A Collection of Short Stories

Sour Kisses
Jennifer Chinenye Emelife
The two friends tossed up their room in excitement. Clara could not believe it, too good to
be true, she kept saying, flinging everything she laid her hands on.
Life went on smoothly for them in the weeks that followed. Ada sent money home to
her mother, began processes of releasing her brother from jail and found a pleasant
accommodation for herself and Clara. She was the lady in charge until she fell sick. Severe
Typhoid, she was told at the hospital, ‘you should rest’. Clara was somewhat glad about her
illness; she was tired of being bossed around. Ada granted her access to her debit card,
being ill and not able to move around. Clara was overwhelmed by the money entrusted to
her. She forgot completely about their plans to get back to school, forgot about her sick
friend, and squandered the new found wealth in the most obnoxious manner. She bought
herself a car and started up a new business.
Ada, too weak to fight back, was bothered about the nightmares she had. Though, the
doctor, in her last visit to the hospital, had said she was recovering, thoughts of Hon.
Obiano began to crawl back to her head. Did she let him suck her with vinegar in his
mouth? She started reflecting on how strange the sex had been. The man fingered with
his big toe and insisted that she sucked his armpit. He sucked her vagina with vinegar in
his mouth, amidst her protest. The sex was anal in the most sordid manner as the man
scooped his semen from the bed into his mouth and forced them into hers in a kiss.
Weren’t these signs she could not have ignored? She could have fled after the first day, but
an additional ten million naira was too tempting to be ignored, she thought as she reached
for the strange looking bottle standing on the tray containing her medications. Clara, who
was fond of herbal treatments, had brought it home from an herbal pharmacy. She said she
was tired of her taking pills that were not effective. ‘This is calming, a kind of tranquilizer. It
will give you peace of mind. You can read the instructions on the label.’ Clara had explained,
dropping the bottle in the tray and dashing out to her boutique. Ada shook her head at the
thought of her friend, gulped 10ml of the strange content and laid herself to rest.
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Tales from the Other Side