A link to my neighbours/Community · Creative Writing · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Love · Short Stories · Short Stories Series

He’s Hung Over….Husband Wanted Urgently!

December 13, 2015December 13, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha26 Comments

It’s been a couple of weeks since Tess bothered to connect with anyone online.

A number of pings had come in, but she was tired of trying to imagine who the real person was; behind the eyes and their best profiles showing off their best angles.

After her last dates debacle, she was a bit down in dating spirit and also leery about jumping back into the fray.

She had no idea what kind of fish she might catch again. Would it be a friendly snapper, a piranha, a barracuda, an octopus or an outright snarky shark. Her man fishing luck hadn’t yet yielded much dividend.

Mark looked like a decent sort according to the online matching criteria and their brief chats whetted her appetite to meet him.

”Okay! This is one more taking a chance. Third time lucky or simply not.”

No dressing to the nines for this particular date. A nice pair of slacks paired with soft flowery cashmere blouse and comfortable pumps, she was good to go.

They had agreed to meet at Mid-Point, a pub favoured by the young and smart.

She waited for twenty minutes in her little car, admired her shiny new nail polish and when she felt certain that he would have arrived, she strolled into the crowded pub.

It’s Friday evening and the happy hour crowd were gathered in little cliques.

She paused for a bit as her eyes did a quick scan of the room to identify the face that had stared back at her over the past few days.

He had proposed skyping but she still didn’t get the hang of it and for some reason the idea didn’t quite gel with her.

”Hello Tess?” A hesitant voice that belonged to a pleasant faced looking chap asked as he stepped up to her.

With her acknowledgement, they got seated in a nice spot which offered vantage view of the pubs goings-on.

”He looks okay.” Her little sensible voice argued with her cheekier goddess voice that thought Mark had no ‘oomph’ about him.

”Well, those ones who have loads of oomph always seem to have baggage of trouble as well, remember Tim?” Sensible voice reminded inner goddess.

Soon enough they had their orders placed and got down to having a chat.

”Hmm! This is really delicious. Thank you for telling me to choose this.” Taking a long sip of the Chipotle grapefruit margarita, Tess expressed her delight with the drink.

”It’s really good right? That’s Shawna’s favorite drink too.” Realizing his gaffe, he quickly tried to cover it up, but, it did not take a long time for Tess to realize that Mark was still totally hung up on his ex-girlfriend.

Every tail of their discussion found a way of swinging back to his past relationship, to his sadness, bitterness and disappointment.

It came as no surprise to learn that Mid-point was Mark and Shawna’s fave pub. He probably kept coming back in hope of catching a glimpse of his ex.

It was embarrassing for Tess to watch as his eyes involuntarily kept drifting around in expectation.

From all indications, he was simply on a rebound and if Shawn changed her mind and came back to him, any unlucky new lady involved with Mark would be dropped like hot potato.

He was a nice chap, from all indications, but he just wasn’t the one for her.

Her heart went out to the nice young man seated before her. She knew what it felt like to love someone who just didn’t love you back.

She had been in such a relationship in the past and had no intentions of investing her emotions anymore in a one-sided affair. She felt sorry for Mark but not sorry enough to be a second fiddle.

Her man was somewhere out there waiting to find her, but she wasn’t sure it was going to be online.

Her nerves couldn’t take all the dating anxiety and gambles like Kate had. There has to be a better way but she is yet to find it.

To be continued…Part 1,Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Like you already know, I love digging in the neighbours yard. One never knows the treasures that may be found within. I present to you this bits that I found:

Tasha has a way of putting a smile on this face of mine with her post blogging buddies.

I think that I am inclined to agree with GP on this issue. Why not take a peek and see what you think?

Just in case you are wondering why it’s snowing on some peoples lot and not on others, my girl Claremary hooked me up. Pretty simple too!

A worthwhile life lesson for children from Two Cents For You.

We will be doing a lot of gift wrapping this season and this insight from snapshotsincursive might be useful.

Staying on top of reading blogs is a problem that we all share. I am glad to know Eric thinks the same too 🙂

This brief quote shared by Amra is self-explanatory.

I think I like Rollingblogger’s thought process. What do you think?

If this doesn’t make you smile, I wonder what else will? Elemental healing.

and From my very own home girl and sister blogger OBA enjoy her lovely Christmas release. Just follow the YouTube link below.

My kind regards to you all and have a good week ahead 🙂

A link to my neighbours/Community · Devotions · Hope · Love · Photographs · Poetry/Poems

To You and Yours…

December 13, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

A link to my neighbours/Community · Blogging · Family

Missing In Action…Have You Seen Him?

December 10, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha137 Comments

What do you do when a blogger that you have become attached to just ups and suddenly disappears into thin air?

