Spirit Pen Inspirations

Able and Faithful (Written by Joy A. Adewumi) I paced the hospital lobby as mum was rushed into the emergency ward. She just suffered a cardiac arrest and as I paced my whole body trembled. My knees were about to buckle and I knew only adrenaline was keeping me vertical. It was an obvious situation but at the same time I was finding it hard to accept. How many times had I heard of it? Someone going into cardiac arrest. A friend's parent, a lecturer, a senior colleague, but somehow seeing my mum wheeled away gave me a rude awakening! It was my mum! Yet it felt surreal. I wanted to grasp at something. Anything. My head was spinning and my eyes burned. I didn't want to cry. Crying would only make it real and though I had seen it and heard the doctor give a diagnosis, I didn't want to believe it yet. Would she make it? She hadn't always been the healthiest of people? Would her heart survive it? What if she didn't make it? What would I do? Stop! Stop! Amaka, don'

A Good Night to Pray! (A short story written by Joy A. Adewumi) Tears burned in Tamuna's eyes as she turned to bury her face in her pillow to muffle her sobs, it would do no good to disturb her poor aunt who was passing the night in their house. Her parents had been gracious enough to keep their quibbles and fight till the poor lady who had come to pass the night after been released from the NYSC orientation camp, had taken dinner and retired for the night. Thankfully also, they had been able to keep it under check when the inevitable happened, and as usual, Tamuna had excused herself as pain throbbed hard against her chest. This was the reason Gen, her big sister and only sibling never came home from school, and it angered Tamuna that she couldn't simply disappear like Gen and stay away from all the bad energy, but more than that, it hurt her that her parents' marriage was crumbling with each passing day. She was at Kathy's last weekend and it shocked her to no e

Can You Marry You?! (A short story written by Joy A. Adewumi) 'I can't marry a woman who does not know her way around the kitchen! The kind that will serve toast and egg for breakfast, indomie for lunch and then order pizza for dinner. May God not let us well-meaning brothers fall into the hands of ladies like that.' Dare said as he and some of the other guys in the room laughed loudly. I hated it to no end whenever this old drama starts at the family house! Dare started it, now some girl, maybe one of the more outspoken ones would take over and then we'll have the whole cycle all over again! I can't marry so-so kind of lady. Oh please! Spare me. Who do you think wants to put up with so-so kind of man either?! However before any lady in the room could say Jack Robinson, another guy hijacked the conversation. 'Exactly o, my brother! Or those ones that cannot do laundry except they see washing machine, or dishes until you get them dishwasher. They won'

Love: The Kingdom's Currency! (A short story written by Joy A. Adewumi) 'I don't know, I just don't like her! Is there a problem with that?' Olayemi fumed as I called her away after a rather rude response she threw at a well-meaning classmate who was trying to be friendly. 'Oh yes, there is a problem with that! You're a Christian, you can't just not like a fellow. It goes against your identity as a child of God.' My friend released a sigh as she tried to relax her features but they remained taut and she rubbed her forehead with her fingers. 'I don't like the way she talks. She's too loud, too jovial, too... Well, I don't know! Too everything!' Olayemi spat out, throwing her hands in the air as she tried to defend her stance. I narrowed my eyes at my friend as I tried to figure out what was wrong. I kept looking at her and soon she was squirming under my gaze. 'Stop giving me that look as if you can see right through me