The first time I saw Tom, he was with some friends, and those friends were also friends of mine. On that day, I didn’t really pay much attention to Tom. I just had a quick chat with my friends and went on my way. But as time went on, I kept bumping into Tom everywhere. It seemed like he was always around. Once, there was a church dinner, and we both happened to be there. I was sitting with my friend Sarah, and Tom was at another table, looking in our direction. Sarah noticed him staring and told me, “That…
Author: town gist
Steve called me after pursuing me for months. I hadn’t paid much attention to him despite going out with him several times. One day, he proposed, and I turned him down, saying I couldn’t date him. Steve expressed his hurt, explaining that my rejection felt like I had closed the door to the possibility of falling in love with him. I apologized and explained that I couldn’t say yes because I had recently come out of a difficult relationship that had deeply affected me. I had closed my heart to love, and that’s why I didn’t even consider taking time…
In the past, I had a tough time managing my life. I didn’t have a lot of money and had to work really hard to make ends meet. The job I got after finishing high school didn’t pay very much. Most of the money I earned had to go towards paying for things like rent, getting around, buying food, and paying bills. Sometimes, even with all that, I still didn’t have enough to cover everything. My family was also struggling with their own problems, so they couldn’t help me much either. It felt like I was facing all these challenges…
The next morning, I woke up and tried to piece together the events from the previous night. I remembered a guy dancing with me at the club, walking me to my taxi, and saying something to the driver. However, the details were blurry because I had consumed too much alcohol. I vaguely recalled him giving me his number and mentioning his name. The following weekend, I returned to the same club with my friend Belinda. As we entered, a guy approached me, calling out my name – “Hey Priscilla, how have you been? You never called.” Confused, I asked him…
Jack and Chandler, 23-year-old twin brothers, found themselves living in a cave after spending most of their lives in an orphanage. Their mother left them when they were one, unable to support both children, and their father left upon learning about the twins. At 18, they had to leave the orphanage and became homeless. Living on the outskirts of the city, the brothers survived by rummaging through landfills, selling items they found. Despite their own struggles, they would clean and repair old toys and donate them to the orphanage where they grew up. Having experienced a challenging childhood, the twins…
Years ago, I dated a married man who seemed to love his wife very much. He told me himself, “I love my wife and family, and I’d do anything for them. But you serve a special purpose. A purpose my wife is too old and busy to fulfill.” When I asked him what that purpose was, he explained, “We’ve been married for over eighteen years. Things have changed. We have kids and responsibilities. It feels like we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, and solving problems every day is exhausting. Sometimes I need a distraction, and that’s…
I had my first boyfriend at seventeen, and although he treated me well, something didn’t feel right deep down. Recognizing that continuing the relationship would be a disservice to him, I made the difficult decision to let him go. Afterward, I attempted to date others, but none of the relationships felt right. The longest one lasted three months, and the furthest it went was kissing. I had made a vow to keep my virginity until marriage, and despite not feeling a connection with the guys I dated, I was determined to find the perfect match. In January 2021, I met…
According to my people, when a girl is the only child of her parents she is not allowed to get married. Custom demands that she lives in her parents’ house and reproduce to continue their lineage. I didn’t know about this until I was expected to uphold this tradition. My father has other children, but I happen to be the only child he has with my mother. Which makes me the only child of my parents. I don’t know if they couldn’t have other children or they just chose not to. They had the means to cater for more children…
I’ve encountered many questionable men in my search for love, each leaving me emotionally wrecked like a badly damaged car after an accident. At one point, I considered giving up and becoming a cat lady. Then came Amos. Amos was a sweet guy who made me question why I ever thought of giving up on love. He seemed to be everything I had always wanted in a man. Whenever I needed him, he would drop everything to be by my side, making me feel like his queen. I treated him with the same love and respect. Things were blissful between…
For the last two weeks, I’ve been sharing a room with my mom. We sleep on the same bed, and my main job is to make sure she’s okay and doesn’t do anything harmful to herself. She doesn’t sleep much; even when she closes her eyes, I can tell she’s not really asleep. When she does sleep, she snores softly. But when she pretends to sleep, there’s no snoring. Instead, she tosses and turns until morning. Some nights, she quietly leaves the room and goes to the hall to cry. I see her going, but I don’t follow because there’s…