava tree and after telling X about the scar on your knee that you got from falling off the tree, you reckon it’s time to shut down the time capsule and return to the present.

“You know, I still can’t picture you as a skinny tomboy despite everything you have shared with me today.”

Your back is against the tree and your arms are folded loosely across your chest while X stands a few feet away from you as he speaks.

“It shouldn’t be that difficult to picture. Don’t you remember what I was like in my 100 level?”

“Nope! I didn’t know you that well in school. We only became proper friends after graduation, remember? And each time I saw you, you looked ten times hotter than the last.”

You blush and take in a deep breath. This is perfection in itself and it feels surreal. Being here with X, sharing this moment, designing memories that you know you will cherish for the rest of your life. A lot has happened in the last two years to bring you to this point with X and there is so much that you are thankful for.

And when you consider what you deem to be the biggest blessing of all, it is tainted with a hint of sadness. The hint escalates rather quickly into an overwhelming feeling that washes over you and floods your eyes.

X notices the tears as they well up in your eyes and they startle him.

“Mi Vida! Is something wrong?”

You shake your head and try to blink the tears away but his concern darkens his eyes further and he takes you gently into his arms.

“No, Mia, you’re crying. What is it? Did I do something?”

You shake your head but the lump in your throat is so huge, it prevents you from speaking and of their own accord, your tears flow gently down your face and on to his shoulders where your head rests. X hugs you tighter and rubs your back as you shed silent tears.

When you’re finally done, you raise your head and step out of his embrace feeling slightly embarrassed. His eyes hold curious concern and his arms hang loosely around you.

“Mi Vida?”

“I’m losing my home.” You say, dabbing your eyes as you speak. Your mascara has dripped alongside your tears and stained his white shirt and you feel guilty again because you know how fussy he is about his appearance.

“I’m so stupid for crying, I’m sorry.” You’re trying to brush it away but X is having none of it.

“What do you mean losing your home?”

“This place. Dad is selling it next year. He said he wants to leave.”

“Oh my love!”

His hug is tighter this time as he pulls you into another embrace and you rest in his arms, feeling safe and loved, grateful for his presence.

“This is all I have ever known baby. I don’t know how to let it go. I don’t know how to deal with the fact that after next year, I’ll never be able to return here again. Can you see how peaceful and perfect it is?”

The tears threaten to overwhelm you again but you fight them and win, only by swallowing lump after lump as they rise in your throat.

“Mi Vida, look at me-” he says as he steps back and levels his eyes with yours.

“Home is here-” he taps your chest gently as he speaks

“Right here in your heart. No one can ever take it away from you. Every single memory you have as a child in this place, you carry it in your heart. And whenever you feel lost or homesick, you can very easily draw on them and re-live them as though you were here.”

You nod and sniffle and he gently strokes your cheeks.

“Mi Vida, home is wherever we decide that it will be. For me, home is you, and wherever you are. It’s why we’re here, together, right now, sharing this precious moment. Home is you Mi Vida, and I want you to think of me as home too.”

You nod again, fiercely this time and reward him with a light kiss for his kind words that soothe your aching heart.

“You know, it’s funny. I have lived in multiple cities and countries since I first left home 6 years ago but no place has ever given me the same feels as here. Nothing even comes close.”

You notice a sudden aloofness in his eyes that tells you X is no longer with you.

“Baby?”

“I have an idea.” he says

“Why don’t we make some videos? And take loads of pictures too and you can journal about this trip and how it’s made you feel, and that way, you preserve this particular memory forever.”

Your face lights up like a constellation of stars and you squeal in delight.

“Yes! Yes!!!”

X takes the car keys from you and dashes off. You remain rooted in your garden, awestruck by this amazing man who is doing the absolute most especially seeing as you hadn’t imagined meeting anyone who would be as kind to you as Obinna had been.

X returns seconds later, selfie stick in hand, camera ready. You blush the entire two minutes it takes him to get the angles right and as he hits the record button, you go on and on and on about your childhood home in this tiny, beautiful northern city you have called home for the greater part of your life.

“…So I’m a little sad that I’m leaving all this behind, but I am so grateful for every single memory I have created here.”

That is how you wrap up your monologue and you find yourself infinitely grateful for the huge smile X has plastered across his face.

“Oh wait! One more thing!

There’s this song I used to sing with my dad a lot as a kid. I think I want to sing it here.”

