I love Sundays

  Usman Sanusi, the Local Government Chairman's PA, eased his shiny red car out of Paradise. It was his code name for the Government Lodge and anyone could see why. Making his way down the blistering road, he could already see the glaring difference between where he was and where he'd just left. Decay and dilapidation flanked him left and right. There were abandoned heaps of debris and dry grass cut by underpaid street kids. Drooping power lines, some tottering dangerously, stood untouched since he pocketed the maintenance funds.  He was on his way to meet his mechanic.  He was soon driving past the post office which crumbled like forgotten promises, another failed responsibility of his. Next to it was the grossly under equipped and underfunded hospital. There were hospital allocations alright, and Usman knew exactly where all the money went; into the Chairman's pocket, and sometime recently, into his. Internal audit was close, but he didn't care. He had plans, and they...

 Part 1: A Lonely Beginning Damian had always felt the weight of loneliness, though as a child, he didn’t know how to describe it. His house was quiet, save for the sound of his mother’s soft humming as she went about her daily tasks. She was the only warmth in the house, like a gentle flame in an otherwise cold space. Damian’s father was stern, a man of few words who spent most of his time away, either working or absorbed in his thoughts. His mother filled the silence with her presence, a buffer between Damian and the growing void that seemed to loom over him. Then, when Damian was ten years old, she was gone. It happened so quickly. One morning she was there, making his favorite breakfast of eggs and toast, her laughter soft and familiar as she told him to hurry and eat before school. By the afternoon, she was in the hospital, and by nightfall, she was dead. Damian couldn’t comprehend it. The suddenness of her absence felt like someone had ripped the world out from under him. His...

A Tale of Resilience and Suffering in Tel Aviv War is never kind, and its ripple effects are often felt far beyond the battlefield. The recent conflict in Tel Aviv, as chronicled through missile strikes, terror attacks, and military operations, is a stark reminder of the horrors of war and the toll it takes on both soldiers and civilians.  As Israel marks 361 days of war, the country finds itself grappling with an escalating conflict that spans across its borders, reaching the hearts of its cities and the lives of everyday people. This is not just a military war—it's a psychological, emotional, and existential battle for survival. The missile attacks from Iran on October 1st, 2024, are a perfect example of how war can disrupt the ordinary. On that day, 181 ballistic missiles were fired at Israel, targeting Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and other central regions. While Israel’s Arrow defense system intercepted most of them, the few that got through caused widespread panic, injuries, and damag...