ADSactly Contest - SteemShort #3 - Post 2: Request for the Middle Part of the Story
Note
Starting with SteemShort #4, each SteemShort will have a theme
A theme may include one of several of: a location, some characteristics of the main character, an approximative date, some event that has just occurred, etc
UPDATE: The author for the middle part of SteemShort #3 has been chosen (2018-Jan-29)
The summary with the most upvotes (37) has been written by @mr-aaron
Congratulations, @mr-aaron
Here is the summary:
We met another thing On the mountain where mama and I went to pray. I found another man but the last Man everyone expected. The man already have a wife and several other ladies that he is the father to their children.
Nobody understands why I'm doing what I'm doing. Not even queen.
Guess who's back? My husband. He said he truly loves me but only wants to teach me a lesson. And that he can't afford to lose me to another man.
He's sober this time around. It's been long I ever see him show me this much love. But can he bare the news of everything that has happened? Will he even accept me again when he knows my present state?
SteemShort #3 - Post 2: Request for the Middle Part of the Story
SteemShort are short stories written collaboratively by three differents authors and illustrated by an artist/photographer.
The process to create a SteemShort is described in this post and amended in this one.
This is the request for the middle part of the third SteemShort.
The first part has been written by @cwen and can be found below.
Authors that want to write this middle part should send in a comment the summary of their proposed contribution. This summary must be in 100 to 200 words. Any proposed summary that is shorter than 100 words or longer than 200 words will not be considered. The summary must describe the continuation of the story and should be enough open-ended so that several ends for the story could be written.
To vote for an author, readers need to send 0.01 STEEM or 0.01 SBD to @steemshorts, with a memo that starts with "# SteemShort #3 Post 2 " followed by the username of the author. The character '#' is important, as it makes the memo only readable by @steemshorts. Any memo that does not start with '#' will not be considered.
Example of such a memo:
# SteemShort #3 Post 2 - marcel.dubrovnik
Readers may, of course, upvote the summary comment of the author they like, but the number of upvotes is no longer considered for choosing the author. Only the secret votes sent to @steemshorts are considered.
The chosen author will be the one that have the most votes sent to @steemshorts for his summary comment 3 days after this post. The post will be updated to indicate which author has been chosen.
The chosen author will then be instructed how to submit their full contribution. The full contribution need to be between 500 and 1,500 words.
Once the full contribution of the chosen author will be received, another post with this full contribution will request proposals for the last part of the story.
All authors need to agree for a “Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike” (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode).
No title for the short story should be suggested. When the full text of the full story will be known, the three different authors will each propose a title.
So, writers, send your summary proposals.
And, readers, vote for your preferred author sending 0.01 STEEM or SBD to @steemshorts with a valid memo starting with '#'.
Here is the first part of the story, writen by @cwen:
9th March
| Good morning my husband -12:17 | |
| Read | |
| Hope you are doing great? Just checking up on you. | |
| I haven’t heard from you for a while now. | |
| Do have a blessed day -12:17 |
11th March
| Good morning my husband – 16:19 | |
| Read | |
| How are you doing? -16:20 | |
| Read | |
| It’s been a long while – 16:21 |
20th March
| Good Morning My husband – 14:42 | |
| Read |
31st March
| Have a blessed day today – 16:10 | |
| Read |
6th April
| How is your day going my husband? It’s been awhile I heard from you. – 14:25 | |
| Read |
11th April
| Voice call declined -20:47 |
16th April
| You haven’t communicated to me or picked my calls for months now. | |
| What exactly have I done to deserve this ill treatment? -22:10 | |
| Read |
4th July
| Voice call declined -21:58 | |
| When will you call me? I don’t feel loved anymore. You are acting like I mean nothing to you. | |
| You have not spoken or picked up my calls for months now. | |
| How do you expect me to feel towards you when next I see you? | |
| Read |
You can move on, don’t worry about me.
I won’t be coming back there again.
| What?! – 22:10 | |
| Read |
You heard me!!!
^^Screenshot sent^^ -22:12
He is so callous, so unrepentant. You have sent him all these texts yet no response.
This is the third time he is asking you to forget about the marriage.
You have sent pictures of your ovulation signs to him.
Asked four different people to entreat on your behalf;
He gave them four different reasons for his actions.
