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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Teens
- Theme: Mystery
- Subject: Poems & Songs
- Published: 06/16/2020
Don't Wear Me a Mask
Born 1990, M, from Lagos, NigeriaThree angels descended, bearing gifts for a modern Nigerian girl
named Chinwendu¹.
The angels met a certain girl,
a perfect fit for the description,
but they couldn’t recognize her face —
Chinwendu now goes by Wendy².
Dissatisfied, the angels returned with their gifts to the creator.
Once again, the creator sent the angels back
with rewards for another Nigerian girl named Osinachi³.
Upon arrival, they could not find Osinachi,
for she has rebranded to Sinach⁴.
Name doesn’t sound Nigerian,
so the angels argued amongst themselves,
“are we really in Nigeria?”
They consulted their map,
it said “green”
even their compass showed “green” too,
but they couldn’t find Osinachi.
The angels again, departed.
Mission unaccomplished.
Once more, a sick girl named Oluwabukola⁵
cried out to the creator’s hearing.
He sent His angels to heal Oluwabukola.
Upon arrival, they found someone else:
nurses called her Bucky⁶.
Family and friends called her Bucky too,
but she looked so much like Oluwabukola.
“She’s certainly not the one,
this one must be from Europe too.”
After much deliberation,
the angels departed again,
leaving Bucky to her fate —
for their order was to heal Oluwabukola,
and not Bucky.
Again, the Creator heard the prayer of a lucky man named Tochukwu⁷.
He summoned His three angels,
ordered them not to fail this time,
but make sure they find and bless the right soul.
Upon arriving Tochukwu’s location,
they found a good man named Toks⁸.
The angels were so tempted to bless him,
he seemed a very good man.
But the Creator was loud and clear —
“they mustn’t rob Peter to pay Paul.”
So, they depart again with their blessings,
to the Creator.
Please don’t wear me a mask.
My name is Chinecherem⁹,
don’t call me Neche, or Chere, or Nec¹⁰.
I won’t answer,
lest I miss my Angels too.
*****
1. Chinwendu: a native Igbo name.
2. Wendy: an informal contraction of “Chinwendu”
3. Osinachi: a native Igbo name
4. Sinach: an informal contraction of “Osinachi”
5. Oluwabukola: a native Yoruba name.
6. Bucky: an informal contraction of “Oluwabukola”
7. Tochukwu: a native Igbo name.
8. Toks: an informal contraction of “Tochukwu”
9. Chinecherem: a native Igbo Name.
10. Neche, Chere, Nec: an informal contraction of Chinecherem.
Don't Wear Me a Mask(Darlington Chukwunyere)
Three angels descended, bearing gifts for a modern Nigerian girl
named Chinwendu¹.
The angels met a certain girl,
a perfect fit for the description,
but they couldn’t recognize her face —
Chinwendu now goes by Wendy².
Dissatisfied, the angels returned with their gifts to the creator.
Once again, the creator sent the angels back
with rewards for another Nigerian girl named Osinachi³.
Upon arrival, they could not find Osinachi,
for she has rebranded to Sinach⁴.
Name doesn’t sound Nigerian,
so the angels argued amongst themselves,
“are we really in Nigeria?”
They consulted their map,
it said “green”
even their compass showed “green” too,
but they couldn’t find Osinachi.
The angels again, departed.
Mission unaccomplished.
Once more, a sick girl named Oluwabukola⁵
cried out to the creator’s hearing.
He sent His angels to heal Oluwabukola.
Upon arrival, they found someone else:
nurses called her Bucky⁶.
Family and friends called her Bucky too,
but she looked so much like Oluwabukola.
“She’s certainly not the one,
this one must be from Europe too.”
After much deliberation,
the angels departed again,
leaving Bucky to her fate —
for their order was to heal Oluwabukola,
and not Bucky.
Again, the Creator heard the prayer of a lucky man named Tochukwu⁷.
He summoned His three angels,
ordered them not to fail this time,
but make sure they find and bless the right soul.
Upon arriving Tochukwu’s location,
they found a good man named Toks⁸.
The angels were so tempted to bless him,
he seemed a very good man.
But the Creator was loud and clear —
“they mustn’t rob Peter to pay Paul.”
So, they depart again with their blessings,
to the Creator.
Please don’t wear me a mask.
My name is Chinecherem⁹,
don’t call me Neche, or Chere, or Nec¹⁰.
I won’t answer,
lest I miss my Angels too.
*****
1. Chinwendu: a native Igbo name.
2. Wendy: an informal contraction of “Chinwendu”
3. Osinachi: a native Igbo name
4. Sinach: an informal contraction of “Osinachi”
5. Oluwabukola: a native Yoruba name.
6. Bucky: an informal contraction of “Oluwabukola”
7. Tochukwu: a native Igbo name.
8. Toks: an informal contraction of “Tochukwu”
9. Chinecherem: a native Igbo Name.
10. Neche, Chere, Nec: an informal contraction of Chinecherem.
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Help Us Understand What's Happening
JD
06/24/2020Gordon, I think it is okay for you not to understand the story and to say so. I also think it is okay for Darlington not to try to write outside his own experience in his own country. The culture in his country is very different and unique from our culture here. He can only write honestly about his own culture and experience and it is okay if you and I do not fully understand it, because it is not our experience. Even if I cannot fully understand it, I can still appreciate learning about his culture and the issues they face there that we may not face here. It helps me see things through someone else's eyes. I think that is part of what makes Storystar special... writers of all ages in countries around the world share their stories in English so that we can read them and walk a moment in their shoes, in their part of the world, as we do so....
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Gordon England
06/24/2020If I do not understand then your story failed to reach other cultures. To reach non Nigerians you should widen your writing so the rest of us understand your pain
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Dozie emmanuel
06/23/2020You might not understand his story. This has become an ugly trend. Its not about nick names. It's deeper than that.
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Darlington Chukwunyere
06/19/2020Thanks, Aziz. Almost everyone around me here is guilty (lol).
And they've been attacking me for attacking them with my poem. (Smiles)
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Dante Imosun
06/17/2020Chinecherem is too long, Darlington. Forgive me, I'll have to call you Chine.
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Darlington Chukwunyere
06/16/2020Hi Jd,
It's my own creation. Written @ 2018 while at the gym. Had greeted a lady who introduced herself as "kend" and got me confused for some minutes as to what part of Africa she's from. I politely/jokingly had to insist she clarified my curiousity and then she said her name was Kemdirim (a Nigerian name from the Igbo tribe). I almost laughed so hard at myself for having gone through all the troubles trying to decode her "masked" identity. Then I was struck with "Don't Wear Me a Mask"
lolz.
COMMENTS (8)