MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 9)

ANNIE

Annie felt lucky. Somehow; since she started private stripping, she had only strip danced to two other clients in the past two weeks and it was horrible. Each had stared at her lecherously and one had asked her for a blow job. She had ran out of the room. The other had asked her to get on with a fellow stripper while he watched. She had cringed and had also ran out of the room too. Kayla and Olise had been appalled; they had scolded her thoroughly about bolting from customers and she had complained about their weird preferences. But, what shocked them was that each had left envelopes with a hundred thousand Naira each which was asides the fee they had paid already for the private dance. They had paid that much with the hope that Annie would do as they wished the next time they showed up.

Annie had been more shocked because, she had known she was going to strip dance but she hadn't expected the weird requests she had gotten from those men. But she was still surprised because she couldn't believe that she had made three hundred thousand just like that. She had hurriedly paid her rent which was sixty thousand, stocked up her house with enough food stuff to last her for a month and had deposited some in her account. Thus, as she lay on her bed in her room, she recalled her first night at Silver fox.

She had been scared out of her wit's end but that stranger had made it easy for her. He hadn't tried to touch her like the others; though he had acted really strange by walking out abruptly, he had been decent enough to keeps his hands to himself. She hadn't seen his face but he was at least six foot tall, really dark in complexion and had such an aura of authority that made him walk straight. She wished she could see him again and dance for him. Maybe he'll stay for the full one hour he'll be paying for.

She was lost in her thoughts when she started hearing the annoying noise that always comes from Bros Zik's room. This time, he was the one shouting with reckless abandon.

"Oh yes! Oooooh yes! Ah! you don finish work today! Ah! Baby! Make I come?"
The girl in turn hissed her answer, "No o! Never come abeg. I want fess you come!"

Annie rolled her eyes in exasperation. She felt like screaming. Like why the hell were they arguing about cumming?! Can they just cum already?! Jeez! she thought out loud. She decided to distract herself with her laptop; thankfully, PHCN decided to bless them with light. She checked her mails first and one in particular caught her attention. She couldn't believe it. The mail was from Excel Global, the audit firm she had had an interview with two months back. She hadn't heard from them anymore until now and she was quite surprised. They were inviting her for another interview the next day. She was shaken but happy all the same because she had even forgotten about them; she had lost all hope of them ever calling her back and now they finally did. She prayed she got the job. She would stop stripping if she did, she would move out of this house, she would put her parents on a monthly stipend, she would start saving for her Masters degree, she would start saving for weekend trips to African countries nearby and she would be alright.

.........................


That night, she had a restless sleep.

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 8)

DAREN

Monday had started out brutal for Daren and as he kept staring at the pile of files on his table, he concluded that he would break down if he continued receiving more stress punches. The files were much and each needed the same level of urgency as the other. He had passed them on to his secretary to attend to but she had been too preoccupied with other tasks he had assigned to her that she forgot to attend to them. He had a lot on his plate as well being that it was the season of accounts reconciliation for most of their top clients. He had to do the final vetting according to his company's policy before the final results were delivered to their clients. He checked his watch; it was almost time for lunch with his Mom so he hibernated his computer, took his car keys, his phone and his tablet before leaving. Mom was a time keeper. A minute's delay could tick her off and she would start calling his phone non stop.

..........................

As he drove, he recalled the events of two weeks back. The place, the scene, the sound, the people, the costumes, the ambiance, that girl..., that shy, unsure stripper with skin like caramel and slightly parted lips panting slowly with every move she made. The scent of her skin when she ...  The view of Marcopolo drew him out of his reverie. He drove into the spacious compound and saw Mom's car with the driver napping inside. He smiled at the sight as he walked into the Nigerian version of a Chinese restaurant. When Mom had told him about the place, he had laughed at the thought of what a Chinese restaurant would look like in Lagos but  looking at this one now, he was impressed. Though, very spacious, the Decor of gold mixed with red gave the place that Chinese feel except for the fact that there was no Chinese song playing in the background so he was still conscious of being in Lagos.

He saw Mom sitting pretty and straight like a Queen at their table. She was looking out to the water front through the full length glass windows beside their table. Daren smiled fondly. This woman; this beautiful 60 year old Hausa woman with the body of a 40 year old and the mind of a 25 year old, this strong woman was a rare gem. To people; she was cold and unfriendly but to him she was everything he could ever wish for in a mother. She was warm, strict to a fault but overly caring. Although sometimes, she put up the front of an overbearing slave master to their staff, he knew it was all an act to curtail any form of insubordination. He loved her and respected her decisions especially those she made for their family and even when she was the third out of three wives she had the reigns to her husband's businesses.

Daren laughed this time when she turned and saw him. She stretched out her hand to him and when he took it, she gave him that heart warming smile that always made her look more youthful.

........................

They ordered for long bean noodles, prawns and some side dishes to go with. As they ate, they talked about the business. Then Daren recalled he had asked for an assistant before arriving Nigeria so he reminded her.

