Votes + Award + Book Buzz

So the votes are in and more people want to know what happens with the missing in-law. Is it really him? Does Iphey confront him? Our next contributor is Aeedeeaee and the post will be up by Sunday. Remember the giveaway is on till Jan 31 and the first person to comment on the next chapter wins a free copy of my eBook "Love Happens" or you can download it on lulu. Find out more information on my website



So I got this award from Honey91 of Dear Diary and La-Pimpette of Straight from the Heart. I want to say a big thanks to both of them. I'm glad people think of this blog as a place they can come and read stories, not just Myne but fellow bloggers. I appreciate you all both contributor, commenters and readers. Please keep coming and telling us what you think. I read and comment on loads of blogs and think you all deserve the award. But since I'm limited, I will pass on the award to the following people. They're great bloggers who get me thinking, smiling, laughing or crying with their blogs. I think they're very human and their lives are quite realistic.

Shorty of My Diary
Andrea of My Life
YankeeNaija babe of YNC Lounge
Blowing Blessings of Blessings Outlet
HisTreasure of A Fabulous Mother's World
Neefemi of Diary of an unpaid Intern

And this is what people have been saying about the book. Hope you've bought your copy?

Linda Ikeji: A HEART TO MEND will bring tears to the eyes and cheers at the end especially for those who have experienced the search for a career or tumultuous family and emotional relationships. Readers will be pleasantly surprised by the description of Lagos, the Nigerian stock market, and other business intrigues.

Review on Sylva Nze Ifedigbo's weblog: Myne Whitman’s book, A Heart to Mend, makes a bold statement to the contrary. It shows that we do not only fall in love and marry for love, we also use love to conquer a wide range of situations that could have ordinarily been a bit difficult to shoulder alone.

African Loft interview: I was excited when I heard of Myne Whitman’s novel, “A heart to mend”. Written by a Nigerian — under the pan name “Myne Whitman”, with Nigerian characters and setting, “A heart to mend” is a fun and fast read. Myne Whitman was happy to talk to us about her book during the Christmas season. Enjoy the interview!

Youtube: Book Trailer

Jaguda Interview: I know growing up you must've been exposed to a good number of books and authors. From a literature standpoint, who would you say has been your biggest influence?

I wouldn't say I have a single influence, as I have read so widely, but some authors that come to mind are Barbara Cartland, Francine Rivers, Sidney Sheldon, Flora Nwapa, Buchi Emecheta, Cyprian Ekwensi, and more recently Chimamanda Adichie and Jude Dibia. Of all them I identify most strongly with Buchi Emechetas books.

Singing the Monday blues ....by Miss Fab

Welcome back feedbackers. Happy New Year to all and I hope 2010 is already treating you good. As usual vote for the next chapter when you're done enjoying this...

***********************

Iphey was having the worst possible Monday in the history of Mondays.

To begin with, she didn’t hear her alarm ring at 6am and flew out of bed at 6:43 instead. Rushing to get ready and stepping out of the house within an impressive 35 minutes, she was beginning to have faith that the day could still be salvaged when her car refused to start. Her mallam-cum-makeshift-mechanic insisted he could fix the problem in "pife" minutes. "Madam, only pife minutes I need,” he declared but Iphey had neither the patience nor the mood to wait and angrily stomped out into the sunless morning to hail a taxi.

Rapture or something like it must have occurred that morning – that was the only explanation she could think of for the practically standstill traffic, and she spent many angry minutes uncharacteristically cursing the taxi driver, the other drivers, the okada riders, the Lagos state government, the Nigerian government, and every other entity she could think of.

Walking into her 9am meeting at 9:26, she fumbled into the nearest empty seat, muttering a breathless “Sorry I’m late. Got caught in traffic.”

“And they say you're professional,” Funmi muttered. “Do you have the report?” She snapped more loudly.

“I’m really sorry,” Iphey said, shuffling through the papers she held in her hand. She picked out a couple and asked Bisi to pass them down. “Here they are.”

Funmi shot her a withering look before resuming her presentation.

