Stand By Me 4

Chapter 4: Picture Perfect

Leila's raven locks were styled into glamorous waves that tumbled over her shoulders, and the glittering white dress perfecly accentuated her large breasts, wide hips and tiny waist that had first caught Dave's eye. She looked sensational with her elegant make-up, gold statement earings and a pair of towering rose gold high heels. Looking preened to perfection, she admired her 36ft elaborate veil which featured Dave's full name and date of day they first met. Beyond bursting with happiness, Leila recalled the romantic way Dave proposed to her at the Eiffel Towers while they were on vacation in Paris. Dave was equally ecstatic as he waited in the church for his bride.

Leila and her father had an animated chat as they drove to the church in the Rolls Royce Phantom V1. She walked down the aisle with unsurpassed grace and her father handed her off. Dave litterally started crying the moment he saw his bride. Leila's bridesmaids and her maid of honour, her sister Mimi were all dressed in custom pale pink dresses with floral designs. Moments after saying 'I do' and exchanging their platinum weeding rings, the newly weds were busy with posing for their official wedding pictures.

At the reception, there all kinds of gastromic delights and a massive seven- tiered cake with classic white frosting and real roses. Father and daughter twirled around the dance floor singing their favourite song. The ceremony was MAGICAL!

After one year of marriage,  she was already carrying a baby bump, which she delighted in styling with stunning maternity dresses; while juggling wifey duties and her career. Dave had to quit his high paying job to take over the reigns of leadership of his family's empire.

She started feeling light contractions as she was grocery shopping. The contractions gradualy became more frequent and painful, she called her husband to book a birthing suite. Ten minutes after they reached the hospital, the baby was coming. The obstetrician barely had their to put his glove on before the baby was born. Every aspect of the delivery was natural and perfect and she received a flurry of visitors afterwards.

Two years later, they had another baby to celebrate. As they were building their family in their little corner of paradise, they opted to adopt Selena's gorgeous baby who was five years old at that time.  Their 20, 000 sq ft mansion overlooking the ocean and mountain had a sprawling kitchen, a massive dinning hall, spa, an olympic size pool and other stellar amenities. They constantly had friends and family over.

Throughout the roller coaster journey of life, they remained strong as a family growing each day in love.
Fairytales do happen~

Still smiling in the dream world...

SILENCE IS A CONVERSATION

The birds were chirping softly, the trees were almost touching the sky, the sunlight sparkled through the canopy of leaves tracing an intricate pattern on the ground and the soil felt moist and crispy beneath my feet. It was pure bliss! In the silence of the moment, I reflected upon my choices and decisions made earlier.  It was almost as if the silence reflected my reality in a different picture, a picture of reasoning. It was at that moment that I came to the epiphany that silence is power.

The magic of solitude and silence is that it gives you the time to watch, think and listen to the world around you. Rightly did Francis Bacon say, " silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom." This automatic conversation you start having with yourself, when there is silence, ultimately gives a sense of direction and purpose.

I have been on dates where I have talked so much because I dread the awkward silence that spontaneously erupts. But, Communication is a two way process: one is speaking and the other half is listening. And interwoven between the two is Silence. That silence that so many people feel uncomfortable with, has answers. When you pause in your conversation, embracing the silence, you are able to reflect a bit deeper. Your responses tend to show a blend of wisdom and maturity.

When the message you are trying to convey is important, you can't go wrong with having a few silent pauses. This can be so invaluable in business.

Silence is indeed golden. It is one of the best ways of dealing with the not-so-pleasant people in our lives. Not answering gets the message across. Silence means please leave me the heck alone. As Mandy Hale said, " don't waste words on people who deserve your silence.  Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is nothing at all."

Xx,
Liz

Still smiling in the dream world...