"Don't tell me that Lagos's short of hard working youths who aren't competent enough to be my assistant Mom"
She took her time to chew before responding. "Well, you never can tell unless you test them. We actually had quite a number of interviews the month before you arrived but we weren't satisfied with the candidates"
"How many were they?" Daren asked
"About a hundred or more"
Daren sighed. Dear mother, always hard to please. He shook his head in amusement before saying;
"Okay, ask the HR manager to send me the CVs of the top twenty. I'll look through myself and call for another interview."
"Don't worry son, we'll handle it" she said in her conclusive tone before sipping some water but Daren wouldn't let it slip so he insisted.
"No Mom. I'm being swallowed by work and I need an assistant ASAP"
She sighed in defeat cos she knew her son. He could go ahead and call for the interviews without her anyways. He was just as stubborn as she was so she decided on compromise.
"Alright. We'll do it this way. We'll call the top twenty this Friday and then you'll be a part of the selection committee so that you can decide for yourself. But I must warn you, you won't be so much impressed."

Daren rolled his eyes and said; "At this point, I'll take that chance. Tomorrow it will be. John should send me the CVs at the close of work today, I'll look at them overnight, the candidates will be notified tomorrow and the interview will take place on Wednesday. By Friday I want an assistant so I can live long. That's final Mom. Now let's talk about something else"

She looked at him narrow eyed and they both burst into laughter at the same time. She threw the napkin at him before saying, "If you aren't so strong headed then I'll conclude that you aren't my son"

Daren winked at her.

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 7)

ANNIE

Annie didn't really know what to do next that was why she had sat down on the lone chair in the room. She was in a Strip Club; a live one. This was the place Terry had told her that his friend managed and though, everyone looked naked, it all looked magical; like a sort of fantasy island where your erotic wishes are granted. Terry's friend; Olise had taken one look at her and had concluded that she would do well entertaining guests privately than on the pole and she had been grateful for his decision cos she was going to ask for that exactly. Olise had handed her over to Kayla who was in charge of the girls as well as their costumes. Kayla had looked at her like a foreign dish to be devoured and had said;

"Hmm, if I had that body, I'll have every man that comes into this place at my beck and call. Use it wisely. Don't get all cocky about it but always remember that your body is your weapon. Draw strength from that thought. Your patron might want you to do some extras while you dance, do it without hesitation. Maintain eye contact and make him feel like in his being is your existence. Touch yourself while you dance. It'll turn him on. Lastly, serenade him with your body like your life depends on it."

Annie's throat went dry and she stuttered; "This is my first time doing this Kayla"
Kayla looked at her with her usual poker face and said in a not so assuring way, "Just think about the money you'll make and you'll be fine"

Annie smiled and nodded with gratitude after receiving her costume. She suspected that that was a perfectly rehearsed line Kayla used for all the girls especially the new ones. It sounded good but she felt it sounded too easy. For one, she had never seen herself as "sexy" and when people ogled at her body, she wondered what they saw.

So she had worn the lingerie, the comfortable heels she came with and had tied her hair in a ponytail. She hadn't worn makeup cos she needed her face to breathe out the pent up tension she was feeling but she had used her gloss and lastly, a face mask that covered just her eyes. She wouldn't want anyone to recognize her outside this place.

She had taken a deep breath, exhaled, checked herself once more in the huge wall mirror and then left the changing room to start this phase in her life.

......................

Deep, dark searching eyes welcomed her as she walked in through the door. She felt exposed like an article on display at an exhibition and as she walked she felt those eyes following her. When she sat, she didn't know what to do next and to worsen the situation, her patron in question said nothing. Instead, he had an amused but sort of daring expression on his face. What was he expecting she wondered? They were both quiet for some minutes then she heard Future's "Mask Off" and she began to move sinuously on the chair. She moved sideways; twisting her hips slowly. Then she put her hands to her neck, caressing slowly, gently moving them down to her chest and as she got closer to her breasts, she stopped and gracefully stood up. With her left hand holding the chair, she moved her right hand down her stomach, slowly deliberately allowing his eyes to linger on her hand as it trailed an invisible path on her stomach, down to the space between her legs. Then she trailed her thighs downwards and then up again, this time, putting her fingers on her lips. She threw her head backwards, revealing the smooth skin on her neck and then with her left hand, she caressed her neck down to her breasts. Then she stood up and took a few steps towards him.  When she was standing right in front of him, she raised a leg and placed it on the bed he was seated. Then just like she had seen Christiana Aguilera do in the movie "Burlesque", she bent down slowly and started rolling down her sheer tights to reveal some skin. She noticed that he had narrowed his eyes as if in concentration so she took that as a sign that she was doing great and moving to Dj Khaled's "Be with You", she stood straight and was slowly winding her waist but just as she was about sitting on his thighs, he stood up and left the room.

His sudden movement had taken her unawares and she almost fell to the ground. She looked at the shut door but couldn't move. What had she done wrong? Had she made the wrong move by attempting to sit on his thighs? This is crazy Annie thought as she sat on the sofa shaking.

..................

She had packed up her little bag and was about leaving when Olise called her and handed her an envelop with a smile on his face. He said;
"Your Patron was very generous. Well done."
Annie didn't understand what that meant so she opened the envelop and found a bunch of one thousand naira notes and on the wrap up paper, she saw "one hundred thousand naira" written on it. She was shocked. She looked at Olise and as if understanding what she wanted to ask, he said quickly before leaving to go back inside.

