The Blind Alley Archives

The Blind Alley – Final Episode

September 7, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

I reached to my phone and discovered i already had 33 missed calls. Going through, i found out it was Chukwu Emeka who had been trying to reach me. Oooops! My phone was on silence all these while. “Why would he possibly be calling me as if i travelled with his destiny, “i asked myself. “Could it be that Papa had relapsed again? I quickly flashed him to call me back since i didn’t have much airtime on my phone. It was papa who rather spoke up. “Obioma, why…

The Blind Alley – Semi Final Episode

September 6, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

Great fear gripped us as Mathew’s mother slumped, i thought her case would be like papa’s own. Fortunately for us, she only lost consciousness for a while as we already drenched her clothes with water. She was resuscitated almost immediately. She got up and sat down on a plastic chair infront of the main building, looking steadily at me. I couldn’t decipher why she could probably be looking at me. Maybe, in her mind, she must have taken me to the police to detain me for destroying her…

The Blind Alley – Quarter Final Episode

September 5, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

Hearing Bro. Mathew’s voice again reminded me of the little good moments we had. He had been someone who i genuinely loved…. Everything about him meant alot to me not until the hedge was broken. We accepted Chimee’s offer to sleep over in his house till dawn but i was very uncomfortable with it. We were meant to sleep on same bed where Bro. Mathew desecrated me….. It felt fresh on my mind again, very tormenting. I could still feel the blood stain, the pain and the disappointments…..…

The Blind Alley – Episode 25

September 4, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

Right there infront of the Rector, we sat confused and dejected. I had this feelings mama had wanted to divulge the whole problem to him from her unsettled disposition. Although i didn’t know what to do but allowing mama to say anything about my plight to the Rector would further exacerbate the problem at hand. I thought for a while what to do but couldn’t remember any as my confusion heightened. The Rector immediately noticed how unsettled we were when we were told Semi had travelled and was evidently…

The Blind Alley – Episode 24

September 3, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

The Angelus… “The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and She conceived of the Holy spirit,” the large bell rung as the Angelus prayer were unanimously recited from all facets of the school. The raucous recitation of the prayer woke me. During my short aborted nap, i had a dream. The dream was so terrifying that I was sweating profusely immediately i woke. I found myself in a very thick forest with all sorts of wild animals. It was slightly dark but I could still see. I was…

The Blind Alley – Episode 23

September 1, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

It rained cat and dog on our way to Enugu. My mind never was at rest all through our journey as i couldn’t fathom how we would connect to Mathew when we eventually get to his school. The young lady who appeared as a preacher in the bus we were didn’t make it any funnier for me as her preaching was so direct……. I felt she was rather insensitive. “Are you a young woman here, and you have been sleeping around with a man that’s not your husband,” she…

The Blind Alley – Episode 22

August 31, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

Again and again, sleep eluded me. Coming out of one problem only meant a fresh application to another tasking problem. If anyone had told me my life would turn out to be this herculean, i’d carefully design the person’s face with some ounces of slap…… Not me, not Obioma…..!! Unfortunately, the reality was becoming dawn on me… It was all happening to me…. Needless resorting to a more comforting phrase, “God forbid”. “How would i appear in front of the seminarians with a round tummy doted with a protruded…

The Blind Alley – Episode 21

August 30, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

I closed my eyes for few seconds, trying to wake up from the presumed sleep, yet, i was so much awake. I didn’t know whether to feel relieved after my narratives to mama or feel rather perturbed. The tears from my mother’s eyes melted my heart….she however remained resolute on finding lasting solution to my plight. She referred to it as “our” problem… “My daughter,” it’s ok..stop crying, nothing is difficult for God to do, “she reassured me as she used her wrapper to wipe my tears. Mama seemed…

The Blind Alley – Episode 20

August 29, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

For some minutes, i thought the whole world had come to an end. Never did i envisage such a tumultuous happenstance as a result of my stupidity. “God please have mercy, ‘i cried. Mama and Chukwu Emeka tried to resuscitate papa as i ran to call “Dee Livinus” the chemist man. I did not know what to do as papa slumped. Neither myself nor Emeka knew how to drive as either of us would have quickly taken him to the hospital instead …. Pathetic us… I returned with the…

The Blind Alley – Episode 19

August 28, 2018 Echezona Ibezim

“Oh lord, i know that i’m a poor sinner, have mercy on me, if it would be possible, let this cup pass me by,” those were the prayers I kept reciting as we headed home from the hospital.” Mama cried all through, those painful cries that never comes out loud…more than a sob, that was what she was doing inside the taxi taking us home. We got home and met papa eating, it was quite unusual to meet papa at home by such time. He normally would be at…