Episode 1: #Fiction20

 There was a dead man laying on the rug, and Armani stared at him, unshaken , with a smug smile, feeling content and working out ways to make this look like what it wasn’t: A suicide.

Abuja, 1993.

Hadjia Hassanat sat in the compound  of the beautiful building she loved to call ‘Castle’ and heaved a deep sigh. She was many months gone and knew the baby would pop anytime, she kept hoping that the moment came earlier than the doctor  envisaged , just so she would get it over with and push out the ‘thing’ inside her . She was tired of  carrying a bump so huge and she had grown really fat over the years. Her  husband always had a  busy day but he  made sure to check on her through the company messenger who came home twice a day to see how she was faring. He had spent his earlier years as a Bureau De Change apprentice, now he owns and operates five branches of his and this meant he had to be constantly available. It was from this business he was able to build the huge edifice that Hadjia loved so much and many more.
Many people in the neighborhood spoke in whispers about how haunted the house was. They went further by saying she probably lived in a different world in her head, where she was queen and everyone next to her were peasants who dropped at her feet at the mere sight of her and she roasted each one anytime she felt like it, as a daily meal. Talks went round about how she supposedly killed her first child  and fed her to the dogs and was on the verge of killing the second, Armani before she was rescued and taken far away to Ibadan, to live with Hajia’s aged mother.
There were different versions of the story, some said she had bouts of madness where she would suddenly talk to herself and make spontaneous decisions on who to kill, they said she had tried her hands on many killings but her first successful one was her first baby, whom she killed by twisting her neck 360 degrees and leaving it dangling.
None of these stories fazed Hadjia, only she knew how much she loved her dead baby. Oh her dear Jamila, the baby girl who everyone described as beautiful and who had full curly hair like her paternal grandmother’s.  She did not deliberately decide not to breastfeed her, it just was not something appealing to her. Why should she breastfeed a child who had caused her so much pain by draining her beauty and making her so fat? She regularly felt tired and everything was such a bore. Her hopelessness skyrocketed by the minute and she had lots of blame for herself.
It had to be that she had  ill luck and wasn’t destined to feel the joys of motherhood everyone talked about even despite having a child.  She knew she had strange thoughts from time to time but she would mutter ‘Audhubillah’ and that would be it. One Tuesday afternoon when Alhaji had travelled for Hajj, Jamilah turned white and Hadjia didn’t know what to do, the shock at seeing her pretty baby looking all white, made her fixated to the spot and she watched as life left her fragile little body. It took  a scream from the house help to jolt her back to reality.
She watched as the baby’s body was taken away and as her husband was called home. She also saw how everyone wailed and had lots to say about how wicked she was and how the baby would have survived if she had been a more attentive and virtuous mother.
‘Salam alaykum  Salam alaykum, Make everybody lock their gate o, fight don start” . A loud voice rang through the Neighborhood and she jumped to her feet and scampered for safety, the force she applied in reaching for the front door made her wheeze round and then she fell to the floor with a thud. The last thing she remembered was her husband’s voice calling her name from far away: “Hassanat, Dan Allah Kar ki mutu”.

December 2016, Ibadan.

Armani had lost her pregnancy four times in a row and she was beginning to question her choices and blame herself a lot. The doctor said she was consuming something which was affecting her body and wasn’t letting the babies stay. She had told her husband everything the doctor said and they had taken precautions every time regarding what she ate anytime a positive pregnancy result came in. They had prayed and fasted, they had even done marathon fasting where they did nothing but pray for 72 hours. Her husband, Jaleel, took time off work many times than one just to be with her and follow instructions that the Pastor had given them. They had met Pastor Samuel during one of their quests to seek a solution to their problem and threw their religious belief  (Islam), to the side. Their only intention was to conceive successfully and that they were ready to get through any means.
The fifth pregnancy came and to their surprise, it stayed over four months which was the regular month of losing it previously. It was on a day during this period she came across the message on the paper in her husband’s box. That was the day her life changed forever, that was the day she took a knife, waited for him at the door, and stabbed him repeatedly, until all life left him.


Dan Allah Kar ki mutu means ‘please don’t die’

All characters and events in this narration are totally imaginations of the writer and have nothing to do with any known person, event or history.

 CREDIT: Omotolaniee of  https://omotolaniee.com/2018/02/01/episode-1-fiction20/

Something every lady has experienced

Let's be honest cheap discounts doesn't always mean original or authentic

                       

Now every body loves a bargain but a lady who locates where she can get makeup products at cheap rates is the happiest in the room. 