Stand By Me 3

Chapter 3: Nun In A Condom Factory

Her heart almost came to a full stop at that moment. Sweat trickled down her face and her vision became blurry. The baby had been stucked in for way too long and a massive caput had already formed. Yet she was as light as a feather, as weak as a kitten and was reluctant to push again. The mention of a possible C-section caused her stomach to churn. With an explosive flow of energy, she gave her hardest push. The baby was out.

" Ain't you happy to see your baby?", the nosy midwife asked. She tried her best to smile and nod, but she couldn't  answer. Inwardly, she hoped that the child was born with a defect incompatible with life.

Selena had been in a nonchalant mood since she found out she was pregnant. She always felt like a nun in a condom factory, but her first taste of sex, made her realised that it wasn't great as advertised. Being pregnant at 15 made her a social outcast, an outlier. Her friends had deserted her. Her boyfriend was nowhere to be found.

He cheated on her in Broad day light, yet she was adamant about leaving. She just wished that some karmic wisdom had whisked her out of that relationship. Her fate had turned for the worse; she had become a teen mother with no support. She knew she had to give up the child for adoption.

Her afternon shift at the labour ward was over, but Leila could not get Selena out of her head. What shocked Leila, causing her to shake and quake in her boots was the striking resemblance of Selena to her little sister. She was petrified by the thought!

                                      ¤♢♢¤
Leila's little sister, Mimi, was surprised that her sister was giving her a lecture on abstinence and teen pregnancy. The narration of Selena's story made her aware of where her big sis was coming from, but like a rebellious teeager,  she stormed off.

Little did she know that Mimi already knew Selena. Feelings of guilt engulfed her as she sobbed in her room with a pillow covering her face. She had turned her back on her friend when she needed her the most.

Initially, She helped her conceal the baby bump with corsets and oversized cardigans. But in a strict school like Everton high, such a secret could not be kept for long. When the school's authorities got wind of Selena's pregnancy, all hell broke loose. Soon her ass was on the line and they had to say their goodbyes.

10years of friendship. They've had so many arguments and magically have managed to be together for years. But the pregnancy was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Still smiling in the dreamworld...

BE WHO YOU ARE

How liberating is it to have a pep talk with yourself and finally define who you are! You will come to realise that there are so many things that people say and do that don't need your reaction. So take time to understand yourself and learn who you really are.

It is so easy to get into the trap of letting people define who you are; and this can happen subtly without your even realising it, especially if you try pleasing people. Pleasing people is intoxicating, letting critics dictate the course of your life is toxic.

It is beautiful to have manners and be all ladylike but you got to learn that sometimes you have to just fireback. It is not being mean, it is being assertive. Soon enough you see how those people change their behaviour towards you as the so called power they thought they had over you is deflated.

After knowing who you are, burn out any form of fear- fear of criticism, fear of judgement, you name them. Rather be led by your dreams and your belief in who you are.

Love always,
Liz.

Still smiling in the dream world...

Stand By Me 2

Chapter 2: Ectopic Scare

The medical student syndrome was finally wearing off and out of the 7 billion people in  the world, Leila was feeling like a total princess. She and her beau were enjoying  a morning session of romance when they began to discuss their future.

" I want a large family, so many children about 7." , said leila. "I want what you want.  I can't wait to have you as my wife", said Dave. At that moment Dave was actually  thinking of eloping  with Leila so they settle down in Paris, the city of love and enjoy life without interference from either of their families. Leila was recounting how boring single life was and the numerous valentine days she spent by herself. They then enjoyed their coffee as they watched the sun rise.

Leila was off to her radiology rotation the next morning while Dave was set for a job interview. The plan has always been to gather enough money and marry her dream girl right when she graduates. With about two years to go and a well paying job insight, the plan was soon enough going to materialise.

The room was quite small considering the number of peple suppose to be in it. The lighting had to be turned off to allow greater perception of the scan images. Patients were wheeled in and out almost instantaneously.  It was afterall a busy day.