I met an awesome Christian blogger and we were consistently supportive of each other and I loved his quiet reflections. Sometime ago, he hinted on changes going on in his life though he was not specific and I didn’t needle to pry, but I sensed his unhappiness.

For several weeks, going on two months actually, he has neither posted nor visited and bantered with me like he would and after waiting for a while and missing his blessings sufficiently, I decided to go looking for him.

It was a shock to find his blog was now private and needed a password. I sent a request for access some 3 weeks ago and not a peep.

I am almost tempted to mention his name and ask if anyone has seen him floating around cyber-space and just to know that he is fine and didn’t do something stupid.

Then I simply whispered a prayer in my heart hoping that all is well with him. That whatever his problems were, I hope he has found sufficient grace to surmount them.

I have tried to find reasons not to worry, yet my mind wanders now and again to my friend and it is a bit surprising to realize how much I care.

How much a great number of people that I have met here mean to me.

How overtime our blogging friends start feeling familiar and like extended family.

How we develop attachments with total strangers across the globe.

I realized that maybe I am putting too much of my personal emotions in the friendships developed here, thinking that maybe, I should feel detached so that I wouldn’t notice if someone is missing in action; but that is simply not who I am.

Even bloggers who are blogging incognito, I have assigned voices and faces to their ambiguous status.

I can start writing a long list of bloggers that I will miss if I don’t see them for a bit and my list would be so long because I think I virtually follow everyone who follows me.

I simply think that if they find me worth spending their time on, then they are worth spending my time on as well.

So, I guess this is blogging life. Now here, tomorrow gone Not happy.

Please, to all my blogger friends, do let us know when you want to run along and I want to let you know that I appreciate meeting you in this space and time wherever you are.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Creative Writing · Fiction · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Love · Short Stories Series

Dating Debacle…Bridegroom Wanted Urgently!

December 6, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha31 Comments

Tess tried not to feel upset and anxious.

45 minutes…

She has been waiting for 45 minutes and the small sips of her drink had dwindled to the last remaining drop.

”After this drink, I am just going to leave,” she muttered.

”It’s not as if I needed this drink that badly, but I couldn’t very well sit and twiddle my thumbs while waiting for a dude who obviously has no plans of turning up.”

The Goose and Berry was not really her kind of place.

It’s a testosterone filled pub where men stared unabashedly at her, which made her throat tighten in discomfort.

”My mistake not to have taken Kate’s advise to heart.” She chided herself.

As the queen of online dates Kate has quite some experience under her belt.

”Always breeze in 10-15 minutes after the agreed time and if the dude is not seated and waiting, walk out quietly.” ”Never set off on the footing of sitting around and waiting for the guy to turn up.” A very bad trend! Kate advised.

Just as she signaled the waiter for her bill with her lovely manicured fingers, her late date came breezing in and as he ambled over, her internally wired male data appreciation did a quick scan.

He’s not bad looking.

”Tall” – Check

”Attractive” – Check very attractive.

Nicely turned out in his fitted deep blue jeans and light blue checkered shirt with rolled sleeves, which showed off appropriately muscled and brawny arms.

Not bad by half an inch, her inner goddess muttered but he obviously sucked at time keeping.

With a wry smile of apology he drawled an excuse of a meeting running late and battery running low.

He is easy on the eye like Sunday morning and she was willing to take his excuse.

”Who knows? We might hit it off.” She thought.

She felt the stirrings of attraction – on her side at least, and as she ran her appreciative eyes once again from his face downwards, her zoom lens zeroed in on a well placed hickey by his left ear.

She blinked and stared. Yes indeed, its a hickey and even a faint trace of lipstick and powder on his collar.

Maybe it’s an enthusiastic colleague, she excused the hickey.

”My apologies once again,” Tim said. ”So what would you like to eat, have you had something?”

”Hmm!” She thought ”Ah! A guy who likes to take charge of things.”

They ordered and got comfortable in getting better acquainted beyond the online basics and everything seemed to rhyme well, but Tess’s eyes couldn’t stay away from straying to the hickey and powdered collar now and again.

He had her laughing in no time, sending the right vibes up and down her spine.

”He’s worth several more dates.” Her inner goddess sighed in agreement.

”Good sense of humour” – check.

”Seems confident in himself” – check.

She tried to rein in her runaway thoughts, but he stood up suddenly and before she could say Linda, a buxom fireball of a lady descended on them, fireballs stance all taut and poised for a showdown.

”Tim, what a surprise.” Uttered fireball in a voice that dripped with lethal anger and not too surprised.

”This must be your illustrious business partner.” Fireball gave Tess a disdainful look.

Tess was quick to deduce that fireball must be the hickey planter and lipstick owner.

”Close your mouth darling. I am sure you thought I was too stupid not to know that something didn’t add up with your sudden flux of meetings in recent times. I had to confirm my suspicions for myself.”

