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Fierce - Literature (1) - Nairaland

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Switched (story Of A Fierce Battle Between Desperate Infatuation And True Love) / HARMATTAN (A Poem On Our Current Fierce Weather) (1) (2) (3) (4)

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Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:48pm On Sep 03, 2017
Am back again

You are welcome dear. Take a front row seat. There is origin and pop corn by the corner
Re: Fierce by Adesina12: 5:08pm On Sep 04, 2017

You are welcome dear. Take a front row seat. There is origin and pop corn by the corner

Lady fierce o ya nah
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 2:04am On Sep 05, 2017

Lady fierce o ya nah

Lol I will update later in the day
Re: Fierce by jagugu88li(f): 4:56am On Sep 05, 2017

Will come back next week. Tell the authors to slowdown a bit tongue

Cc. Creeza
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 1:35pm On Sep 05, 2017
Chapter 5

The driver she found out was a woman, who also sympathised to Ada's made up story of how she was attacked and robbed. From the conversations with the ladies,she discovered that she was indeed in the United States and that she had been left stranded in Alamogordo.
She was given a dress and a pair of slippers by the lady who had offered her a lift while the other gave her two hundred dollars.

Once she had been dropped off and the ladies had left. It dawned on her,she had no idea where she was nor did she know anybody in the place. There were a lot of people going about their business and she just stood there confused. She thought within herself that it will be safer for her if she just moved along with the crowd to avoid drawing attention to her.
She had no idea where she was going but she kept on walking. There were a lot of tourists around and there were too busy with their sightseeing to notice her. She was very hungry but she was scared to get anything for herself. She only had two hundred dollars and she wanted to keep it that way.
She had walked for hours and it was getting dark,she scanned the area looking for somewhere she could spend the night but everywhere was open. She took a turn into another street and she found the perfect spot. It was secluded and it was very dark so someone couldn't see you. She walked over and sat down and brought her knees to her chin.
She started to sob as she rocked herself from side to side. She let the tears flow as she thought about her life,her dreams,family,friends and everything that led her to this point.

"This is our spot,you need to leave now" she heard someone say. She looked up to see two scantily dressed ladies watching her with keen interest. One of the ladies was black and the other Hispanic. She wanted to assure them that she wouldn't cause any trouble but she couldn't seem to open her mouth and speak.

"Just leave her alone,I doubt she is any threat to us. Especially where she is,you can't see her from across the street. Come on,let's go" the black lady said as she pulled the other away to join another group of ladies.

Ada was beyond grateful to the kind lady but didn't utter a word. She stared at them and watch how they left one after the other with men and after a while they seem to return and the process start all over again. She watched their movements until she fell asleep.
It was in the early hours of the morning when someone tapped her. She woke up to find the woman who had earlier been kind to her.

"It will soon be daylight. You need to leave this place" she said,looking into her eyes

"I don't have anywhere to go" she whispered

"You ran away from home?"

"poo" the lady said looking pissed "now the police and your parents will be looking for you and that will cause trouble for us. I should have left Sarah chase you away"

"No,no,no. There is no police looking for me, I swear. My parents are dead and a friend of mine helped me across the border" she replied

The woman studied her for a while before saying "You are sure of this?"

"Yes, yes I am"

"Okay,then follow me" she said and grabbed Ada's arm.

The woman who later introduced herself as Nessa led her to a house. It was a boarding house of sort tho it only accommodated prostitutes and she knew this because all the women she saw last night were in the house. It was owned by Nessa's aunt. They walked into a room and a woman with grey hair was by the window knitting. Nessa told the woman about Ada's situation and motioned for her to draw closer to the woman.

"What's your name young girl?"

She looked at Nessa who nodded for her to answer "My name is Ada" she said nervously

"Strange name. What's the origin?"

"I'm from Nigeria ma"

"OK, I'm not a harsh person but at the same time, I do not want any problem. My niece has assured me that no one is looking for you and I'm going to take her word for it. I will like to warn you tho, that I will throw you out the minute you bring any trouble to my doorstep. Is that understood?"

"Yes...yes..yes ma" she stammered

"The rent is four hundred dollars a month but you could pay a hundred dollars every week. What ever works for you. Do you have a job?"

"Not yet ma but I will start searching for one later in the day ma"

The woman looked at her like she didn't believe her and after a while shrugged "The minute you are late with your rent,you are out. Understand?"

