WALKING THROUGH HER PRINTS ON THE SANDS OF TIME: HER ROYAL MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

 

Walking through her Prints on the Sands of Time

“She was more than a monarch…!” Joe Biden stated in his speech on 8^th of September 2022 reacting to the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at 96years. She is the longest reigning monarch Britain has had. Queen Elizabeth has been described “a source of stability,” a strong female, a remarkable woman, a “figure of national pride”, a good boss, a “figure of unity”, “an anchor in uncertain times,” a very resilient female, a historical figure. She is said to be kind, hardworking and devoted. Born on 21^st April, 1926 and died on 8^th September, 2022. Messages continue to pour in from around the world in honour of the British monarch who greatly influenced the world throughout her reign. She indeed seemed everlasting; a figure that was always there and seemed never to be going away but all earthly life must come to an end. One thing no one can take away from Queen Elizabeth is that she was a world figure and her death marks the end of an era.

Queen Elizabeth was born on the 21^st of April 1926. She was Her royal Highness Princess Elizabeth Alexandria Mary of York. Her parents were Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth who were at the time the duke and Duchess of York.  Although she was the first child of her parents, she was not in the line of succession of the throne. She was to live a privileged life but a quiet and most likely out of the public life. She had a wonderful and organized childhood, playing

However, as life they say can change in a moment, Elizabeth’s life changed suddenly when on the death of her grandfather her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to his younger brother Prince Albert her father in 1936. Prince Albert was enthroned; His Majesty King George VI and Elizabeth became the heiress presumptive, next in line to the throne. She was not ‘heir apparent’ because if her parents bore a male child, he will automatically become the heir, moving Elizabeth down in the succession line. This was the law at that time. However, Queen Elizabeth has since changed this law thanks to the strong drive towards building a world of gender equality.

During the second world war, queen Elizabeth at 14years read a speech which was broadcasted on the radio to all children living through the war and being evacuated to be protected. Part of her speech read

“ …And when peace comes remember it will be for us the children of today to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place…”

As the war continued, Elizabeth enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s wing of the British Army when she turned 18. She served as a mechanic and driver until the war came to an end in 1945. While giving a speech in 1947 at 21 years, she in a sincere tone stated;

“…I declare before you all with my whole life, whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong…”

During the second world war, Elizabeth kept in touch with Prince Philip through letters. In 1947, she got engaged and married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburg. Their wedding was celebrated across the country. They were married for over 73 years until the death of Prince Philip on April 2021. Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. It is said that although she was queen and head of her country, she let her husband be the head of the family. She made time for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was an excellent partner.  She is remembered as a devoted wife and mother.

While on a tour of the Commonwealth with her husband where she was standing in for her father the King who was ill, King George the VI died. Prince Philip informed Elizabeth of her new role as Queen in a lodge in Kenya. She ascended the throne on February 6^th 1952 at 25years. The coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the first British coronation to be televised with cameras allowed inside Westminster Abbey where the coronation took place. queen Elizabeth explained years later that in her early years as Queen, she had to prove herself to courtiers, politicians, her country and the world at large. she explained years later that,

“In a way I didn’t have an apprenticeship. My father died much too young. It was all a very sudden kind of taking on and making the best job you can.”

She understood the importance of connecting with the people. She took on thousands of engagements and invented the “walk about”. The “walk about” changed the way the public interacted with the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II greeted people face to face, shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries and waving rather than being chauffeured from afar. Rather than living a remote life shielded from the public's eye, she opened the royal doors of the Buckingham palace to the public for tours.

She has been the Monarch of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth nations since 1952. As head of the commonwealth and Queen of other realms, she frequently visited many countries. It is said that she travelled more than any other Head of State. Wherever she went, she pulled a large crowd. It is said that she was concerned about conflicts and was very diplomatic. She was the first British Monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland in 100 years.

During the Corona Virus Pandemic, she was a source of strength, comfort, reassurance and encouragement. In her speech addressing nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, she stated that

“…we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again, we will meet again.”

Her Christmas broadcast every year which was keenly looked forward to was where she sent a personal message to the public. She loved her dogs and horses. She had a good sense of humor.

In 2021, she bade farewell to her loving, devoted consort and kind husband, Prince Philip. She was in grief but carried herself with strength in the public. She rarely showed emotion in public.

She was the Royal monarch that welcomed the age of technology and she did this wholeheartedly. Her coronation was the first televised coronation, her annual Christmas message was broadcasted on television in 1957, In 2014 she joined twitter and uploaded her picture on Instagram in 2019 for the first time. it is noted that she is the first British Monarch to pay income taxes. It can be noted that her reign was filled with new inventions and welcomed new traditions.

