Novels by Elizabeth Ukeh

EPILOGUE: THE SUN Year of the BougainvilleaFrigid SeasonThe PalaceAltsas Isla I AM SO EXCITED. Today, I'm expecting mother and father's visit as well as Mavli's. It's been ages since I saw them. Throwing off my blanket, I jump off the bed and to my feet. A shiver runs down my spine the second my feet touches the cold ground. I slip my feet into slippers and huff out a breath which floats as a thick cloud of fog in front of my face. I'm not surprised to see that Kyan isn't on the bed, he has always been an early riser. I'm sure he is already getting the orchard ready for my parents' arrival breakfast.

The Sound of the Wind Year of the RosesFloral SeasonThe HighlandsAltsas Kyan IT'S BEEN A WEEK since my marriage to the woman of my dreams. To the woman who's thoughts move the Earth. A whole week was kept aside for the wedding feast before I was permitted to take my bride away on the honeymoon. Now, I sit under our favourite tree weaving a flower crown for my bride. The cold pendant, a gift from Isla which also happens to be the heirloom of her family is pressed to my chest underneath my shirt on a gold chain. Osar flashes me a wide grin. "I have finished, Kyan. Let's see how Lyza will like it." It wasn't

The End Year of the RosesFloral SeasonThe HutKintil Isla I'M OUTSIDE WITH MOTHER and Mavli plucking pumpkin leaves for soup when a deafening thumping of hooves against the Earth is heard. Frightened, we rush inside and hide only peeping out through the windows. "It could be them again!" Mavli's lower lip starts to quaver. Mother's lips move wordlessly with silent prayer. Carriages come in view, hundreds of them. Some of the carriages speed by and some stop near our hut. Valri is bleating with fright outside, Mother is whimpering with tears and Mavli clutches my arm, her nails digging into my flesh.

The Return Year of the RosesFloral SeasonThe MarketKintil Isla IT'S BEEN HOURS. It's been hours since we laid Nadhat to rest among the reeds but still Mavli hasn't said a single word. I'm afraid for her but I know better than to say anything that might upset her more. Let her grieve, she deserves some time to grieve. Our mares trot carefully into the extensive land that was once our market. I take in all the destruction, the broken and burnt stalls. And far away,,I see a rotting corpse, I shut my eyes and turn away not wanting to see another body having seen Nadhat's. Nadhat.

The Arrow Year of the RosesFloral SeasonRoad to KintilRoad to Kintil Mavli THE SUN HAS RISEN. We are almost there. Almost. We have been riding all night and day. The sun rays are peering through the clouds and threatening to end the cover of night, we dismount the horses and trot side by side with them. The smell of livestock and vegetables is over powering as we enter the Altsas market. Even if it is so early in the morning, the market is already as bustling as a bee hive. We have to elbow, duck and push our way through. My stomach churns loudly when my eyes dart to a stall of a fruit seller; the pyramid

The Girl Year of the RosesFloral SeasonThe throne roomAltsas Kyan MY FATHER'S EYES grows dark with ire. A large vein throbs frantically at his temple, his large hands form fists on the arms of the throne and he snarls bestially. Lyza chokes a sob, large tears pooling in her eyes. My mother doesn't say a word, she is the most collected of us. My Aunt and Rakar pace up and down the throne room. It is Rakar that breaks the silence with a growl. "That harlot left you? You let that harlot escape?" He walks towards me with a glare, "I don't believe that you let a mere woman outsmart you!" He yells pointing a finger at me. I'm not angry, not at all. I'm heartbroken, for

THE DAYLily"Are we there yet?" I asked. My butt is burning for sitting in one place for too long. I am sandwiched between Precious and James. Joseph and Jacob are sitting behind while Luc is sitting in front with the driver. When Luc had announced she would be throwing me a birthday party at Ibeno beach resort, my first instinct was to laugh, sure that Luc will not go out of her way like that. When I saw the invitation cards she was printing and giving out to people I went to school with, go to school with and don't talk to anymore. I was even more shocked when she told me that she would hiring a DJ and a caterer. She later told me that the party was an apology to me, for all the bad things she had been doing to me. I sobbed on her shoulder."Here," James said handing a banana and a cone of roasted groundnut over to me. "We will get there soon!" The driver told me. Lily is paying him t

