short story — Afritondo

Something, Anything

Bottles of beer to their mouths, they all anxiously wait for him to at least say something, acknowledging that it is best to let a man crawl out of his shell on his own.

FictionUbong JohnsonSeptember 28, 2024short story, Ubong Johnson, Humour, HumorComment

Nelly

The burden of loving this baby weighed him down like the chains that had shackled his forebears. And hers.

A Caricature of Something Forgotten

Then I heard blog posts made money for writers. Like every click they got converted to money, like Linda Ikeji's blog. “When Google Ads enter your blog like this, you will blow.” So I tried blogging. I didn’t blow.

Lives, EssayMustapha EnesiJuly 7, 2024short story, Mustapha Enesi, Ebira Comments

Parable

Are you a bot?

FictionDavina KawumaJune 22, 2024short story, Davina Kawuma, Afritondo Short Story PrizeComment

The Bill

It is one of those mornings when you wake up with your troubles staring you in the eye.

FictionChisom NsiegbunamJune 1, 2024short story, Chisom NsiegbunamComment

Dear Levi

Dear Levi,

Four weeks ago, I buried my bracelet, my ring, and my baby.

Singular Affections

The sun shone brightly as if the ancestors themselves smiled upon the day.

FictionBanabas KarumaDecember 26, 2023short story, B.T KarumaComment

The Headhunter

When the Black man ruled this land, things were very different. You see, me, I’m the brother of the wind; I am the altered destiny.’

FictionDesta HaileDecember 9, 2023Desta Haile, Afritondo Short Story Prize, Aliens, short story Comment

Meeting Yewa

As soon as the smoke dispersed, a gorgeous woman with glowing dark skin was standing there.

FictionRachel BarduhnSeptember 9, 2023short story, Yoruba, Orisha, IdentityComment

The Backyard

She sighed. “Everything grows here,” she said, pulling out more weeds. “If it’s strong, it lives. If not, then it dies.”

Fiction, PodcastHuwa OkoyomohAugust 23, 2023short story, Huwa Okoyomoh, In the writer's voice Comments

In Too Deep

Last night, she came into the world of my dreams and rocked it upside down. She was all of splendour and beauty.

FictionAbasiofon 'Abbey' EbioAugust 12, 2023short story, Abasiofon EbioComment

Salvation

You hum the words of the poem again and again to the boy, smoothing his hair over and over as you do so. Already, you know that there is no more sleep tonight. You know this is where you will lie till the sun shines through those dancing curtains.

FictionMoyòsóre ÀyìnlàJuly 15, 2023short story, QueerComment

Make The Devil Disappear

The first time I saw the devil, I was four and didn’t quite make sense of what I saw. The second time I saw him, I was a year older and more articulate, but it was only for a fleeting second.

FictionEzioma KaluJune 24, 2023short story Comments

Under This Cashew Tree

I wonder what you think of how I look at you. How my hands linger when I touch you. I sometimes wish you’ll fall into my hands in total surrender, just like the cashew fruit.

FictionPrecious AfolabiJune 17, 2023short story, Precious AfolabiComment

The Smugglers

The room felt as if the earth had veered off its axis. The fan yet swirled. And Alice’s heart beat erratically in her chest. She had a voice, but she seemed to have lost it.

FictionJohnson AppiahMay 20, 2023short storyComment

One Day in the Life of Dr Toni Morenike

There were fat men, enormous men, short men, men with bald heads, men with full beards, and gaunt, ashen men. They all had one thing in common. Seated or standing, they had their legs splayed and were contorted in various stages of pain, their expressions a montage of horrors.

FictionEviano GeorgeApril 29, 2023short storyComment

A Good Cop

Alabi’s face began to take on a malevolent contour, but then he got a grip on himself. The poor boy was not responsible for his problems.

FictionHenry Chukwuemeka OnyemaMarch 18, 2023short story, Henry Chukwuemeka OnyemaComment

Harmattan

I think of her eyes, wet, as they bade me goodbye from the neighbourhood we shared for a year. A proximity that had made my night visits possible, spontaneous.

FictionObinna EmekaMarch 8, 2023short story, Flash Fiction Comments

Homecoming

We let silence speak the words our mouth cannot; we let it tell the tales of her pleas and my forgiveness. Mayme might have been my citizenship insurance at first, but now, she is my wife, the woman I love.

FictionPromise UdechukwuFebruary 22, 2023short story, Africa short story, Nigeria Comments