Ola Awonubi's Blog
February 13, 2025
A Nurse's Tale
As soon as she got upstairs, she was ushered to her seat. The large room had been beautifully decorated and everyone was elegantly dressed in formal or national wear, as per the dress code, so she was glad she had worn an African-inspired design. She felt Adenrele would have approved.
A waiter with a tray of glasses of sparkling and still water asked her preference and she heard a voice behind her.
“Hi.”
She turned around and saw Dr Mike standing before her. The debonair look he presented in black tie, holding a glass of wine like some kind of Black Bond, made her check him out thoroughly. Man this guy was even more attractive than she had remembered.
She picked up a glass, thanked the waiter and turned to Mike.
“Hello.” She held his gaze, noting his appraisal of herself and then the outfit. The twinkle in those eyes was appreciative.
“You look stunning.”
“Thanks,” she murmured. Another cheeky smile from him. She couldn’t look away from his eyes. There was something compelling about their hazel-gold depths, a contrast to his light skin that hinted at many destinies, people and events all echoing down the years to blend into one person.
He glanced around the room. “Small talk is the expected thing at these events. So, how have you been?”
“Great. Just busy…”
He nodded. “So, what do you do?”
“I’m a graphic artist.”
“Oh. Sounds interesting. I don’t have a single creative bone in my body. I admire those who do. Without creativity, the world would be a pretty dull place.”
The first person that had said that and seemed to actually mean it. She heard him stifle a small yawn.
“I hope I’m not boring you.”
His laugh was dry. “Sorry, do I look that tired?”
“I didn’t say you looked tired…”
Mike shook his head. “Don’t mind me. Our team was up all night trying to save a patient.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had training about keeping emotions to myself but this one hurt. The guy had everything to live for – a young family, a great job – but a collision with some teenage speed racers put paid to that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry about.”
She shrugged. “Because it’s the kind of thing you say, I guess, when you don’t know what else to say.”
His voice softened. “Do you usually run out of things to say?”
“Not really?”
He grinned again. “I didn’t think so either…”
They both laughed then Velma, elegant in a midnight-blue sleeveless ball gown, arrived with a guest and Mike whispered in Yemi’s ear,
“I will catch up with you later,” before he walked off with the guest, leaving her with Velma, who complimented her.
“That dress is absolutely lovely – the colours really suit your skin. You just glow.”
“Thank you so much. You look fantastic yourself.”
Velma ran a hand over the folds of her dress. “
Thanks.”
Yemi looked around her, soaking in the atmosphere. “Tonight is impressive. You guys have done a fantastic job.”
Velma grinned. “Thanks so much. Come along. I need to introduce you to one of our other guests. She was a doctor in the seventies in Southwest England. She is a treasure trove of stories…”
“That sounds good.” It really did because she wanted to clear her mind of the look in those golden eyes. She knew that if this cute doctor asked her out that night what her answer was going to be, and it worried her because she had made a pact with herself that she was going to stick to her self-mandated man-fast for at least six months to a year to clear her head and her heart.
It was the healthiest thing she had done for herself in a long while.
January 15, 2022
Excerpt from the keresimesi wish
“Hi Peju.” He murmured his eyes fixed on hers as if he was trying to read her mind which was pointless because no one knew what went on behind the armour she had built around herself over the past 15 years.
She swallowed. “Hello Ikenna.” She was shaking inside but outside her voice was strong and calm. Shebi she had a weeks to prepare her emotions for this.
Didn’t she say that her emotions concerning him were numb?
Nice to see you again. His accent threw her. She knew he was American now but somehow he didn’t sound like a stranger.
She walked ahead of him and showed him into the parlour where Aunty sat on the sofa.
“Ikenna. Ele. Welcome. Oku ijo meta”
He responded in Yoruba and prostrated. “Ijo kan pelu. Ma.”
Peju’s lips twisted her words of decades before coming back to haunt her.
Daddy. He speaks Yoruba now ….
“I don’t care whether he speaks my village dialect. My child can never marry an Ibo boy. Laiye!”
“Daddy this boy has grown up with us. He lives next door. You and his dad go to church together, you are in the same landlord’s association, you drink beer together – now he is a stranger to you? You went for his brother’s wedding. I don’t understand…”
Mr Adepitan had put up a hand to stem the flow of her protestations.