 

Criticism and Backlash

She was criticized for initially not showing grief at the death of Princess Diana, the divorced wife of her son Prince Charles. She was heavily criticized for not giving a speech in the wake of Lady Diana’s death. The Queen shortly after much criticism came forward a made a passionate speech about Princess Diana and mourning her loss.

Until the time of her death, she has faced criticism over the neo colonialism of African countries formerly colonized by Britain. During her reign, several African countries became independent and the bloody days of Apartheid in South Africa and Kenya took place and came to an end.

Gone but Never Will Be Forgotten

She is the first monarch to mark a platinum jubilee. She has had a remarkable reign, grown a large family and served wholeheartedly her nation. Her death marks the end of an era and it will likely be a long time before another Queen rules Britain as there are three males next in the Windsor line of succession.  God save the Queen!

BONNIE AND CLYDE: ROMANCE AND CRIME

 

BONNIE AND CLYDE: ROMANCE AND CRIME

 

“GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN” by Ada Chisaram Nwosu

What better way to die

Than with the sound of screeching tyres

The booms of blazing guns

Glocks so loud you feel alive

The smell of gun powder

The feel of being young forever

Your heart racing

Your favourite song playing

Your trigger finger sliding

Your tightened fist pumping

Your face not frightened

Beholding death fearless

A smile on your lips

You know deep in your heart

You are gone but not forgotten

 

Theirs is a story of crime and love. Around the world, Bonnie and Clyde are romanticized and praised for their crime-love story. They are regarded as the template for crime partners and people are fascinated by them. Their lives have influenced both the literature, music and movie world. However, is their story romantic or not? Should we praise their love? This is the story of Bonnie, Clyde, their gang and their crime spree.

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker was born on October 1, 1910 and Clyde Chestnut Barrow was born on March 24, 1909; they both died on May 23, 1934. They are the popular ‘on the run’ couple who mesmerized the romantic fantasies of Americans in their day and even remain as romantic fantasies today. Several song lyrics, books, movies and performances pay homage to this couple and even liken the love they have or the romantic relationship they yearn for to the type this couple had. Bonnie, Clyde and their gang were robbers who gained fame for their bank robberies but usually robbed small stores. Throughout the period of their crime spree, they were said to have killed nine Police Officers and about 4 civilians. The cold bloodedness of these murders brought fear to the hearts of many Americans who were conflicted between glamorizing them and calling for their immediate arrest.

Bonnie and Clyde held the USA spell-bound with their love story. This was during the time of the great depression. Their crime tour lasted for 2 years but it was blazing and hot for the USA at the time. the newspapers of the day sold out when the couple was featured and they were often featured. Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow met in 1930. Bonnie was 19 and married to an imprisoned murderer. Clyde was 20. Two weeks after the met, Clyde was sentenced for 2 years. Bonnie smuggled a gun to him which he used to escape from jail but he was recaptured. Clyde was set free in 1932 and that is when their crime spree started. Clyde took Bonnie with him for the first robberies that he led and after a few robberies, Clyde was on the run and Bonnie decided to join him. For two years, Bonnie, Clyde and his gang were running from one state to the other. Police at that time couldn’t cross state borders in pursuit of criminals so this was the way they escaped. Clyde was a very good driver too and he changed cars frequently by stealing them. This helped them to evade arrest. His favourite car was Ford V8, Clyde was said to have written a letter to Henry Ford which read “Even if my business hasn’t been strictly legal, it don’t hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V8.” Bonnie liked to take photos and did so in different poses. She also wrote poetry. After a shoot out with the law enforcement agents which left two officers dead, the photos and poems of Bonnie and Clyde were discovered in their abandoned hide out. When these photos and poems were released to the public, Bonnie and Clyde became a glamorized and celebrated young couple in love who were on the run from the law. People hated the government and Police at this time so they saw Bonnie and Clyde like the glorified outlaws. The couple robbed banks, grocery stores and gas stations but never stole a very large amount. By the 2^nd year of their crime spree, the media had made them so famous and this made it harder for them to operate under the radar and they became scared of being caught. They stopped hiding in motels and took to hiding in the bush using camp fires.  Numerous law enforcement agents tried to catch them but failed. The Police captured one of their accomplices and learned from him about the close ties between the two families. The police used this to set an ambush. Their accomplice’s father stayed by the road side and pretended to need help to fix his vehicle, Bonnie and Clyde stopped to help him and Police officers waited for them in the bush. When the car, a Ford V8 stopped, the Police opened fire. The police shot the couple about 130 times and they died on the spot. The car in which they died in became a trophy which was shown around the USA. Bonnie and Clyde asked to be buried together but their families decided to bury them apart. On Bonnie’s head stone is written: “As the flowers are all made sweeter by the sunshine and the dew, so this old world is made brighter by the lives of folks like you." On Clyde’s headstone is “Gone but not forgotten”, an epitaph selected by Clyde himself. Bonnie and Clyde expected a violent death and prepared for one.  

