a cooking pot and twisted tales
Thoughts and Tales…A Lifestyle Blog with a Zing.
The tiny cry is simply magical.
The best sound that she’s ever heard.
For sixteen years she waited in the Lords chambers, until her faith had virtually shriveled to nothing.
Raising her tired arms, she holds them out for her brand new bundle of love.
At last, when she no longer expected it, fate chose to visit her in Wintertime.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Image credit: Pinterest.
Philomena just started her new job as the lab technician. A lab with lots of gadgets, even a full-bodied skeleton.
She gets down to work intending to leave good impressions on her new boss, but something feels off.
Looking at the skeleton, it seems to have moved a few more inches.
‘It must be the light’ she mutters.
A shuffling sound has her turning. She is sure that the skeleton winked at her.
‘No! I must be imagining things.‘
Then she felt the slight ruffle of the hair at the nape of her neck.
Yelping in alarm, she dashes out to the hallway, almost knocking her new boss over in her haste.
What’s the problem, Philomena?
She barely utters a word, flapping like a crazed woman.
‘Oh darn it!’ He exclaims.
‘Barnaby is up to his old tricks.’
‘Not to worry my dear. He is quite harmless and very friendly too.’
‘He wants to get acquainted.’
‘He was the resident scientist who blew himself up in an experiment.’
‘He just can’t stop lingering in the lab.’
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In response to the FFAW photo prompt above. Compliments to Pixabay for the photo and Priceless Joy for this challenge platform.
It’s a beautiful Spring morning. Everything shines and conspires in accord with the warmth that flows around.
Staring into the mirror in the dressing room, Tess’s joy overflows. She barely slept more than two winks.
The anticipation of her new life has her lips wreathed in smiles and her brown eyes glow in the bright light.
So does her mothers; who is busy blowing her nose and dabbing away tears of joy yet again. Mother dear, is proud of herself and her baby. She always believed that she knew what is best for her girl and she is taking some part of the good wishes for playing a major role in the matchmaking from the onset.
It’s been a year and three months of intense courtship with Humphrey and today is their wedding day. It had taken several unsuccessful, blind online efforts and an accidental date to find her man.
Who knew that her Prince was the proverbial boy next door or as the case may be, the boy in the Church.
She recalls the near times that she almost blew him off. The time that she was sure she had caught him cheating on her, but it turned out that the glimpse of tenderness that she saw through the jewelry windows was actually not what it seemed.
Her plan to confront him and get to the bottom of the cheating matter went askew when she arrived his birthday party only to see her supposed rival in a close clinch with Humphrey’s mother. She knew the Vicar’s wife did not cotton up to any nonsense and wouldn’t be in support of Humphrey’s dilly-dallying ways.
It was an immense relief to sidle up in the pretext of greeting her boyfriend’s mother and she got introduced to the exquisite beautiful lady of the jewelry store, who turned out to be an out-of-state favourite niece. The necklace that Humphrey was clasping around her neck was a belated birthday gift.
Her surprise was complete when the birthday party turned out to be an engagement party of sorts.
The young man bit the bullet, went down on his knees in front of family and friends and proposed so sweetly that she was saying yes and crying all at the same time.
She admires the gorgeous gleaming single cut diamond stone on her finger for the millionth time, while her ladies -in-waiting fuss around her. It’s almost time to go to the chapel.
We are getting married.
The End.
The the entire series you can follow these links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
The past couple of days has found me with several new readers and follows and I would like to introduce some of them to you.
Its all buki, relationship and lifestyle.
She drank till the bottle was empty.
Yet her thirst was no where near being quenched.
The arid dryness that plagues her, is bottled within.
The more she drinks, the worse it gets.
She stares at the rusty blade with bleary eyes.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Gabe gazed with mixed emotions at the odd shaped object that sat on top of the mounted poles.
He felt admiration, irritation and also a sense of shame. He knew that his proud attitude would have cost them so much even though he hated to admit it.
He had derided Smoking Grass when the young Indian scout came up with the idea of constructing a reservoir from the tough hides of the dead Buffalo instead of allowing it to go to waste.
He had felt that it was highfalutin nonsense.
‘What did the young blade know?’
He could trust Smoking Grasses riding, hunting and tracking skills to a large extent, but that was as far as he was willing to go.
However, from the look of things, the young lad had proven him wrong, yet again.
The thick reservoir sat there proudly collecting the falling rain.