“Yeah? This should be fun.” X says

You giggle loudly and then you start.

“I love to go, a-wandering, along the mountain track

And as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back

Val da-ri, Val da-ra,

Val da-ri, Val da-ra-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha Val da-ri, Val da-ra,

my knapsack on my back”

X’s laughter is gentle and teasing but you do not stop. Rather, you break into a dance, skipping and twirling around the garden, disturbing the peace like you have been known to do but feeling the happiest you have ever been. Because in those minutes while you sing, you’re a little girl again, riding on your father’s shoulders and yelling the chorus right into his ears and giggling as he dances around the garden with you.

X does not stop the video recording so you sing the chorus multiple times, throwing in some shaku shaku moves and a couple cartwheels for good measure, until you’re out of breath. You both collapse into a laughing happy heap and X finally ends the video.

X kisses you on the forehead and with his arms wrapped loosely around you, you finally get what he was trying to say earlier. This is home, right here, nestled in the arms of the man you love. A man set to meet your father with his close relatives in another 24 hours to commence the traditional rights of officially seeking your hand in marriage- the iku aka.

Some other day, you will tell the story of your journey with X and how you got to this point. But that day is not today. Today, you have found the true meaning of home, you have created beautiful memories and you will treasure them forever.

Oceans Apart (20) by Milli

Behi lay on her bed reflecting on all that had happened in the last few weeks. It had been a rollercoaster of events and it had taught her a really big lesson. All because she wanted to get back at her ex she had almost lost the love of her life. Bimbo had almost lost his life to. She had been putting up pictures and captions about forgiveness on her social media platforms. She hoped it would minister to someone out there. She also thought about how her revenge plan had put a strain on her and Osas’s relationship. She had been her best friend for such a long time and had always been there for her in the good times and the bad. She could have lost her as well and all for what, all for nothing. In all of this, she was glad the drama was over and things had settled down.

Bimbo silently got dressed in his hospital ward. He was going to be discharged soon. He had packed up all his things and could not wait to leave. He was not exactly the praying type but he knew deep down that it was God who had saved him from that terrible accident. He had another chance to live as a better person which he was going to do. He was a different person now. Although he was still going to be using crutches for some time he was so grateful to be alive.  He said a prayer of thanks to God and asked that He help him live a better life. He thanked God that Behi and Dozie had forgiven him as well. He finished dressing up and went down to the reception to wait for his dad. He was walking of these hospital doors a new man.

Dozie was packing up his bags and other things for his journey. He and Emeka were leaving the next day. He was glad the days of drama were over. He had no idea all of this was going to happen when he came. He just wanted to surprise his girlfriend but lo and behold he got stabbed. Sometimes he still could not believe all of this had happened. He was glad Behi had learnt her lesson. He had seen a different side of her he had never seen before. The anger in her eyes when she slapped Bimbo that day at the restaurant was something he never wanted to see again. He felt bad she had not told him about Bimbo in the early days of their relationship but he could not blame her. It was not easy for one to start talking about all that. He folded his last piece of clothing and put it in his box.

NEXT DAY

“Hmmm….some people are not crying…or should I say wailing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”, Behi asked giving Osas a puzzled look.

“Er…it’s just that the last time somebody was leaving for London I did not hear word. Some people’s tears could fill a bucket”

“Go away jo”, Behi said picking a throw pillow and hurling it at Osas.

“It’s true now”…Osas, said laughing.

“Yes, you are right.”

“So are you following him to the airport?”

“Yea I am”

“You know the last time you couldn’t go because you could not bear it…..chai…me to I will love o”

Behi shook her head, This girl was just a clown.

“What about you though…I mean you haven’t dated anyone in a while”

“Abeg ….I’m not ready jare. Just leave that one. I know you just want to change the subject. Don’t bother because I will not let you rest today.”

Behi laughed. This girl knew her so well. She would meet up with Dozie later that day. He would be gone for about six months after which he would return finally. Osas decided to come stay with her until it was time for her to leave. Osas was truly the best friend ever.