It is important to note that at the time of Bonnie’s death, she was wearing her wedding ring to her husband (not Clyde) and had a tattoo on the inside of her right thigh with two interconnected hearts labeled “Bonnie” and “Roy.”

Bonnie and Clyde in Movies

-          The Bonnie and Parker Story was released in 1958 directed by William Witney

-          Bonnie and Clyde was released in 1967 directed by Arthur Penn

-          The Highwaymen, a Netflix movie was released in 2019 directed by John Lee Hancock

Literature influenced by Bonnie and Clyde

Some literary works on Bonnie and Clyde include:

-          My Life with Bonnie and Clyde by Blanche Cadwell Barrow

-          Side by Side: A Novel of Bonnie and Clyde by Jenni L. Walsh

-          Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn

-          Bonnie and Clyde: The Lives Behind the Legend by Paul Schneider

-          Side by Side by Jenni L. Walsh

-          On the Trail of Bonnie and Clyde: Then and Now by Winston G. Ramsey

The story of Bonnie and Clyde has inspired many aspects of arts including Literature. The outlaws who in love are indeed legendary till date.

What do you know about Bonnie and Clyde? Like, Comment and Share.

THE POET WHO RE-WROTE THE BIBLE TO SUIT THE AFRICAN NARRATIVE: GLADYS CASELY-HAYFORD

 

Who was Gladys Casely-Hayford?

1.      She was born on the 11^th of May 1904

2.      She was born in the Gold Coast where is presently known as Ghana

3.      She is credited as the first author to write in Krio language

4.      She sometimes wrote under the name ‘Aquah Laluah’

5.      She could sing, dance and write poetry at an early age

6.      She did her tertiary education in Europe

7.      After her tertiary education, she traveled for a while with a Berlin Jazz band as a dancer

8.      On her return to Africa, she became a teacher at the Girls’ Vocational School Freetown, Sierra Leone

9.      She taught African folklore and Literature

10.  She celebrated her blackness with unique poems

11.  Not much of her poetry was published when she was alive

12.  Her poems fiercely promoted Africa and the African

 

“Rejoice”

Rejoice and shout with laughter
Throw all your burdens down,
If God has been so gracious
As to make you black or brown.

For you are a great nation,
A people of great birth.
For where would spring the flowers
if God took away the earth?

Rejoice and shout with laughter
Throw all your burdens down
Yours is a glorious heritage.
If you are black, or brown.

This poem celebrates being African. She celebrates the skin colour of Africans which is seen as ugly or below the standard of beauty by Westerners. At the time of this poem, blackness was almost a criminal offence as black people were oppressed, suppressed and repressed. Hayford celebrated the black skin colour as being the best skin colour. She compares the skin colour of the African to the earth. This poem places blacks at the pedestal of being the mother of all living things. She stresses that without the blacks, the earth will not flourish.

In celebrating being black here, she rewrites the biblical narrative that placed the Israelites as the beloved of God. She emphasizes that just as the Bible praised the Israelites as being chosen by God, Africans are also chosen specially as a beloved race.

 

“Freetown”

Freetown, when God made thee, he made the soil alone

Then threw the rich remainder in the sea

Small inlets cradled He, in Jet black stone

Small bays of transcient blue He lulled to sleep

Within jet rocks, filled from the Atlantic deep.

Then God let loose wee harbingers of sing.

He scattered palms profusely over the ground

Then grew tall grasses, who in happy mirth

Reached up to kiss each palm tree that they found.

‘This is my gem! God whispered; ‘this shall be

To me a jewel in blue turquoise set’

Thus spake the mouth of life’s Eternity;

There God couched, lion-like, each mighty hill.’

Silent, they keep their watch over Freetown still

Silent-

 

Freetown celebrates the city Freetown in Sierra Leone. She places Freetown as the biblical land “flowing with milk and honey.” She describes Freetown as the land chosen by God just as God had chosen Jerusalem in the Bible as His own city.