Among the quazillon patients that tropped in and out that day, Rebecca stood out. She was a stunning 5feet 6 inches model, with hazy eyes, dark brown hair and an eye catching fair complexion. She was six weeks pregnant and recently engaged to her partner of 4 years. The radiologist said her scan was normal. To be honest, Leila was doubting this the whole time. Earlier in the day she had read about the increased risk of ectopic pregnancy in fair coloured African women and so was quick to judge Rebecca as a prime candidate for that. But she kept her opinion  to herself.
                                   ♢♤♤♢
Rebecca collapsed during a lingerie photoshoot and was rushed to back to the hospital a week later. She had been complaining of a severe abdominal pain the day before but kept postponing going to see her physician.  The likelihood of an ectopic pregnancy was out of the question until an emergency scan showed profuse intraperitoneal bleeding indicating a rupture.
A laparatomy surgery was done and she was stabilised yet in moderate pain. She had no relatives passing by and her supposed financee was no where to be found. She had to go through all that alone.

The ectopic scare was over but it got Leila to reconsider a few things. First she was not going to rush to start a family. Second, she cherished Dave even more. He gives his all into loving her.
Still smiling in the dreamworld...

Stand By Me 1

Chapter 1: Where It Began

The thunderous fall of the six feet 4 inch man on the cold hard ground was bone crushing; to add salt to injury, a cutlass ripped right through his forearm carving out a 10 cm deep laceration that torned completely all of his tendons. Pete was in pain and bleeding like hell. Being alone in the farm, he grapped some herbs and applied it on the injured part. Momentarily having some relief, but he needed help.

On the other side is leila, a young, brilliant and feisty med student who believed in fairytales. She admired a mesmerising photo she took with her beau, totally oblivious of the fact that her consultant was staring at her ready to mount an assault.

"Leila, what's the answer to the question I just asked?" Terry, the consultant asked.
She was completely baffadled, but quickly spurred out the answer she heard being whispered, which turned out to be right. Call it a sheer stroke of luck. No messing with Dr. Terry!

"Thanks", said leila to the guy who whispered the answer. He has been crushing on her since day 1, but has never bolted the courage to ask her out. He felt like he suddenly owned a million dollar private jet when leila showed appreciation. Seconds later, she switched her mind back to Dave, her boyfriend and couldn't wait for their dinner date.

Just when the theatre section was about to be dismissed, Pete was rushed in as an emergency. Terry chose Leila to assist. You know what that mean? Dinner plans with beau have to be cancelled.

They prepared the man for surgery. When the forearm was cleaned and examined, it was realised that his median nerve had also been severed.

The surgery was lasting longer than anticipated and the anaesthesia was wearing off. Pete started complaining of pain, but Terry in his usual bellicose state, was not taking any of that. He told him to 'Hold it in'. The anesthetist came to his rescue by topping up the anesthesia.

Terry was bitterly complaining about how tiring his day had been as he expertly sutured the last of the tendons. He then motioned to Leila to compete suturing the skin.

She changed out of her scrubs and looked up her phone to read a text message from beau. " I'm at the lobby waiting for you". She jumped for joy and in a flash, had already descended to there.

There he was, looking breathtaking in his white blazer and a blue pin- striped button- down. He ran to her, held her by the  waist and said the eight letter words: "I love you". The adorable couple intertwined their hands, walking side by side totally in love.

Still smiling in the dreamworld...

LIKE SHOOTING A FLY

Exhausted, drained, worn- out and fatigued could all be used to describe Katty's current state as she was tired to the bone. Even her favourite song playing on the radio gave her no resurrection. She couldn't help but sleep for an entire 3 hours in her car. Her days of hustling and sleep deprivation had finally taken a toll on her. Notwithstanding, her schedule for the day was extremely packed- 3am: preparing case file, 4am: cleaning, 5am: preparing kids for school, 6am- 2pm: work, 3pm: pick kids up from school, 4pm-6pm: work...