"About our percentage, he paid for that separately already. By the way, I'll advise you lodge into an hotel for tonight instead of going back to Ajegunle. Lagos isn't that friendly"

Annie couldn't comprehend the weird but fruitful turn of events of the night but one thing she could understand is. that man, whoever he is, is a weird one.

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 6)

DAREN

The night was still young according to Femi's mental clock. Though it was already 12:00 midnight, Femi insisted that, that was the time for the fun to begin. He had given Daren a head's up that 12 midnight was when the real fun seekers of Lagos came out. From Daren's office, they had gone to Craft Gourmet for dinner, NOK for drinks and then Silver Fox for the peak of the night.

As they drove to Silver Fox, Daren tried to visualize what it would look like in his mind but he couldn't. He had been to strip clubs in England and other cities around the world he had traveled to but it had been the same experience. The pretty girls, getting naked, acting all coy and dancing seductively, smiling invitingly, and baring it all on the pole, he had seen it all. He wanted to see something different, something fresh, something unexpected and different from the norm and he hoped he could see it tonight. So as they got to the gate, he noticed that the security men recognized Femi immediately from the way they greeted him. Femi had already made reservations so even when they got in and the place was crowded, they had their special table ready.

......................

Daren fed his eyes. He was impressed and amazed that such a place existed in Lagos, Nigeria. The girls were all beautiful and well sculpted. They had on sexy lingeries and really high heels; the famous stripper's heels that looked like mobile platforms that helped them find their balance when they walked. He liked the way they came to pay their respects to Femi and him in the famous stripper way. Every stripper is supposed to formally greet every guest with a smile and a handshake that stopped at the tip of the fingers. It was a flirty greeting that expressed that desire to give you a lap dance and also keep your table company all through the evening. So when they came to Daren and Femi's table, Daren noticed that they smelled really nice and clean which was key for him. So he relaxed, sipping his drink and taking in the whole scenario.

He noticed that the dance stage for the strippers was round and almost split in two so there were two separate poles for them to dance. The strippers were graceful on the pole and their skill was almost like those of the strippers abroad but somehow, it felt so unreal. It felt like they were trying too hard to be sexy and foreign. He sighed and asked Femi,
"When will our people learn to be original?"
Femi who was obviously enjoying himself looked at Daren like he was weird before replying,
"I don't understand Man. What do you mean?"
Daren took a sip of his drink before answering.
"Well,  I wasn't expecting so much twerking. I don't know. I just feel like I'm seeing the same thing I've seen before"
Femi rolled his eyes. Since Daren returned from England, he had become very difficult to please. He was always looking for the "original" in everything. So, he simply patted Daren on the back and said,
"Just enjoy the moment man! Just loosen up and enjoy the moment! Trust me, you won't be disappointed anymore than you are now.

Daren shrugged slightly and hoped to enjoy the evening. He wasn't feeling the whole display of nakedness. They're good no doubt but, he just wasn't feeling the part where they opened their veevee completely for everyone to see what's in there. It's supposed to be a "strip" club not a "hurry to show off your veevee club". He felt like the girls were too in a hurry to show what was down there instead of taking their time to tease the customers, make them want more before going for the kill. His craving was wearing out and he wasn't in the mood anymore so he switched his attention to his phone, with the loud erotic music teasing his mind and his senses.

..................

Daren was fiddling with his phone at about 1:30am. He had fed his eyes with everything around him and it was still a case of the same ol' same ol'. Though the music was great, he enjoyed the music more than the lap dances so he rejected any that was offered. Femi had even tried bringing the prettiest girl to him for a lap dance but he had declined then Femi excused himself and when he returned, he asked Daren to follow him to another section of the club.

There was a private room upstairs and Femi had paid for one and had asked the manager of the place to make Daren "Happy". Daren had found it funny but he relaxed in the room anyways; happy to be away from all that unrealness to waiting for whatever surprise they had in store for him.

He waited ten minutes in the dimly lit room in sky blue, the ambiance was just right and there was slow music playing in the background. There was a single white vanity chair in the middle of the room and as he waited for whatever it was that would make him happy, he heard the door open slowly. Someone walked in. A girl. She had on just a simple black outfit; a black lacy lingerie with net sheer tights. She didn't wear the regular stripper heels but she wore a face mask that concealed just her eyes but Daren could see her lips. They were small without lipstick but just gloss. Her hair was packed up in a ponytail and she had on black lacy gloves. She wasn't light skinned; she was chocolate and lithe as a gazelle. When she walked, she wasn't in a hurry, she walked slowly, almost afraid for her tiny feet to touch the plush rug on the floor and then gently, she sat on the lone chair in the middle of the room. Daren was intrigued and so he waited to see what would happen next.

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 5)

ANNIE

When they got to the venue of the place, Annie couldn't help but observe that she had passed this particular place in Victoria Island several times during the day when she job hunts but had never really given thought to what the place was. She noticed that while the "bouncers" searched the bags of the other girls at the gate, her bag wasn't searched. Terry tipped the guys and they both went into the compound. It was nice. It had a pool side on the far right with little groups of people sitting, drinking, smoking and chatting excitedly. She noticed that in the little groups, there were girls her age or younger who were scantily clad in two piece outfits or simple body con gowns, their makeup was too much and sort of overly exaggerated for a simple sit out. The men on the other hand looked more composed, mature and smelt of wealth. Of course, the smell of their perfumes spoke volumes. She watched Terry moving from group to group, exchanging pleasantries, taking a drag of smoke from shisha pots and laughing out loud at a joke or two. Then he returned to her side and led her to a flight of stairs she hadn't noticed before.

