The Wedding Night 1 – Friday Fiction in Five Sentences.

August 12, 2016August 12, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha25 Comments

Simobi hissed and muttered to herself as she mixed the potion for the cane. As the daughter of a renowned witch-doctor, she knew her charms.

She hated the idea of being relegated to the position of an abandoned wife; no one would make her the spectacle of wagging and pitying tongues.

Ekwenti and his kinsmen had gone to bring back her husbands’ new bride – a young maiden who would give Ekwenti more male children that he desired.

Stroking the ‘koboko’ with the potent potion, she uttered her commands to the cane and nimbly went to Ekwenti’s hut to replace his old cane with the new one and also replenished the powder in his snuff box.

By the cock’s crow the following morning, the smacking love play of Ekwenti and his new wife had reached a painful crescendo. The young bewildered bride was seen hobbling back to her clan as hastily as she could, while dear Ekwenti lay prostrate in anger with painful welts received from thorough caning and Simobi soothed his pains with gentle ministrations.

Quick glossary:

Koboko: a special cane used in Nigeria to restore someone’s thinking back to its default settings 🙂

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Friday Fiction in Five Sentences

Behind The Hijab…

August 5, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha69 Comments

Halima is a good Muslim woman, but in her husband’s eyes, she’s too beautiful to a fault.

When she joined the bank as an intern, she met the gentlemanly Rashidi; a legal adviser at the bank.

A quick courtship ensued; they fell in love, their marriage Nikah was conducted and baby Hakeem arrived, with a darling baby girl Salama all within two years of nuptials.

With respect to Rashidi’s wishes, she became a stay-at-home mom and agreed to always wear the full covered Hijab because he wanted no one ogling his wife when they went out.

In no time, her hijab became a veil to mask the pain in her eye’s and the bruises around her throat. She kept struggling harder to be a better wife, to speak more softly in the face of the new brute who has invaded their home.

P.S. I don’t care what religious denomination you believe in, but I care about humanity and domestic violence. Say no to domestic violence. This story came after watching an annoying video of a Pakistani man viciously striking his wife consistently on a train. I wondered why no one tried to stop him.

Jacqueline writes from her heart on passion, pain, suffering, loss and LIFE. I have been incredibly moved by her poetry and I know I will return to “Out of the Silent Breath” again and again.

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Short Stories

The Harvest…

August 1, 2016August 5, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

Jeremiah wiped beads of sweat from his brows intermittently as he carried on with his garden work…raking, sowing, watering, mulching…

Raised on the acres of his parents’ farmland where they had cultivated all manners of crops for sale and for food, gardening was work that he could do with eyes closed.

However, today, as much as he tried to concentrate, he worried. He worried over the poor harvest of the cropping season; he worried over the weather forecast of heavier rains and the flood that ensued which always affected the crops; he worried about how he would fend for his growing family even as his wife’s painful groans and the encouraging voice of the midwife floated into the backyard.

A baby is a blessing he reminded himself, though he hadn’t been too happy when Ruth broke the news that she was expecting. He had expressly told her to be more careful after they had Gideon their sixth child.

An unmistakable wail of a newborns’ voice rang from the house and his lips curved in a wide smile; his family was certainly growing in numbers.

InLinkz

Thank you, Louise for the photo and Priceless Joy for hosting this charming platform where we unleash our stories

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

‘A Richly Layered and Passionate Read.’ Jan Cliff

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee

Short Stories

Enslaved – Friday Fiction in Five Sentences.

July 8, 2016November 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha33 Comments

She lay still on the mat, her body curled in a fetal position as she listened to his grunts and snoring whilst he slept in replete satisfaction.

Reeba heard every minutiae sound that echoed in the night camp as she suffered through another sleepless night of so many terrifying nights; daylight could never come fast enough.

A deep chasm of hopelessness dug a bottomless pit inside her, alongside her perpetual hunger for food.

For how long? For how long would she have to live? Will she get out of this alive? Sometimes death seemed a preferable option.

She wondered what became of her family; did they survive the attack or were they captured and enslaved as well?

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Wonderful, evocative poetry by a talented writer. Left me hungry for more. Jacqueline can write! Linda Bethea

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee

Short Stories

Forgotten…

July 4, 2016July 4, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha28 Comments

Excited voice of the children drew Salome’s attention and before she could say hey presto, they burst into the kitchen trailing mud and straw. They were running after the chickens again for fun. Raising her voice to scold them for bringing in dirt, little Jude interrupted her:

“Look what we found Gramma,” he was clutching a strange straw bag.

“Leave it there and let me finish what I’m doing,” thinking it was probably filled with mushrooms or a frog, she continued plucking the cockerel for chicken stew, but their eager faces made her pause to take a peek.

A dumbfounded Salome burst into tears and laughter when she emptied the contents of the bag.

They kids had knocked Bernard’s scarecrow over and in a bid to piece it together, they found the straw bag.

Her late husband Bernard had been a dear man and many times the funny looking scarecrow made her smile in recollection of how much he had been drawn to it as his Dementia got worse.

She had no idea he had hidden lots of coins and forgot where he kept it.

InLinkz

Thank you, Louise, for the photo and Priceless Joy for hosting this charming platform where we unleash our stories

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

A Richly Layered and Passionate Read. Jan Cliff

If you enjoy my works, you can fuel my creativity with a cup of coffee or a slice of cake

Friday Fiction in Five Sentences · Short Stories

The Passport – Friday fiction in five sentences.