Tess quickly gathered her wits and her handbag and made a quick exit. She didn’t want to get caught in the flak of an angry woman’s tirade.

”What a philandering Tomcat!” She shook her head as she tried to process the entire scene.

”Why on Earth do I always manage to find the dodgy, cheating characters?” She muttered in resigned sadness.

To be continued…Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

The links to other parts are attached in case you haven’t read the previous series.

As you know, I always like to excavate other neighbours treasures and I offer some to you today 🙂

Nutstrok always has me howling in laughter.

This quote by Deb put a smile on my face.

A new cooking discovery at Chez Gharkepakwan.

Lovely pictures of beautiful libraries to visit from Noirfifre.

I am not old by Non smoking lady bug.

Best song for grammar police found in Deb’s backyard.

Helpful tips for those who experience allergic, reactions from Smiling away allergies.

Today’s inspiration from Etta.

Some vibrant Christmas cheer from Lucid Gypsy.

One Love Many Names from Blabberwockying.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Quotes For You · Success · Weave that Dream

The Rolling Train Of Thoughts…

December 2, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha2 Comments

It is very easy to sit down and dreamily wish for the niceties that life has to offer, but the bare truth is that those niceties come at a certain price. That price entails working smart and being less slothful.

Achieving most of our life’s goals emanates from our minds, which now transforms itself into the required energy.

So in essence, how we treat this powerhouse (our minds) that controls virtually everything that we are or we aspire to become really matters.

We have to choose daily, the seeds that we plant in our minds very wisely.

A weevil eaten seed is already faulty and is likely not to germinate into anything, much less giving any yield.

Our actions or in-actions emanates from our thoughts or lack of thoughts.

When we change our thinking, we change our lives.

If our thoughts are not working for us, it is time to switch into a better route of thinking.

As my people will ask with a proverb, “If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building or do you change the nail?”

As we plant the seeds of our thoughts wisely, may we hold onto belief, hope and grace to bring about increase and a bountiful yield.

This is applicable to everyone, irrespective of our religious or non-religious incline.

Thank you Vincent Wambua for inviting me to partake in the 3 quote challenge. Let me extend the invitation to other inspiring bloggers in the house.

Here are the rules:

Post 3 quotes on 3 consecutive days
Thank the person who nominated you
Nominate 5 new bloggers each single day of the challenge.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Creative Writing · Fiction · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Love · Photographs · Short Stories

No Shoe Chromosone!..He Said, She Said…

December 1, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha26 Comments

Jennifer at INK and QUILL has invited me to participate in 5 day photo story challenge.

Thank you my fair lady Jennifer. I appreciate the nomination and I am excited to jump into this challenge!

Challenge Guidelines:

Post a picture each day, for five consecutive days. Attach a story to your image.

*can be fiction / non-fiction
*poem / short paragraph
*each day nominates another blogger

“Oh look! Isn’t that just gorgeous!” she said.

“Not another shoe!” He whined.

“It’s not just another shoe.” She emphasized.

“Can’t you see it’s lovely red and those cute buckles and bows.”

“They go quite well with my other bag.” She affirmed.

“Which other bag?” He asked in a half-hearted attempt to sound like he even noticed the bags.

”The red one with the purple and white trimming and the feathered straps” She responded offhandedly.

He looked utterly lost.

”Oh never mind! You just never bother to notice.” She chastised.

”How can I keep up with the 100 pairs of shoes in 20 shades of red, 50 shades of black and blue, plus a dozen other shades of colours not described in the colour palette along with so many bags?” He countered.

“How many shoes and bags does a girl really need?” He muttered under his breath.

She: Pursed her lips in pouting thought, he had lost her to shoe chromosome which he seemed to lack.

“Oh Come on! Be a darling and just hold on to these bags while I try it out.” She cajoled.

In a sigh of deflated defeat, he sank into the shop chair and prepared his mind for a round of appropriate admiring oohs and aahs!

I nominate Deb to join the photo story challenge. I look forward to reading from you if you choose to participate. Enjoy 🙂

Reblogs · Uncategorized

Those Who Cannot Remember the Past Are Condemned to Repeat It

November 30, 2015November 30, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha4 Comments

When we keep doing the same thing, it should not come as a surprise when we don’t harvest any changes.

A link to my neighbours/Community · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Life · Personal story · Quotes For You · Writing

We Are Frowning Goats!…

November 28, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

In my young mind, when my grandma used Igbo (African) proverbs like ”no matter how much a goat frowned its face, its owner still had to take it to the market to sell’‘ I literally thought she was talking about her goats.

She used to raise some goats that were either sold or killed to celebrate special occasions, and I recall looking at the faces of the goats with curious eyes to determine how they frowned.

