Tag: fiction

Featured Blogs

Featured posts 69…Let me share your post links.

jacquelineobyikocha

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‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’ 

Today’s featured blogs posts are:

Please do step in and show some love.

Into the gray: When I read short stories like this, I make a mental note for self and parenting. A great start of a story that seems to be ticking with details. Let’s see where this goes.

The tempest: An interesting cliff hanger and the face of humanity.

Two Wolves: Which wolf are you going to feed? A chockful of wisdom caught in this short post.

Monday motivation: We all need a shot of motivation each day and sometimes most especially on Mondays.

Unveiled – new cover image: I think it’s very cool and vibrant. Please take a look and let Mel know what you think. Thank you 🙂

‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’

Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.

P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.

Thank you for your understanding and regards.

‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’

Below is my first 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.

Out of the silent breath

Friday Fiction in Five Sentences · Short Stories

Blood work…Friday fiction in five sentences.

jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

Blood, Vial, Analysis, Laboratory, Test, Medical

Felicia’s grip on the phone was so tight that anyone could see the outlined streak of the veins on her hand.

She stuttered in disbelief as she slowly sat down. Her legs had gone all weak at the knees.

“Maybe you should come to the hospital Mrs. Vienna and talk to Dr. Patul. Would you like me to book a date?” The nurses droning voice continued at the other end.

Her mind whirred in tumult. How could the results come back negative? She felt so sure that Pete’s bloodwork was a mere formality. He would be a perfect match and donor for his twin brother Paul.

Now the result says the brothers are not twins, as a matter of fact, technically they are not brothers. What went wrong? She just couldn’t make sense of it all. This is all confusing…

*******

P.S. You are invited to our monthly blog party this weekend. It’s fun and you get to meet fantastic folks:-)

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.

Out of the silent breath

Featured Blogs

Featured Posts 58 …Share your post links.

jacquelineobyikocha

1456149614808[1]

‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’ 

Today’s featured blogs posts are from a dear friend Melinda Kucsera of In Medias Res.

Mel’s writing is so fascinating, that I never fail to ask myself how she does it. Her attention to details, the visuals, the intrigue she creates are totally skillful.

You need to read her some of her work to get my drift. She’s special 🙂

Friend-Nightmare quest

Scheming Goddesses

Falling for you

Tiny Messenger

Please do step in and show some support.

‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’

Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.

P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.

Thank you for your understanding and regards.

‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Below is my first 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.

Out of the silent breath

I hear you in my thoughts…

Your words of wisdom,

of love and encouragement…

They are etched upon my soul.

They keep me warm.

**

*an excerpt from my poem*

Creative Writing · Short Stories

The Visa Photo…

jacquelineobyikocha26 Comments


‘You have to look relaxed and smile Nkeonyelu. Abi, you don’t want them to give you the visa?’

‘I hear that they look at people’s picture to decide who they will allow to go abroad o.’

‘Aha! That’s a better pose.’

‘Oya, Patrick snap it like that,’ Nkeonyelu’s mother’s insisted.

‘Make sure she looks beautiful o!’

‘Can you believe it? You, my daughter, will be going to Germany.’ Her ceaseless excited chatter attracted the eyes of other customers.

Nkeonyelu was not as enthused as her mother.  Patrick’s busy photo studio was the best that the little town had and not far from it, was another shop where her heart lay.

Secretly in her mind, she wished the visa officer would look at her picture and dislike it.

She silently prayed that they would deny her the visa to join her unknown husband.

It was marriage by proxy and the past few month’s following the ties, she has nursed an unhappy heart.

Her secret love for Ekendili only seemed to burgeon more with each passing day, but she knew that her family would never welcome the suit of the poor cobbler when a golden opportunity has been handed to them right on a platter of arranged marriage.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Inlinkz

In response to the FFAW photo prompt above. Thank you, Uday for the picture and Priceless Joy for this enchanting story platform.

Quick glossary:

Abi – Don’t you?

Oya – Quickly

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Short Stories

Quit Shilly-Shallying…

jacquelineobyikocha3 Comments

Agnes enjoyed the priceless looks on their faces and the gaping mouth as the stared at the rock on her finger.

She had landed herself a Duke. With her controversial intelligent brains as well.

It turned out that The Duke liked a lady who challenged his intelligence and even dared to ride hell for leather.

He wanted no milk and prim miss.

He wanted a zesty, buxom, eyes filled with fire miss, who would keep him well engaged and bear him many sons with her broad hips.

He is quite taken with Agnes and not Anastasia like everyone one expected.

Anastasia the pretty. Anastasia the prim and flowery. Anastasia the proper…

Bah! His Lordship thought. He would be bored between and betwixt. Her limpid eyes held no fire.