AFTERDear Luc, Today is your birthday. You would have turned nineteen today. We would have thrown a party for you. The love of your life would have been invited, Jacob and James would have come, Precious would have worn something sexy and I would have snuck Esther in. Dad would have bought vanilla cake with resins and cherries. The icing would be thick and so sweet it would be almost bitter, just the way you liked it. Mum would have cooked fried rice and fried chicken for the party. We would have been allowed to take lite beer and diluted sips of vodka and whiskey. Cartons of fruit juice and soft drinks would have been in abundance. And our parents would have excused us and retired to their rooms. We would have played music from the stereo. Not too loud to wake Krystal from sleep but loud enough to get ourselves hyped. I might had danced. Let myself go and get tipsy. I

BEFORELucIt has been one month since I last spoke to my soulmate. He would not take my calls. And neither will be reply my messages. He is never at home when I go to check on him. His sister would give me some excuse like he went for basketball practice or went shopping with his mother or sleeping at a friend's house. I become more and more frustrated and desperate as the days turn into weeks. I have no one to talk to about this. Lily will not understand. What the hell does she know about love? And Precious will ask him to forget him and move on but how can I when he is the only boy I truly love? I drank more often, draining my flask quickly in big, gulps. I could barely sleep at night, staring at the ceiling until daybreak. I rarely went for my lectures, staying back home after my parents, Lily and Krystal had left for school. When I told Precious how lowly I had sank, she

AFTERLilyI am still trying to recover from the shock from discovering that my parent's relationship was not as rosy as it seemed. It is weird that they almost did not build a family together and after three kids and eighteen years together, they are still not at peace with each other. I am not sure what I would have done if I was in their shoes. Call it quits and try co-parenting? Or to couples counselling and try to iron things out for the sake of the children and the almost-two-decades of relationship. Maybe even go further and get married? I try to forgive Mum. I don't leave the living room whenever she enters and I do not cough up an excuse when she wakes me up for Mass on Sunday morning. In church, I kneel down and gaze at the statue of Jesus Christ at the altar and pray for the Josephle to forgive my Mum. And for God's forgiveness. I do not talk to her either, I just nod or shake my head wh

BEFORE Lily"Lily, Lily—" Someone was shaking me gently, interrupting the walk I was taking down an unwinding road. Birds were gossiping from sickly tree branches, cocking their heads from head to side as if they are warning me. Tell me 'do not go any further! Stop!'I opened my eyes a bit, peering through the cracks. Dad was bare-chested, shorts ridding low on his hips. His eyes were bloodshot, his face marred with deep lines of fatigue. "Dad," I said in a yawn, "what's wrong?" "Do you know where your sister when to?" He asked me, staring pointedly at me. His words did not make sense to. Gibberish floating around, bumping against themselves. Until I arrange them, absorb them. "She is in her room." Is that not where she should be at night? "She is not there," Dad said, frowning like I should know that, "did she

AFTERLilyI wake up at six AM. Groggy and damp with sweat. I had another nightmare featuring Luc. We were arguing on a shore, foamy waves lapping at our ankles. Strong winds hoisted us up in the air, somehow when we were flung at the middle of the ocean Luc could swim perfectly, floating weightlessly on the dark, angry waters. But I was sinking fast like a heavy boulder. My mouth like an open cave, calling out for Luc, water infiltrated my lungs and the wiry hands of the ocean pulled me into its belly. A cock crowed at a distance, making me sit up with a start. The mattress in Dad's house is much firmer than the one at home. It is almost uncomfortable to sleep on. I reach for Luc's flask in my backpack and take a dainty, tentative sip. It tastes sharp like a combustion in my mouth, sliding down my throat igniting as it goes. It is clear why Luc is addicted to this stuff, I see stars behind my eyes, form