PIECE BY PIECE I: euphoria II

 

EUPHORIA II

We cannot control or guarantee the length of our lives: but we can manipulate its Heights, widths and depths. – Meliga Fredericks 

Happiness is not good enough for me, I demand EUPHORIA. – Meliga Fredericks

 

About a week ago, I did a collection of tales of personal experiences by some magnanimous individuals who agreed to share some of their life songs with the readers of this blog. Today we continue with another set of interesting writs. This time, we fix the pieces together; not only with unspoken thoughts but also with events and speeches that ultimately gave the teller of the tale raptures of love and warmth. Please enjoy!!

Verse II

The other day I angered my wife by forgetting her cake in the oven. I was playing FIFA on my game console when she asked me if I could monitor the cake while she is out at the mart for some groceries. She instructed me to bring out the cake in 15 minutes, which was enough time for me to finish my current game progress. She sounded it to my hearing once more while grabbing her umbrella.

By the time I remembered, the cake was already charred to the pan, it was about 45minutes on. I knew my time was up. I became fearful all of a sudden when she pulled into the garage, the burnt smell of the blackened what-should-have-been-a-cake diffused through the whole house. In her usual demeanour – she resolved to give me the “silent treatment” which was even more deafening than when she shouts down the whole house. However, She started to make another batter. Well, I knew I needed to pacify her, so I left the house to buy her favourite cookies and chocolate bars. When I returned, she didn’t even look at me, nor was there a welcome. I respected myself and walked by to the bedroom. I spread the stuff on the bed and lay beside them with my head pillared by my hands to my jaw. When she came into the room and saw the cookies and chocolate bars on the bed; she literally lit up the room with her beautiful smile, but it changed immediately to a frown, she probably remembered that she was supposed to be angry at me. So she rolled her eyes at me and walked by to the wardrobe to drop was she was holding. Then, like a flash, she turned grabbed one of the packs of cookies, hissed and walked out. (she couldn’t resist ). I was amazed at that incredible speed and sight. She came in again after about 10 minutes and grabbed one Mars bar – still without smiling or talking to me. When she came in the third time, I had laid back on the bed, pretending to be sleeping; so she wasted time trying to judge which she should carry this time. Then I pounced on her and grabbed her unto the bed. She started kicking and fighting for release, “let me go, immediately!!! ” (Didn’t those words, fall on deaf ears?? ). I pinned her small stature within my grasp and I told her I  was sorry – but it was as if those words activated her evilness, she took to slapping my head and face with so much rapidness that I had received several dozens of them before I could grab her hands. When I pegged her back, she started to look into my face like she wanted to hit it with a brick — except that she couldn’t. I told her I loved her but she squirmed and asked me to leave her that she didn’t love me. Well, I told her it was not true and that she must tell me she loved me before I released her. She stopped fighting and I released her a little. “if I didn’t love you Mr, you would have been in that oven roasting now” she said looking away while trying to force back the smile that was building on her face. “I know” I cooed in response. I let her a little allowance to turn, then I cuddled her tightly to myself. She then asked sincerely, if I wanted some of “her chocolates” (like she bought them), I said yes and she unwrapped one and fed me – her baby. — Dr Nathan 37, Gombe 

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself in your way of thinking.” – Marcus Aurelius

I tried to avoid any form of argument over my destroyed ‘original paperback” books; so I kept to myself, sulking as the case may be. I was bitter about it, “she knows how much I esteem my books and yet she let this happen?” I pondered. My wife had taken some of my books from the shelf in my library for some of her friends who came over for a visit and wanted to review some books. When seeing them off, she left them outside on the table in the garden and then it started to rain. She must have forgotten about them since it was only after the rainfall had stopped before she ran outside to get them. Alas, the books were ruined, some completely disfigured. When she came into the drawing room with the drenched books, and I looked up and saw her with them, I was aggrieved……. She opened her mouth to speak, but I gestured in her direction for her to stop and I turned around and walked away both quietly and vexed. She followed me to the room to talk but I turned her away. I knew she was sincerely sorry but I couldn’t bring myself to accept it and so I ignored her for about 2 hours. Sharon, in her normal fashion, will write me a note when I’m justifiably mad at her and wait for me to finish reading and then she’ll come out and say she was sorry. But today, she dropped the note and vanished – she disappeared. I started to look for her everywhere around: her phone was on the kitchen table, her car was still parked outside – so I knew she couldn’t have gone far. Several minutes on, she was still nowhere in sight. I was worried because it was very tiring to be ignoring somebody you cannot even see… Totally unbearable to even consider. I paraded the whole house looking for her unsuccessfully. Then I decided to check the most unlikely place – my library. Sure enough, she wasn’t there, but when I turned to leave, she jumped on my back from behind the door, grabbing me tightly so I couldn’t shake her off. She started to laugh hysterically, “honey, you missed me, you were looking for me“… I screamed and asked her to get off my back immediately but she protested that I admit I was looking for her first…… “Phewww….. OK, OK, I was” (not true, that!!! ) she pushed me to the floor and laid on my back; then she bit my ear softly and whispered moist heat of “I’m sorry” in my ear “I’m also sorry that I made you miss me like this”. I wanted to object but she covered my mouth. “stop trying to lie, you missed me”. I smiled and replied, “you’re the one person I can not stay mad at”. She is my best friend and she is worth far more than a hundred billion author-signed, best-selling actual paperbacks. – Jeremy 30, Makurdi 

