2021: OF PAIN, LAUGHS AND MULTIPLE VICTORIES.

Just last night, while lying on my bed and taking a reminiscence at how 2021 panned, disappointment sagged through me as I felt as though the year went through me without anything spectacular happening. I felt numb all over.

That was just until I got into a WhatsApp chat with my friend, Emmanuel, while I tagged old texts of myself and himself struggling through hard times being unsure of what the future held. But God pulled us through.

God yanked me out of toxic relationships, helped me through my ever hectic exams, covered my face from shame and, yes, I did get my first physical speaking engagement this year. And bro, I did so well!

God is ever faithful. ❤️

JANUARY.

I had Tolani unfinished, ASUU strike called off while I got anxious about resuming back to school. I felt unprepared in the actual sense. Moved to a friend’s place before real work began to revive the academic spirit again. Ten plus months at home was no joke. Nose masks hanging across faces, while online classes began. We had resumed to the new normal.

Resuming Tolani.
I eventually gained courage to go back to Tolani, and had the series take a fresh kick start!

FEBRUARY.

I attended my first wedding in a long time, and felt giddy. My almost favorite native hanging across my frame all ironed while I posed and ‘juxtaposed’ to camera lights. Joy warmed me from within.

Seeing my senior friend, Dr Olasheinde dance up the stage with his babe gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. I love love.

MARCH.

Academic work became more demanding. Exams were in few weeks time, my buttocks glued to my sit, hushed tone sounds of ‘God abeg‘ filling the air, I felt fatigued. And God knew it.

Don’t know how but He pulled me through that period.

APRIL/MAY. Oju mi ri.

Close to my most trying month of the year.
End of posting results were out, and were below my expectations with MB exams in two weeks.
I was literally between God abeg, and God you can’t fail me. My head buried in my books while struggling to cover the bulky curriculum. We eventually wrote the exams.

From questions that had my spirits fall, to questions that lifted my mood, God was and is always faithful. ❤️

JUNE.

MEDIZOE DAY.
I had my first trial at an on stage storytelling performance at the editorial department of the CMDA, Medizoe’s Day. Unsure of performing, my friend, King Davey was my biggest cheerleader and boy, it turned out really good!

“Blalock coming up next”

Anxiety swirling through me, I strolled up stage, and with a controlled smile, I began…

Laughs and hmms at valid points, I felt light on my feet as I strolled down the stage that day.

JULY/AUGUST.

Celebrated my blog’s anniversary in July.

I wasn’t going to celebrate. Felt so unfulfilled while it plunged me into despair. Don’t know why, but the ‘little’ wins felt invisible.

I eventually celebrated after a proper reflection, cooked up a blog post and let it into the internet. Had myself eat something good and that was it. We go stronger on the third.

TedX Unilorin.
Yesss, the biggest event of the year! Attended my first TedX event. As always, unsure if I was going to attend until Emmanuel pulled me along, making me register for it.

Obviously not recovered from both Anita Ebinehita and Hauwa Shaffii’s talk.

“your village people are not looking for you, they’re looking up to you”

And yes, getting to converse with them both after the event was it for me! Haha, may i never recover from the experience.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

All focused studying through both months, Pathology literally patted my back. Study, eat, drink, sleep and study. I complained hell while I slowly cared about nothing else besides Pathology.

NOVEMBER.

Eventually wrote the Pathology exams and my first Pharmacology exams followed.

Life seems to be just exams, exams sprinkled with “it is well with my soul”.

My medical school student association’s health week soon strolled into the background. Despite not being a fan of dinners, I was going to do an on-stage storytelling performance at the ILUMSA DINNER AND AWARDS. Had cold feets about it initially, but I eventually decided to perform.

My pictures over the place the day before. Blalock was going to perform. And there was no turning back. Edited and re-edited my story while I practiced and practiced with my now Doctor roommate, Dr Mayowa. Eventually, I did it! And excellently too.

Meeting the Damilola Mike-Bamiloye.
I had out of excitement of seeing Abattoir earlier this year tweeted:

“My newest goal is to meet Damilola Mike-Bamiloye.
I need to get him to lay his hands on me.
Omo. 🥺”

I tweeted this with no serious plan to meet him. So you could imagine the well of excitement that filled me when I learnt Damilola Mike-Bamiloye was coming to my school for a drama programme.

My heart literally leaped seeing him stroll into the Chapel. And you can almost imagine how I felt eventually meeting him upclose. That’s not an experience I can forget.

DECEMBER.

Literally my best month this year.
Got invited to talk about creativity at a Christian Creatives hangout. Being one of the favorite things I love to talk about, we killed it!

Editor-in-Chief. Christian Medical and Dental Association, UITH.
Got a call to serve as the school Editor-in-Chief for CMDA UITH—Students’ Arm. More responsibilities, and sufficient grace to serve. God is good. 🙏

THE CHRISTMAS PROJECT
Ending the year on this note, I felt really honored being a great part of this project, serving as Editor in Chief. This is literally one of the best I’ve ever had my hands on. God is faithful. ❤️

Not read through yet? Download here

Books.

Didn’t do so much of books this year, but rather short stories and essays on the internet.

Music.

Here’s a shout out to all the artistes whose songs stood by me through 2021. You’re all the real MVPs.

Album of the year.
Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition.

Movies.