Iphey could not have been more embarrassed. It’s this stupid Chinedu, she thought to herself. She had gone home fuming from the party, thinking she’d made a huge mistake. She didn’t even know what made her kiss him; it wasn’t like her to do so. She was never quite the forward type, but somehow Chinedu had waltzed in on his high horse and messed up her rhythm. She hadn’t been able to get much sleep the past few nights, tossing and turning and staring at the pitch-black darkness way into the early morning.

Feeling cranky from lack of sleep, she willed herself to disappear in her seat. It didn’t seem like she was doing a very good job because she caught Ayo winking at her. Suddenly she was very annoyed. What was wrong with this man? He'd shown up to a party on her mum's invitation as her boss but then proceeded to get chummy at every chance as if he’d just proposed. Had he no shame or sense of decency? Did he not care about his wife? What’s wrong with men these days even? It’s like they don’t know what they want.

She didn’t realize she’d hissed out loud until all eyes in the boardroom turned to her.

“Excuse me, did you have a problem with something I said?” Funmi asked, sounding irritated.

“I’m-I’m sorry,” Iphey stammered and for lack of a meaningful explanation to give, reorganized her papers and tried to look busy.

That was her Monday so far, and it wasn’t even 10 o’ clock yet.

Determined to make up for her double strike at the meeting, she decided to skip lunch and use the time to put in some extra work. Iphey felt upset with herself for being so careless, and she reminded herself that now was not the time to slack off. The recent spate of terminations all over the banking sector was nothing to joke with, especially now that she was due for confirmation.

Around 12:30, Bisi and one of the girls from Accounts Reconciliation stopped by to ask if she would join them for lunch.

“Oh, thanks for the invite,” Iphey smiled, “but I really have to finish all this work.”

The other girl excused herself for a phone call, and Bisi waited until she was out of sight before saying, “So when are you going to gist me about you and you-know-who at your party on Friday?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Iphey laughed nervously, she didn't want to talk about Chinedu.

“Ahahn don’t form for me jo,” Bisi teased. “I heard he was all over you and even gave gifts to your mom.”

Iphey stared back at her blankly for a few seconds before realizing she was talking about Ayo.

“Oh you mean that one?” she said and then hissed. “I don’t understand why he won’t leave me alone.”

“It’s so obvious he likes you,” Bisi said, pausing to add, “He’s really rich you know. And I hear he and his wife haven’t lived together in over a year.”

Iphey was about to ask why Bisi was sharing this information with her when the other girl returned.

“You guys should enjoy your lunch,” Iphey said. “I’ve to return to this portfolio anyway.”

“We’ll talk later sha,” Bisi replied and left.

Iphey turned back to her monitor and thought about the conversation. A nagging feeling at the back of her mind told her trouble was breeding somewhere, but she convinced herself she was being ridiculous and tried to focus on her work.

At 8 pm, she decided to head home. Most of her co-workers had gone by then, so she packed her papers and hurriedly left the building. Stepping outside the gates of the bank, she suddenly realized she hadn’t eaten all day and she stood for a few minutes, the cacophony of the evening hustle and bustle interspersing her angrily growling tummy, until she spotted an empty taxi heading in her direction. She stretched out her hand to flag it down and, without a word, got into the backseat.

The driver turned around to ask where she was going, and Iphey gasped as she recognized the disheveled, unkempt stranger as James, her sister’s missing husband.


***********************

I think we're off to a running start with chapter from Miss Fab. who also writes on her Blog FABULOSITY UNWRITTEN. Go visit and add her to your blogrolls people. She needs feedback for her upcoming novel as she says in her last post excerpt below.

"Writing

I did a lot more creative writing this year than I've ever done
before, and I have you bloggers and readers to thank for that. All of
your feedback and support have been really encouraging, and I'm glad
that I finally rekindled my love for writing. Every year I promise
myself that I'll complete a novel before the end of the year, and
sadly this year, like all the others, I failed to accomplish that.
Hopefully with some support from you guys and a lot more
self-discipline from my end, I won't be saying the same thing this
time next year."