So I went to the market and found a  cosmetic shop it's not like I was even looking for anything but there's something about cosmetics that just draws you in besides you can never get enough products. 

I saw a #houseoftara #faridamattelipstick and of course I immediately grabbed it the product and did I mention it was at a discounted rate!

                   

When I got home I just had to try it out the whole feeling of having just bought something. After using it it didn't feel like matte at all and my "discounted" product ended up in the bin.

I then headed to http://www.shophouseoftara.com where I first fell in love with #Farida and got myself an authentic product.

                 

Based on experience it's better to #buyAuthentic than buy "discounted" products that might not even end up being original

#BeautyEnthusiast #HOTwriters

Never Have I Ever

  
Photo credit: www.instagram.com/THESAMADEYEMI

Never have I ever.
Never have I ever lacked running water in my house in Lagos(raise your hands) (don't lie o).
Lol it takes me back to a funny...not so funny time in my life. I just got back from school and shortly after that I heard water stopped rushing into the tank(if you live in Lagos or any other part of Nigeria you should understand what that means when you don't have a borehole) I started monitoring all the water being used because I knew the implications of the" no water entering tank" situation. Trust the boys what is their business? They must use water....like boys....eventually to my greatest dismay the water ran out and we had no option but to go to the general street borehole(of course i went around five or six am) if you see me you will laugh.
Imagine this, carrying water on my head with my wrapper and brothers oversized slippers,at first water would pour on me because honestly i wasn't used to carrying water on my head. It took some to get my balance. Its really not something one can get used to. Its only to hope and pray that water doesn't finish if not get ready for different characters at the tap,those that will see your bucket but still put their own there or pack their family and entire yards bucket as if they are building a dam with the water or when you fetch it and you see someone mis using the water or you have to prevent yourself from washing(which is really hard for someone like me that literally washes everyday..not kidding)
Finally its not easy sha..the annoying part for me is when I cant go back to bed when I'm done but in all the drama I remember that a wise man once said "if you want to enjoy the realities of Gods blessings you must walk in love"
 
www.instagram.com/THESAMADEYEMI 

Mr Red Toyota/Honda

So here i was rushing under the hot sun to use the ATM along the junction close to my street. Thankfully there was traffic(hehe i hate crossing Lagos roads) which allowed me to cross without running. I got there and there was only one machine working and to my dismay about five people waiting in line apart from the guy using the machine which i didn't even notice. After some minutes he bounced off with a wad of cash in his hands not less than 100k(seriously) and strolled into his Red Toyota or Honda (i'm not sure which). As my eyes were on his tall and huge dark frame he reversed out of the parking lot and I caught his plate number or what was meant to be his plate number and smiled. It simply read "TONI" I was like wow he's a big boy ooo when people were saying things are hard here he was cashing up (not like i knew what the money was for). I then remembered what my pastor said about the economy: "Don't let anyone persuade you to believe there is scarcity of resources. Rather its the greed of man that manipulates the flow of resources" and I believe Mr Red Toyota/Honda had caught a revelation for financial increase in crisis times!
  "He could have just withdrawn 40k once instead of wasting our time", the man after him said to no one in particular when he was done withdrawing. I was just about replying "Maybe he wasn't using the banks ATM card" (with the highest non bank withdrawal being 20k) when Mr Red Toyota/Honda drove past and his car sticker caught my attention.......
We attended the same church!!!
Lol
Small world(not that i might never meet him again the chances were 1 in 100)

Photo Credit: www.instagram.com/THESAMADEYEMI

STARTING A BUSINESS THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH 1 MILLION NAIRA OR LESS.

In Nigeria now, less and less people seem to be interested in white collar jobs and even those with white collar jobs seem to have a backup business as everyone is practicing entrepreneurship! I remember doing GST 212 (Entrepreneurship studies) back in school and it really helped me to broaden my mindset, so when someone asked me what he could start with a million naira, I did some research and came up with the following; and I hope it helps you too.

1. Supermarket.

This is a thriving business in Nigeria as one cannot get enough of supermarkets in the country. People always need something, be it toothbrush or a cold drink, and a supermarket would be very handy. So, to achieve this goal, you should consider selling a wide range of things that will attract people to you. Renting a decent refrigerator, decoration, generator and inventory can be covered with a million naira or less depending on your capital.

