The 'S' Hub

Captain Attah Nameless girl isn’t in the sitting room watching Telemundo, neither is she in the bedroom or any of the other rooms. I search the kitchen and all the closets and still don’t find her. I go out back in search of her and more than think of screaming her name, but there’s just no name to scream. I sigh and get back into the house. I check the wardrobe where all of her clothes had been neatly folded. They’re gone. I glance at the bedside stool where she’d left her handbag. That too is gone. “Now what the heck is this?” You don’t get to change girls like baby diapers and expect not to encounter an evil spirit. “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Well, every day, they say, is for the thief and one day for the owner of the house? “Who is the thief and who’s the owner of this house, huh?” It makes no sense speaking to oneself so I shut up, moreover, all the questions feel like fucking rhetoric. I don’t even need the small voice in my head, which has been restless as of late, to...

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...

Yipee! It's a new year for us. I'm glad I still have all of you with me. We'll have such a pleasant ride together this year. Happy New year. Enjoy this new year post. Juliana Nkemdiri A lot of people refute the idea of love at first sight, I’m not one of such people. Anyway, it depends on your definition of love at first sight. You catch a glimpse of someone drifting by, probably with his folks beside him, and you expect to love the fellow at once? No way, sister. Love at first sight is what you feel the very first time you share the same space with him. His smile, his frown, his gestures, his comportment, his scent, his words, and even way down to his fart. Did you love these things instantly? Yes, I did with Butch, and I have Captain to thank. Very few people knew Butch in secondary school until he was made the dining prefect. That was one post that suited him well. Butch was steadfast with his belly demands, and his belly always demanded the school dining...

At last I won the battle with my flesh to sit my slothful ass down and get back to writing stories. I’m making you no promise to complete this story, which is going to be posted here in short episodes. I’m rather challenging myself to become useful to you, dear readers. This episode is dedicated to all of us born in December. Cheers! DAY 1 Edisemi Thompson Happy Birthday Happy Birthday Happy Birthday Happy Birth… Fuck! “What?” The Cake lady on the other end of the line asks. “Did I just say fuck?” I ask. There’s brief laughter from her, the sound like voices from the shell of a conch. “I was trying to tell myself you didn’t say that.” “Well…” “Happy Birthday!” Temi screams, startling me from my call. I turn a scared face his way to discover he’s in a company of four. I know none of the other guys. I don’t like Temi’s persona. He’s always aims to creep me out of my mind, and he gives me this kind of stare that slices through my clothes to my ...