Eno had missed his friend. He was glad he was finally coming back. He was also happy that Bimbo had been discharged. The past few weeks had been something else. Bimbo had really gone through a lot of pain. He actually shed a few tears when Chuki had sent him pictures of Bimbo and the car. He was in a terrible state and the car was a complete write off. A guy who was so jovial and vibrant had been reduced to almost nothing. He had prayed every single day for his two friends and God had answered. He was glad that Bimbo had apologised to Dozie. This accident had really humbled him. He couldn’t wait to now see the new Bimbo. However that will be till Christmas as he planned to go back to Nigeria then. He wondered how things would have turned out if he had told Dozie what had been going on form the start maybe things would not have gotten this bad.  He was glad it had all come to an end.

“Hey boo”, Behi said giving Dozie a hug.

“Hey, how are you doing?”

“Very well my love, I am really happy.”

“You should be sad…I’m leaving”.

“Yea but you are coming back…..or aren’t you?”

“Er…I don’t know…might stay and marry some Bri-ish lady”….. Dozie said in a funny accent

“Okay o…..I will just pretend as if I didn’t hear what you just said”

“Hehehehe….you know I can never leave you, he said pulling her into his arms”

“Awww”

“I am so glad we were able to get through this boo….I am sorry for everything again.”

“It’s all in the past now baby you don’t have to apologise”

With that, he gave her a kiss. At that point Emeka walked in

“Hey, please o…I don’t want to spoil” , he said laughing.

“Are you all set?”

“Yes, I have put all the boxes in the car.”

“Alright guess we are good to go. Let’s go in and see mum one last time”

They all went into the house and their mum prayed for them and blessed them.

The drive to the airport was fun as they relived the good times they had had in their relationship and teased Emeka about not having a girlfriend. He told them he still was not ready to get into a serious relationship but said that he really loved what they had and was very happy they were able to get through the whole ordeal.  When they got to the airport Behi helped the brothers with their bags and waited with them a bit.

“So tell me something, were you afraid or should I say jealous when I said I would stay back and marry a British lady?”

“No…I wasn’t”

“Hmmmm….really”

“Okay…maybe a little”

“Hehehe…I knew it. Six months isn’t a long time baby. I’ll be back and we will take our relationship to a whole new level. Please don’t just hide anything from me again alright?”

“I promise I won’t”

“I love you very much”

“I love you too baby”

He hugged her tight and gave her a quick kiss.

“Dozie…we need to go o…we cannot miss this flight again”, Emeka said tapping Dozie’s shoulder.

“Take care Behi we will miss you”, said Emeka giving her a hug.

“Bye loves”

She watched them walk away until she couldn’t see them anymore. She walked out of the airport back to where her car was packed enjoying the cool breeze of the evening on her face.  As she entered her car she said a prayer for the boys. Everything was fine and everything will even be better when Dozie got back. She was one lucky girl. She drove home as happy as ever thinking about the wonderful days she and Dozie had ahead of them.

Yes!!!! Ocean Apart has finally come to an end. However I want to say a very big thankyou to God Almighty for giving me the strength to write this series trust me it was not easy but He was faithful. Thank you to Ogechi Nwobia, who used her blog as a platform for me to share this series. We have never met but she is an amazing person and an amazing writer as well. Thank you to every single person who has read this series and has encouraged me in one way or the other. To those who leave comments as well I say thank you for taking time out to do so. To those who give me constructive feedback I say thank you as well. I promise I won’t stop writing. I hope you all were able to learn something from this.

God bless you all.

Oseremen ‘Milli’ Okpere

Oceans Apart (18) by Milli

“Wow, all this happened in the space of two hours?”, Amara asked.

“Hmmm, yes o. In fact I don’t even have the full details. I have tried to get the info from him but it’s so obvious he does not want to tell me.” Vivian said

“Most important thing is that he is fine and hopefully he gets back in good time before school resumes.”

“Yes.”

They both talked for a little while before Amara hung up. Vivian went to the kitchen to make herself some cereal to eat. She had spoken to Dozie a couple of times after he had been discharged but every time she brought up the topic of them seeing, he always gave her some sort of excuse. The same thing happened when she asked about details about what happened the night he was stabbed. She sighed as she carried her bowl of the cereal to the sitting room. It was obvious he did not want to get close to her. As she put the TV on she decided that she would give him his space. She was done trying to reconnect with him.

Chief Adekoya had gotten all the information he needed too about Dozie. Apparently his mum had gone ahead to press charges for attempted murder. He had to put a stop to this because there was no way his child was going to appear in a court room much more go to prison. He decided that he would visit the mum over the weekend. He had told Bimbo the news and the poor lad was extremely scared. It took him sometime to calm him down. He was going to do whatever he had to put a stop to this.