Finally, the rain had come just as the boy predicted.
They had not seen a drop of rain for the past seven hot months and the wells had gone bone dry.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In response to the FFAW photo prompt above. Thank you Sonya for the photo and Priceless Joy for this challenge platform.
What the @@@&&&? Tess stared in dumbfounded shock at the image that unfolded before her eyes.
Unbelievable! She stepped back, a burning sinking sensation hitting the pits of her stomach as the scene registered in her brain.
‘Is that not Humphrey that I see?’
She stared through the clear glass of the jewelry store. Watching as he attentively hooked a necklace around the slender neck of the pretty lady with him.
‘No! Her mind silently screamed.’
But his drop of a tender kiss on the cheek of the exquisite looking face and their intimate looking tête à tête was enough confirmation.
The anger pooled inside her as she hurried away. She didn’t just have the stomach for a confrontation.
‘No wonder he has been behaving like a cat on hot coals these past few weeks.’ Goddess’s voice muttered. ‘I have always been suspicious that he is too good to be true.’
‘He has obviously been tom-catting around town and here you are eating your heart out and driving yourself crazy trying to pick the perfect birthday gift for him.’
Tess gazed in annoyance at the gifts in her hands.
She had spent all afternoon and a little fortune picking out the lovely presents to give him for his birthday.
‘You better take back the presents advised Goddess.’ ‘He can’t make a fool out of you and still get your money as a thank you. No Sireee’ She continued.
‘Wait a minute, Cautious chipped in. ‘Don’t be in a haste Tess.’ There’s probably a reasonable excuse, Cautious rationalized.
‘You’ve been together for over nine months now and he hasn’t given you any reason to suspect him, has he?’ Cautious sagely reminded her.
‘Well, it starts one day and for all you know, he has just been smart about things’ argued Goddess.
The warring voices in her head gave her a headache and for several hours after she felt totally demoralized, mooning around her apartment.
Several hours later, the happy tune of her phone rang and she stared at it in uncertainty. Humphrey’s caller ID face stares at her through the phone screen.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to speak to him but she eventually decided to answer at the third round of ringing.
‘Hey Bae’, his warm tenor pulled at her.
Her curt reply of ‘Hello Humphrey’ wasn’t as warm as usual.
‘I missed you.’ He said. ‘How was your day?’
‘Really? *you lying cheat, go on, sell me another one, she muttered silently in her head* but her lips uttered a very curt and polite ‘Fine, thank you.’
‘Are you busy?’ ‘You sound distracted,’ he asked.
‘No am here.’
‘Good. You sound tired though. Just called to kiss you goodnight. Be seeing you tomorrow at the party.’ He hung up.
Tess barely slept well. Half of her night was spent tossing thoughts around in her head, wondering if she should bother going to the party or not.
She hated confrontations but she needed to get to the bottom things. The lying cheat.
To be continued…Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
I have been busy digging. Enjoy
Some posts like Claremary’s Auld Lang Syne, truly make you appreciate the gift of life
Follow Chape and maybe, just maybe, you can do this.
Sound advise from Success Inspirer.
This post from Diane made me chuckle. Yeah right!
Put yourself in the shoes of a Syrian refugee from Skinny and Single.
The poem New wind blowing from Joy gave me joy and much thought.
I agree with Rose about defining our goals.
Change succinctly said by Koko.
She slowly shuffled down the alley, her old, pink umbrella barely kept the light drizzle from dripping through.
She looked at the piece of telegram in her hand, it had yellowed with age and handling, yet the faint words were emblazoned on her mind.
He had said to wait for him at the old alley, where they always had their secret rendezvous, away from the prying eyes of goldfish bowl town of theirs.
They were to leave town and start anew; but he never came.
Year after year, she faithfully trudged back. Patiently waiting for him to arrive and take her away, but no news; nothing to show that he ever existed.
At ‘The Home’ they looked at her with eyes of pity. They called her fancy names: delusional, dementia and indulged her racy thoughts.
The last laugh would be hers.
Each time she dressed to go, sure that it would be that day, though it has been 28 years of going to the alley to wait.
He would come.
He promised.
Pete is a man of his words.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In response to the FFfAW photo prompt above. Thank you Etol for the photo and Priceless Joy for this challenge platform.
”Hold it right there.” Tess tried to rein in her runaway trail of thoughts.
”Don’t go getting all mushy right now and seeing visions girl.” She admonished herself.
”It’s just a date.”
