JOOscoop

What are you hiding? We all have something we are hiding. I have lots of them and so does the person playing in front of me; across the table, in the next building and even the person sitting right beside me. we all have  secrets! "I can't help you if you don't talk?" Mama said, I sat beside her peeling melon on the verandah "Where were you last night?" She asked "In bed... Sleeping" "Whose bed?" She looked at me "Mine, who else?" I shrugged "Really! So why didn't you open the door when I knocked?" "You knocked..." I was alarmed "I didn't hear" "Really?" Mama nodded. My younger sister, Shikemi, sat few feets away playing with her dolls. "I banged your door really hard o, Titi" "I really, didn't hear. I was very tired yesterday" "I thought so too, but I was scared something else might have happened"...

     We left the reception venue and I needed to tie my wrapper again. I was eight months pregnant, with swollen feet that would not fit any elegant shoes but leather sandals.    It was one of my friends getting married and I had to be there. The new groom called my friend all the sweet names in the book;     "my sweet, darling, pretty baby girl" as he gave his response. It was a magical moment and I was excited that my friend found love.    Outside the hall, still thinking about how wonderful life is for my friend, I asked hubby to hold my bag while I tied my wrapper, he was reluctant.     Perhaps he was conscious of the many people around, or he was still trying to figure out what is right for an African man to do for his wife publicly or not...I was upset. I wondered if this was how love fizzles out of a relationship.    Fast forward to two years, we were at another wedding.    God has a sense o...

     At the beginning of a philosophy class at university, the professor stood with some innocuous looking items on his table – an empty mayonnaise jar, some rocks, some pebbles, and some sand. The college students looked on with interest, wondering what the professor was up to and unable to guess what the demonstration was going to be. Without saying a word, the professor started putting the small rocks into the mayonnaise jar one by one. The students were puzzled, but the professor did not offer any explanation just yet.      Once the rocks were up to the neck of the jar, the professor spoke for the first time that day. He asked the students if they thought the jar was full. The students unanimously agreed that it was. The professor then picked up the pebbles on his table and slowly poured them into the jar. The small pebbles found their way in between the larger rocks.     The professor then lightly shook the jar to allow the pebb...

   Psychologist define fear as an emotional experience in anticipation of some specific pain or danger. It is usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight.     I used to think am this brave amazon-type woman who isn't afraid of anything, but last night proved otherwise. I was the opposite of who I ever thought I was.      I was on visit to a relative's, a perfect getaway weekend from the stress and hustle in school.      Lemme describe the house of my host; it's an old duplex, built in the '70s , has three bedrooms on a row and a bathroom shared by the occupants of the other two rooms.     The bigger room was the Master's bedroom where my host stayed, it had it's own bathroom and all. while I slept in one of the other two rooms. FYI, my host lived alone     My room was the middle one, large and spacious with a noisy door.    The door made so much noise when opened that I can swear the neig...

     The African print has been from the beginning, the African fabric is commonly known as " Ankara ". Ankara fabric has proven to be versatile and is now recognized on the global fashion scene.      Lace used to be the king of the African fabric but today it had been displaced by the widely accepted Ankara fabric.         According to the article 'fashion reborn' by fibre2fashion "the destiny of the 'once before' cheap Ankara fabric has undergone a magical transformation. Elegant creativity of the designers has made it a preferred choice of the rich and famous"      It baffles me how the Ankara which was known before as the fabric of the poor, under-privileged and was restricted to cultural festivities because of its bright color pattern and relatively low cost, today has become a widely accepted fabric.      More appealing and sophisticated designs are being produced frequently, hence the rise...

      Kunle sat on the only chair in his living room, an armed chair torn at strategic places, dirty and old but having the lavender color, it was a parting gift from his late father many years ago, the furniture seem to be the only valuable thing in his living room aside the rusty kerosene stove which he rarely use this days; spends every penny that comes his way on burukutu; the local gin sold by a rather thin woman within his neighborhood; a dirty old pot bent out of shape from frequent dropping was at the far left; beside it was a small wooden box already infested by termites, it housed his few clothes and certificates.       A worn out mat was spread at the opposite end. A few frames hung strategically in the one room apartment, most of which were photographs of honorary achievements. And close to the window was a writing table.   It wasn't always like this, he used to live well, had lots of decent furniture, a high taste for good things, bu...