It was concealed by some pot plants that were neatly lined up and the beautiful leaves which spread out like palm fronds had concealed the fact that the stairs actually led to the main entrance of the bar. The sight that greeted Annie when they finally reached the top of the stairs was intriguing. Unlike downstairs where there was a mixed crowd of men and girls, up here was a different sight to behold. The setting looked like a coven for females only. The population of girls against that of the men there was ninety against ten. Annie was rooted to the spot she had to draw Terry back.

"Terry, what is this place?" she asked trying to be audible above the loud music
Terry smiled and answered without looking at her, ''A bar obviously"

Annie wasn't convinced but she followed him anyways and as they walked to the end of the large room, she couldn't help but notice that most of the girls had on cheap perfume and some had none at all which caused the place to have a mixed smell of cigarette, alcohol, cheap perfumes and body odor. Just like the others downstairs, they were scantily dressed with too  much makeup and they were dancing with so much effort to the overly loud Nigerian mix tape playing. And because there wasn't enough men to go round, the few men that were present,; mostly Indians, Lebanese and few Nigerians had this confused crease on their foreheads as they struggled to decide on who to focus on amongst the five or more girls gathered around their table, sharing their drinks and competing for attention with seductive dance moves. Annie could swear she felt piercing stares on her back as she walked with Terry to the end of the room and it made her wonder if these girls saw her as a competition or a bad omen.

..................

The room Terry took her looked like the VVIP section of the place. There were a few people there unlike the other side but Annie still wasn't comfortable. Terry noticed and suggested that they move to the pool side instead which she gladly agreed to but first, she needed to use the rest room.

....................

The rest room was packed with girls; all of them at the mirror adjusting either their clothes or their makeup then one of the girls started talking about a man who wanted to take her home for fifteen thousand Naira. Immediately, the other girls exclaimed in amazement and one said,
"Babe you lucky o!"
The "lucky girl" sounded reluctant "erm, him no be my type"
The others shouted again and they all started talking at once. One said,
'' You no get sense o! You know how much dem they give us for here? 5k or 8k still, you dey complain"
The "lucky girl" whined, "But him no be my type"
"Hmmm, hungry go catch you!" one said maliciously
Another said, "Abeg, give me the man if you no want"

When Annie came out of the rest room, she looked at the girls from the side of her eyes and noticed that they looked envious. The "lucky girl" sighed and shrugged as she said,
"Ha! make I go meet am o! Before dem steal am from me" then she left

Annie quickly left the rest room too. She was ashamed of what she had just heard.

....................

As the waiter brought their drinks, Terry started the same conversation he always emphasized on whenever he saw Annie.

"So, you still haven't told me what you want to do yet Annie. How else do you want to help yourself? I've told you the money is good"
Annie wasn't convinced "Terry, I can't do what those girls are doing. They look so desperate competing for attention from men who didn't even look interested. And I feel like I'll be really exposed if I'm here"
"So you think you're better than those girls?" Terry asked with one brow raised
"I didn't say that Terry. What I mean is, I'm a private person, if I'm gonna do this, then it has to be private."

Terry dragged on his cigarette and blew out the smoke before saying,

"Okay, this is what I'll do for you. There's this other place my friend manages. It's a strip club but they have a private boot for high paying guests. I'll hook you up"
Annie was shocked "Seriously Terry, you want me to strip?!" she asked
Terry was exasperated already. What does the girl want for Christ's sake. "Yes Annie! But in a private way! You want privacy don't you?"
"Yes but, must I strip? It's the same thing as what these girls do!" she struggled to keep her voice low

Terry scratched his head and said, "Look Annie, I'm only trying to help you. This is what I do; I hook girls up. Your rent is due, you're broke and jobless, your family can't help you, you can't get a bank loan cos you're not even sure of when you'll pay back not to talk of having people to stand as guarantors and all that shit. You're twenty six, you've got the body of an eighteen year old, you're sexy as fuck even if you don't know it, you can help yourself  and this is the only way I can fix you up Annie. Take it or leave it." he finished, sipped his drink and stood up.

Annie felt reality like a sharp sting. She thought of any possibility at all of  a change but none was readily available. Terry had refused to lend her any money. According to him, he would rather teach her how to fish than give her the fish. Though, his way wasn't the only way but it was the only available way she could get a quick solution to her current situation so she stood up and  called out to Terry who had walked to the far side of the pool.

"I'm in" she said
Terry smiled and as he walked towards her, his smile broadened into a laugh and he said, "Trust me, we're gonna be rich! Lagos isn't ready for us!"
 