"Yes ma " she replied and on impulse she reached her hands into her pocket and brought a hundred dollar bill and stretched it over to the woman "My rent for this week ma."

The woman collected the money and smiled "Don't call me Ma,my name is Kris. There is only one kitchen in this house,so use it whenever you want,I will not tolerate cooking inside your room. Now Nessa take her to her room" she said and waved them away.

Ada spent the next four days searching for a job but to no avail. Her feet hurts from too much walking. She had spent her last dollar for lunch. She walked around aimlessly for a while and then returned home.

"You look horrible" Nessa said

"I feel horrible too,no one wants to employ me. I don't have any money and this dress that's the only thing I have in this world just got torn" she replied as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Why don't you stop being a crybaby and follow us tonight. You will make enough money for this week's rent and for feeding and if you could save then maybe by the end of the week you can buy new clothes"

Ada thought about what she said for a moment "but I can't go out dressed like this" she said as she pointed out her dress.

"Don't worry,I will lend you some of my clothes until you can get some for yourself"

"Thank you"

"You are welcome,now follow me so you can select the clothes you want."

When it was dark,Nessa helped her applied makeup and they set out with the other girls. They stood around smoking as they waited for customers and soon enough a car pulled over. They were two young men who looked like they weren't even eighteen yet. They smiled at both Nessa and Ada.

"You want a friend?" Nessa asked

"Yeah" one answered while the other nodded "How much for an hour?"

"Just a hundred dollars" she said and pushed her head and shoulders in the window on the passenger's side "It will cost you another fifty dollars if you want a room"
The two men looked across at each other and then motioned for both of them to enter.

The next three months seem to be a blur for Ada,everything just kept happening fast and it seemed the world was spinning around her. Business was good and she has some savings hidden away,life was good.
She has been having feelings of sickness and nausea for some days now. She thought it was a flu but as it persisted and she started vomiting, she decided to see a doctor. Who conducted a test on her and she discovered she was pregnant. She needed no magician to tell she was carrying Nick's child. It seemed true to his words he had left her with a gift.
She didn't want the baby so she went to an abortion clinic where she was told it would cost a thousand dollars for the procedure.

"Do I look like I have one grand for an abortion?" She screamed at the doctor.

"You need to understand ma'am that at the stage you are in,its really risky and —"
She cut in "please spare me the crap. You can keep your foolish procedure. I'm not going to spend one grand on this fetus I don't even want. Maybe I will dump it by the roadside or at an orphanage. But one thing for sure is that you are not getting any money from me" she said as she stormed out of the clinic.
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 1:36pm On Sep 05, 2017
Will come back next week. Tell the authors to slowdown a bit tongue

Cc. Creeza

I guess we will see you when you return.

1 Like

Re: Fierce by Adesina12: 2:17pm On Sep 05, 2017

I guess we will see you when you return.
Op don't mind that sauce girl ooo
Kwantiniu...Sweet popcorn for you dear
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 1:26am On Sep 06, 2017
Op don't mind that sauce girl ooo
Kwantiniu...Sweet popcorn for you dear

Thanks dear. Pls is it the butter own or its guguru?

1 Like

Re: Fierce by Desewa27(f): 5:27am On Sep 06, 2017
Poor Ada.she is going through a lot.
Re: Fierce by Adesina12: 9:39am On Sep 06, 2017

Thanks dear. Pls is it the butter own or its guguru?
This is for you and your fans

Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:40am On Sep 06, 2017
Poor Ada.she is going through a lot.

I know right cool cool cool
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:42am On Sep 06, 2017

This is for you and your fans

Lmao. This is def what we needed. I hope it taste as good as it looks sha cool shocked shocked tongue
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:57pm On Sep 08, 2017
Chapter 6

Ehi has always known that her mother hated her but what she still could not understand was why. She went out of her way to be the best daughter anyone could ask for but her mother never seem to notice. It seems the more she tried,the more her mother hated her.
She has been ignored all her life by her mother and even when she tried to act like she didn't care,it hurts her deeply inside. She tried to act like she wasn't bothered by her mother's action but she failed woefully.

