A Collection of Short Stories

Jennifer Chinenye Emelife
Sour Kisses
get my brother out of jail, pay for my mother’s surgery. We will start up a business, leave
this damn hole and get back to school. Because we do not belong here.’ As it was in their
fashion, Clara held her friend’s palm. ‘I believe,’ she responded. Then repeated, ‘I believe, I
believe’like a church person renewing baptismal vows at Mass.
Ada was gone for six days and Clara feared they had, perhaps, pushed their faith to the
extreme. Ada’s lines were unreachable and terror clogged her throat every time a strange
caller rang her phone. She feared the bad news looming, waiting to break over her: Ada
was found in a hotel room, bleeding from her vagina. She recoiled at the thought. Ada was
found lying dead on a road, naked with private parts missing. Clara sprung to her feet and
puked at the possibility of this news. She vaulted over objects in the room and ran to the
bathroom, washed her face and breathed fast. She did not hear the knock, so as the door
creaked open, she slipped on the wet floor and fell out of the bathroom; trembling.
‘Why are you looking that way?’ came the shocked voice.
‘Ada!’ Clara cried and rushed to her friend in embrace.
‘You scared me, girl. The way you looked…’
‘No, you scared the shit out of me, Ada! Six frigging days, not a call!I was worried!’
‘Business was tight,’ Ada chuckled, pulling her friend down to the bed. She took her phone
out of her handbag, tapped on the message icon and handed it to Clara. It was a bank
credit alert.
Clara yelled when she saw the figure. ‘20 what? 20 what? Wait, I gotta count these zeroes
properly. One, two, three…’
‘Oh, stop being ridiculous,’ Ada laughed, snatching the phone from her friend. ‘Yes, it
is what it is’ and standing, she added, ‘twenty million naira, and this is Ada, alive and
bubbling!’
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