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Eighteen
"Ask them how much it costs to bump you up to first class. Take the cost out of this credit card immediately." Zainab sighs and takes the black and gold embossed card I put money in for my needs. I frown at her in mock annoyance and she turns to go back to the counter. They will soon call the flight and somehow, my assistant put herself in economy when she's with a huge hand luggage.
"I've boosted it." I sigh and take back the card, motioning for her to take a seat beside me. She complies and goes pulls out her phone to use it, I look away from her and look around the buzzing airport. Today, I am flying to Kaduna where we'll be driven to a small village just after Zazzau to do most of the shooting.
Zainab packed three boxes for just me, filled with trackwear, casual wear and outing wear, mosquito repellent, and just totally useful stuff. When it was weighed, I gasped and paid the overcharge with my hands on my eyes. Thankfully, the filming c
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Misfortunate Seventeen
"So they want you. For the lead role." I lean back in my filming chair and say a quiet Alhamdulillah. I've nagged Allah for the past one week every single time I got down on my knees to pray. "Thank you Ms Opeyemi. I don't even know what to say to you. You're a blessing." She chuckles and asks me to get ready. "Filming begins in six weeks?!" I exclaim and wonder how Abdul would allow me go that far and for so long. My thoughts get cut short when she speaks. "Would you repeat what you said?" I asked politely. "I said, I've asked Zainab to get a full list of all the things you both would need, and how you'd need them. She'll get to you tomorrow so you both can plan. How's that?" I nodded and ended the call carefully. The task now would be getting Abdul to agree to me going to Kaduna. I looked outside my window and watched the rainy sun rise after the huge thunderstorm that lashed everywhere last night and early this morning, luckily all I have to do I rest in, make spicy noodles an
Misfortunate Nineteen
"BeebahShe, put more energy in your eyes! You're supposed to be talking with your whole face, stop letting your facial muscles twitch and let youe eyes do the fucking talking!" I nod erratically and get up from where I'm kneeling in front of the camera. We just had a scene where my beloved grandfather dies and we're having reaction shots, I'm supposed to be crying and letting my emotions do the talking.I shake my head as they powder under my eyes and apply light balm to my lips to shine it and wonder how I got this role. All the other actors do their very best and quickly too, filming gets accomplished in one quick take. I sigh and turn to see Onimisi arrive behind Teniola, the director who was screaming at me earlier.The technician, comes and adjusts the miniscule Microphone hanging to my scarf and says very quietly before I can apologise. "Onimisi says to think of a bad memory to bring forth tears far quickly and take it from there." I n
Misfortunate Twenty
"I forgot my incense burner at home. It would be so useful now that I have this amazing turaren." I picked up some of the incense flakes and put them near my nose in appreciation after speaking."They truly smell nice. I didn't know they had such good incense in this area." I slid Zainab a look at the sceptical look she gave the incense I was appreciating. She, like other people believes that the best incense comes only from Chad or Maiduguri."I'll have opportunity to burn it before we leave. The way I am with new things is so crazy, I'll have a bad itch to use it and until I make use of it, I won't rest." She laughed, she had noticed it and indulged me all the time."Now that shooting is over, what are you doing this weekend before the dinner at the emir's palace?" I covered the bucket of sandalwood incense before turning to answer her question. We had finally wrapped up Amina of Zazzau yesterday and I could not be hap
Misfortunate Twenty One
"... Thank you for flying with us, we have a bus waiting for you on the runway to take you to the main airport terminal." I happily danced in my seat and adjusted the black scarf that had come loose while I danced. I hugged the other ladies whom I'd acted with these past few weeks, most of them all returning to Lagos, only a few of us like Onimisi and three other of the minor cast were returning to Abuja.I went to Teniola Adebowale whose expertise and hardwork had turned this movie into the best I've ever acted since my career began. I took hold of her hands and shook my head, I had no words. She got up and hugged me hard, kissed both of my cheeks, seemingly understanding that I could not talk."We'll see during the premiere, once post production is finished in New York. Okay?" I nodded and let her hug me one more time. Zainab who had finished pulling all our hand luggage prompted me and we got off the plane. At the foot of the stairs, I breathed in large gulps of air, I'm back in my
Misfortunate Twenty Two
"Madam, we're done." I got up. Holding the bag that houses my camera, ring light, laptop and nearly everything I hold valuable, I follow the woman back into elevator, struggling to hold the bag next to myself before letting the lift door slid shut."I'm so sorry I called on short notice. I hope you and your partner are not angry?" The lady, a far older woman than my Ma, she wringed the rag in her hand helplessly and I sensed she wanted to say something."The kitchen was very bad. Why did you let it be like that?" I shook my head as I watched the counter reach four and the elevator pinged. " I've not been around. That's what leaving a man all by himself causes." I laughed nervously and she laughed with me. I opened the door and she followed after me, my mouth dropped as I got in.The whole place w
Misfortunate Twenty Three
"Opeyemi."I said her name to alert her as I walked further into her office, the door had been left open. She raised her head to smile at me from the sheaf of papers that she was signing."BeebahShe!" She called out happily, "How are you? Missed the bustle of Abuja?" I smiled and sat down in front of her, crossing my legs. She put her pen down and smiled widely at me, looking me over in appreciation. I chuckled, my agent is amazing."You had fun?" I nod in satisfaction. Goron Dutse was beautiful in it's own quaint way, quiet, cold evenings, warm mornings, food cooked over open fire, smokey Jollof rice and i tell her so."You look it, see your glow na. You just lost weight," She waves her hands. "But that's fine, no pain no gain. The gain here is more than the pain." I laughed out loud at her words. I was supposed to lose some weight to get fit, so she liked the fact that she killed two birds with one
Misfortunate Twenty Four
"Ah baby please, find your way here. Please it's just seven now and you can shoot from eight till ten or twelve. Please, I won't rest until the poster pictures are totally done." I sigh and add salt to the oatmeal cooking in the pressure pot and ask Teni for the address.I put my phone down with a sigh and stir the oatmeal even further so that it doesn't curdle. Today seems like a tight, long day for me and I'd have to eventually have to call Zainab inspite of my promise to give her an off day.I take my phone up again and call Zainab. She enthusiastically replies and my mood lifts after ending the call, I put down my phone again and wear a pair of mittens to take the oatmeal pot off the hot stove."So early? What are you cooking?" I chuckle at Ma's face and spoon her a bowl of oatmeal and add some evaporated milk over it, she shakes some sugar unto it after taking it from me and I chuckle again. Ma's sweet tooth has never lessened."I have to be somewhere at eight and then come back
Misfortunate Twenty Five
"I hope you enjoyed yourself?" I sent him a nod and a smile as I sidestepped a puddle that came from a light drizzle that rained while we cut Layla's cake. Sa'ad, Layla, Ma'mun, Kamil all children of Abdullah Lamido. I heard that much from Layla.Ma'mun is the first, Kamil the second, Sa'ad the third, and Layla the forth and only child of her mother. The rest were from Alhaji Abdullah's late chadian wife who died when Sa'ad was six which explains his exotic looks and hair. Layla who apparently likes me a lot, found a way to whisper to me details of their family that even Google could never have given me."Ya Ma'mun is a neurosurgeon. Ya Kamil is a Lawyer and busniessman while Ya Sa'ad is the family's protector. They are all unmarried and a source of headache for Baba and Maama." We had giggled together like teenagers when she said that, before her friend called for the cake to be cut.When I got to the car, he opened the
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