You thought it was all about your inability to conceive.
I told you it’s not!
He is yet to give you a genuine reason for his actions.
Now he has added injury to Insult by blocking you from all social media.
He is simply telling you to get out of his life. Yet you keep texting!
Aren’t you tired of crying every night?
Aren’t you tired of lonely sad nights?
Aren’t you tired of loving him?
Why do you keep demanding for love where it does not exist?
| He is my husband. – 22:18 | |
| Read |
He is not A HUSBAND!
Are you crying?!
| Missed Video Call – 22:38 |
Pick up my video call
| HE IS MY HUSBAND! |
Queen cannot decide my marriage is over for me, I refuse to believe these messages hubby sends me or his silence to me. It is the Devil’s manipulations at work!
No, I must not faint, I have to be strong! I can’t let the world laugh at me, there must be a solution to all this craziness going on. This is beyond me, who do I run to? All his siblings have given me the cold shoulder telling me our marriage is none of their business. I can see them laughing at me already; they have gathered to laugh at me for no reason, see them- eating their tasteless meals and liking their fingers in relish; happy to know my marriage to their brother is over; why would another person’s pain give them joy? God knows I did them no wrong.
Yes God! God can do it! I must get up now .The cock has crowed. It must be 3 A.M now. I need to pack few of my clothing for this journey. I must win this battle! The sleepless nights I have had for months now must end.
Who could that be banging on my Gate at this ungodly hour? Why would anyone come bother me so early?
“Oh, it’s you Queen”
“Yes, of course it’s me. I could not sleep knowing you are here all alone after that text message and your refusal to pick my calls. Open the gate please”
“Come in.”
I could feel Queen’s eyes from behind me watching me closely and suspiciously, I know. Well, I don’t blame her, the last time I got that rude message I opted for suicide; had her instincts not told her to come visit me at that time, I might have been dead now. Well, the truth is I thought my life at that moment was over; thank God I think differently now; for I have put my trust in God and now I know what to do.
I should tell Queen I am better now, she needs not worry like this about me.
“Queen, You see am not suicidal anymore………...”
“Really? With all the garbage in your bin and plates on the floor still there since two days ago I last visited you?”
“You see, I really mean it………”
“Look Adanma, this is not you. You would never keep your room this untidy with clothes scattered everywhere else but the closets. I am so worried about you! Your last drama still shocks me till date. You no longer try to look good. Your Hair unkempt for over 3 months now and your invisibility on your social media; what is that?! You were the Kim Kardashian of us all. You should have moved past all this with all my support and pep talks, He is not worth your tears, don’t you want to get a better man? How would anyone know you exist? There are other men out th…”
“Stop it Queen! He is still my Husband, why should I think of another man?” I had to stop Queen’s rants she cannot weaken my resolve to fix this marriage.
“My marriage is still fixable…..”
“No, you can’t fix it alone! How can you fix a marriage when one partner is hell bent on destroying it?”
“Sure I can’t fix it alone. I have another partner that can fix it. I am on my way to see him!”
“Who?!”
“I am going to the Mountain.” I could see bewilderment dancing around Queen’s eyes; so I took her hands and prod her to kneel beside me.
“You see, I hardly make a Prayer on my Knees, today I am going to pray a special prayer and you will be my witness, I am going to a Mountain to seek God’s face, if my prayers will not be answered on this mission then He can take my life…..”
Queen snatched her hands from me and jumped up to her feet.
“You are still suicidal Adanma!!! Please you have to stop all these nonsense talk, Have you ever had a different perspective to this? Perhaps God wants you to avoid a pitfall that may happen in that marriage. What if He is dead? Wouldn’t you move on?”
“But he is not dead!” I shouted trying hard to fight this one drop of tear blurring my vision.
“Sorry I shouted but he is not dead. He is alive. People would laugh at me, they would say I was a bad wife or maybe I am barren or say lots of vile things about me, I would be labelled as someone who couldn’t keep her marriage together. Can’t you see? I need to fight for my marriage!”
“Adanma, Please stop hurting yourself with all these thoughts, I don’t see you that way and am sure most people don’t see you that way too…”
“You’re not most people!”
“This is beyond me, I have to call Mama”
“I’ve packed my things; no one will stop me.”
“And I won’t let you go till Mama gets here.”