It took maturity for it to dawn on me that the proverb was meant to address issues that we were either dodging to do or were difficult to do, yet they needed to be done.

Maybe, I should liken myself to the frowning goat in the proverb above.

For the past few days including today; though today has been super-charged busy for me, I have found every busy reason to dodge sitting down and working on my book.

I know that I could find half an hour to squeeze in yet…

Well, I say to myself, the book will not write itself lady!

Get moving! No matter how many excuses made it still has to get done right?

Like my people would also say; ”if the child likes, he should play pranks all day, his portion to weed at the farm will still wait for him.”

I am sure there are other frowning billy and nanny goats as well as pranksters like my dear self, who are using all the bucking tactics available to skirt around the needful 😉 ‘fess up to your misdeeds and lets get it rolling.

Once again, izzyasabee thank you for the invitation to take part in the three quote challenge which I have concluded and will be moving on to the next round of invitation from Vincent Wambua.

I call on these gems of my blogging World to join the fun.

Thomas Dohling

Kat blogs

SarahC

A link to my neighbours/Community · Inspiration - Motivation · Life · Musings · Quotes For You · Tips for the day · Weave that Dream

Stretching The Vision….

November 24, 2015 jacquelineobyikochaLeave a comment

Our external vision are absolutely important, but without our internal vision we are more or less blind.

One’s internal vision acts like a compass, steering wheel and rudder that directs our sweet spirits, whispering through our lives with guidance and grace.

Our internal vision can be nurtured even beyond what our physical eyes can behold and our expectations.

Have you ever wondered how some of those who have challenged physical capabilities are able to do exceeding great things?

It is from their internal vision.They nourish and nurture it constantly despite adversity.

They walk by faith and not by sight.

What are you doing to build, foster, nurture and encourage your internal vision?

What are you looking at?

Remember that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he!

Thank you izzyasabee for inviting me for a round of 3 day quote challenge. I appreciate the opportunity.

I will equally invite these 3 awesome bloggers to join the quote challenge.

Nedoux

Emma of Shut that negative noise off!

Mary of MLou’s photography blog

A link to my neighbours/Community · Hope · Inspiration - Motivation · Little rants · Quotes For You · Societal Issues

When One Finger Picks Oil….

November 22, 2015November 22, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

Blanket Race or Religious castigating remarks always feed off the wilful, ugly actions of the misguided among us in society.

These actions earn names and virulent comments from those who perfect the act of positing themselves as armchair judges, pointing fingers, pontificating and lumping people under labels.

In fairness to others, we should learn to stop herding and lumping people into categories to suit our lack of open-mindedness and to satisfy our cravings for ”I told you so’s” as is the case of an African proverb that says “when one finger picks palm oil, it spreads to the rest.”

It is a given and natural phenomenon that the influence of one’s upbringing and society will not only rub off on them, but will dictate and shape their views, behavioral tendencies and if this is the case, then it stands to reason that the individual is not necessarily to blame for how they turn out, but the society at large and their upbringing.

Who are society? We! We form society and not aliens from Mars.

What have we done as a society to improve these situations that we find ugly, which keeps perpetuating itself until they are fast replacing the normal with the abnormal?

Since we are too busy being politically correct, we are all to blame.

If we truly love and want to change our World as much as we claim, is this not then the time to stop playing Possum and to stop hiding our heads in the sand?

Is it not yet time for Muslim leaders to stand as one voice and castigate the bad eggs who perpetrate evil in the name of Islam?

Is it not yet time for the people to question the status-quo and raise eyebrows at those who do these so-called brainwashing?

Is it not yet time for Christians to open their hearts and express that love that we profess?

Is it not yet time for every Religious leader worth his salt to speak up and condemn these inhumane practices and other behavioural tendencies that hurts the society at large?

Or, have they lost their essence as the salt of the Earth?

Is it not time for the arm-chair pontificators to get off their butts and do something more useful other than to be judgmental?

Let us steadfastly attempt in seeking positive ways to do better things for the benefit of our society and not by the spate of ugly words spouting off peoples mouth all over the place.

Today, I will share these African proverbs with you, which should help us realize that our little works can have ripple effects since we are not in isolation and that:

”It takes a village to raise a child.’‘

”If your child is dancing clumsily, tell him, my child you are dancing clumsily. Don’t not tell him “darling, do as you please.”

”A child is what you put inside him.”

”One should shout when a child comes home with a stolen egg, otherwise the day he comes with a stolen ox, it will be too late.”

We are society. Let us stand for the truth.

Thank you Chape for providing the opportunity to enjoy ruminating over these proverbs. I would encourage you to visit his blog. You will find lots of useful fitness tips and neighbourliness.

My invitation extends to these 3 awesome bloggers:

Ngobesing Romanus of Success Inspirer

Tony Burgess

Beth at Nutsrok

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Image credit: Pinterest