Having movies to spark up my creativity is one thing I do and do so well.
Here’s a shout to y’all who had a contribution to those movies.

Movie/Series of the year — King of Boys 2.

I’d love to hear from you in the comment section. Kindly leave ’em comments.
Happy New Year in Advance folks.

We do more in 2022! And in the words of a popular philosopher, “na grace carry us reach here, no be transport fare.”

Merry Christmas! 🎄

Was quite a privilege leading a whole tribe to write this! Medizoe had this done. And to God always be the glory. ❤️

The highly anticipated “Christmas Project” finally hits the internet! 🔥

Whoosh. Merry Christmas and Grap your bowl of popcorn and enjoy!🎄.

Download Here

JUST FRIENDS

Apologies friends for the long silence. Had Academics choking me that I very little time to “breathe”. Despite, I’ve gotten a lot lined up to share with y’all! *Siri play me Coming In Hot.

Here’s a 368 worded short story I had presented in an on-stage storytelling performance last night at the ILUMSA DINNER AND AWARDS. I hope it finds a place to resonate with you. Yeah, enjoy! And share. 🔥

***

Bola, 5’3, with a shapely figure and dainty nose with ebony long hair that flowed over her shoulders, is currently in her fourth year in Medical School. And Gbenga, tall, dark, and handsome with chiseled cheeks and dark bristly mustache is in his fifth. Always seen together, with Gbenga either giving Bola stuff or them having random gists or whatnots, they have been really close friends since Preclinical days.

Not so long Gbenga’s friends begin asking to know what’s up. Random classmates are not left out of the show too. “Are you guys together now?” they ask.

“No, we are just friends.” Gbenga will always respond with a calm witty smile.

Bola’s friends who seem more curious would continually tease her about them being together. “We are just friends nau” Bola will respond throwing her hands up playfully as affection flashes in her eyes.

Gradually, Bola caught the bud of love as they graduated into sending each other love notes attached to gifts. Yes, just friends.

Worried if Gbenga felt the same way about her, jealousy soon snakes through her whenever she sees him with another of his female friend. Quite conspicuous, she tries to hide it.

Constant texting back and forth. Sharing hopes and dreams. The casual seemed uncasual as Gbenga had every inch of him craving her while they played, sitting together and making affectionate touches.

The questions became more pressing as Bola’s best friend, Shayo, chided her the more, “Bola, no dey whine me”. Smiling helplessly, Bola responded, “Babe now, you know I can’t. I actually like him o, but we are not dating yet”

Fast-forward to Gbenga’s final year dinner night. Pictures of Gbenga and another of his female friends seen together flooded the WhatsApp space with tags of “God when”.

Her friends rushed to her hoping to stop her from checking her status. Alas, it was too late. Bola sat quietly, and wouldn’t respond. With warring thoughts in her head. “But, I always had his attention, how come?” Was he playing all along?

Bola feels crumbled inside as her throat tightened and grief held her down. She is heartbroken. “So it was all a game?” It was still a hard pill to swallow.

***

YAYY! MY BABY IS TWO 🍾

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IT’S MY BLOGIVERSARRY! YAYYYY!

I was quite indecisive about celebrating my blogiversarry last year until the buzz of my friends got me and yeah we celebrated. Must be nice it’s happening again.

Woke up wondering why I needed to celebrate, gone five months without creating a complete creation with every single plan I make getting crumpled by my ever exhausting exams. I’ll sit to schedule my writing plan only to have to reschedule over and over again.

But taking a quick reflection of how the last 365 days’ of fiction blogging actually panned I really can’t be more than grateful.

Got nominated for an Award, blogged Tolani off till completion (promised y’all sequel, yeah?), wrote a number of short stories I never completed — hoping to complete and get y’all read real soon.

Yes, there’ve been multiple times I wanted to quit. Perhaps gone thrice than I actually wanted to do last year, but I somehow never do, so yeah, let’s celebrate!

APPRECIATION.

I am so full of thanks to y’all who are always reading my stuff, leaving up comments and sharing my links around. Y’all are the real MVPs! You actually make me want to do more.
Yes, and those beautiful texts, Twitter tags and mails I get from random persons, Holy Christ! I am more than grateful.

To my writing teachers, ones I’ve gotten a personal relationship with and those I’ve only being able to steal stuff off their writings, recorded lectures and interviews, Thank you! I owe you all a bunch.

My folks who are always there to witness my creative process. Thank you so much for being so hyper about your bro.

My Parents, and my brothers. Omo. I am really out words right now. I must be the most lucky writer outchea.

I really can’t mention everyone. Faith Hinmikaiye, Deborah Aboyeji, Emmanuel Oyinloye, Goodness Adegbola, Nifemi, Nworie Walter, Pat Ashinze, Charles Precious, King Davey, Emmanuel Onimisi, Lord Josh, Mary Bamidele, Peace Olanrewaju, Dr Victoria Adeniji and everyone I forgot to mention, thank you so much.
I LOVE YOU DEEPLY! ❤️

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

Working on quite a number of projects. In the process of completing Tolani’s sequel, about three short stories and yeah a script — perhaps my first to go on screen!

Thank you all for being with me this long, I hope you stay longer too. I know it ain’t going to be anyway easier but having you around’s definitely going make it less wearisome. ❤️

Blalock Writes.

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