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 4)

DAREN

This Friday made it a month since Daren has been in Nigeria and it has been a sour experience for him. First, his Mom was always hovering. She had refused to employ a live in Help to tend to the house and had instead gone into contract with a cleaning agency to do the job. Then for food, she ensured her own cook stocked his fridge with fresh food everyday. Her reasons were, she didn't trust these Lagos Helps who in most cases, became their bosses mistress. Some of them eventually became the madame of the manor and for her, that was completely unacceptable. This school of thought really upset Daren but he had to accept his Mom's judgement. After all, she had more experience in such matters and has lived in Nigeria far longer than him.

He hadn't even had time to explore Lagos as much as he wanted because, Mom kept organizing a welcome home party every weekend. The parties which were more like a networking summit always had in attendance prestigious personalities, top CEOs and representatives of world class organizations who were very excited at the prospect of working with the just returned son of one of the strongest female business mogul in Nigeria, Mrs. Danjuma.

Although, he had resumed work immediately he had settled in against the insistence of his Mom for him to take time off, he really wanted to see how the company was faring. His Dad had started the company years back and had found interest in other ventures thus leaving the company under the care of his Mom and him. Mom had done a great job overseeing all affairs which yielded remarkable growth while he on the other hand had stayed back in England, referring and investing in more businesses. Now, she wants to retire and had demanded that he returned home to take full charge of the business. He wasn't ready to relocate but he badly needed to leave England so he obliged her.

At 40, he was still single and wasn't looking forward to settling down anytime soon. He loved and valued his solitude cos it gave him enough time to be; just to be. Yes, his culture required him to have been married with kids already but he wasn't a man of the conventional. His idiosyncrasy followed no rules. He usually thought of himself as a free soul and wouldn't subject himself to a way of life that boxed his thoughts. So, he took the growth of his company more serious than growing a relationship that would lead to marriage.

For weeks, he had been looking forward to having a taste of the upbeat lifestyle of Lagos since Femi had always made it a point of duty to feed him with his night time escapades whenever he visited England and he had thought of trying out one or two things he had learnt from their conversations but now, it looked like his Mom had taken over his weekends. He had to look for another way out.

........................

Femi picked on the first ring and this made Daren smile.
"What's up Buddy!" Femi exclaimed
"Hey Flash! what you been up to?" Daren teased knowingly.  They both laughed cos they both understood that question.

Femi knew happening spots in Lagos and even though he was married with two kids, he never failed to keep his Friday dates with at least 3 bars in VI Lagos after work before going home. Thus, his friends called him "Flash".

Femi answered "I'm packing up to leave the office now. What about you?"
"Been done since 6. Just decided to stay here for a bit before going back to that depressing zone if you know what I mean" Daren said
Femi laughed "I totally understand man. I'm sorry to say but your Mom is a pain in the ass. Jeez! How do you cope?"
Daren laughed as he replied, "Hey, don't hate. She's still my jewel. Anyways, I feel like going out tonight and I'll need you to be my Chaperon. Are you game?"
"Of course! Yes Man! I can't wait to spoil you silly my friend! You know what, I'm coming to get you" he chattered excitedly
"Alright. I'm here"

Daren smiled at the thought of what was to come. He knew he was in for an interesting evening but the details of it wasn't something he coul predict. Anyways, he was ready for anything.

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 3)

ANNIE

Annie had walked to the end of the long street before finally going back home the day she had the interview. That night, sleep eluded her. She had prayed more than ever that night and had conversed with her subconscious about the worse that could happen if she didn't get that job. She had decided that a lot of worse things will happen if she didn't get the job or any other soon. She had to do something quickly.

Today made it a month since after the interview and still no feedback from that company. Even the other companies she applied to still haven't called her. Most days, she felt depressed and frustrated, other days she felt completely disconnected from the world, her environment and her family. She had stopped calling home and stopped taking their calls as well. she had stopped going to church and totally blanked out from even herself. She needed that closure.

On this particular night, she decided to visit her regular online job sites to check for vacancies and to apply. The light had been fluctuating since morning and just as she was about plugging in her laptop to charge, it was lights out again. So she decided to go for her routine stroll.

...............

The stroll was therapeutic as usual. She was able to enjoy the noise and the chaos of Idewu street. The noise came in varieties; cars honking, okadas zooming past like flying bats with the riders not caring if they knocked the wind out of anyone in their way and the passengers cussing and praying under their breath to arrive their destination without breaking a leg, film rentals shop owners competing for attention as they blasted igbo, yoruba and foreign songs, barbing salons entertaining just one customer with hit songs from Wizkid and other young Nigerian artistes, little kids playing outside their compounds and waiting for their parents to return from work or their hustles and full time housewives who's decided to trade in the evenings only, displaying their wares of sweets, oranges and roasted corn by the road side, haggling prices with customers excitedly.

It was indeed a beautiful chaotic symphony of voices and people she thought as she walked back home.

......................

The light was back by the time she got home and she quickly plugged her laptop. She heard a knock on her door and went to check reluctantly. It was Mama David. Gosh! the woman was a pain in her neck.

