A deserted cavern

In the part of the world where I come from, a large number of people attach so much significance to male offsprings especially the first child. I’ve always wondered why that is the case but I never got any satisfactory response from those I asked so I stopped bothering. Or did I really stop bothering? Maybe I’m a bit bias because Didi, my five years old daughter is my first and only child. She’s a joy to behold, smart, witty and quite too humorous for her age. Those traits she undoubtedly got from Lola, her mom who passed away in excruciating circumstance during the birth of Dan, our second child. We lost him too some two months later and I’ve since then been living alone with Didi. “Can I get my chocolates now Daddy?” Didi asked at the end of our routine high intensity Saturday workout session. “Oh yes, here it is.” I replied handing her a box of chocolates. She’s not supposed to have it except once in two weeks for obvious reasons, unnecessary weight gain. Didi is qui...

You rarely see them in groups but a group of eagles is called a convocation while a group of owls is called a parliament. Oh you’re welcome.  “ Iyalaya e, won o bi e! ” a frustrated Abere had fired at one of his infuriating customers. Quite a fitting name, Abere, as you’ll almost see his bones through his skin at a glance. He deals with sales of household electrical appliances after a seasoned professional career in street thuggery. Eventually, he graduated into an Agbero (a lower level of road transportation occupation) terrorizing bus drivers and conductors who dared not pay their dues. He stood at six feet tall and barely weighs 110 pounds yet wreaks havoc the likes of which you don’t see often. His name sends shivers down the spine of the average bus conductor not because he has an intimidating frame but because of the plethora of backup at his disposal. Once, a handsome young man who just moved into the neigbourhood had a misunderstanding with Abere and...

With his final university examination to contend with, Ade suddenly also had to deal with a severe headache and a rising temperature. From all indications, it wasn’t as a result of intense studying. Most students would break down under such pressure, a subtle reminder of their mortality. Not Ade, he had trained his mind over time to withstand sustained hours of intense studying. Everything points to one answer as he could fathom. “No, not again! I treated malaria just last month,” he thought out loud. His final examination was scheduled for the next day and if there’s one thing he despised, it is taking pills not recommended by an healthcare professional. Besides, taking malaria pills at that instant would only weaken him further and that would be bordering on two injustices committed against his own self in a short while. He took paracetamol, the safe option (or so it seemed). Fast forward to the next day and like an experienced surgeon in a familiar theatre, he...