The only time her mother acknowledged her presence was whenever she did something wrong,which she always used as an excused to hit her. Tho her mum has not laid a finger on her in four years.
The last time was on her twelfth birthday when she had made the mistake of asking her mother for a present. Her mother in turn had given her slaps,kicks and punches and had pushed her down the stairs. She had been found unconscious with her hair matted in blood by her mother's friend Nessa who rushed her to a hospital where they discovered in addition to the bruises all over her body she also had broken ribs,concussion amongst other things.

Nessa had given a false story that she was attacked by burglars but it was obvious the doctor didn't buy it. Even Nessa had been shocked when she saw the amount of injury on Ehi's body.
She stayed in the hospital for a week before being discharged, her mother never bothered to check in on her and it was Nessa who paid the bills and took her home.
When they got home,she found her mother in front of the TV watching a movie. As usual her mum ignored them both. Nessa helped her upstairs to her room and once she laid her down on the bed,she marched down and gave her mother a piece of her mind.
Ehi couldn't hear much of the argument that was going on downstairs but she heard when Nessa told her mother that if she ever raised a finger on her again,she was going to call the police to come arrest her. Her mother seem to believe Nessa's threat because since that day,she had not raised a finger on her but that only made her more cruel to Ehi.

There were nights where she chased Ehi to bed without dinner while they were also days when she went out and left nothing for her to eat.
She stayed with her mother in a storey building apartment her mother had inherited from her ex husband. It turned out the man was terminally ill and somehow her mother had convinced him marry her. He died within two years of the marriage. Now her mother rented the other rooms to prostitutes just like herself.

Ehi was tasked with cleaning the entire house and whenever she wasn't thorough with her job,it meant she wouldn't eat that day or her mother would not buy her whatever it was she was asking for at that period of time. She didn't have friends because she had chores round the clock whenever she was back from school. The only person who she could call a friend was Nessa. She had taken Ehi under her wings from the moment she was born,she was the only person who remembered her birthday and got her presents and on occasions took her out.
Whenever her mother had to be away for days,she sent Ehi to Nessa's place which also housed prostitutes like theirs. It was always a blessing for her anytime her mother was away because it meant she could do fun things like other kids her age.

She had always been bullied in school because she was too tall and even now at 16 her chest was as flat as that of a boy. The boys in her class teased her for her height while the girls hated her for her beauty.
She had pronounced cheekbones and almond shaped eyes. Her eyes were honey brown. She had thick wavy hair that reach her midriff and that seem to piss the other girls off the most. She was also very skinny,her mother during one of her outbursts had told her she was skinny just like her dad she was happy when she heard this because it meant it was genetics and not malnutrition. Her skin was naturally tanned and a lot of women envied her for it. There had been some occasions where strangers walked up to her to know where she got her tan done.

Nessa always teased her that she would someday become a famous model but she never took her seriously. It was one afternoon when she went to a saloon with Nessa and one of the hairdressers asked if she was a model. She laughed and told the lady no but the woman continued that she was wasting her looks if she was not trying to get into the modelling industry. The other women in the saloon also agreed with the lady and Nessa gave her an I told you so look.
That day,when she got home,she spent hours staring at her reflection in the mirror and at that moment she decided to try the modelling thing. If everyone felt she could excel in it then she would be a fool not give it a shot. The next couple of weeks,she spent them reading everything and anything about modelling. She checked for casting calls around the area. When that didn't seem productive,she started skipping schools and going to places, she felt a scout could see her.

She went to the malls,museums, parks,hotels,the university,she even went to the airport and roamed around for hours but to no avail. She was about giving up when she overhead some girls in her class talking about a casting call that was to be held the next day. That night she washed and ironed her only good pair of jeans,she scrubbed her sneakers clean also tried on the new shirt Nessa had given her some weeks ago.

The next day,she hid the clothes in her bag as she pretended to go to school but once she was at a safe distance she switch clothes and headed for the casting venue.
She arrived ten minutes before the appointed time but there were already dozens of girls there. The casting directors came in a short while and the process began. When it was her turn,she proceeded into the small room and cheerfully greeted and introduced herself to the judges which consisted of two white males and a black female. She was so nervous, she couldn't make out their words when they ask her to walk for them. The female director had to repeat herself twice before Ehi could understand.

She nervously walked for them and when she was done,the judges seem to consult amongst themselves and then a male judge addressed her.

"That was real good miss E-hi—" he looked across to confirm if he got the name right.