"Good evening Mama David"
"Erm, Annie, how nau? Abeg give me salt there"
"Okay. I'm coming"
Annie went to her cupboard and brought out a sachet of salt and handed it over to Mama David. With her face lit up in excitement, Mama David exclaimed with gratitude.
"Hei! Thank you o! Chai, this one go last me for one month. Eya! You do well for me my dear."
Annie rolled her eyes and quickly smiled as she replied,
"No wahala Ma. Good night"

Annie sighed with relief as she bolted her door. Her neighbors won't be the death of her she mused. They were always coming to borrow one thing or the other from her and she was tired already cos she couldn't find herself refusing them. Mama David was a mother of five and a full time house wife whose husband found joy in bashing her face every month like a tradition so she found herself particularly nice to the woman. The other women in the compound found her as a resource house too and sometimes, it could be really exhausting but she indulged them anyways. In this part of Lagos, no man or woman is an Island.

...........................

She was undressing for bed when her phone rang. She picked it up to check and when she saw the caller ID, she cussed under her breath as this was the last person she wanted to speak with but she picked anyways.

"Hi Terry"
"Hey babe! What's up?"
"I'm alright, thanks." Terry said excitedly
"Ummm, look Terry, I thought about our conversation. I'll give it a shot but you'll have to give me more time" Annie said
"Nada babe, I'm outside your house like right now. We have to go now. I already talked to the manager of the place about you and he's dying to meet you in person"
"Oh no... I'm not prepared Terry" Annie replied worried
"Come on! Just wear whatever you have and I'll handle the rest"
Annie hesitated for a bit before replying "Okay. Just give me some minutes"

Annie hung up and scratched her head. This is going to be a long night, she thought out loud. She was scared but she had to go with the flow. What she's going for, who she's going to meet, was something she'll beat herself over when she returned in the morning for now, she wasn't going to over think things.

She dressed up and went out to meet Terry.

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 2)

DAREN 

Daren was already exhausted by the time he got home. He didn't find the experience at the airport funny at all; although, he had been given a heads up by his friend, Femi. The moment he had arrived at the MMIA, he had received the warmest and most sycophantic welcome ever. The attendants at the airport were so friendly and helpful that he had fallen completely for their over resourcefulness. Everyone wanted to be of help to him and try as he might to assure them that he could manage his luggage, they insisted. By the time he was cleared, he had spent over twenty thousand Naira out of the money he could manage to change, on "settling" everyone that "helped" him. He had been washed with relief when he had finally sighted his good friend, Femi.

Now, as they drove through the streets of Lagos catching up on old times, he couldn't help but marvel at how things had changed. Everywhere looked so beautiful. Not particularly spic and span but really different from the Lagos he had left fifteen years ago as a teenager.

By the time they drove into Lekki, he was amazed. Femi noticed the look on his face and laughed. He was more impressed when they finally got to the house that his Mom had prepared for him. She knew he liked white and thus ensured that the house was white in every way possible; just like the one he had left in England. He didn't like it; yes he was impressed but he didn't like it. It looked too fake; almost like the architect wanted to clone his house back home.  He looked at Femi and frowned. Femi knew that look and immediately went defensive,

"Come on Buddy, tell me you love this place. It took us a lot of time and effort to get this one for you"
"Well, not really but it'll do for a week at least and then I'll move out" Daren replied in his rich British accent while still looking around
"A week?!" Femi exclaimed trying to hold in his laughter before continuing. "Daren, your Mom has paid for this place, two years in advance. She totally loves it and feels it'll be like home away from home" he paused to see if that would have any effect on Daren.

Daren wasn't surprised but he was upset that as usual, his Mom has had her way again. He sighed and asked,
"How many rooms are there?"
"Three rooms" Femi answered
"Alright" he shrugged  and followed Femi as he gave him a tour of the house.

............................

It was a three bedroom serviced apartment with a gym, a pool side and a view of the Ikoyi link Bridge. It was tastefully furnished and the furniture was completely French. Everything had Mom's name written all over it and though, the house looked sophisticated with a great view, he still didn't like it. It reminded him of England which has no place in his reveries yet but still he would have to learn to like the house if he was going to live in it for two years.

..............................

The door bell rang and without waiting for a response, the visitor opened the door and walked in with sure unhurried steps. Daren rolled his eyes and smiling fondly, he went to the living room to meet the only woman he could never argue with. Mom.

MEMOIRS OF PISCES (episode 1)

ANNIE

The mean generator stopped roaring around 3am, leaving receding echoes in Annie's eardrums. She was relieved and troubled at the same time. This same thing happens everyday and in the morning, she wakes up feeling drained. Everyone in the face me I face you compound has gotten used to Bros Zik's I better pass my neighbor generator but Annie doesn't think she ever will because, her room was just next to his thus, she suffered the noise the most, coupled with the smoke that came with it. On this particular night, Annie was more troubled because, she has an interview by 11 am at Lekki. This is the 15th interview she will be going for since the past nine months of applying to over thirty companies. She didn't even prepare for it cos she was already tired of studying her G-Math textbook and rehearsing the right answers, her smile and her grammar. No one can ever fathom what employers want in Nigeria so she was done trying to impress anyone.

She checked the time again; it was past 3 am now. She hasn't been able to sleep at all partly because of the noise and partly because of the interview. She was almost broke again and this time around, if it happens, she would have no choice but to go back to Calabar and resume patching up with her parents who were already fed up of her joblessness. She went on her knees and eyes closed with her hands together in supplication, she whispered into the hot room.