July 1, 2016November 8, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha14 Comments

He was tired and dreaded going home.

Each day was worse than the day before, as her tyranny seemed to graduate a notch per day.

Nothing he did was good enough and she had practically turned him into her slave – working and handing over his earnings to her, cooking, cleaning and serving her hand and foot, yet she whined.

Each time she threatened to call the immigration on him.

Each time he wondered if the price he was paying was worth the passport he hoped to get through this hellish marriage, since their love had flown out of the window.

P.S: I hope to see you at our online party this weekend. It’s always a good time

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Wonderful, evocative poetry by a talented writer. Left me hungry for more. Jacqueline can write! Linda Bethea

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee

Uncategorized · Writer's Quote Wednesday · Writing

Just hold on – Writers quote Wednesday challenge.

June 30, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

I believe and have faith in love
for in it lies immeasurable strength
Even on day’s when my faith in humanity
diminishes to micro pieces
that it won’t even match a mustard seed
On such days, I look up to the heavens
and facing the sky
I let the shadows fall behind.

There are moments when faith
is all that have
to propel me forward and hold me upright
On such days, I clasp my thin flicker of faith
like a loving companion and cloak
and allow its strength to seep into me
till my hope rises again.

There are moments
when the future might look bleak to us
when so much seems to be going wrong
in such moments
we turn to faith in hope
that the future will look brighter
if only we can hold on.

Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns – Anne Lamott

Faith does not make things easy, but makes them possible – Luke 1:37

Writing this week’s prompt ‘Faith’ for WQWWC after days of minds battered with all that’s happening around us is a welcome reprieve even though it’s a hard topic. A hard topic to write on when it’s seems as though the World is momentarily going berserk and my faith in humanity dwindles.

Then again, if we completely lose our faith, then all hope is truly lost and we’ll find ourselves living in a World that’s not only pessimistic and negative, but will become a highly toxic World.

So, I’ll hold onto my flicker of faith that love will always win and my faith comes from above.

P.S: You can join our online party this weekend. It’s always a good time

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee

Short Stories

The successor…

June 27, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

Jack sat in the deep leather armchair to ruminate over the surprising news. His mind dwelling on bittersweet memories as he remembered his dad.

Faint aroma of tobacco from Woolfe’s pipe clung to the room as if unwilling to let go, even though he has been dead for three months now and unbidden tears seeped through Jack’s eyes.

His dad had been his best friend and hero until Suzie happened to them. Suzie was Woolfe’s secretary.

An affair happened, Suzie got pregnant, Jack’s mother got mad, a messy divorce took place that when his mother died a year later in an accident, Jack was sure she had died from a bitter and broken heart. She had driven off the cliff after binge-drinking and life was never the same.

Suzie’s pinched lips and surprised look on her botoxed face expressed displeasure when the Will was read. The reins of the successful firm were meant for her son Woolfe Jnr and possibly a meagre share left to Jack, instead, eighty percent of the holdings went to Jack while they got twenty.

InLinkz

Thank you, TJ Paris, for the photo and Priceless Joy for hosting this charming platform where we unleash our stories

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

‘A Richly Layered and Passionate Read.’ Jan Cliff

If you enjoy my works and would like to do so, you can fuel my creativity with a slice of cake or coffee 😉

Friday Fiction in Five Sentences · Short Stories

To go or not to go? Friday fiction in five sentences.

June 24, 2016June 24, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha

Her heart jumped in excitement and trepidation as she read the letter over and over again.

In her hands lay a new opportunity offered by her office, to take up a more exciting job in another location.

Her thoughts were divided on what the implications of relocation would mean.

It would be a big test on her five-year-old relationship with David.

Sara had thought that moving in with David was a good idea that would naturally gravitate towards getting married and starting a family, but getting married didn’t seem to suit David’s plans; maybe it’s time for her to go.

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

She is amazing at describing love and life in her poems. She creates such beautiful images with her words. Truly, she is a talented writer and I’m so excited to have her poetry book and to continue reading through it.

Writer's Quote Wednesday

See!… Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. Dalai Lama

Cover your eyes and touch me
with the sight of your heart,

cover your eyes and caress me
with the fingers of your soul,

cover your eyes and hear me
through the pulse of your being,

for when you look with eyes jaundiced and jaded
with cynicism and age worn perceptions,

you can only see what your physical eyes permit
and miss seeing the finer qualities of me,

for when you look
through the sight of your heart,

and when you hear
through the ears of your soul,

you are happier
and you are free,

for you’ll find that I am you
and you are me,

and together
we are nature.

This week’s prompt for WQWWC ‘happiness‘ is a thought that has occupied my mind in a large way and I wrote an earlier post today focusing on happiness.

I’m also working on my inspirational book that centre’s on ‘happiness and you,’ which is a strong feature in our lives.

Our state of happiness comes from within. Material things may ease our daily living but it’s no guarantee of happiness or a good life.

When we are not at peace with ourselves, when we lack the love and care for others we can never truly be happy because our minds are burdened with negativity, with bias and limitations.

‘The depth of your happiness is the consequence of your own personal effort and it’s worth the relentless pursuit.’ Jacqueline

Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Stars, Five Stars, Logo, Icon, Symbol, Five, Rating

“Beautiful Poetry of Life and Love.” Amanda