“Mama welcome. Sorry I made you come out here so early. I can’t seem to handle this situation Adanma is giving me. I know you would be in the best position to handle this.”
“Adanma, How are you?” Mama asked but I was in the spirit.
“For over an hour she’s been pacing the entire room and speaking gibberish non-stop!”
“My daughter is heartbroken, I know. I know from the day she called in worry to tell me he has stopped picking her calls. I have been praying and fasting since then that all will be well for my daughter.”
“Thank you Mama” I swung towards her.
“Thank you Mama, I want to go to the mountain……. Why do you look so pale weak and older than your age?”
“Every day I call to check on you and you politely hang up on me. I feel your pain. Your pain is my pain. My sister, your aunt Olachi had this experience 20 years ago, I watched her struggle to gain her sanity back for 3 years. I could do nothing to save her, or so I thought. This time I will not let you be hopeless. I will follow you to the mountain. ”
I swung my arms over her shoulder and dropped my head on Mama’s chest, the tears I had been fighting hard to keep for months now rolled freely. At last, someone understands me and doesn’t think me crazy. My shoulders got wet, Mama cried too. I never meant to hurt her. Thoughts of putting my mum in so much pain made my bones vibrate and body shiver. I should have said no to his marriage proposal.
Mama straightened up and said. “Let’s go to the mountain!”
ADSactly Contest SteemsShorts is authored and managed by: @vcelier
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Thank you!
May I write short stories for you to publish?
Love @cwen's storyline! And thanks @adsactly for this terrific opportunity to write. Here's my proposal summary for the middle part:
Thud! She crashed to the ground, knocked down by the falling branch. By the time she regained her senses, it was mid afternoon. The smell of dry grass and the potpourri of freshly dried flowers assaulted her. Gradually regaining her senses, but still feeling severely disoriented, she opened an eye to look around her.
D**n! I'm still alive? Her head throbbed as if in response. She was going to have a migraine attack soon. Sighing loudly, she turned over so she could push herself to a seated position. Uggh! There was something caught up in her right shoe. Cold. Metallic. She pulled it out and squinted at it. What is this weird thing? It seems to be reflecting all the light of the mountain sun straight at me.
Recognition hit then, relegating her physical pain and emotional heartache to the background. It was a coin! A gold one! She was knowledgeable enough to recognize one when she saw one.
A few minutes later, with a smile playing on her lips, she put her phone back into her pocket and went about looking for more.
She didn't think her husband such an as***le as he had just claimed to be.
Thank you for your valid summary.
Amazing story by @cwen it has really moved me to write my own summary
Thanks a lot @Adsactly for this wonderful contest... here’s My summary
5th July
It’s been 2 weeks since I returned from the mountain, what’s really going on? Isn’t God supposed to have answered my prayers now?
The pastor had told me the prayer points that were ministered to him by God; I had prayed and fasted and cabashed for weeks now and yet I hadn’t even seen a text from him!! But why??!!!
No!! I had to go back to this mountain
I’ll remain there till God answers me or this pastor tells me he’s a fake!!!
“Mama walks in”
“Ada!!!
Ada’m!!!!
Please stop worrying, it’ll be well!!
The pastor has revealed to us the problems and he has assured us God is on our side, it will definitely be well”
I stare at my mother for a bit, she’s everything’s I’ve always wanted to be
Strong!! Virtuous!! Courageous!! And a successful mother!!
How will I ever be a successful mother of my husband has decided to abandon me??
Thank you for your valid summary.
submission:
I had hoped this trip to the mountain would allow me time to rethink my marriage and decide my path. I hoped I would succeed and be strong enough to survive without him. Deep in my heart, I had loved my husband more than life itself, but hadn’t realized that love was never reciprocated. If I could not overcome this obstacle then my life would end, and so would my family’s hope for me to begin anew. Had I the strength to begin anew, I asked myself?
I remembered loving my husband at first sight and had adored him from afar until he finally took notice of me one day. That day in the school library when our eyes met, I had known then that my life would mean nothing without him in it. My heart had thudded and my body electrified the moment he asked me a question.
“Where can I find the business finance textbook in this library, Miss?” he had asked.
His voice was gentle and polite. I had had problem sleeping that night and every other night until we met again. It was pure, unadulterated love. Could I beat the odd and survive?
Thank you for your valid summary.