"Dear Lord, I'm at my breaking point. I'm tired of this place, this house, this rat race in Lagos and worse of all, these fruitless interviews. Just make this one work, okay? I don't mind going all the way to Lekki from here. It's gonna cost a lot but, just let me into the system first and I know you'll handle the rest. And please, could you just finally destroy this Bros Zik's generator? It's making me sick! Okay, I'm sorry. That was petty of me but, I'm just fed up of the noise, the smoke and all. Anyways, thanks for answering cos I know you've done it. Amen"

........................

Annie walked into the board room and stiffened when she saw that the panel waiting to interview her was totally different from the type she was used to. She had applied for the role of  a PA to the CEO in this Audit firm and from what she had read online about them, they've been in existence for over twenty years now. They're a huge deal with clients such as the who is who in Nigeria. Annie had developed a particular interest in that position cos she saw it as an opportunity to finally work in a field where she could grow and put to practice what she studied in school.

So when she walked into the board room, she was surprised to see that there were 6 men and a woman waiting for her in the room. They looked impatient and when she noticed the crease on their foreheads, she hastened to the seat that was meant for her. She had on the only corporate gown she had. It was black and clingy, accentuating her curves. She wore flats and carried her everyday bag which was a second hand nude colored Balenciaga bag she had purchased at Boundary Market. Her hair was pulled back in a tight knot and she had no makeup on because the heat from the Danfo Bus would have melted the hell out of the makeup like she usually saw happening to most ladies that boarded those buses.

The room was awfully quiet and she became uncomfortable.  One full minute passed and nobody said anything. Somehow, Annie couldn't look elsewhere so she kept her eyes fixed on no one in particular but on the seven of them. They in turn did same and Annie felt her heart beat accelerate. She felt thirsty too and thought if it would be rude to ask for water but thought better of it. Then, the woman broke the silence by saying with a voice that sounded milky but sure, unhurried and confident.

"Hmm, I'm impressed. You're not a chatterbox."
Annie was confused. She didn't know what to say to that. So instead, she shook her head. But the woman continued, smiling this time.

"I like the fact that you didn't try to fill up the silence with unnecessary chats. That's key for us. We value silence in this organisation but the issue we have with you is, you don't have any experience in such matter" she paused, flipped through Annie's cv and glanced at the other men who nodded in agreement while doing likewise. Annie sighed and spoke up finally.

"Ma'am, I want to assure you, I can perform every function in the job description. As you rightly said, I'm not much of a big talker but my actions far outweigh my words. In a positive, productive and effective way I mean. And I know I'm the right candidate for this job cos, I'm detailed, smart and I do not compromise standards for anything" she stopped and waited to hear what would come next. She felt she sounded cheezy but she had to. She needed the job and hoped they would consider her.
The woman smiled knowingly like she knew something only Annie and her knew then she said the familiar words that Annie was fed up of hearing.
"We'll get back to you. Thanks for coming. Do have a nice day" and with that, they all stood up.
Annie replied, "Thanks for having me. I look forward to hearing from you" then she walked out of the room, holding her head up and struggling not to slouch in dejection.
..................

The traffic was hell and by the time Annie got home, it was 6 pm. She had been called into the board room by 3 pm cos she had met a crowd of candidates by the time she got to the company. Bros Zik was at it again.The moment Annie walked into her one room apartment, she heard their moans and groans and this time, she felt like screaming out loud or breaking something. She plugged in her ear piece to her phone and played Magic's "Let your hair down" to block out the noise but she could still hear;
"Ewo! Zik, hei! Ah! easy biko. Ewu! Chimo!"
"Who's ya daddy? Who's ya daddy? You want am?"
"Yes. Yes."
"Oya take am. Ah baby. Take am."
Annie was furious cos she could still hear the noise so she changed into a jogger and a tank top then left the house to take her usual evening stroll. I can't deal with such crude sexual expressions today she thought to herself as she left the Compound.

NEW FSWG SERIES IN THE WORKS!

Hey Darlings!

It's been a minute. I am so sorry for going MIA here; life happened and I found my feet elsewhere. But, it's been great though cos I've learnt so much in the space of two months. Anyways, something awesome is in the works!

Last year, I did two series on here called "BURNT" and "LOLA's 12 DAYS OF XMAS" and the feedback from you guys was amazing. A lot of you went as far as promoting each episode on various social media platforms. I was and still am very much overwhelmed with appreciation for your love and support for my craft. THANK YOU!

So, the great news is, I'm starting another series on the 25th of March, 2018. It's titled; "MEMOIRS OF PISCES"

MEMOIRS OF PISCES: synopsis

This is the story of two people from two different worlds, Annie and Darren. Annie; a Cross River born graduate of Banking &Finance, raised in downtown Ajegule area of Lagos, struggles to get and keep a job. Daren is a disillusioned returnee from England who struggles to keep up with the upbeat lifestyle of Lagos. 

Memoirs of Pisces is a Romantic Drama that'll take you through the psyche of these two people to help you understand the innermost thoughts of the average Nigerian female from downtown Lagos and the not so average Nigerian male.

This series will touch your core as everyone's story will be told through these characters so brace yourselves for a captivating literary journey that will come in episodes as usual.

Spread the word!

DORCAS SHOLA FAPSON, TAXIFY DRIVER & HATEFUL COMMENTS ABOUT HER HARASSMENT.

