Chapter 1 Broken Engagement
Raven sits lazily on a chair staring deeply on the screen of her laptop. Her physical appearance is rough, hair unkept, traces of dried mascara revealing her eye bags. Her lips are covered with chocolate traces. She bends down in attempt to pick a half bottle of Vodka when her phone rings besides her laptop. She unintentionally kicks and breaks the bottle but nonchalantly stands up from the chair, walks a few steps and slumps down on a couch to receive her call. Groggily, while Wiping her running nose.
"Hello?"
"Oh God. How are you dear? I saw your Facebook and Whatsapp post, about Daniel. It breaks my heart that you have to go through such."
"Shit happens mom, real life is so much stranger than fiction."
".....But is the wedding really called off, or are you both working on it?"
She spoke to herself "After many broken relationships, I finally met Daniel and spent the past year preparing to dedicate my life to the man I thought was my true love. Only for him to tell me he found someone else! A week before the wedding. (Mimicking) "Someone more grounded" he claimed. (Back to her phone) the wedding is off mother. He said I spend too much time with fictional people when I should be in the real world with real people!
(Realize her mother's silence) I know she is working hard not to utter a i-told-you-so. Daniel isn't the first person to try to pry me out of the land of the non-existent and he isn't the first to leave my life for it.
(Stands up) probably not the last. I would like to think I have to lose myself in books, I have been a librarian for a year now and one of my tasks is to help identify great books. It is a perfect job isn't it? All I do when I am not behind the desk at work is read. (Walks
about) if I don’t keep reading how will I know of I have found the next great thing? There is some unification for a bookworm who reads an awesome book before its mainstream.....(she pause as a knock is heard. Opening the door, Mrs. Felicia enters, concern allover her face)
"Raven! Look at you!"
"Mom, you could have told me you were going to drop by. I don't look my best right now."
"Oh come on, sure I won't mind. I understand, I really do."
"Thank you mom" raven replied weakly
"Although he was good for you, but what is important is your happiness. Maybe this will encourage you to try to get out more?*
"I do not want to go out mother. I am happy being an introvert. I do not care how poor or anti- social I am! If that's good enough for him..." she fights back tears
"Alright, wipe your tears. Anything I can do for you?"
"No thanks mom."
"Let me know if you want to go out for a break or anything. I will take my leave now, please take care of yourself self. Do not think too much, organize yourself, you have your whole life ahead of you. see you later alright."
"Alright mom. I will call you tomorrow." She walks back to her chair staring at her laptop. talks to herself.
Osupa Dudu. An unfinished fantasy play I found on Goodreads, a site where authors write books in real time.
She stands up again, her voice becoming more energetic and to no one in particular.
"I discovered it this morning after finishing everything on my to-be-read-list, and then surfing the internet for more books by my favorite author, ELLS.
I stumbled upon this partially finished yoruba fictional story after rolling through her catalog over a period of three days!"
She walks back to where her laptop is. "It features the ultimate, non-redeemable character, Ogigi
agadi ologun. That is Shadow warrior of Osupa Dudu town. Whose soul is so black the sun can't warm it's depth. The violent, huge warrior rules a Kingdom where there is no daylight, only the fog and grayness of twilight. He spends his lifetime in battles and dismantle anyone in his path."
"There is no peace, no love, no hope in Osupa Dudu, only death and destruction and a warrior who doesn't know mercy or forgiveness. I love it!" She swigs around then sits on the couch again.
"The book speaks to me, which is
why I keep hitting refresh on my browser in the hopes that the author has updated more chapters. Thinking about the warrior makes me shiver, he is definitely not civilized, which fits my unhappy mood today." She glance at the television and sits up straight , exhausted. sound of a silent knock comes in as she stands up to opens the door, Ronke walks in.
"Oh my God raven look at you, you are a mess, you should be over him by now. He isn't worth. You will definitely find someone who will love you unconditionally.
"Thanks. Come sit."
"Tell me how was your day? You look drained out."
(Sighs) I spent the day alternatively crying and reading, I am exhausted.
"Crying I can understand, but reading what with ur current state?"
"What else? My four all-time favourite plays; The Blood of a stranger, The lion and the jewel, Native son, Kunrumi, and now Osupa Dudu. I read them over and over all day".
Ronke stares at her, concern and pity evident on her face.
"You were supposed to to be in the final stages of panning your wedding this week, not stuck in your house".
"What can I say my friend, all I can do now is spend what is left from the wedding fund on books so I can escape from my miserable life".
She tries to conduct herself but sighs deeply, followed by few hiccups. soon after, she bursts into tears. While her friend consoles her
"Easy now, easy. How long will you continue to indulge yourself with books? huh? you really need to work on your introverted life style. You need a change, a distraction asides books!"
" Like what?"
"Exercise, outing, shopping, maybe?"
"My relationship with Daniel has always been like a roller coaster; a brief periods of ecstasy followed by months of despair".
" Ummm…….Okay…?'
"He never complimented me, always made me felt bad about myself. So outing is no option, I am a mess right now. "
" ……Well that is irrelevant I think. But you can..."
