Olú Abíkóyè

Day 12: Hail Mary; Holy Mary

Dec 24, 2023Olú AbíkóyèDear Diary

Then she took pity on me and said I should punish myself. I said I would say the Hail Mary. Little did I know, it would turn into a marathon of devotion. Normally, I expected her to ask me to say three to ten Hail Marys, but she brought out those beads and asked me to say five decades. I cried because then five decades felt like five million decades.

Day 11: Grumpy Old Lady

Dec 23, 2023Olú AbíkóyèDear Diary

I mean who would want to shout on a GenZ singing amid all these Grandmas? I was to be pampered so that I would keep showing up. But, Grumpy Old Lady liked her spot, but she didn’t want to talk to me, so she complained to the choirmaster, who asked her to tell me to move. I waited for her to do as instructed, but she didn’t. The choir master looked at me, I innocently looked away as if I was confused, but stood my sacred ground.

Day 10: What would you do?

Dec 22, 2023Olú Abíkóyè2 CommentsDear Diary

Well, this is one of the many reasons I always love the law. Freedom of religion is open to all. What is good for the goose – is good for the gander.

Day 9: Balcony People

Dec 21, 2023Olú Abíkóyè1 CommentDear Diary

The idea that some individuals stand on the ‘balcony’ of our lives, cheering us on, providing positive energy through their affirmations, while others dwell in our ‘basement,’ doing exactly the opposite. Raises the question; are we balcony or basement people?

Day 8: The Non-Whisperer

Dec 20, 2023Olú Abíkóyè5 CommentsDear Diary

I practically begged her to spill the beans. She resisted like a champ, and when she finally agreed to tell, she made weird sounds in my ear – ‘SwishSwooshWhiffWhooshWhizz’. Ahan! what is ‘SwishSwooshWhiffWhooshWhizz’? I was like, ‘Stop blowing breeze and talk!’

Day 7: Tower of Babel

Dec 19, 2023Olú Abíkóyè3 CommentsDear Diary

In my head, I started to make a checklist of my woes… the gen goes off at midnight, the bloody tap in the bathroom does not run, and my daddy is out here chanting Tower of Babel like a dark mantra, What other absurdity could unfold at this point?

Day 6: Mary’s break-up line to St. Joseph

Dec 18, 2023Olú Abíkóyè6 CommentsDear Diary

Mary, tell me you don’t want to marry me rather than say you are pregnant. What have I done to you that you reject me so? Mary, grappling with the changes in her body, seemed exhausted with Joseph’s inquiry. Her intention was merely to provide information, to prevent Joseph from branding her a fraud later on.

Day 5 – My ode to Fear!

Dec 17, 2023Olú Abíkóyè5 CommentsDear Diary

Embrace the fall, the fumble, the stumble,
For in failure’s dance, resilience will not crumble.
Whispers of defeat, echoes so discreet,
Rise once again, success to sweetly meet.

DAY 4 – Can you pray?

Dec 16, 2023Olú Abíkóyè11 CommentsDear Diary

Two days later, my friend, attempting to bring a truce, asked me if I could pray because I never joined any of their prayer meetings. However, I was quick to shut them up on the evil spirit plan. I first did the sign of the cross, thanking my stars that these people deleted me based on all my colours-in-between.

Day 3 – were you a truth-teller as a child?

Dec 15, 2023Olú Abíkóyè10 CommentsDear Diary

At times, I’d wait for my mother like a hawk. As soon as she arrived, I’d play back every single thing that went wrong from the moment she stepped out of the house until she returned. My mother’s sister knew I wasn’t just as intelligent as my brother; I was more—I was downright dangerous.