Stop shilly-shallying, Agnes mama had said.

Quit all your rambunctious ways, she nagged.

Or you’ll be left on the shelf, she warned.

No man wants a forward miss that rides bareback like a hellion, she intoned.

You my girl will end up an old miss, she shook her head in dismay.

But Agnes love for life beckoned far more than mama’s scolds.

And her love for life led her to the Duke, when her daring ventures caught his gleaming eyes and the good thing is that she fancies him too.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post prompt Shelf.

Short Stories · Uncategorized

The Angry Goddess…

jacquelineobyikocha13 Comments

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Each day the fishermen set off to the river in search of their daily bread. It took longer and longer, and they had to go further and further for reasonable catch.

Over recent years the harvest has dwindled as the flow of the Nguru was interrupted in unnatural ways and the villagers were unhappy.

The river had many tales to tell. Once it flows past, it never came back that way again, but continued on its journey through the winding villages out to the sea.

The big companies had come with their massive artillery.

They were searching for the gems of ancient days that they believed were hidden in watery coves.

They soiled the water and killed the living things that called Nguru their home.

Simbata the River Goddess is in a rage.

They have turned her domain into a place of greed, avarice and destruction.

She planned to flow over the banks, through the tributaries and into the house’s.

It was time to speak out her displeasure.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

The Daily Post prompt flow.

Fiction · Short story · Writing 101 · writing ideas

He Was Father’s Good Friend…a short story for you.

jacquelineobyikocha46 Comments

Drinking man

Today’s assignment in Writing 101 – Day 19 Assignment: Feature a Guest is actually a feature that I would like to inculcate in my blog posts going forward.

It would be a way of sharing those articles/words that ministered to me during the week, as well as serving the purpose of neighbourly recognition and encouragement.

They could come in the form of quotes, pictures, stories, experiences, anecdotes, recipes, etc.

The idea is to share my own short story followed by the links to the URL’s of those things that captivated my mind, that made me smile, ponder, cook, dance, rant in my mind, inspired and motivated me during the past few days.

He was fathers’ good friend… a short fiction.

He was fathers’ good friend, but he wasn’t mine! Even though he worked very hard to be my friend, his sweetness repulsed me! He would visit a lot of evenings and occupy space with his large frame, guffawing at every joke even those that I failed to understand.

Many attempts did he make to pinch my butt when no one looked. Attempts made to squeeze my budding chest under the pretext of an uncle-y hug. He fooled them all by his pretense to be a good one!

Armful of candies to cajole and sweeten Carols little mind, followed by his clumsy, harsh breathing hugs. As she grew up she knew what it was. The day she found him out for who and what he was, is not one that she cares to remember. Even though the foggy parts of her brain sometimes brings up these better forgotten memories….of a sleepover that turned into a night of pain.

She faltered and haltingly told mother; how she was hurt and she can remember the redness of mothers face. The string of curses that spewed from mothers mouth and her vengeful promise to deal with him.

He came calling again, his cloak of conviviality all annoying Carol’s 9 year old mind and she hid at a distance, away from his treacherous hugs.

Mother gave him good helpings of the casserole (Carol wondered why he never ate in his house, wasn’t he just the gluttonous one, wanting to covet his neighbours goods) and copious doses of wine.

He drank and he drank. Little dribbles and droplets dotted his pale shirt and stood stark like blood.

He left under the haze of wine and thereafter, and was never seen again.

Now and again Carols mind drifts and she wonders whatever became of him. How did mother get the boogie man to stop visiting?

Father seemed sad for sometime. His friend came visiting no more.

The END

The posts that I would like to share because they spoke to me:

Bring in the Light I found this quite inspiring and thought provoking. It is up to you to choose!

Its the little things I simply fell in love with this post! *Hugs* Kelly

The Orchard – Horror story Thrilled and gave me the chills too 😉

The problem was me.. This is a beautiful story Mary Lou 🙂

What value system are you instilling in your children? Am I doing a good job? One always needs to ask these questions.

Anand’s Parodies & Caricatures He brings out the chuckle in me 🙂

Lynz real cooking Easy breakfast fix that the children love and saved me some time too 🙂

Putting Flesh on the bones Thank you Wallace for tips on how to put that story together.

Am I responsible for the actions of my adult children? This got me thinking.

If you are Be the best that you can be! Short and inspiring

Thanks good people. It’s almost weekend

Yay! Dancing Time 🙂

Image Credit: Businessinsider.com

Fiction · Short story

HUSTLE….A short story

jacquelineobyikocha62 Comments

Bus Hustle

Ikem couldn’t stand the penury anymore! He stared at his worn out T-shirt with the words “making a difference” printed on it’s back in disgust and dissatisfaction. He had purchased it three months ago from the bend-down-select aka flea market to add to the other two that he possessed, but frequent use and wash had slackened its neckline and faded it’s vibrant colour. It was time to visit the man with the bell; he sold good second-hand clothes from a heap of clothing on the market floor.