 

“Nativity”

This poem is perhaps the poem that deeply rewrites the biblical narrative. It re-narrates the birth of Jesus as the birth of an African child.

Within a native hut, ere stirred the dawn

Unto the pure One was an infant born,

These two lines remind us of Jesus being born in a manger. The poet rewrites this as an African born in a hut. Mary the mother of Jesus is regarded as the virgin but this poem places her as the African mother whom she refers to as the ‘pure One’.

Laid on his father’s home-tanned deerskin hide,

The Babe still slept by all things glorified

These lines remind us that as the bible describes the birth of Christ in a manger being born amidst the straw and hay for the animals, the African baby is born on a home-tanned deer skin owned by his father. The Child Jesus is seen as glorious, so is this child born to his African parents.

Spirits of black bards burst their bonds and sang

‘peace upon earth’ until the heavens rang.

All the black babies who from earth had fled

Peeped through the clouds – then gathered round His head,

Telling of things a baby needs to do,

When first he opes his eyes on wonder new;

Telling Him that sleep was sweetest rest,

All comfort cams from His black mother’s breast

These lines are the rewriting of the biblical account of angels coming down from heaven and rejoicing. The Child Jesus is visited by angels and the heavens sang and there was rejoicing as angels came down to earth and celebrated. Here, the bards (traditional poets and singers who compose poems and songs to honour and praise a person) rejoiced till the heavens rang instead of angels as the bible stated. The souls of black babies also visit the child instead of shepherds.

Their gift was love, caught from the springing sod,

While tears and laughter were the gifts of God.

Then all the Wise Men of the past stood forth,

Filling the air, East, West, and South and North,

And told Him of the joy that wisdom brings

To mortals in their earthly wanderings.

These lines tell of gifts and the visit of Wise men. The bible records gifts of myrrh, gold and frankincense but to this African child, Hayford writes of gifts of love, tears and laughter. The bible tells of wise men from the east who visit Jesus at His birth, but Hayford rewrites this story and presents wise men from the four corners of the earth who fill the air just like the angels did fill the sky in the bible.

The remaining lines in the poem continue to praise the birth of this child while portraying the deep sense of communal spirit in the African society, making great the African wisdom and giving a peep into the birth of a child in Africa.

The non-Africans might call these poems blasphemy but what stops us from debunking the myths that demean and are derogatory to the African and his society? Hayford celebrates the African sensibilities and experiences. She places the African at the center of all things great. Her poems herald the rebirth of the glory of Africa and the African. Black is indeed beauty and all things African are indeed worthy of adoration.

What can you say about these poems by this great poet? 

Married on a plane by Ada Chisaram Nwosu

 

Married on a plane by Ada Chisaram Nwosu

Part 2

#############Back to Present########################

 

“I like to act tough but I won’t lie, that one got to me!” I said and laughed

“It is obvious!” Wendy said and sipped her orange juice

“Is that a Birkin bag?!!” Mina said suddenly looking in the direction of a lady walking out of the restaurant.

“No o! her overall fit is counterfeit clothing items. Can you imagine that the jacket is supposed to be Chanel?! What nonsense!” I said shaking my head

“People are really out here lying these days” Wendy said

“Seriously, Mina, you mean to tell us that you can not smell a fake from a mile away?” Wendy asked

“Smell?! Girl, she is recovering from financial cold. Her imposter perfumes will get in the way!!” I said and we all laughed.

WE were friends like that, mocking and teasing each other but always being there when real trouble arose.

“That’s alright already! Please continue and tell us how you now ended up marrying this evil man!” Chika said

“He was so rude to you though!” Wendy said shaking her head softly

“Was he wearing designer suit on that day? Tom Ford?” Mina asked and I shook my head “Maybe Gucci shoes?” Mina probed further and I shook my head again “Any sign of wealth?”  Mina asked sounding disappointed

“I mean, he looked like money” I said to satisfy her curiosity

“Ooooooh God! Let her continue” Chika half screamed exasperatedly

“Why are you shouting?” Wendy said looking up at her

“Always so serious!” Mina said angrily

“You all know that I later found out he was a manager in a sister company which is actually a million dollar company. So, yea, he is rich.” I said in a matter-of-fact manner

“Yea! I now understand!” Mina started to say

“Yes, go on” Chika said to ensure we did not divert the discussion

“I travelled to Abuja over the weekend for a business workshop. Company sponsored and all of that.” I said now getting into the real story “Guess who I met at the airport when I was returning to Lagos?”