Peju! PEJU! Her Aunt’s voice interrupted her trip down memory lane.
“Yes Ma.”
Her Aunt picked up the TV controls. “Why are you standing there looking like a spirit? Go and serve your friend minerals. Ikenna joko jare. Omo Dada. How is your son?”
Peju disappeared into the kitchen.
THE KERESIMESI WISH NOVELLA IS AVALIABLE ON AMAZON
November 25, 2021
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LOVERS, LEAVERS & KEEPERS
Lola Sawyer knows she is going to have a bad day when the Headteacher at her new school turns out to be Ladi Bamidele, the guy she jilted to marry handsome but ruthless industrialist Tunde Tomori-Williams back in Lagos some years back. As she tries to start a new life in London after her disastrous marriage, can she dare to hope that that she and Ladi can find healing and forgiveness, learn from their dysfunctional pasts and take a second chance at love? __ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initDynamicSlot({ id: 'atatags-26942-61a0c5959602f', location: 120, formFactor: '001', label: { text: 'Advertisements', }, creative: { reportAd: { text: 'Report this ad', }, privacySettings: { text: 'Privacy', } } }); });November 12, 2021
New book Alert - Lovers Leavers and Keepers
Of all the ……. what was Lola whatever her name was doing his school, in his world, in his life, in his head again. No way was he going to cut her any slack. She had taken up residency in his head, occupied his waking thoughts for too many years now and he needed to expel her once and for all.
Let’s be professional about this Mr man. So, you were old friends. You were young. You have gone your separate ways. Chalked it down to youthful exuberance. You won’t have any dealings with her. She is a supply teacher. Here today …. Gone tomorrow.
He remembered for a second what it had felt like staring into those huge beautiful eyes and thought to himself that tomorrow was too long. If she could do a day – even better.
September 4, 2021
NEW BOOK COVER REVEAL 6th Sept 2021
EXCERPT
Stella smiled and moved off but couldn’t help overhearing him whisper to his wife.
“When did you and that oyibo become friends, eh?”
“She isn’t my friend. I saw her walking her dog one day and said hi. Have I done something wrong again?”
“I don’t want you talking to her. She has a reputation in this estate. The woman is a divorcee for goodness sake. I have seen her entertaining men in her house. Her husband should have taken that boy away from her.”
Stella shook her head. Nigerian men. It was okay for them to have girlfriends but when a hard-working single parent had male colleagues around for a drink and a barbecue after work she was an unfit mother who should have her child taken away from her. What struck her was the look in Lola’s eyes when her husband put his arm around her. She seemed to dissolve before her eyes.
I wonder what’s going on there…
But Stella decided to put it to the back of her mind. She had enough to think about. What with her mother being ill in England and her son deciding to assert his adolescent independence on her so much that he was spending more time with his father and the added pressure of work getting to her, the problems of the Real Wives of Lekki – as she fondly called the women on her street, were not something she could take on.
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February 10, 2018
My publishing journey
Musing when I should be writing
Facebooking when I should be creating another character
A Story, a place a person
A face
I have three books I add bits to every time I’m inspired
Which isn’t as often as I would like
A full time job and ideas of getting more of a social life
A book of short stories
Ideas of books, stories and writing away in a place of quiet tranquil beauty
Not hunched over a laptop as I eat a hurried evening meal
This is my blog
My time
My space
These are my words
October 15, 2017
Newham Wordfest at Custom House Nov 16th pm
Newham Word Festival, Custom House Library
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Nov
16
Ola Awonubi
by Newham Libraries
Free
Thu 16 November 2017, 18:00 – 19:30 GMT
Free
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Event Information
Description:
In 2008, Ola Awonubi won first prize for the Words of Colour Competition with The Pink House, then going on to win the Wasafiri New writing prize for another story The Go-Slow Journey. Ola now joins Newham Word Festival for a glimpse at her most recent book I Love You Unconditionally.
This event is taking place as part of Newham Word Festival. For listings on the full programme, please visit: http://www.discover.org.uk/newhamwordfestival17/
Date and Time
Thu 16 November 2017
18:00 – 19:30 GMT
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Custom House Library
Prince Regent Lane
London
E16 3JJ
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