The Tellrhodes Blog

EPISODE TWELVE The emptiness echoed her husband's absence as she walked into their home. It was eight pm and her Jeff had left no hint as to where he had disappeared to. She had looked for him everywhere she could and when she eventually ended up at her mother in law's doorstep she had been unable to hide her despair. Her tears had been uncontrollable and when Chide cries Chide talks and talk she did. The look of horror and disappointment on her mother in law's face was still etched onto her heart. But Constance's reaction to her full story was quite unexpected. She had smiled with understanding and compassion after her Mama Jane had slowly walked out on her, leaving her in a pool of regret. "I may not have been to hell and made it out like you but I have had a feel of its flames, I was a secondary school senior and he a prefect, I liked him as teenage girls will like teenage boys and he took advantage of my dewy eyed gaze and my shy tender smile and lured me ...

LIBERTY Episode Ten The rain drops hit the windscreen and his wipers did a wild dance in their attempt to fight them off. Aimlessly he drove around the city, twice he almost got killed because he couldn't concentrate. Finally exhausted both emotionally and physically he parked beside the road at Jabi lake and trudged dejectedly towards the troubled lake as the rain  continued dropping softly like delicate marbles. He walked with his hands in his pyjamas' pocket and was oblivious of his lonely surrounding. Stopping before the body of magnificent water he let the first tear drop and tasted its saltiness that won't be diluted by the rain. "Chide!" He cried hardly hearing his voice above the sound of the wind that plastered his clothes to his frame. He was his lovestruck self ten years ago, all spruced up and ready for a Valentine date with Chide. She had conceded after a lot of persuasion from Becca, her bodacious weirdo of a sister but now he stood beside his...

EPISODE NINE Still enthralled by the painting that hung before him, he was oblivious to everything else – the noise from the other participants faded into the background as he held the gaze of the faceless abstract figure that was all eyes and tears. It was a dark brooding piece that spoke more volumes than he could fathom. He just had to meet the painter. As if in answer to his wish, a girl appeared at his side all smiles and ready to help. She must be one of the volunteers around considering her black dress which was similar to the one worn by the others. But he wanted to see the artiste if that wasn’t too much to ask. She bowed off politely and just when he was giving up on having his request met. “I stripped my soul too bare in this piece, I wonder why you still want a commentary,” the soft voice came and he looked down to find her standing beside him. Small, fragile, whispery, too beautiful to be solid yet he fell and continued falling. “Uhm I am sorry, I am not really into ...

EPISODE SEVEN Spurred on by rage she did the unthinkable, she spoke back, “If you so much as touch a hair on her I will finish what I started,” The low chuckle was not only disarming but aggravating, “we will see about that, you think you are way too wise for me to trace your every step right? I can watch her from afar, waiting and watching for the right time to pounce!” the last part was delivered with loud laughter. Was it her or was Hagar louder and annoying than ever before? Chide gasped, “I am warning you Hag, I will not hesitate to end it all once and for all,” Where the guts had come from she couldn’t tell, but there is so much a person can take before snapping. “I will hold you to that,” Her husband’s firm hand on her shoulder made her heart beat faster. How much had he heard? “Why are you on the floor?” He asked and to her relieve he sounded genuinely concerned and clueless. She ended the call, hoping it won’t be the last for Liberty’s sake and turned to face him. ...

EPISODE SIX The battle came knocking on that hot afternoon in the wake of her Mama’s visit. Mama had arrived from Lokoja where she had retired to after years of active service in the public service. She was bearing more than just a sunny countenance, she carried gifts for everyone and for a moment Chide could forget her worries and get lost in the warmth of her Mama’s love. The house was bubbling with laughter when she heard the doorbell ring. She reluctantly extricated herself from the company of Becca and her Mama and went to answer the door, hoping it wasn’t one of the numerous visitors that frequented the house. But she met no one, the house wasn’t fenced in because the estate was safe enough and a fence would ruin the master plan. She had dreaded this when they first moved in but years down the line she had seen no reason for a fence herself. Now she stood staring at nothing but knowing there was something to be afraid of. Her phone rang at that moment; it was the private numb...