“Olamide!” Wendy said

“You can’t be more correct than that.” I said and we laughed

 

 ############### Flashback ###################################

As I walked in after passing the search point, it is funny how we can spot hostility in a crowd; familiar hostility. I looked in his direction and he looked at me and smiled. I was shocked and looked behind in case it was to someone behind me but I was the one. He started walking towards me and my heart started beating fast.

“hello, he greeted smiling. He was wearing black sweat pants and a white jersey.

“Hello, good evening” I greeted still shocked that he was smiling at me and even striking up a conversation

“What is a beautiful lady like you doing alone in this crowd?” he asked playfully “Can I sit down with you?” he asked politely

“With me?” I asked still shocked. “Heyyyy! God! What is happening? Is this one looking for who to use for ritual? Why is he being so nice? Where is his big boy attitude? Why is he even acting like he doesn’t know me?” I asked myself while staring at him blankly

“Yea sit down” I finally replied and he sat and muttered “Thank you”

“I don’t understand!” I said softly “You have been ignoring me in the office even acting like I disgust you so why are you all of a sudden being nice?” I asked suddenly

“What?!” he said and leaned back placing a palm on his chest to express shock. “I do not do that! Each time you see me, you throw daggers with your eyes at me. Even when I want to approach you, you often hiss and walk away. You ignore me when I talk and act like I do not exist when I am in the same room with you.”

“Dear Lord!” I gasped and acted shocked “I do not do all these”

“Now, hold on! I agree that I can be rude sometimes but you are the queen of rude. I tremble anytime I walk into the company building and see you.” He said

“Really?! Then if I am the problem, why are you approaching me now? In public?” I asked scornfully “If you are going to be scared of me at the office, be scared of me everywhere.” I said as a joke though seriously

He got the joke and laughed heartily, swaying form side-to-side.

“You look approachable today and this is outside of office setting, even out of Lagos” he paused suddenly “Can we bury our beef today? I am exhausted! I don’t know why we are fighting but I give up, you win.” He said calmly

“Hmmm! Ok Sir!” I said suddenly growing suspicious of his niceness

“Don’t call me Sir, I am Olamide. What is your name?” he asked nicely

“I am Ada”

“Nice to meet you” He said calmly

I decided to flow in the moment and have fun. He was a good conversationist. He told me a whole lot about him. His parents lived separately though still married, he had a Master degree in Economics from a University in London. He hated Lagos so went to Abuja as often as he could. He liked to travel but hated flights.

“That’s very interesting” I said as he told each story. We traded stories, bought kilishi multiple times, joked about marriage and how beautiful our kids will look. As our flights were announced, we looked at each other and began to move to show our boarding pass and identity cards.

“Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can do so we sit together during the flight.” He said as he scrambled off to board the place as he was to sit in the first-class part of the plane. I waited patiently for my turn and wondered if this was all in my head and I was back in Lagos dreaming.

As I sat down on my seat, I saw him walking towards me.  He smiled at me briefly and began to negotiate to exchange his first-class seat with the seat beside me. I wanted to say ‘no’ but sometimes, a girl has greed and can indulge in it. Suddenly the gentle man, a middle aged man with a bishop collar smiled at him. The plane was closed and while the Pilot was waiting to take off, seats were exchanged.

We whispered to each other and exchanged numbers as the plane took off and the soared in the sky. Suddenly, I saw the Reverend gentleman walking towards us.

“If you two really want to, I have a marriage certificate signed and stamped by the appropriate authorities but with no names on it. I can give it to you as the people it was meant for have called off the wedding. Who knows? Maybe God wants it this way.” The man concluded. The people close to us in the plane turned straining their ears and eyes, watching and listening to this once in a lifetime real life movie.

“Ada, please, let’s do it, I know I love you and I want to marry you. What are the odds that this can happen? This is definitely a plan of God.” Olamide said

“Are you mad? How do I tell the world, my family, your family, my friends, colleagues and village people that I got married to someone I just started to know properly 2 hours ago?” I asked not believing my ears

“I know, but we are in this together. Us against the world. Let’s do it!” he said imploring me

“I can’t believe this is happening to me. Stop it! People will think I used charm!” I almost screamed

“Let them think whatever, we both know the truth!” he said

“God of mercy! Help me! How can you let this be happening to me!” I said then went quiet as the revered smiled and walked back to his seat

“Wait! What?! Is this even real or a prank? Where is the camera? Did you plan this? I’m not doing it! Don’t beg further, I won’t change my mind.” I said and looked around as the people immediately looked away.