"No,its Air-he" she corrected

"Okay,nice walk and you look the part but to proceed to the next level,you need to pay three hundred dollars to this lady" he pointed at the woman sitting beside him "and then you fill out the form she gives to you and drop in the basket by the door before you leave" he said looking straight into her eyes.

"Sir I did not bring any money with me." she said

"Then I'm sorry,we can't help you."

"How bout I bring the money tomorrow." she said looking at the judges beseechingly.

The man at the middle exchanged glances with the other judges who nodded in agreement "okay, I guess"

"Thank you"

"You are welcome " and she walked out.

As she walked out of the building, she had tears in her eyes. She kept wondering how she could come up with the amount. She didn't want to tell Nessa until she was sure it was going to work out. She knew she couldn't ask her mother. She just stood on the pavement with her hands on her head oblivious to everything going on around her.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see a man she had never seen before. He was black and he was also very short or maybe she was just too tall. He seem to be speaking to her tho she could not make out his words

"Sorry,what did you say?"

"You are crying"

She felt her cheeks with her palm and realized it was wet. She quickly wiped the tears off and smiled at the stranger "Thank you. I act silly like this sometimes"
He gave her a look that showed he didn't believe her,he shrugged "I can't help but wonder,do you have any interest in modelling?"

"Yes,I even came her for a casting call" she said and pointed the building behind her.

The young man laughed at her for a while "let me guess,they asked you to pay some money."

"Yes,I'm supposed to pay three hundred dollars for a form"

The young man laughed some more before he continued "Did you?"

"No and that's only because I don't have the money and what's so funny that you keep laughing at" she glared at the stranger

"I don't know,maybe its that fact that you are so naive you can't see that those are fraudsters you are dealing with" he said

She looked back at the building "Are you sure? They really felt legit"

"And you know this how?"

"But they had flyers" she argued

"Anyone can have flyers my dear"

"Well I guess its my luck that I didn't have any money on me then" she shrugged and was about moving away when the stranger held her arm "What do you want?" She asked angrily.

"Keep cool miss. My name is Simeon and I actually own a modelling agency."

She looked at me as if he was crazy "Really,so you think I will escape from one set of fraudsters and fall into the hands of another right? Nice try" she brushed his hands off .

"Fine,don't believe me but take my card —" he handed her his business card "— my cell phone number is behind. I'm only in town for two more days before I return to New York. So make sure you call me before then" he said

"Yeah,whatever" she replied and walked away.

That night she pondered on her conversation with Simeon. She took the card he had earlier giving her out her pocket and read it thoroughly. She didn't want to be scammed but then again she had no money so he couldn't possibly gain anything from her she thought.
The next morning on her way to school, she used a phonebooth and called Simeon.
Re: Fierce by Chigold121(f): 11:25pm On Sep 09, 2017

You want Origin or Fayrouz to go with it?
. Fayrouz will do.
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 12:21am On Sep 10, 2017
. Fayrouz will do.

Oya take kiss kiss kiss
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 8:20pm On Sep 11, 2017
Chapter 7

Its been six months and Ehi still hasn't felt at home in Queens. For a place so popular she expected more. She thought she will see fancy buildings and restaurants but all she sees everyday are the ramshackle buildings that seem to be the identity of the neighborhood.
The building she lived in had known better days and every night she prayed to wake up in one piece from fear of the building collapsing. The apartment they stayed in was everything but welcoming. The rooms were too small. The only furniture was a shabby couch that she slept on while he stayed in the bedroom and slept on camp bed.

When Simeon had told he he had an agency,she was thinking he had a lot of clients and knew the right people but lo and behold she was his only client and it was a struggling agency. He told her not to worry that everything would work out soon but she found that hard to believe.
She couldn't go back home because her mother has passed a message to Nessa to tell her so and the truth was she didn't know how she will go back and face everybody, she knew the other kids in school will bully her more so she decided to stick around and see where this leads. The only person she still communicated with was Nessa and every time they spoke on the phone,she was always happy and felt proud Ehi was doing fine. There were days when she wanted to tell her that everything was not fine over here but the joy she could hear in Nessa's voice anytime the talked prevented her.