Katty is a modern day woman: she is a lawyer and a chaterred accontant, ceo of a leading law firm and mother to two adorable children. Gee, can working mums do it all? Well that is a whole lenthy topic for another day.Clearly, she wasn't able to pick up her kids. The calls from the schools had fallen on deaf ears, oops let me say sleepy ears. The school authorities were able to get- through to her ex- husband who responded and came to pick up the kids.
She woke up at 5:45pm feeling as if she was just  teleported from a different century back to her reality. "Oh my goodness my kids. 25 missed calls!", she exclamed. Just then, her husband called and told her the kids were with him.  But that wasn't a complete relief as Mr. Anderson is not your perfect gentleman.  He is an alcoholic, womaniser and a notorious gambler who keeps flushing fortunes away with his acts. 5 days after his divorce, he went straight ahead to marry an 18 year old model who subsequently divorced him in less than 72hours after their marriage.  Speak of Karma! Basically, Katty doesn't want the kids near him.

The horror of the day was yet to greet her. Her house had been burned to the ground.

She and her two children, Sam and Perry were going to spend the next few weeks or let's say months with Mr. Paul Anderson.
-------
Do you believe people can change, evolve into completely different human beings? Paul might be the answer we've all been looking for. A change man he had seemingly become- he started treating his wife and kids better; no women, no gambling; apparently he had stopped drinking. Katty was so much endeared by his new attitude that she ached to have him back again in her life.  They even went for couple therapy.

Life was going on perfectly normal until one day. Katty came home to see her precious 5 year old boy drinking a bootle of scotch while holding a bottle of guiness with his other hand. The sight was piercing to the core.
Bombshell time! Paul never changed and he had without remorse employed his own kids to cover up his acts. Thus creating the seemingly perfect husband camouflage. He couldn't curb his addictions and trying to save his marriage was like shooting a fly.

ELEVEN TELL-TALE SIGNS THAT IT’S TIME TO TRAVEL

Floating in the clouds, admiring the strange constellation of fluffy structures yet scared as if  the sky’s about to fall. Whoosh, that feeling of being up high in the sky.
The favourite time of the year- Summer- is here again (if I say so myself), and it’s time to lighten the bucket list. Let’s kick-start this infinite movie called traveling.

1.You’re  bored with the repetitive cycle of school or work: Sometimes, a welcomed break is all that your tired, overworked and overstressed body needs. Relax and reward yourself. Like they say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. What a better way to do it than by travelling.

2. All your friends  are travelling: I don’t know about you, but my travel alarm begins buzzing loudly when everyone around starts packing and leaving; soon enough I'm on the next flight.

 3. You miss travelling: Memories and nostalgia has got the better of you. And Going through old travel photo has become the new hit habit.

4. Not to mention the unquenchable 'thirst' that the innocuous act of looking at travel vlog, posts and pictures erupt.

 5. You daydream about locations: It feels whimsical to be lost in the wonder of admiration of places-  the beaches, the hikes, museum, restaurants, etc.

6. You delight in comparing flight fares, sponsored travel deals and practically every travel opportunity.

7. You yearn to study abroad: The perfect way to be an explorer of nations and immerse yourself in a new language.

8. You crave for adventurous ways of celebrating the new and/or old:  If it's your anniversary, birthday or honeymoon and you desire for it to be special, breath-taking and memorable, then I highly recommend a trip to the Maldives, Zanzibar or Bali in Indonesia

9. The map is your best friend for now: Some choose to call it the travel bible. A sudden obsession with finding “unknown” continents is a sign that perhaps home is the next destination.

10. Curiosity: If you’re physically fit, enthusiastic and hungry to explore the world, wait no longer. As the Asian proverb goes it is better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.

11. You are reading this; and it’s relatable!!!


The best education you will ever get  is travelling. Nothing teaches you more than exploring the world and accumulating new experiences. - Mark Patterson
Where is your next travel destination?

Still smiling in the dream world...
Xx, Liz.