NEW YEAR + NEW WEBSITE

I want to use this opportunity to thank you all, my friends, fans, blog readers, feedbackers, contributors and those who've bought the book. You guys are really amazing. I love you all as if I know you personally. You all have been very supportive in the few months this blog has been up, and I cannot wait for more to come in 2010! Happy new year to you all!!!

I have launched a website to promote Myne Whitman and you can now buy an autographed copy of the book at http://www.mynewhitman.com. To celebrate, the contest to win a free copy of A Heart to Mend has been extended and modified. You'll find details on the new website.

Thanks for coming with me on the journey and I promise you that there will be more stories to come. This blog will continue the Blogsville interactive story on Sunday so don't forget to come back and catch up on other budding writers.

Once again, HAVE A GREAT 2010!!!!!!!!!

ps, enjoy this clip, Ms O reminded me of it. I never would have made it without you guys. Of course God is ABOVE ALL and believe me I am thankful!

WINNER ANNOUNCED!!! + Update

The winner for the contributors contest is Cerebrally Busy with a count of 77! Send your address to mulan.mine@gmail and you'll receive your autographed book ASAP!

The league table is as follows. Please blame my science side for this cut and dry method, LOL. I wanted it to be fair, transparent and to reward consistency. The numbers are the poll votes + chapter comments by readers + contributors feedback to the blog.

Fabulola = 2 + 45 + 5 = 52
Isha = 2 + 44 + 2 = 48
NaijaBloke = 2 + 43 + 1 = 46
CerebrallyBusy = 7 + 57 + 13 = 77
Bubbles = 6 + 47 + 5 = 58
David = 12 + 43 + 8 = 63
Leggy = 4 + 38 + 18 = 60

UPDATE

For readers, I have decided to extend the giveaway period to make it more open because it seems a lot of people are still away from blogsville on Christmas and the rest of the holidays. I received a couple of entries and one have complained that they're not on facebook or Twitter so the steps to enter doesn't favor them. Therefore I have modified the guidelines to make it easier for more people to take part and the dates have also been extended from end of December to 31st January.

Modified Guidelines for Readers/Feedbackers.

Answer the following contest questions.
- What is on the cover of the novel A Heart to Mend?
- Who is your favorite character from the Gladys and Edward's story?
- Why do you like this character?
- If there's to be a sequel of A Heart to Mend, suggest a major character.
- Name your 5 favorite characters from the ongoing interactive story?

Send entries to mulan.mine@gmail Subject Line: A Heart to Mend contest
Entries should be received before 12:00AM (US Pacific) – Sunday 31st of January 2010.
Entries are open to all MWW readers, the books will be delivered to genuine postal addresses anywhere including Nigeria and Europe.
To promote transparency and fairness, a random.org widget will be used to select winners. Their names will also be published here on the blog.

Good Luck to everyone and I look forward to reading more submissions. I will also try to ensure that you receive your prize as quickly as possible when selected.

When do you take down the Christmas tree?

So we put up the Christmas tree in the run-up to Christmas. The story of how we shopped for the tree and the ornaments will fill this blog post so I'll leave that for now. The question is when to take it down. After all the stress of buying it and then putting it up with the plenty decorations, we should leave it up till next Christmas. OK I kid, I kid...maybe till the end of January. And it's so beautiful when lighted up, what do you think?

Merry Christmas, one and all...

I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, have a great day and remember the reason for the season. Have you read the last chapter by Leggy below this? So go on and update first. OK, now most of you know my novel 'A Heart to Mend' has been published, YAY!!! Your hardcopy can now be purchased from the publisher's website HERE.

In the spirit of Christmas and the New Year therefore, I have decided to give away two autographed copies of the paperback. This is to reward the readers of the blog and those who have made it what it has been recently, an interactive story hub.

Also, the virtual tour is off to a great start and I'm very happy at the buzz the book has been getting from all around. I'm sure some of you have seen the rave reviews on several websites including Olamild Entertainment, Afrogist TV, GidiLounge, Jaguda.com, The Bookaholic, and the Nigerian Village Square.

Now to the giveaway which will be in two formats as follows;

1. For Contributors.

Guidelines to select the winner.