It's exactly 1:08 am as I write this post. I'm pissed. Totally consumed with anger for the senseless way people (especially women ) talk down on other women in this dear country of ours. I also pity the men who blame women for every mishap that happens to them. I pray none of them or their loved ones experience such unfortunate incident as what happened to MTV's "SUGAR" actress, Dorcas Shola Fapson. It's so upsetting that when issues like rape, molestation, sexual harassment, kidnap, abuse and all come up, the women will say things like; "serves her right! she asked for it. She's ashewo! (a prostitute) why did she wear a short skirt? why did she go out at that time of the day? Is she a virgin? why is she pretending not to like it?". While the men will say; " abi she didn't want to give it to me, now someone else has taken it. She's a ho!. She's just trying to implicate the poor man cos she's a woman" In Dorcas's case, a guy commented on Instablog, "She's too stubborn. Where was she going at night?". Like seriously?! Oh! how I weep for the ignorance of humans.

I don't know what took me to Instablog Naija's page on Instagram where I stumbled on DSF's story of her sordid experience with a Taxify driver. I actually follow her on SnapChat and had seen her snap stories explaining the event. She didn't release the videos but still I didn't really get the picture. Then on Friday, I saw her snap stories again and this time, she was talking about people calling her a "liar" who was only trying to frame up the "innocent guy" and gain popularity from it. That didn't really get to me cos of course, people spit shit occasionally but then, I saw the two videos she released and right there in the coolness of my office, I froze, I panicked cos I could feel the fear and threat she felt as she screamed in the second video where the driver was dragging her out of the car. I was automatically reminded of my own ordeal with another taxify driver two weeks ago who caused a scene, laid hands on my laptop bag and suit as well as threatened to beat up my friend and I outside our house all because, he had refused to listen to the direction I gave him after picking me from my office and had chosen to drive me around Lekki for close to twenty minutes on a trip that usually took me just about ten minutes.

His annoyance was that even if he was at fault, I was to pay him the extra amount that accumulated the fare which I wasn't willing to. I had paid him the actual amount I was to pay cos there was no surge and refused cos, he had taken his time on the trip, driving in a snail like motion, stopping and parking at will on the road, taking his time to go through his phone, driving slowly again, before finally entering a street I could finally recognize.

Luckily, my friend knows one of Taxify's staff so we called and I was able to speak to a customer care representative who took down the details of the incident, apologized and assured me that I would receive an email the following day about the penalty that will be meted out to the driver. Unfortunately, I never got any mail till date. I chose not to talk about it cos I'm not the type that would go to any extent to make someone lose a job but I'm writing about this today cos I'm ashamed of  some of the comments I'm reading on Instablog's page; especially those coming from some of the women. It reeks of hate, vindictiveness, vengeance, envy and worse of all ignorance. Why so judgmental people?!

I don't know what really ensued between Dorcas and that driver cos I wasn't there but seriously though, didn't anyone see that video? And to that person that decided to become Investigator and got the driver's side of the story, did the background of that video look like a safe place? How did he suddenly drive Dorcas to his own house at that time of the night? Why did he choose a dark and isolated area to park if really she refused to pay him his money? Where were the concerned residents and his sisters while Dorcas was screaming in the video? how come they didn't show up while she was screaming but they showed up while he was shouting for help?

Another thing is, let's say for instance it wasn't a case of rape, was this driver supposed to harass her like that? I don't get it but my question now is for those women lashing out at Dorcas, is this the way you love to be treated and mishandled by a stranger you've never met before? Would you love to be dropped and dragged in an unknown location in the middle of the night? Honestly, I really pray this doesn't happen to any of you cos if it does, the stigma might not even allow you come out to speak about it.

Dorcas isn't my friend or sister but I am writing this as someone who's had a similar experience. I mean, if it wasn't for the security guards in our compound that day, God knows what that driver would have done to my friend and I cos even after we entered the compound, he banged on the gate and tried to come in as well.  Dorcas's case isn't the first, someone on Snap Chat also complained that that same driver tried to rape her twin sister save for the fact that she was able to escape out of the moving car! Jeez! And that makes me wonder about other victims of such circumstances who can't come out to speak.

To Taxify, it's high time you handled these issues professionally. If you're out for business, you should have measures to handle and curtail crisis like these. The appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the safety of your clients as well as the drivers. I don't even want to talk about some of the drivers who are arrogant and can just cancel a trip on you even after arriving at your pickup location; thereby wasting your time. In the process, they taint the image and spoil the hustle of the honest and hard working drivers out there. Dear Taxify, call your people to order! A customer relations training organised for them is highly recommended for them at this point. Do you even know your drivers well enough to trust them with the lives of people? Asides that, they should also be taught safety measures to protect themselves as well in a civilized way and not in such horrendous manner as what I saw that driver do in Dorcas'video.

Dear Nigerians, it is not every celebrity that likes cheap fame and would go to the extent of bringing down non celebrities just to achieve such and also, it is not every hard working, hustling person out there that's honest in achieving their goals. In other words, it's not every wealthy person that's wicked and it's not every poor person that's the victim. It happens Vice Versa sometimes too. Let's not be too quick to judge cos it just might be you.

I hope this ends well for both parties.