The sun was out in the city of heat, within the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria in Africa. Dipped across the barricade at the pharmacy casting a warm, amber glow with her bright smile, perfect dentition and lights all green, lady Edatu stood up from her table, nervously twisting her hands, glancing at the door for about 30 seconds. Feeling totally prepared for this she smiled for him again, as he walked in for enquiries and to get the much-needed malaria medication. He left few minutes later knowing that he got more than everything he ever wanted. It had been over five years since she met Abel. Their love had been anything but easy. From the very beginning, they’d faced opposition from their own convictions, choices and fears. The unstable and unpredictable realities also affected everything. Still, they wanted the best of each other, she believed in his dreams, he was in tune with her passion, even on the days when he doubted himself. She encouraged him to keep going, to keep
Opeyemi's Pain Management Short story Opeyemi winced as the needle pricked her skin, the cold metal pushing medicine deep into her veins. She had been dealing with chronic pain for years, a relentless throb that wrapped around her body like a heavy blanket. It started with a car accident when she was 25, a momentary distraction that left her with a crushed leg and a spine that never healed quite right. Since then, the pain had become her constant companion, an unwelcome shadow trailing her through every day. At first, she thought she could push through it. Painkillers, therapy, meditation—each method felt like a temporary quick-fix over a deep wound. Some days, the ache was dull, like a distant storm, muffled far enough away that she could almost ignore it. But on the bad days, it hit her like a freight train, paralyzing her with its intensity. Today was one of those bad days. She sat in the doctor's office, waiting for her pain management specialist to explain the next s