”Repeat slowly after me.”
”Just. A. Date.”
The two voices in her head continued their tussling, as she pursed her lips in admiration of her new cherry, shimmery lipstick that matched the gloss of her new O.P.I nail polish.
”Yeah right! It’s just the 9th date in a line of quick successive dates. Ha!” Snickered inner Goddess
”With the same guy.” Goddesses inner cynical eyes were raised.
”Who by the way is ole fancy pants, pompous Humphrey.”
”Who would have thought it? That he could pack such a punch in his kiss. Girl, you are so hooked and reeled in.” Goddess proclaimed.
”Hey! Cut the guy some slack.” Protested Cautious voice.
”Okay. Let’s calm down.” Tess interjected into the muddled log jam of the two rioting voices in her head.
”I admit that I was a tad too hasty to jump to conclusions and in summarizing him” She accepted her default.
”I just thought that he was always too full of himself in Church, you know.” As the son of the Vicar, he always cut across like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth and all those choir girls batting their eyelashes and singing out their hearts to him, just made me want to puke.”
”You could see the trail of their eyes and their flouncy skirts swishing flirtatiously and panting after him and I think he knew it too.”
”See, a girl has to keep herself out of such quagmire, you know.” ”I can’t be seen drooling after a fine brother and hanging onto his very last word like my life depended on it.” She concluded.
”Oh, oh! You’ve sure been paying him a lot of attention, haven’t you?” You are practically drooling right now Tess,” Goddess chimed in. You have checked your time like, what? The umpteenth time!”
”Ever since the accidental cinema date, your eyes have gone all starry, you are wearing all the girlie stuff that you have and fussing so much over your appearance. I know that smile girl.” ”Just be careful!” ”That’s all am saying.” I don’t trust all that gentlemanly courtesy and all that fineness wrapped in his sleek BM. He hasn’t even made the expected sleek fresh finger moves. No booty calls. I am kinda worried girl. That’s not the usual way these beaus move you know.” ”I wonder what tricks he is up to?” Sage Goddess queried.
”Hey! Goddess just shush.” ”Come off it!” ”There are still a couple of good guys out there you know.” ”I have a good feeling about Humphrey.” Said Cautious voice
The little birdie doorbell chimed. ”He’s here.” ”Comport yourself.” She quickly smoothed her skirt and a quick spritz of her CK Contradiction perfume, she opened the door to let Humphrey in.
To be continued.Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
It’s been a bit of a slow week, I haven’t read as much as normally do, but I still tried to dig into the neighbours yards, though a whole lot seem preoccupied. I still managed to find a bit of this and that.
This photo from Conversations around the tree made me smile.
An inspiring story of The tiny frog from Gchan.
Anand’s 3rd QSM Humor magazine.
Smart Goal Setting by bikini book worm.
5 Inspirational and 2 children’s books from Emma.
This post, The day after I survived from Tess…
Beautiful pictures from my sis Lucid Gypsy always makes me happy.
Hello he said, flustered she smiled.
I am Dave; I am Susan, she replied.
May I see you again sometime? He asked.
She came and he was glad.
Under the mistletoe, she puckered for a kiss.
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
Saturday Snippets Of Fiction In Five Sentences.
Image: Pinterest
The name had changed from Bright Scholars to Saint Brigid’s, but the trademark bicycle ‘Long John’ was still mounted at its entrance weathering the elements.
The owner of the bicycle was the founder, teacher and headmaster of St. Brigid’s.
He was called Bright Long John. The first son-of-the-soil who could communicate with the foreigners in their strange language. He was Umuchime’s ears and mouthpiece with these strangers.
Folklore has it that he kept his bicycle ‘the only one far and wide’ in impeccable state. That the distinctive jingle of it’s bells were heard from afar when he rode down the village paths.
”What happened to him Papa?” Onyeka inquired.
”No one is sure. It is said that one day, after starting the school, he vanished.”
”A search was done but he was never found.”
”The belief is that he was kidnapped and pressed into slavery in foreign lands.”
”His bicycle was kept for him just in case he returned, but he never did.”
”Sometimes, at nights the bells of the bicycle can still be heard jingling down the village paths.”
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
In response to the FFfAW photo prompt above. Thank you Priceless Joy for this challenge platform.
Quick Glossary
Umuchime – Means ‘the children of Chime.’ A ficticious name of a village in Eastern part of Nigeria
a cooking pot and twisted tales 