Congratulations @cwen, I hope I win too.
here is my proposed summary for the middle part
We met another thing On the mountain where mama and I went to pray. I found another man but the last Man everyone expected. The man already have a wife and several other ladies that he is the father to their children.
Nobody understands why I'm doing what I'm doing. Not even queen.
Guess who's back? My husband. He said he truly loves me but only wants to teach me a lesson. And that he can't afford to lose me to another man.
He's sober this time around. It's been long I ever see him show me this much love. But can he bare the news of everything that has happened? Will he even accept me again when he knows my present state?
If you like my story pls Send 0.01sbd to @steemshorts using this memo (# SteemShort #3 Post 2 - mr-aaron)
Thank you for your valid summary.
Congratulations, you are the chosen author.
Please contact me on discord or steemit.chat ( @vcelier ) to submit your full contribution.
Here is my summary:
Adanma and Mama prepare to walk up the mountain first thing in the morning.
Queen decided to stay behind. Her way of not condoning what Adanma is doing.
The morning arrives. Mama is cautiously optimistic about how this small journey is going to affect Adanma.
When the sun’s rays hit the mountains peak, illuminating the summit, they start their ascent.
A trail runs from the mountains base, to the the summit, making it easy to hike in a couple of hours.
Mama feels like Adanma is too optimistic during their walk. Adanma tells mama that she is sure that God will show her what to do.
In the distance, they hear footsteps growing nearer. Was Queen following them?
As they approach the summit, Adanma asks mama to leave her alone so that she can pray. Mama reluctantly leaves her be.
As Adanma kneels down to pray, she catches the glimmer of a metal object lying in the dirt. It’s a knife. Adanma knows what to do. She shrieks as she thrusts the knive deep into her stomach. At that same moment, a man emerges- “Adanma Nooooooo!!”
Adanma whimpers- “My Husband....”
Mama comes running...
Thank you for your valid summary.
Thanks @adsactly
My proposed middle part summary
I and mama started climbing the mountain -without Queen ofcourse- Queen stayed at home not happy with mama's decision to allow and even acompany me on my mountain prayer journey.
Ofcourse the beggining of the mountain hike was easier than the rest of the hike and we had to get to the top (i really cant say why it must be the top.i think maybe because it seems closer to heaven).
By the time we reached the midpoint of our journey we were already short of breath -this was my first mountain journey- at this point although determined I and mama had to rest.
During this period everything started playing over in my head.
THE BEGGINING OF ALL THESE
I and my husband met at Queen's birthday party.........
Thank you for your valid summary.
Proposed continuation for SteemShort #3:
After a long climb up the mountain, Adanma and her mother reach a place near the summit that has a small lake. They prepare their living space (tents), take a short rest, then they cook and have their dinner.
As the sky turns dark, Adanma is asked by her mother about her plans, if her husband does return to her. Adanma is stumped, she only thought about getting her husband back and nothing else. They talk about her expectations, and the mother asks if she’s angry at her husband. After a long silence, she realizes that she does and starts crying.
She’s comforted by the mother, they talk more before turning in for the night.
Adanma couldn’t sleep, she gets out of the tent and stands at the edge of the lake looking at the sky. She prays for strength and wisdom to make the right decisions.
Early morning, Queen appears at the place with some news about the husband.
She checks the tent and finds only the mother sleeping, with a folded piece of paper beside her. Adanma decided to leave for a while and will return after a few months to decide about her marriage.
Thank you for your valid summary.
here is my proposed middle part
For the love for her child, mama went also to the mountain. Feeling the pain of her daughter and worrisome of what she might do next , mama aims to the summit after being restless for many days of worrying.
Filled hope, Adanma rise to the peak, believing that after all this sacrifice and prayers her husband will be back. A few minutes later her mama made it to the peak too. A tight hug ended their agonizing climb. While telling some few words of encouragement but if saying goodbye, mama fainted dropping on her knees.
Frustration and desperation of Adanma towards her husband was replaced by regret and anxiety towards her ailing mother.
"Why didnt I noticed it. I was so consumed with my own feelings",she uttered. She is in total panic. Will it be to late?
Will she lost not just her husband but also her mother?
She only has one wish to offer after the sacrificial climb towards the summit. Whom will she wish to stay?
Thank you for your valid summary