Josephine looked out the window, she could see his back, his face was turned towards the sea. It was blowing hard and the skies were already getting dark. Soon, the sea would be raging...it was no place to be today. She knew that, as he did. She would give him a couple of minutes before going to remind him, he was safe where he was now, but soon...he would have to leave his mindless starring at the sea. She had quit her job immediately after the phone call. She had walked in her manager's office and said:
"I am sorry this is sudden, but I have to leave"
He had been surprised, they all were, twenty years at the same job and she had quit just like that. She had travelled the same day. She was surprised at how easy it had been to make the decision, it confirmed her feelings that the most important decisions in life never was so difficult to make after all. When she had arrived, she did not ask, he was the one that had told her.
"Chandra left. So you were right. Are happy now?"
"I quit my job"
"You are not going to have any money"
"Yes I am. I am renting out my apartment"
"Where will you live?"
"Here, of course. I ‘ll take Chandra’s room"
They did not talk anymore about Chandra, she knew enough already but she knew that a long time ago. Josephine checked the roast in the oven, it was coming along nicely, she removed her apron and put on her winter jacket. She would have to get a new one soon; she had had the same jacket for more than ten years. She walked slowly down the rough trail that led to the sea and was soon side by side with him.
"The north winds...there will be a storm tonight"
"Yes. I want to stay out...just for a while"
"Okay, I’ll go back to the house"
Josephine did not go back to the house, she hid behind the boat house and watched, hoping that today will be the day. She did not have to wait for long; slowly he placed his hands behind his wheel chair. It moved just a couple of centimeters and Josephine could see the great effort it had taken on his face.
"I know you are there. I am paralyzed, not blind"
She came out of her hiding place and smiled at her twin brother.
"I know, Joseph"
"You know, perhaps I can take on a sport? Do you know they have Paralympics? I bet if I start practicing now, I could make it to one of the events"
"Yes you could. You can do anything you want"
Josephine pushed the wheel chair on the rocky trail. Behind her, the sea was dark and raging, but in front of her, their home shone in the darkness. Yes, she thought, making the important decisions in life was easy.
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Profound commitment to a dream does not confine or constrain: it liberates. Even a difficult, winding path can lead to your goal if you follow to the end.(Maktub)
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All text on "The waffarian" is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process without the permission of waffy waffarian 2008.
Everything wey dey dis blog na my own. Una no fit copy am or use without my personal permission. Na so dem talk am for one kain law wey dem form for 1968.
Everything wey dey dis blog na my own. Una no fit copy am or use without my personal permission. Na so dem talk am for one kain law wey dem form for 1968.
17 comments:
hey waffarian.honestly i din't expect to see poetry on your page!!are you really waffarian?!!!!!hola bac.
Shuuuuuuuo! I sabi plenty na. Na me be the one and only waffarian, wetin dey? any berra?
good for Joseph!!!!
Nice read. Ever thought of full time writing? (unless thats what you actually do...)
Your writing reminds me of someone and I am struggling to place it at the moment but I am sure (s)he is a big influence. It will come to me…..
Another compelling picture painted with the lightest of brush strokes so as not to reveal too much information. You are the most economical of artists and this delights and frustrates in equal measure. Who is Chandra? How did Joseph become paralysed? What is the unspoken mystery that hangs around that house and everything around it?
For the reader who needs closure they are constantly wanting more. For others the beauty is in your mystery and questions unanswered.
These stories are fantastic....
I read them over and over
Have u thought of actually connecting them somehow?
You go girl!!!!!!!!.....
another nice one
Finding it hard to follow this one...too much mystery...what happened? how did the cripple get crippled?
I dont understand...was she hoping Joseph would kill himself?or hoping he will make an effort to accept his disability?or waiting to take him by surprise and pushing him into the sea?i need closure here!!!
@Onome: Yes ohhhhhhh
@aworan: my brother, I am working hard towards it, but not yet full time cos if na so, na garri i go dey soak.
@atutupoyoyo: Thanks for the constructive criticism, thats been a recurring in my writing. I have to think more of my readers... my own imagination gives me room to write the "picture" as I see it in my head, and the scene is beautiful for me because I already know why everything is the way it is...but my readers do not know.
Someone once told me that I am always in so much of a hurry when I write, almost impatient, which is true in a way, I want to put everything down...now. Perhaps if I calm down and take my time...
I'll try and think more of the reader next time, read it as they read it...quite an impossible task if you ask me, but I will try.
@fluffy, where have you been? its been ages! glad you like the stories, and thanks so much for the encouragement!
@allied, thanks.
@afrobabe and willow: okay, I will do something about this story and answer all the questions you have asked, I don't know how yet, but I'll work on it.
when is the complete thing coming out?
i realised it was a story later. Im so slow. i was almost going to say, i quit my job, like her.
when is the complete stuff coming out? join the new generation of african writers being celebrated. I only realised it was a story later. I am so slow! I was going to say, I quit my job too, like her!
and get on shelfari.com soon
Your writing compels us to use our imagination. The comment by Atutupoyoyo is spot-on and very high praise indeed.
Hello there, thought Id drop a line although I always check whats latest on your blog. Its Kramer by the way, ive forgotten my password. Mehn the rate u are going... u already have a few books in the pipeline as u must finish all these short stories uve been writing. I want to go on reading them and see how they unfold.
U r good. More grease to ur elbows or should i say fingers.
waffy, I know say you no go wan blow your cover when you write a full book. But please take style point us to where we go fit buy am.
your writing is intriguing, keeps one coming back for more like oliver twist..kipitup
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