With that dissatisfaction dragging him down, he pulled the T-shirt over his head and shoved his feet into an equally worn out pair of rubber soled slippers. Picking up his wooden pallet, he hastened off, making quick strides to the bus-stop where he could hitch an early morning ride by hanging partially on the side of a Molue. Sometimes the conductors were difficult but on a some good days, they also showed their humane sides.

It is a main market day at Ahia Ogige today and there would be a throng of lorries bringing in goods from neighboring villages. If he rushed, he would probably make a good turn around from customers who needed their goods carried from one end to the other.

Yet, as his strides swallowed the distance from his living quarters at the shanty, to the bus-stop, his grumbling mind would not cease to taunt him. How much difference was it really making in his life, eking out a living that was barely enough to put food in his stomach, pay his own portion of rent and minor bills, not to talk of sending money home to his folks? He queried himself.

Christmas was fast approaching. It would soon be time to go to the village to celebrate, but he wasn’t sure he was up to that this year. He thought he would have achieved more by now and he didn’t want to watch in envy as some of his clansmen came home with their new motorcycles and garbs to show off. Chukwudi had really irritated him last year with all his loud talk of making it big.

His angst grew within him as the day wore on. Wearied of carrying back breaking heavy load for peanuts at the end of the day, he stretched out on his small mattress which had a pride of place on the floor and slept like a log of wood.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Mini Glossary

Ikem – An shortened version of an Igbo name for a boy; Ikemefuna – which means, may my strength not go missing.

Chukwudi – An Igbo name for a boy and it means; God lives

Ahia Ogige – A market in Nsukka. A town in the Eastern part of Nigeria

Bend-down-select: A heap of mixed used clothing where customers literally bend down to scrounge through the pile and select an item they want to buy.

Molue: Are the locally redesigned and fabricated 44-seat old buses that ply the roads of the city. The original buses are disused school buses imported from other parts of the World

In fulfillment of Writing 101 – Day 12 Assignment: Play with Word Count

I tried to keep my story within 500 words and I think I did it!

Creative Writing

Escaped..

jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

In response to Flash Fiction For Aspiring Writers run by Priceless Joy with the photo prompt from afairymind

The locomotice

Annalise stands shivering in the early mornings chill as her cotton shift can barely keep her warm. She impatiently watches the noisy steam locomotive as it pulls up to the station, willing it to stop quickly so that she can hop on.

She casts furtive glances over her shoulders, every step of a passer-by stops her heartbeat in its tracks.

It was still incredulous to her simple mind on how easy it had been to sneak off and she knows that the luxury of time is not at her disposal.

They will soon discover that the lump under the scratchy blanket is a plumped dud. All hell will be let loose.

A fresh start is inevitable, away from it all, but all that she has pinched is just enough to get her to Oregon.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Uncategorized

Introducing myself: Blogging 101

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Let’s hope I don’t bore you to death with my ramblings on this assignment of “who I am and why I am here” in the blogosphere.

Jacqueline, the face behind acookingpotandtwistedtales, is a passionate Nigerian woman.

I am a wordsmith (on the cusp of authorship, in my mind at least). I am an entrepreneur, an advocate of truth and moral values, a people’s person, a motivator and a bi-linguist; French/English (also attempting to pick as many languages as I can, even just in their smattering forms).

I am the spouse of an interesting and intelligent gentleman who makes each day in my life spontaneous and devoid of boredom.

I am a mother of children who keep all my faculties engaged (physical and non-physical).

So this is me, an avid reader (not mind reader, unfortunately), an everyday woman with a passion for life and family.

I love to sing in my wobbly voice (who cares), to dance and strut my stuff and to laugh heartily. I love fitness and good nutrition when I can encourage my other lazy self to lace on her training shoes and not to eat all the cake.

I am still a child of Evolution.

I started blogging when I got tired of keeping my thoughts penciled in my journals (I still pencil though). It serves as a voice to some internal thoughts and turmoils. I think in clarity, I recuperate and I exhale when I write. It is therapeutic for me.

I see a story in everything, humorous, serious, life matters, beauty, child rearing or anything that inspires me that we might have in common as humans.

So here I am, exhaling after a long time of staying under water.

If I blog successfully throughout the next year, I would have cultivated the discipline of settling down to write and ramble. I would (hopefully) have finished the drafts of the three novels that I am working on.

Indeed it would be good to arrive at those goals, but I believe that the trip through blogging would be a whole lot of fun.

I look forward to meeting and interacting with other members of this community.

Yours in sincerity,

Jacqueline.