“I really do hope he’s getting better”, Behi said to Osas as she drove to the hospital where Bimbo was.

“Well he is much better than he was first brought into the hospital.”

“Okay”.

As they walked inside the hospital, Behi was a bit nervous. The last she remembered of Bimbo was when he had threatened her not to tell anyone he had stabbed Dozie.

“Are you okay?”, Osas asked.

“Yes I am.”

On getting to the door of his room, Behi was so nervous she did not want to go in.

Osas calmed her down and told her that everything would be fine.

She finally calmed down and they went in. She was horrified when she saw him. He was a shadow of himself. She put her hand over her mouth. He was in this state because of her. Bimbo at the other end of the room could not believe who he was seeing. It was Behi. She had actually come to see him. He really wanted to hug her and apologise for all the things he had done but he couldn’t. Before he knew what was happening, she had put her hands around him and hugged him. Pain shot through his body as she did but he didn’t care because she probably would never hug him again. So he decided to “enjoy” this moment.

“You came…you actually came.”

“Yes…yes…I did….she began to cry.

“Please don’t cry….I have caused you enough pain already.”

Osas silently left the room.

“It’s my fault as well that you are here…you don’t know how happy I am that you survived this accident I would have never forgiven myself if you didn’t make it.”

She finally let go of him and sat down. She looked around the room which was filled cards, some flowers and stuff to nibble.

“You are loved o….see cards everywhere.”

“Yea…literally everyone has been here except for Eno and you of course.”

“I am so sorry Bimbo…I cannot believe things went this far….I have learnt my lesson”

“Same here…I mean I have been in this hospital for almost two and a half weeks and all because of what…”

“It was not worth at all”.

“I am so sorry Behi…I know I hurt you in the past but this time I admit I went too far. I am sorry for hurting you and your boyfriend….please I beg you for the bottom of my heart for everything I have done to you please forgive me.”

“I forgive you and I am sorry as well for lying to you and leading you on just to hurt you. Please forgive me Bimbo.

“I forgive you too. I intend to visit your boyfriend when I am out of here. I want to ask for his forgiveness as well.

Hearing that, Behi sighed. That morning, Dozie had told her that his mum was being stubborn and refused to drop the charges even though the lawyer was not being so responsive. She did not know if it would be appropriate to tell Bimbo about it.

“Why are you sighing?”

“Nothing”

“Is he going to punch me in the face?…..because I actually do deserve it. “ He said, laughing.

Behi did not smile.

“What’s wrong?”

Nothing..it’s just that…it’s Dozie’s mum….she…

“She has pressed charges for attempted murder.”

“You know already?”`

“Yes pops told me”

“Oh…”

“He’s handling it….I don’t blame his mum though…I went too far”

“Your dad should be able to handle it.”

“Yea…fingers crossed.”

She stayed for a little while and she called Osas to come back into the room.

Getting back into the room, Osas knew from their demeanor that they had ironed things out. She said a silent prayer thanking God for getting her friend through all this.

___________________________________________________________________________

Chief Adekoya called his driver for the umpteenth time.

“Kayode….where are you for God’s sake?”

“Ma bi nu sir traffic dey too much for here.”

“If you had just gone to drop these things yesterday we will not be in this mess.”

“E jo sir….no vex”

“I am waiting”.

“Okay sir”.

Chief Adekoya waited patiently for his driver and hoped that his visit to Dozie’s house would be a productive one. He hoped his mother was even around. He had gotten in touch with the lawyer Dozie’s mum had hired and had cajoled him to stall the case until he had spoken to Dozie’s mum. Kayode finally arrived and he made his way to the car. It was a smooth ride to the house. When he got there he knocked on the gate and a young lad opened it.

Good evening Oga sir…who you wan see?”

“Good evening please I would like to see Mrs Okechukwu the madam of the house.”

At the point Emeka came out of the house. He saw chief and the gateman talking and went to find out what was going on. Chief Adekoya introduced himself and Emeka ushered him into the house.

“Mum there is someone here to see you.”

“Who?…tell the person I am coming”.

She came and Chief Adekoya stood up, introduced himself and shook her hand.

“You are welcome chief but why have you come here?”

“I am actually the father of the young man who stabbed your son with a screwdriver.”