For his part,Simeon has been doing a lot she had to admit. In the past six months,he had registered her for walking classes and also in a gym not too far from their house where she workout every morning and evening. He had her visiting a dermatologist from time to time. He bought quality skin care products for her and made sure she ate right. Even tho he acted like everything was okay,she could see from his face every time he was counting money from his safe that everything was far from being okay. He got a professional photographer to do a portfolio shoot for her and she knew it was damn expensive but he acted like it was nothing. She had earlier done a comp card shoot and sent out but that didn't really help because no job came out of it.

It was a cool evening and she sat on the couch waiting for Simeon,he had told her earlier to prepare that something good was coming up and he will fill her in when he returned home. There was nothing for her to use to wile away time so she just sat there waiting patiently. It was the second week of July and she had turned seventeen on the first of that month. Simeon had given her a pair of shoes while Nessa had sent her a gold wristwatch. She wasn't sure if the gold was real but that didn't really matter to her. The fact that she remembered the occasion was more than enough.
She got tired of waiting and decided to go downstairs,there was a beauty salon next door and sometimes she sat and chat with the ladies. The salon was owned by Catherine Smalls,she was a black woman and was about five feet tall. She usually called Ehi a giant. She was a very jovial person and a good cook. Ehi can testify to that because she had eaten one too many times at her house which was above the salon. She knew that even tho Catherine had never gotten married she had a son who played college basketball at UCLA. Catherine always spoke about her son and she had pictures of him scattered all over her house and the salon. She spoke to Ehi about her son all the time. Their friendship was kind of weird especially with their age difference but that didn't really matter and most times Catherine treated her like the daughter she never had.

"Oh my goodness, our very own supermodel has decided to grace us with her presence today" she heard as soon as she entered the establishment. It was coming from Sarah a girl Catherine had picked from the street and trained her to be a manicurist.

"Really Sarah? You know you have been praying all day for me to come here" she said as she walked over and gave her a hug "You better cherish theses moments because when I become a superstar you will only see me on your TV screen"

"You wish girl, me and you we gonna strut the catwalk on runways together" she replied

"Sarah what would you be doing on the runway?" Matilda asked. She was a hairdresser.

"What do people do on the runway that you know. That's what I will be doing"

"But you are like three feet tall" Ehi chipped in

"Girl don't y'all try to come for me. I'm four feet eight as you all know and don't you dare tell me height is a barrier. Check out Kate Moss she is just five foot six and she is known globally" she replied.

"Too bad you are just four feet eight" Matilda said with a pitiful look on her face and everyone burst into laughter.

"Y'all just wait and see " Sarah replied and she continued working on her clients.

"Where is Ms Catherine?" Ehi asked

"She is upstairs" Matilda replied.

Once she got upstairs,she gave a soft knock and stepped into Catherine's room and found a black male in singlet and shorts lying across the bed reading a book. He looked up as she walked in.

"I'm so sorry,I thought Catherine was in here" she heard herself say

Chuckling he replied " Its no biggie, she is having her bath and would be out soon. I'm Cicero by the way."

"Cicero like the Cicero in UCLA?" she asked

He looked at her like she was nuts "I guess"

"Wow,nice to finally meet you,your mum talks about you all the time"

"Good or bad?"

"I mean the things she tells you about"

"Oh,you know the usual. The mischievous things you did and how she almost went nuts raising you" she replied and he starred at her in disbelief "Just kidding,she only talked about how adorable you are"

"Jesus,that woman keep making me sound like a baby " he said laughing "believe me when I say adorable is not the word to use for me. Public menace is more like it"

She laughed at that "Okay,I guess I will have to take your word for it"

"Sure" he replied and the bathroom door opened and Catherine walked out.

"I heard laughter and I wanted to be sure my son isn't bringing one of them groupies to my bed" she said

"Lord, mama you know I'm not like that"

"And I will act like I believe that. Ehi this is my son Cicero and here young man, is the woman I want you to marry"

"Lord,you are embarrassing me Ms Catherine. Don't mind your mother. I'm just a girl from next door"

"For the first time I agree with my mom on something. Mama when will you like the wedding to take place?" he replied laughing

"Now that the topic is about a female you are now interested huh? Get outta here and let your old woman dress" he rose from the bed and gave her a peck

"It was nice meeting you Miss Ehi" he said as he strolled out.

"I know you said he plays basketball ball but I didn't really expect him to be that tall. Now that's a real giant Ms Catherine."

"Girl please,he is just 6'9"

"That's not just ma. I will wait for you downstairs while you dress" she said and left.

