Dhammy Kelly's Blog

Kosi let the breeze blow over her face as Biggie took her through the scenic views of Lagos. It had been a while since she had been here. In fact, it had been over 20 years since she last stepped her foot in Lagos. After the disappearance of Ada, she had run away to Asaba where she had gotten married barely 5 months later. The marriage had lasted 5 years. 5 years of horror and pain. Elo, her husband had turned out to be an animal in human clothing. He had abused her physically, emotionally, sexually and financially. Seven miscarriages, plenty of beatings, sexually transmitted infections and in-Law mistreatment had not even been enough to make her run. Not until the day the other woman caught her on the street and beat her up did she wake up and realise she had to take a stand. Living with her in laws made everything unbearable for her. Elo at 29 had notbeen prepared to work or take responsibility for the woman he married, leaving her to feed him and his brothers who often came ...

Nelson was just having his bath in the morning when he heard his phone ringing. He rushed out of the bathroom and picked the call before it cut, full of expectation. He didn’t recognise the number. Nelson: “Good morning…..” Man’s voice: “Good morning, Mr Igwebuike……. How was your night?” Nelson: “Very fine, sir. Please, who is this?” Man’s voice: “I am Yunusa Safid, Managing Director, Apex Bank of Nigeria…” Nelson: “Really??!” He screamed, excited. Mr Safid: “Yes sir. Your loan of 139 million which you took and invested in the Fembrigbe oil exploration had just been returned by the company to our bank. So, it is my pleasure to tell you that you aren’t only debt free but you also have a total of 12 million with us which is the amount you have paid to service the loan so far. We have removed the original interest on the loan.” Nelson: “Oh, thank you sir. God bless you! Thank you so much!!” Mr Safid: “We will expect you in our office before 10 am so you can sign a few ...

Seun: “Nelson!! Nelson!! Wake up, we need to talk…..” Seun shook her husband awake. Nelson: “What is it woman? Its midnight now! What’s the problem?” Seun:“I know! I have something important to discuss with you. And you need to sit up and listen.” Nelson: “It can’t wait for daytime when normal people have conversations?” Seun: “No, it can’t.” Nelson: “Okay, what is the problem?” He asked, sitting up. Seun: “Hmmm, I went to see Pastor Jim today…” Nelson: “What? Why? Why would you do that?” Seun: “You think I don’t want all these problems to end? My life is at stake too oh. My children’s lives are also at stake so I want to know exactly what is happening to us. I thought it was a test, a trial but I realised it was more serious when you refused to tell me exactly what Pastor Jim said.” Nelson: “So you went behind my back to see him?!” Seun: “Behind your back as how? Did I use to tell you whenever I go to see him before?” Nelson fumed impotently. What could that ...

Kachi let himself be dragged out from solitary confinement and pushed down to the hall designed for visitors on death row. He wondered briefly who was here to see him. His sentence was due to be carried out tomorrow and at this point, he had accepted faith and was no longer looking for a miracle. When the verdict of death had been read out by the Judge after his trial, he couldn’t say he was surprised. At that point, it was safe to say everyone who seemed to matter had wanted him dead for killing his wife and children so gruesomely. His wife’s family in particular had championed the cause. His lawyer had told him to appeal on the grounds that the Judge had been swayed by popular opinion but he hadn’t had any money for a protracted appeal case he was sure he would never win. He was already very tired of the whole process and he had hoped before his sentence was carried out, the realkiller would come forward but apparently, the killer had no conscience. At this point, he was ...

Juwon changed the stations on the TV distractedly. He tried to be involved in the football game showing on TV but he couldn’t be. All he wanted was for his wife and children to go to bed but he knew if he told them to go sleep, his bitch of a wife would cry bloody murder and make sure all the neighbours knew that he had done something wrong. The crazy woman could create drama and disaster out of a simple matter. He couldn’t believe he had managed to remain married to her for the past 12 years. At the time he met her, she had been 16 years old, hot, young and beautiful. She had also being a virgin and he hadn’t been able to help himself from her. It hadn’t mattered that he was almost 14 years older than her. Before he could say Jack Robinson, the brainless air head was pregnant and her parents had gone about reporting him to everyone. His parents had been desperate to save themselves from shame and had insisted he marry her or they would cut him off permanently. Since he wasn’t ...

A man that laid in the men’s ward of Igbobi general hospital was scared. He had broken his bones while taking a motorcycle to work that he should never have been on in the first place. His brother had told him to wait for him to drop him at his office but his eagerness to beat a co-worker to the office had caused him to take a bike that had landed him in trouble. Ever since he got here, he couldn’t help being scared at the different cases around him. Although his leg had been set, he was still very scared and his presence in the room was worsening his condition. There were men groaning in pain all around. Some were asleep but when they were awake, they usually seemed in pain. The man beside was almost comatose in pain. Whenever he looked at him, he felt very bad for him. He didn’t need to be told that the man would have been very handsome before whatever accident had brought him here. He looked like he would have been tall with wonderful fair skin and a full beard of hair. Lo...

“Tony Igwebuike!! Come outside now!” The Principal called out on the Assembly ground, standing beside a gathering of debt ridden students. The 13 year old bowed his heads as his mates started laughing and booing, deeply ashamed. He almost didn’t go out but he knew what Mr Osas was capable of doing to him. He stepped out of the line of JSS3 students as he heard his sister’s name also being called out. When he had stood with the gathering, his sister also joined them, her head bowed down like his. He looked down at her and saw tears already gathering in her eyes. He wanted to hug but he knew the whole school was watching to see what would become of the debtors. For 3 years, he had watched from the side-lines as this happened to other students all the time. He had never seen it as wrong or felt particularly sorry for those it had happened to until it happened to him and his sister. He felt so embarrassed, he just wanted to sink into the floor and die. When Assembly dispersed, ...