The 'S' Hub

Buchi Agwu Julie had asked to spend the night at my place as we’d left Njideka’s very late and her house was in a mess. As always, I said Yes. I usually can’t say no to a lady’s request, except one for sex, that is. But last night, Julie hadn’t asked for sex. She’d asked for the opposite, in fact. When we got to the house, my parents were already asleep, but mom, inquisitive as ever, had still shuffled into the sitting room dopey-eyed to check who it was breaking into the house. I’ve warned her several times to be stealthy about these checks and to always take along with her an object for protection. There’s the heavy store padlock, now useless like the store itself, lying idle on the old fridge in the kitchen, the pestle behind the kitchen door, knives on their rack, and even the mopping stick, if she doesn’t want to hurt someone’s son. She seems to have grown certain that no intruder will break into her house. She smiled at seeing Julie and even hugged her, but that was...

Edisemi Thompson I was lying on the bed browsing through pictures of wedding gowns on my Tab while Butch knocked. I was really pissed at the discovery of him smoking in the closet. It gives me the chill to picture him in all of that smoke, not to mention channelling them into his lungs. I can’t forgive him for that one. He’ll have to tell me how long he’s been at it and why he hadn’t told me before getting me into this shitty point where I have to choose whether to continue with him or not. Then, if we’re to continue, he’ll have to sign an undertaking never to return to the habit. They say old habit doesn’t die, but when he’s faced with choosing either me or the habit, I’m sure old habit will learn a new way to die. While I’d forgiven his sweet self – I can’t stand a grudge with Butch for more than thirty minutes – I needed him to pay the price of the forgiveness. My forgiveness doesn’t come cheap. He’d knock there all night without a response from me and if he so happens to le...

Buchi Agwu Things are about to get out of hand. I’m thinking maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to Edisemi handling the party this year. I would’ve vetoed it and taken charge just like last year and the year before. She’s nowhere to be found and the place have taken a chaotic ambience. Life is about order, that’s why the law was established in the first place. Without order, organization, and leadership, we’d be poor animals living our lives as it comes and killing each other at the slightest provocation. Okay, forget that lecture, it’s me trying to convince you that instead of going in search of Edisemi, I’ll fix the party and see it through. First, there’s the DJ to inform to get about his duties. Music should be the first informant of any celebration. If he doesn’t know this as a DJ, he knows nothing. The bar has been adapted to the DJ stand for this occasion. There’s musical equipment decorating the place but no DJ to bring them to life. I scan the people in th...