“But why lose out on life when you can make one great decision to jump into great things from here on?!” he said pleading almost on his knees. I looked at him and I don’t still know how it came out of my mouth but I replied him suddenly.

“Ok! I’ll marry you! Let’s do this!” I said, the passengers around me gasped and the information spread round the plane like wide fire. I sat on my seat mortified and wondering what I had just done.

He immediately jumped up to call the Reverend who came smiling widely with a Bible, pen and the marriage certificate. We both gave two passengers our phones and they videoed the ceremony.

As the plane landed, we looked at each other and our marriage certificate. My name boldly written on it and his name too. I sat quietly and he too sat calmly.

His father walked with long strides towards us as we entered the airport car park, we looked at each other and knew that we were thinking the same thing in the moment. I snatched the certificate and put itinto my bag, we looked at each other swiftly and walked in opposite directions while he promised to call so we can meet up and know how to go on.

 

############Back to the Present############################

“Unbelievable!” Chika exclaimed

“Really?!” Wendy half asked half exclaimed

“Have you bought the rings? Cartier rings are one of the best” Mina said

“Rings?! For what?! The thing now is that we are still thinking of how we will explain to our families that this has happened

“I mean, there is nothing to explain. This is a sham marriage! Is this even legal?” Wendy asked

“You both are adults. What has happened has happened. Tell your families and let them accept it now. The earlier, the better. What can they do anyway? You can just even act like nothing happened then start the process of introduction to traditional marriage and then let them know what happened when they ask for a white wedding.” Chika said gently “You can count on my support through it all. This is interesting, who has this type of marriage story?” She said almost laughing

“I came back from a workshop married and I got married on a plane in the strangest way!” I said to my friends

“You should write this down. This must go down in history. Great love story, I guess!” Wendy said

We all laughed and began to reach for our bags to pay and leave. My phone rang, it was Olamide, I picked the phone and showed my friends the name on the screen and we started laughing again.

 

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Married on a plane by Ada Chisaram Nwosu

 

MARRIED ON A PLANE BY ADA CHISARAM NWOSU

Part 1

“What just happened?” Mina screamed out loud

“How could you? You are the responsible one!” Wendy cried even louder

“I know, I know” I replied miserably. “But can you all stop shouting?” I said looking behind to ensure that no one was listening. “I had to do it!” I said quietly

“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Mina said looking from face to face “She does not even know what she has just done to herself” She said pointing her five fingers at me

I got distracted looking at her finger nails. Then when I caught myself again, Mina suddenly withdrew her hand and looked at me angrily.

“I assure you that I know the gravity of my actions but where did you fix those nails? Very beautiful!” I said smiling and trying to reach for her hands which she immediately thrust towards me.

“Day bloom Spa. The girl that does nails is my cousin’s best friend’s younger sister!” Mina said also looking at her nails admiringly.

“Mina! Ada! Are you all serious right now?” Chika said looking from Mina’s nails to our faces.

“I am not surprised! Your friend just did the unheard of and your concern is where to fix your nails.” Wendy said from the corner though glancing at the nails

“Hmm!” I said and we immediately adjusted on our seats and I assumed a solemn look

“Girl! Let’s order something while lamenting. You know the waiters are staring at us wondering when we will place our orders. By the way, we need to be alive to drum into Ada’s ears what she has done.” Mina said and we all ‘hummed’ and ‘ahhhed’ in agreement.

We placed our orders quickly and began to admire each other’s clothing, bags, shoes and hairstyles until the food arrived.

“So, tell us how you all went from foe to couples in a day because you know how much you hated this guy. I can’t believe you are married to him. This makes for a great Wattpad story.” Chika said and we all laughed

“you all know how much I hated this guy!”

 

############################  Flashback   ##############################

I had just resumed to work in my new company that morning. It was my first job so I was both excited and scared. I wondered how I will make friends, who will warm up to me first. I even cooked up a scenario of an intense office drama and planned on how I will handle it, even coming up with apologetic, threatening and calming sentences. I must have looked so innocent and naïve with my black laptop bag and pink shoulder bag. As I walked into the reception and waited to be shown to my office, a young man came in. He was well dressed but it was not about his looks. He commanded attention once he entered the room. I noticed that everyone started running around in a frenzy on his entrance.

“Good morning” I greeted as he passed me

He glanced in my direction and kept walking to the receptionist. I was shocked and could feel his arrogance and hostility. I immediately rolled my eyes and decided that I hate him.

“His shoes are so ugly, they even look borrowed!” I muttered to myself while rolling my eyes

He talked briefly to the receptionist who smiled and nodded and laughed at his every word. I could not help but watch them angrily from the corner I stood still frowning to myself.