“I finally understood what true love meant…love meant that you care for another person’s happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be. ” – Nicholas Sparks

There are not so many of these tiny details and moments of enrapturing experiences that overwhelms my heart. But here’s one that ultimately shaped my life – I can never get a hang over it. It was the day Khloe came into my world. She came in the usual fashion except that she didn’t cooperate with my itinerary. I was exhilarated when the doctor told me it was a girl. Much more than I longed to see and hold my baby, I desired first to see my wife first. As I walked by the nursery I saw several babies unable to judge which was mine. When I entered her hospital room, Faith my wife was sipping from a mug, with her mother sitting beside her bed. She was absolutely beautiful even with her stunning pale complexion. When she lifted her face and saw me, she smiled and said “here comes my first baby”. She threw her hands in the air almost wishing she could fly to me. These warmed my heart exclusively. So I rushed at her and embraced her passionately; I looked over her shoulder to see her mother smiling from ear to ear. The tears had formed in my eyes “I love you” I repeated many times. Afterwards, I stood above Khloe’s crib, she was sleeping peacefully – her chubby doll face was even made more alive by her cute peanut-size nose adorned by her closed eyelids. She was angelic in every regard. My mother-in-law grabbed my arm and said “Yomi, she has your long eyelashes”. I was joy over gauged. Love found me and stayed. – Abayomi 32, Portland OR. 

“Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, and I’m going to be happy in it.” – Groucho Marx

I had not seen Mona in 3weeks. His job requires him to travel every other month, but it was longer this time. Every passing day since he left 3weeks ago made his eventual return almost impossible. I have spoken to him every last free minute he had through the phone and Skype, but it wasn’t enough to substitute for his presence. I was beginning to realize just how much he must have felt all those times the demands of medical school kept me from being with him – he mentioned it a couple of times but he paused whenever he felt like he was over complaining. It must have been terrible for him, I didn’t like how I was feeling. Tonight, I was in the kitchen preparing for his return the next day; it was a Saturday night. His flight was scheduled for Sunday morning and although I was excited about it, I was far more jittery and upbeat about seeing him the next day. Somehow, the length of time before seeing him became astronomical and just like that, my excitement slipped into sadness and undue longings. I started cutting the vegetables haphazardly and hissing too. But then a sufficiently large arm wrapped around me from behind – I spasmed with shock at that moment, but the scent of the perfume I bought him pervaded my whole senses and I sank into his embrace. “He lied, but who cares??” I was rendered limp within his grasp. I missed him so much – his touch, his happy child-like smile, his mischief, his whole self. I was dating a god who had my whole flesh and spirit surrendered to him. I loved my King even much more as he held me tonight. – Nuella 25, Jos 

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” – Anne Frank

It was a cold night as I lay gazing into her sleeping face beside me, my face all glowing with smiles and my heart comforted and relaxed in the presence of her presence. My mind went back to when my whole being paused as I watched her pass by me, time had stopped that day I saw her for the first time. That feeling the day she spoke to me the first time, how every muscle relaxed and the excitement that turned my cheek all red up with smiles, how I wished I could speed up time when she left so I could meet her again. How are eyes sparked with all forms when she whispered to my ears and heart at the same time “I LOVE YOU”, and how I melted at the spot with my eyes closed while it echoed over again many times… I looked at her as she slept, cosied by the warmth of the blanket and I in turn covered with a wide smile knew that “YEAH, I WAS HOME” – José 26, Kaduna

“A happy life consists in the tranquillity of mind.” – Cicero