They should leave a comment after this post to show interest
Blog about their contribution to the story and link it here.
The following numbers will be added to get the highest total.
- the comments after their contributed chapter.
- the vote count by readers for their favorite contributor.
- the total feedback they have contributed on this blog.
The poll runs until 12.00AM (US Pacific) 29th December 2009
Contributors are free to canvass and direct friends to vote.
In the case of a tie, there will be a random draw.


2. For Readers/Feedbackers.

Steps to Enter

Leave a comment after this post.
Join Myne Whitman Writes on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/Myne.Whitman
Tweet about the book mentioning @Myne_Whitman
If you're not already doing so, follow this blog.
Answer the following contest questions.
- What is on the cover of the novel A Heart to Mend?
- Who is your favorite character from the Gladys and Edward's story?
- Why do you like this character?
- If there's to be a sequel of A Heart to Mend, suggest a major character.
- Name your 5 favorite characters from the ongoing interactive story?

Guidelines

Send entries to mulan.mine@gmail (optional: indicate your FB/Tweet ID)
Subject Line: A Heart to Mend contest
Entries should be received before 12:00AM (US Pacific) – 31st December 2009.
Entries are open to all MWW readers, the books will be delivered to genuine postal addresses anywhere.
Only shortlisted entries will be contacted.
Winners will be chosen at random from this pool of top correct entries.
To promote transparency and fairness, a random.org widget will be used to select winners. Their names will also be published on the blog.


Good Luck to everyone and I look forward to reading your submissions. I will also try to ensure that you receive your prize as quickly as possible.

Match-making Mother....by Leggy

This is our last chapter for the year. So rather than voting for the next, you'll be voting for your favorite chapter (giveaway update). As usual vote on the left bar.

******************************

Chinedu stalked out of the party looking really mad. he couldn't even bear to face Iphey's mum and sister, he was that angry but confused at the same time. There was just a way that man hugged her with so much familiarity that he didn’t like, granted he had no reason to be mad. He wasn’t anything to her, not her boyfriend, not her brother, not even her friend, no matter how much he wanted to be the first.

Chinedu got into his car and drove out of the parking lot into the dim lit streets, easily manipulating the steering of his brand new Porsche Carrera GT. What didn’t he have that Iphey could possibly want in a guy? He was handsome-going by what other girls said to him, he was rich, he had his own company, and he was living the good life. He had paid for his mistakes over and over again; he deserved to be happy now without the shadow of a terrible mistake of his youthful days crowding his life. An occupation that didn’t even last that long and one in which he was pushed into by necessity.

He had to admit that Iphey looked really good in those clothes, very casual, not even a bit of make up on that face and she still looked so good. After watching her sleep in her apartment on the day of her sister’s son’s crisis, his feeling that they had a connection had become stronger. She had tried to apologize before he left and he kept expecting her call or something. After over a week and he had not heard from her, he had accepted her mother’s invitation to come for the party. He had been hoping that Iphey secretly knew about the invitation and really wanted to him to come. If wishes were horses….

But why exactly am I mad? He thought to himself, she kissed me, she left him and she kissed me, he might be whatever to her but it was me she chose to kiss. So why exactly am I angry?

The truth was that he felt he was getting so fed up with her games, fed up with wondering- does she like me? Always asking himself, Is she just fronting? Is she like all those other girls?

He gently drove into his drive way and got out of the car, picked up his coat and phone from the backseat of the car and walked into his house. As he undressed slowly he thought back at the events of that night, the taste of her lips still lingered on his lips, he liked Iphey with all his heart but he felt like he was being manipulated, being tested, she kept opening up to him and withdrawing. Maybe she doesn’t even like men, he thought and as that crossed his mind he smiled, okay he was going crazy.

He stepped into his pajamas, picked up his phone and called her mum. After the fourth ring she picked up and yelled ‘hello’ into the phone, it was really loud in there.

"Good evening ma," he responded.

"Hey, my son, I heard you left, you didn’t even think to come say goodnight to us?"