2. Poultry farm.

Now let's be frank, who doesn't like chicken or eggs??  Everyone does and it’s also very lucrative. Starting up your farm and breeding poultry has a lot of profits in the long term. Basically, there are three types of poultry that makes wave in today’s market and they include:

a. The pullets popularly known as Layers: Layers are mainly reared for their impeccable egg production; and most lucrative but more stressful, compared to the other ones.

b. The Broiler Chicken: Broilers are reared mainly for meat production, The Broilers grow very fast and are ready for sale at 12 weeks from hatch, but they eat a lot and demand a lot of care and attention.

c. The Cockerel: This is also reared for meat production. . Cockerels grow slower and can take up to twenty four weeks before they are matured for marketing and sale. Cockerels are reliable in terms of survival and withstanding bad weathers. They are more resilient, and can absorb shocks far better than Layers and Broilers.

I have to admit that this business is down right stressful but what business isn't? You need to have appropriate information on the business before you start and also you should be very attentive to the poultry. Factors like a land 120 x 60 square metres would be good for starters, chicken cages should be gotten considering the poultry, day old chicks which cost about 250 or less and can be gotten cheaper when bought in bulk, that is 400 or more.

3. Sachet water business.

Come on! Its pure water as it’s popularly called! And it’s really the most consumed in Nigeria! To start this business, a factory should be opened near a conducive environment, register your business name, drill a borehole, Install overhead tanks (a reservoir to supply water to the distillation system), Install distillation system

Get NAFDAC registration, Automatic sealing machine (get the one that can seal about 40 sachets per minute, Nylon materials, Logo and product name printed on nylon material, manpower/labor: Operator (1) for a start, Driver (1) for a start, Motor Boys (2), Packer (2), Cleaner (1), Truck for distribution, Power Generating set- 25KVA

Running cost of between N 200,000 or thereabout minus rent for six months running. With time and dedication a lot of profit can be achieved

4. Importation of Android, Blackberry and IPhones.

Who doesn't like good phones? And considering that most people like to order, you could be the link. Start from little then build your way up, get customers, find a good importer probably from the UK. Used and new phones will work out well.

5. Catfish farming.

‘Point and kill’ or barbecue, anyone? Getting into this business, the basic knowledge should be studied. In whatever business you wish to do, adequate research should be carried out to avoid mistakes. Factors like land, constant water supply and pond construction should be considered. Know your market and what's in demand. In the country, the following catfish are found/can be reared and should be considered: Clarias nigro-digitatus, Heteroclarias, Clarias gariepinus, Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Heterobranchus sp (commonly found in the South Eastern part of Nigeria), Clarias spp (this specie dominates the south west) and so on. With concentration, adequate plan and a good research, this can be achieved.

6. Laundry and dry cleaning.

Due to hustle and bustle, less and less people have the time to do their laundry and this is where you come in. With a little amount, you can start up. Factors like: 12kg washing machine, 7.5kv generating plant or less, Dryer (for immediate delivery), Two pressing iron; steaming iron and ordinary iron; Two tables; one for washing and the other for ironing, Shelve(to place dry cleaned clothes), One standing industrial fan (wouldn’t you be hot after all the stress?), 1kg spraying can, Tagging gun, Buckets, brush, hangers, laundry nylon. Over time, profit will come in

7. Importation of designer clothes, shoes and bags.

Although I won’t advice you actually travel to Dubai, or any other country, personally to shop always, I suggest you can ask someone going there or purchase in wholesale online and have it shipped to you. Then you sell to high end boutiques. To do this you need to have an eye for fashion.

8. Tanker for water.

In some areas in Nigeria, water is scarce and a tanker of water costs about 5000. Consider your environment, as this works usually in the rural area and would require you getting a tanker and drivers and then sourcing for water.

9. Set up a recording studio.

There is no specific amount for this, as it depends on how big or small you wish to start. It is very lucrative, as music is a big thing now and artists will always seek for a studio. Factors like rent, music producers, sound engineers, need to be considered and would be a bonus if you are one! Interest in the music business is also necessary. To thrive well here, you need to have updated sound quality equipment to enhance the final outcome of the business.

10. Selling human hair.

Women will never get enough of this, besides it will always be in demand. Get good quality hair and even from your home you can sell this, advertise your goods, get contacts and you're set to go!

11. Selling goods online.

Find your market, what you would want, start small and sell online. Most people like online shopping. Make your site attractive as it will attract customers. Also register your business.

12. Stocks.

This should be carefully investigated before entering. A stock broker should be consulted and the profits here are not exactly immediately and it’s not an exact business. It involves taking risj=k, but like it’s said; it’s always risky to take a risk.

I hope I've been able to help, always remember that in whatever you want to do, research adequately.