“What a way to spoil my first day! Oh Lord, is this you saying something to me about this job? Maybe I should not have taken this job. The company looks boring and the staff are so unprofessional. Just look at the way she is smiling like a monkey, maybe she is waiting for bananas to drop from his pocket into her mouth.” I said under my breathe angrily

Suddenly, I saw him walking in my direction. His face had a certain arrogance to it. He looked like one of those people who worked out at the gym all the time. They wore a certain look on their face that said “I am proud for nothing.” I immediately straightened up and adjusted my bag. I suddenly noticed the air conditioner must have been really low and my lips were dry and stiff.

“Good morning Sir” I added honorifics this time as I felt he must be a really important person in the company. Even the cleaner had added a little flourish to the way she cleaned.

He looked at me and stared at the art on the wall behind me

“This should be changed!” he said out loud. Then suddenly looking at me as if he had just seen me, he put his hands into his pockets and swayed from left to right for a little while then shrugged.

“What are you doing here?” he asked quietly but coldly

“My name is Ada Madu…” I started to introduce myself

“And so? You should get to your office now.” He said cutting me off and turning away

“This cannot be happening!” I thought to myself “So rude! I hope he falls so hard he doesn’t ever recover. Mean thing!” I said under my breathe as I looked around and noticed that the receptionist and the cleaner must have overheard as they looked like they were stifling laughter.

To be Continued

Would you ever be friends with a person that you have this type of encounter with? Have you had this type of experience? if yes, what did you do? if no, what would you do? 

PARIS: THE CITY WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE

 

The Eiffel Tower

The Louvre Museum

PARIS: THE CITY WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE

What are dreams made of?

Well, You will find out when you get to Paris.

I am here to inform you that if you have never dreamt of going to Paris, YOU ARE ALONE! The rest of the world aspires to at least one day see the lights glow on the Eiffel tower and walk through the city where dreams are made. Through the centuries, Paris has been known to be the city of enlightenment, fun, fashion, worldly pleasures, the home of luxury. People went to Paris to find love, establish their business, become wealthy, meet with the wealthy, have fun and experience the insatiable pursuit of worldly desires. French fashion remains till date a statement of proper, classy, expensive and refined clothing taste.

There have been many movies and books that have mentioned the need to go to Paris which changes the narrative or is a major step in the plot development and character development. Going to Paris was the dream for many and became the fulfillment of the dream for more. Paris is presented as colourful, extravagant, pleasure-filled, a bubbling mixture of lust and love, a place for lovers to meet or reconnect, a place for soul searching and again, a place where dreams are made.

La Ville Lumiere

Paris is popularly known as the capital of France. Paris today is located in Europe and is said to be the most populated city in France. Since the dawn of the 17^th century, Paris has been referred to as a major center for arts, finance, luxury, fashion, architecture, commerce and even science. However, Paris built itself over the years to become this city of grand splendor where the rest of the world longs to visit at least once in their lifetime. The word Paris as a city was first recorded by Julius Ceasar in the first century BC as “Luteciam Parisiorum” which is “Lutetia of the Parisii”.  The original inhabitants of where is today known as Paris were a Gallic tribe living by the Seine River during the iron ages and Roman empire days. It is important to note that the city’s name is not derived from Paris in the Greek mythology. Paris is also referred to as La Ville Lumiere meaning ‘the city of light.’ This is for two reasons, the first is that it was one of the first large European cities to begin to use gas lamps on the streets creating what is today know as street lights. The second reason which will explain the reason Paris is considered a grand city today is because of its leading role in bringing in the Age of Enlightenment. The Age of enlightenment was a period where the church was separated from the state and people began to pursue happiness and knowledge through reason.

Paris as a City Where Dreams are Made

-          Fashion: The term ‘French fashion’ has come to represent upper class fashion, beauty, and elegance. With leading fashion brands born in France, it does not come as a surprise that the city will be fashion forward. Paris is the birth place of haute couture. Some of these grand haute couture maisons are Givenchy, Dior, Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chloe, etc. The origin of the Haute Couture is traced to Charles Frederick Worth in 1858 who established the first true Couture maison at number 7, rue de la Paix in Paris.

-          Luxury: From time immemorial, Paris has been associated with luxury. This place is home to luxury brands like Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Celine, Lanvin, Yves Saint-Laurent etc. It is not strange to walk down a street in Paris and see a woman carrying an item from any of these luxury brands.