"Ahn ahn mama, it’s not like that now. There was an emergency in the office I had to attend to, all these newbies in the office always messing up one file or the other." he answered. A little white lie couldn’t hurt, he thought.

"And they had to call the CEO to attend to such details on a Friday evening too? No problem my son, at least you thought to call. So is Iphey with you? I can’t find her anywhere around here and she isn’t picking up her phone." Iphey's mother sounded a little worried.

"No, ma," he replied. "When I was leaving she was still there. I’ll try and track her down for you and get back to you on her whereabouts, she’s probably somewhere around there and can’t hear her phone ring because of the loud music." Or maybe she has gone off with the other guy an inner voice taunted him.

"I hope so oh. I assumed that you both went off together, you know I saw you both." She laughed, 'well, call me when you speak to her oh. I'm just a little worried because the last time I saw her she looked upset."

"I think I upset her by coming without her knowledge, there was another guy..."

"Rubbish, of course that's not true. That guy works at her office that's all, he's still here."

"OK no problem, ma. I’ll call her right away. Bye bye ma," he replied, not in the least bit relieved and even a little worried.

"Bye bye my son" she answered back.

As iphey’s mother closed her phone, she smiled cunningly to Iphey’s sister, Ngozi who looked at her with a mixture of a frown and a smile.

Iphey is going to kill you if she finds out you are meddling in her personal business. Just because you were right about James and I getting together doesn’t mean you should consider yourself a matchmaker. Remember that we still don't know whether he only missing or he's deserted me," she said.

"I'm sure James will still come back, isn't Obi back home after what the doctors said? Trust me on this, I'm still the very good and wise mother who married you off single handedly. As for Iphey, she is being too much of a fool and I can’t just stand by and let her run this nice Chinedu off like all the others."

She smiled at Iphey who stood quietly with her colleagues looking sad and annoyed at the same time. Iphey's mum turned and winked at Ngozi; she could already hear the wedding bells ringing.

**********************************


Our contributor is LEGGY. This is an excerpt from the last entry on her blog on the topic of marriage and would be matchmakers, LOL...

i hate it when people ask me if i dont want to get married.
marriage is something that will happen if it will happen
its not an institution that is an attractive venture for me.
well, unless someone pays me to marry them...that'd be super cool.
im 18, marriage is a thought that barely crosses my mind.
ill cross that bridge when im done living my life and feel like i need an extra hobby.

Results are in + End of year Giveaways

I hope you guys are enjoying the holidays and looking forward to Christmas like me. This is to say a big thanks to all who read and voted. There was no close draw here, the vote was clear that we wanted to hear from Chinedu. So the story will continue from where it stopped in David's chapter from the point of view of Chinedu. Why did he walk away? Did he go home or have a discussion with Iphey's mum and sister? Did he find out who the man hugging Iphey is and why she kissed him? Remember the first person to comment on the next chapter wins a free copy of my eBook "Love Happens" or you can download it on lulu.

Our next contributor is LEGGY who I think is a great writer. She has had some poems and short stories up on her blog. Check back by Tuesday latest to read what she writes for the next chapter. After that, I'll write the last chapter of the year. We need more contributors so please let me know if you're interested and the time frames that work better for you. Just send me an email mulan.mine atgmail dotcom with your contact/tweeter. Previous contributors are very welcome to write again too.

END OF YEAR GIVEAWAYS

1. Contributors competition: Winner to be selected based on comments and vote count.
2. Random draw from all the names on my top 50 commenters list.

Winners to get an autographed copy of my new paperback novel, A Heart to Mend. Details to come...

Blog Promo Update for A Heart to Mend

So I told you guys about the Virtual Tour and the blog promo of my upcoming book, A Heart to Mend. Two bloggers were gracious enough to host me on their blogs in the past week. I want to say a big thank you to both Muyiwa and Pinkapplecore. Below are excerpts from the interviews, the full gist can be found on their pages linked with the blog names below.

