Daniel Onyebuchi
ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
STORY BY Daniel Onyebuchi
ARE MY DATING THE RIGHT PARTNER?
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Beginning Fame and suspicion A government-declared sit-at-home day brings Professor unusual attention. His name is being discussed on broadcasts and in the streets, partly because of his betting reputation. On his way to deposit winnings, he encounters a POS operator who hints that she wants to visit him. Professor abruptly warns her that he would only meet her in a hotel, then leaves. The exchange establishes his guardedness and his habit of interpreting ordinary interactions as potentially dangerous. Rising action . A pattern takes shape At another POS stand, Professor watches a man joke with the operator and dismisses it as a “local love film.” He later hears that people close to him have been watching his movements and trying to steer him toward particular women. Meanwhile, the snacks vendor becomes someone he enjoys speaking with. When the Voodoo Pastor urges Professor’s family to “scatter” that connection, Professor begins to believe that every woman he likes is being targeted. A robbery at a POS stand makes the fear feel real: criminals steal the operator’s machine, phone, and cash. Professor privately decides the attack was connected to him, though he has no proof. His suspicion grows as a former neighbor’s business begins losing money and she starts avoiding him. The Pastor says Professor owes him and tells the woman to keep her distance. Rumors circulate that Professor has cast a love spell on her. Turning point Professor pushes back Rather than continue guessing, Professor starts paying attention to what people actually say and do. He confronts the former neighbor about following the Pastor’s instructions, but she says nothing. He stops visiting her stand. At the same time, his public behavior creates new problems: he posts a suggestive video of a cook at a priest’s house, drawing attention and criticism. He begins to see that his own actions can feed the gossip he resents. Climax. The evidence and the choice A POS operator is warned in advance about the exact time Professor will arrive and leaves her stand. This time, Professor does not simply assume that the Pastor’s powers caused it. He asks the operator and nearby traders what happened. Their accounts reveal a more ordinary possibility: people have been tracking his routine and passing it along. Professor confronts his family and the Pastor, demanding that they stop arranging encounters and interfering with his business relationships. The confrontation exposes how much of the alleged “program” rests on pressure, rumor, and intimidation though it does not settle whether any supernatural force is involved. Resolution A boundary, not a perfect victory Professor stops treating every woman he meets as a clue in a conspiracy. He speaks honestly with the snacks vendor, respects her choice about whether to pursue a relationship, and makes clear that he will not accept a marriage chosen for him. He also acknowledges that his betting and impulsive public posts have contributed to the chaos. The Pastor and family may not change their minds, but Professor sets a boundary: his relationships, money, and daily movements are his to manage. The story ends with him returning to the junction not as a man who has solved every mystery, but as one who has chosen to act on evidence and respect other people’s agency. This gives the story a clear progression from setup to escalating conflict, a decisive confrontation, and a character-focused resolution.
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THE GOD OF ODDS CALCULATIONS
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Professor continues his morning casino routine, ignoring the charm powder, which destroys itself against him. He shows mercy to two other victims, offering healing and money for bandages. The Voodoo Pastor escalates from charms to three-day storms, magical wallet theft, and police ambushes on motorcycles and Hilux. Their relationship shifts from silent casino envy to open family warfare, with Professor retaliating with fasting, Psalm 35, 91, 109, and fire prayers.
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