New Age Producers

Nigeria is a country full of talents, and recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with an upcoming producer who has gone so far in the business but still has a whole lot more to go. I had an interesting chat with him and GEEKBEATZ, as he is called, is certainly someone the world should look out for this year.

What is your full name?

»Labar Solomon Nantip.

What is your stage name/producer name and how did you get it?

»Geekbeatz (back in secondary school my friends called me a geek because of my glasses, I guess it stuck, lol)

How did you come up with the idea of creating your own record label/becoming a producer?

»I used to drum on lockers at secondary school, I use drum To my favourite songs and also ideas I had in mind when one of my friends introduced me to "FL" a music production software, since then I started making my own beats as well as developed myself in that field.

How long have you been in the music business?

»I've been in the music game for 5years now.

 Apart from music what else do you do?

»Well I just finished school, I might start something but music is all I do right now.

I know you’re from Jos where so many musical acts like 2 face idibia, MI, Ice Prince, Jessie Jagz emerged from who are your mentors?

»My mentors from around here would include Jesse Jags, Chopstix, Internationally My mentors are Timberland and Pharrell Williams,

What artists have you worked with so far?

»I've worked with countless artistes from around Jos, I worked with Skales some time back on "Shining", also Blackah of Naija Ninjas

What artists would you love to work with?

»I'd love to work with Sound Sultan, Patoranking, Wizkid and a whole lot of other artistes.

What are the challenges you have faced so far as a young producer in Nigeria?

»As a young producer, the major challenge I, as well as other producers, have is a platform to be heard and seen.

What advice would you give to young people out there who have aspirations to be in the music business?

»I'd advice upcoming producers to up their game, try to be consistent, and most importantly to never give up on their dreams.

 Nice advice, I really look forward to more from him. He can be contacted below:

Twitter ID: Labar_Geekbeatz

Email Add: labarnantip@yahoo.com

  Some beats he has made includes:

·       FIRE-GEEKBEATZ feat PSM http://stagefixng.com/geeksessionsgeekbeatz-fire-feat-psm/

·       MAI ANGWA--GEEKBEATZ feat FROWLIQ http://www.nyatnation.com/tag/mai-angwa/

·       ADERONKE-GEEKBEATZ feat UNCLESWITCHE http://buzzentnet.com/geekbeatz-ft-uncleswitche-aderonke/

·       ME YARD-GEEKBEATZ feat Mr Komashal(psycmo) http://tooxclusive.com/downloadmp3/mista-komashal-yard/

To Hit or Not to Hit

So I was talking with my girls the other day, well more like arguing/having an interactive session about guys that beat their wives or girlfriends. First of all, a guy can't just wake up and start beating his woman unless he's been possessed by some certain demons, or has a p past history of his father beating his mother or has one issue or the other, which is why we should know who we end up marrying! Ask questions about his past, his family and so on, by asking you are never at a loss, as it will give you an insight on how your future together will look like. Because if he saw his father constantly beat his mother, he may think it’s right and will take that hand with you. Or if he was abused or molested as a child, this could also be another cause. Beatings can be lashed out because of anger or frustration on the man’s part, but, no matter what, I don't see any reason why a sane man should lay fingers on a woman. Honestly, women will talk; they've been talking right from time. Men out there should just learn how to accommodate and compromise that is why they are the head of the family.

And women even the bible in Colossians 3:18 says:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord". The day you accepted to marry that man in the presence of your family and friends you agreed to give your all to him, and that also includes submission. He cannot be talking one and you're talking two. Something like three is bound to happen! When you're dating and your boyfriend hits you, you can easily leave him and go away but when you're married, you can't just up and leave, you might have kids to consider and you can't keep running away because it’s for better or for worse. But when it comes to a stage that he beats you daily without you provoking him, and he's taking out his frustrations and anger on you, then it’s time to make a move.

We talked about women that get beaten when they are still dating and believe that when they get married, he'll change. My dear let's be honest with ourselves, he's beating you when he hasn't met your parents or paid a single cent on your head, how will it be like when he does??? In a situation like that, prayer is the only key and leaving him would not be a bad idea. There are also women that provoke their guys because of the makeup gifts they get! Seriously why not just ask him instead of allowing him hit you then in the morning you get flashy things in return? Most women won't leave because of what society will say or because of love; because if a woman loves a man, she can stand anything.

Honestly, I still believe a man should have no reason to hit a woman, when we talk like we do and it gets too much, leave us alone. Go out, get some air and when you come back settle things. Don’t just start raising your manly hands to hit on a woman. It doesn’t say much about you being a man.