An update on the book is that I'll certainly be holding a copy before Christmas and maybe you may too. You can pre-order from the publisher's website in the AuthorHouse Bookstore. In the meantime, I'm still open to interviews between now and January 31, let me know if you're interested...mulan.mine atgmail dotcom

1. From Muyiwa of PEOPLE IN THE LIMELIGHT

When you started blogging,what made you think you will create a niche for yourself in area of writing?

Most times, I am very private unless I feel I have established a rapport with the people I meet. So I knew I could never start off with a personal blog. I used to read two writing blogs which gave me an idea of what I wanted to do and they were by Favoured girl and Flourishing Florida. I'm happy I have been able to establish my blog as a story and writing site but it has just been luck. I salute all the naija blogsville members especially those who have stood the test of time and made it the community it is today.

How easy are you finding it now?

Blogging has been amazing especially in my chosen niche. I got overwhelming response to the Gladys and Edward story which is now a Heart to Mend on my blog and again when I decided to self-publish and open up the blog to other budding writers. In the four months since I started, I have won several awards and a couple of giveaways (an Ankara material from Olamild and an Ogoo Ogbata book from SolomonSydelle.

In a summary,is there any lesson to learn from the story?

In the book, Gladys is a young woman, newly arrived in Lagos and from a deprived background. She had been estranged from her aunt and is a bit cynical of rich people. While still working on her new relationship with her Aunt Isioma, she meets Edward, a wealthy egoist who is surprising kindhearted. She is smitten by his physical looks and his interest in her though she continues to feel he's out of her reach. Edward is highly attracted to her physically but as time goes on, he realizes he may have set up his heart for a fall. He is from a shadowed past and has been deeply scarred by events that happened when he was younger. They are able to surmount this and all other obstacles before them including differing views on premarital sex, social class and contrary advice from friends. Gladys and Edward decide to trust their hearts with each other and begin to prepare for their wedding. This main story line runs through the subplot of growing friendships, family reunions, the Nigerian stock market, business intrigues and a vendetta.

The novel details how we can be affected by events from our past and how it may limit our opportunities in the present especially in the area of love and relationships. Gladys obsesses over the divide between her and Edward, while he had barricaded his heart and was not letting anyone in, man or woman. The lesson is that none of us is perfect but we should be able to keep our heart open for that (sometimes one) person who has enough masking tape to cover our imperfections and make an ideal couple.


2. From Pinkapplecore of THE MAGICAL CHIP BAG

Is there a character you modeled after yourself or someone you know?

None of the characters in this book is based on myself or any one I know but on a cumulative of my world view and experience. Since I try to make my stories as real as possible, they also share our fears and hopes, our victories and our pain. Other than that, they're just people of my imaginings and therefore may seem free from some of the usual constraints real persons face.

If you could chose three words to describe the book what would they be?

Intriguing, fun, and lovely

Do you plan on writing more books or a sequel?

I definitely plan on writing more books. A sequel is not on the books right now but who knows what will happen? LOL. I am currently working on another romantic suspense manuscript and a couple of short stories, one of which I hope will be published before the end of the coming year.

The game takes a turn ....by David

Iphey got home early from work and dressed to go to her sister’s house. She had had a fair enough day but wasn’t to be pushed…she was almost at her limit.

Her mom had been in Lagos for the past couple of weeks. Though she was staying with Ngozi to help take care of Obi, her presence still weighed heavy on Iphey. The bright side was that her nephew had been released from the hospital two days ago. They had all been surprised, considering his still weakened condition but the doctors said he was stable and would bounce back faster at home.

“Mum, how can you have a party for Ngozi and Obi? Shouldn’t they be resting and besides, how come I'm just finding out about the party?” Iphey recalled her conversation with her mum just last night.

“My daugther, I’m sorry but seeing as you are a very busy lady, I didn’t want to stress you more than you are. I know the few times you could come to the hospital. This is also my send off, I'm returning to Port Harcourt on Sunday.”

That was the only excuse she got from her mom. An excuse that raised suspicions that didn’t sit well in her stomach. Though her attempts to find out who the other guests were from her mom seemed futile, she was so relieved her mum was finally leaving that she let it slide. Her mum had visited her office twice and she'd also caught her going through her phone. Iphey was beginning to feel like a third wheel with her colleagues and friends where her mum was concerned.