EPISODE 5 He reached for her but felt coldness where she usually lay curled up in her favourite position, opening his eyes he found that his wife had left the bed. The bedside clock read 5:00am, time to prepare for church service. He didn’t need any alarm clock; years of practice meant he usually beat the alarm clock. Getting out of the bed he shuffled his way towards the studio, where he knew she would be. Last night had frightened him, her declaration of having nightmares that were alive sounded if not anything crazy. But before he could probe her further she had dozed off in his arms like a sweet innocent baby and the matter could not be discussed that night. Standing in the doorway of the studio, he took in the sight before him with pride burning in his heart, paintings that were beyond words amazing were either leaning against the wall or hung for display, but the masterpiece that was his wife was more captivating than any painting the mind could conjure. She was sitting on a...

EPISODE FOUR Everything spun into focus, she gripped the table for support and nodded her head to put her mother in law at ease, “I am fine, just stress,” she croaked. Mama Jane made her sit down, “I have to warn your husband, I noticed your cluttered schedule, look at how pale you look, let me get Jeff,” Chide panicked and grabbed her arm, she didn’t want to create unnecessary furor that would lead to questions, questions she couldn’t answer. “Do you have to bother him with something as inconsequential as this? I am fine; he is the one you should worry about,” Mama Jane sighed, “he reminds me so much of Sam, consumed by their passion, I lost the battle trying to compete with God’s work and I see it repeating itself in your husband’s life, just pray my dear child and ensure he doesn’t drag you down with work,” Chide was relieved that she had successfully redirected her mother in law’s focus and as she clasped the paper in her sweaty palm she shivered one more time at the thoug...

EPISODE THREE You   are all fair my love and there is no spot in you . He had quoted the Songs of Solomon and like the wise king’s lover she felt valued, priceless and pure even. She had felt every tiny piece of her shattered heart beating out of control at that moment as he told her for the hundredth time how much he loved her. Her continuous denial of how much she at least liked him had been forgotten that day ten years ago and he had with almost feverish care made her believe every word of the seventh verse of the fourth chapter of the Songs of Solomon. That a year afterwards she would have no other man hold her hand through life except him. But what had changed since then or what hadn’t? She thought with a heavy sigh. Her phone beeped alerting her of a missed call, but it had barely made a sound. She checked the caller ID but it was a private number so instead of dwelling on it she decided to fish her husband out after sending Uju on her way in the most polite way possib...

Episode 2 Bang! And her eyes flew open; she was completely disoriented for a whole minute until she was attracted by the fluttering curtains and the raging sound of the wind. It was about to rain again and she had left the French doors open as she always did when she was in the studio painting. She ran to lock the doors before turning to the framed life-sized painting of Jeff. Thankfully it was still intact. She decided to call it a day and turned off the lights before descending the stairs, Uju had left the television on again and who else would turn it off but her. The silence that followed intensified the hollowness in her heart, her eyes scanned the spacious living room that was tastefully furnished and she sighed, a lonely feeling that was all too familiar crept upon her. Jeff was away again, recently even his presence did little to fill the gaping hole in her heart, not that he didn’t try- the hole was just too big for a human to fill. If only I had children. She thought w...

LIBERTY ; A series from the stables of prolific writer Grace David EPISODE ONE The choking smell of urine mixed with tobacco filled her mind and slowed her thinking process. Where was she and how had she gotten here? Then she remembered and wished she hadn’t woken up. Now the men were staring at her with nothing more than disdain and scorn. A dry chuckle made her snap her head up and the chills running down her spine were undeniable. Hagar moved towards her with slow deliberate steps, her lean frame shrouded in a tie and dye caftan, its pattern a little distracting. She abandoned the stub of the cigarette between her fingers and lit another one; it was only after she had taken one long pull that she spoke. “My dear girl when will you ever learn, you think that I would be running a business like this without eyes and ears everywhere?” another long aggravating pull of the cigarette and she turned to face Aladdin, her one eared stalwart who had just walked in looking as he alway...