-          Wealth: Paris is known to be a strong economic center. In the past, many traveled from other locations to Paris in search of greener pastures. Today Paris is still a strong economic front and with all the tourism, luxury and fashion and pleasure it provides, it is understandable why this place should be a place of wealth creation.

-          Fame: With wealth comes fame. A lot of people achieved fame in Paris due to their works which might have never been recognized if created outside Paris.

-          Cabaret:  Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment which features performances such as songs, dance, poems, recitations, music and drama. It is performed in venues which have stages for performances. Cabarets brought together the wealthy and famous of Paris and cities around Paris. Cabarets were meeting places for writers, actors, artists and people who enjoyed arts as it combined entertainment with satire and political commentary.   Josephine baker became famous for her cabaret performances.

-          Moulin rouge: Moulin Rouge is a popular place in Paris. It was founded in 1889 by Catalan Joseph Oller. The Moulin Rouge is the home of the Can-can dance. The Can-can dance though first a seductive dance used by courtesans to entertain has today evolved into an expression of art. The Moulin Rouge is a tourist attraction and even has a popular hit song and movie to celebrate its existence.  

-          The Palace of Versailles: This beautiful tourist attraction located 12 miles west of Paris is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. Known as Chateau de Versailles in French, the palace was a former royal residence built by Louis xiii between 1623 and 1634 and expanded by Louis xiv from 1661 to 1715.  This Palace is better visited than explained and is where the famous ‘Hall of Mirrors’ is located.

-          Love: It is a popular concept in movies and books that to find love, to reconnect with love, one must go to Paris. Even music videos have popularized this concept. Paris is often associated with romance and love, beauty and pleasure, loss and reconnection.

-          The Louvre: The Musee de Louvre is located in Paris, France and is said to be the world’s most visited museum. This museum holds some of the most popular works of arts including the Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa. The museum holds about 615,747 objects and displays about 35, 000 works of art.

-          Arc de Triomphe: known as the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile is a very famous monument in Paris. It is a triumphal arch. It is located at the western end of the Champs-Elysees at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle. This monument honours the soldiers who died in the French revolution and Napoleonic wars. Beneath this monument is the grave of the unknown soldier from World War 1.

The legendary Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel tower is a testament of the magnificence of the French architecture. It was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel’s company which designed and constructed the wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It is the tallest structure in Paris reaching heights of 324 meters (1,063 ft). The structure has become a landmark of Paris. When it is featured, everyone around the world recognizes it symbolizes Paris. It has been featured in many movies, music videos, photographs and literary texts.

Paris as portrayed in Movies

There have been many movies produced which present Paris usually as a city where love is found and dreams are made. Paris as come to represent love and reconnection in most movies produced. It is also the city where dreams come true. Some of these movies are:

-          The Last Time I Saw Paris: Paris becomes a place where love is found and lost; a place of reconnection for a family.

-          Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Paris is a place where two best friends travel to and find love on this journey, lose this love on getting to Paris and reconnect with their lovers for a happily ever after in Paris.

-          Charades: This 1963 movie portrays Paris as a place of crime, conspiracy, justice and love.

-          Ballerina:  This 2016 3D computer animated musical comedy movie presents Paris as a city where dreams come true.

-          Midnight in Paris: A 2011 film set in Paris. Paris is where love is found and dreams are made realities.

-          Emily in Paris: This comedy drama presents Paris as a city of romance and actualization of dreams.

Paris in Literature

The setting of a literary work is very important in a literary work. It reveals the geographical location and explains the language, culture, architecture and even guides the storyline. Paris is a place of timeless and ageless tales. Works of art coming out refined as gold from the fire of time with each passing year.  Paris as a setting has been used to portray a bustling city, a city evolving, a place of history, a land of crime including murder mysteries, a place of victory and defeat, a place of politics and revolutions, a place of reconnection, a place of whirlwind romance and long-lasting love, a place of dreams, a place of wine and courtesans, a city of jewels and luxury, a place of dance and beauty. Some of the books set in Paris which will be great reads and readers can check out are:

-          A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

-          Paris Was the Place by Susan Conley

-          All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

-          The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo

-          Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

-          The Flaneur by Edmund White

-          Cheri by Colette

-          Nana by Emile Zola

-          Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant

-          A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway

-          The Sun Always Rises by Ernest Hemmingway

-          Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

-          The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

-          We’ll Always Have Paris by Ray Bradbury

-          Paris by Edward Rutherford

-          Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner

-          Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb.

Have you been to Paris? What do you know about Paris? Do you ever plan to go to Paris? Which French writer do you know? Which literary works have you read that are set in Paris?