Oh well, she didn't want to overdress so she wore a pink, light sweater on a faded, deep blue jeans and a black, sleeveless leather jacket over that. She wore no make-up that evening. Looking into the mirror to make sure that her curves were not too pronounced, she stepped out of her apartment.

************

Chinedu parked his car on the street his heart beating a little bit faster. He had taken a chance to accept the invitation from Iphey's mother. He and her daughter had not spoken in nearly a week. Aisha had asked what he did since Iphey didn't want to talk about him though she had tried several times to find out what was happening. He was of half a mind to give up but something told him not to.

He had never had it this difficult with a girl. He had the looks, the money, and the charisma. She was different…he suspected that she was not swayed by frivolities but was more interested in his personality. If so, he’ll take things slow.

He walked into the house and saw other guests that had been invited, holding drinks and making conversation. He scanned for Habib but first found Aisha and her husband in a corner of the room with the lady who most definitely made his heart stop. ONLY ONE WOMAN MADE HIM FEEL THIS WAY! He took charge of him emotions, mustered a bland expression and walked up to them. Before he got there something unexpected happened.

A tall, well dressed man joined the group, greeted them and hugged Iphey with familiarity. Even Chinedu couldn’t deny that this new man was very attractive and he looked like he’s got money as well. He felt a stab in his chest and his face betrayed his cool demeanor. He was full of jealousy in a way he had never been, especially as the stranger's hand was still resting on her hips.

“It’s not that she’s my lady but I know I can’t stand her with another man..." A voice broke into his thoughts. It was Habib, "Why you stand here, come on…”

Chinedu walked with him to say a very brief hi to everyone. He saw an expression of guilt on Iphey’s face…this made him a little happy. He walked away after a muttered excuse to get a drink.

“Chinedu, Chinedu…hold on. Stop! Please…”, Ipey called out. She had left the man she was with and came after him. He smiled.

He turned around so suddenly that she ran into him and almost fell. He caught her on impulse and held her close. His heart raced and seemed to beat twice as fast. He looked into her eyes as the adrenaline pumped through his veins…and drowned in the beauty before him. A thousand years could have passed and he would not have traded that moment for anything. He stood there oblivious to his surroundings and wondered what was going on in her head. He wanted to know.

Without warning, she kissed him, For a second, he thought he was dreaming, only to realise that it was for real. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek but he remained tense and unyielding. Although he wanted nothing more than to fold her close he still smarted from the jealousy she had stirred in him. He pulled away and watched as she looked at him in disbelief.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“I wanted to say welcome and thanks for coming…” He could see she was embarrassed by his aloofness and didn’t know what to say. She followed the direction of his gaze and gripped his arm. "I know what you're thinking but trust me, he's not...”

Cutting her short, “What does that have to do with me? Why should I care? At least you’ve made it clear that you want nothing to do with an ex-armed robber. Now I know why you refused to hear the circumstances that led me down that path..."

"Chinedu please..."

He smiled without mirth, "Well I came on your mother's invitation, so I’ll go greet her and your sister and be out of here…let's just say my eyes are now opened.”

With that…he walked away, leaving her transfixed and at loss of what just happened.

*************


That is it folks. I have to say that this is another post I really loved. Now vote for the next chapter on the left side bar. Our contributor is DAVID.This is an excerpt from the last entry on his blog;

WHY ARE YOU SCARED TO LOVE?
Well, I'm not really scared to love...I'm the kind of person who gives it all when he loves someone who loves him back but until then, I'm pretty much not accessible.

HAVE YOU BEEN HURT BEFORE?
Of course...lol! Contrary to the belief that I'm not human or that I do not have a heart, I do. DANG!!! IT HURT LIKE CRAZY AND I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO FEEL IT AGAIN...but the irony is that, the pain makes you appreciate LOVE on a whole different level.

Go over and show him some love on his 50th blog post and answers to reader's questions. davidolorun.blogspot.com Our next contributor is Leggy, I can't wait for the explanation to this.