When she finally left the salon and returned home she found Simeon eating doughnuts and a drink on the floor.

"Good evening" she said and sat down beside him "How did your day go?"

"It was productive that I will tell you. So tomorrow you have a job. There is group that is launching a bunch of shirts and I got you in as one of the models. You need to wake up early because the event is in Manhattan and your makeup and hair needs to be done plus you guys are taking a bunch of pictures before the runway itself.

"Wow,that's good news. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time and now that you have told me,I'm just shivering inside" she said

"Don't be scared,you will do just fine,now go to bed so you will wakeup early and don't forget to just breath and I bet if you stick to everything you have been taught this will just be the beginning for us. Goodnight dear" he said as he grabbed his drink and went into the bedroom.

1 Like

Re: Fierce by itsandi(m): 7:26am On Sep 14, 2017
Interesting storyline! Do mention me when you update abeg. I love it!
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 2:55pm On Sep 14, 2017
Interesting storyline! Do mention me when you update abeg. I love it!

sure will do that
Re: Fierce by itsandi(m): 4:57pm On Sep 14, 2017

sure will do that
cool grin cheesy

1 Like

Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 2:17pm On Sep 15, 2017
Chapter 8

Some of the dignitaries invited were running late and the time for the event was pushed back. The models were already there and had already posed for pictures before they were told about the new development. Tho the organizers say the event would begin in a few minutes time but apparently that had turned into hours because they were still waiting for the event to commence.

It was evening already and Ehi was famished,she had been to nervous to eat in the morning and now she was tired and miserable. She sat with an unenthusiastic slouch and slowly counting the hours until this dreadful event would begin so she can go home and eat something. She thought about Ms Smalls' Chicken Marbella which she served with saffron rice and steamed broccoli and just that thought made her mouth to water and she shut her eyes tight. She heard footsteps towards her direction but was too tired to look up and when the person sat beside her too she didn't turn.

"Here,I think you need this." she heard from beside her.
She forced her head to turn and look at the person beside her. She found herself looking at one of the most beautiful faces she had ever seen. The lady was black and had striking features that made Ehi felt like an ugly duckling. It took her a moment to realise the this the lady was referring to was an apple in her hand,she took it and quickly took a bite and she closed her eyes as she savoured the taste "thank you so much,this is the first thing I have had all day. Like right now I could eat a mattress and it will taste like chicken." she said as she munched the apple.

"I know that feeling trust me, my first job I didn't know that I had to bring my own food along and just like this one they also made us wait for hours and by the time we were supposed to come out, I fainted like I just Blacked out—" she chuckled and continued "— still the most embarrassing moment of my life and since then I always eat before I leave the house and always have fruits with me whenever I have a job."

"How I wish we met earlier,so you had told me your story before now." she replied and they both started laughing.

"Don't worry you will get the hang of it eventually."

"I hope so,I'm Ehi by the way." she said.

"I'm Mani and I come from the Bronx so don't let this pretty face fool you."

"Oh yeah,girl I stay in South Side Jamaica what ya do?" She said with a smirk and when she saw the disbelief on Mani's face she chuckled and continued "originally I'm from Albuquerque just moved here for like six months now."

"Wow,you had me there. Like for a second I was like this chick is hard,I mean I claim that I'm tough and all but nothing takes me to the south side at all,like I go to North Jamaica but I don't dare try to act up and go south. Its like everyday someone get shot over there like I don't want to catch a bullet so I don't even go there
" she said and rolled her eyes.

"Its really not that bad,true people get shot a lot but if you don't look for trouble then trouble don't come looking for you. All you have to do is mind where you go and people you hang around with that's all. But the truth is I wouldn't really know much because I'm indoors most times and when I go out its to the salon next door."

"Okay,that makes sense. I had this friend from south side too,I think his place is in Baisley Projects but instead of telling you where he is from, he just generalize and be like yo I'm from Queens, he never go into details the exact place his from."

"Maybe he didn't want be part of a stereotype or something. Where is he now?."

"He is dead,he got shot and that's how we knew where he lived. So tell me why do you want to be a model?"

"Honestly, I never really thought of modelling as a profession but everyone around me seem to think I will someday be a supermodel so I just decided to roll with it and then another reason was I'm trying to get as far away from my mother as possible."

"She bugs you too much?"

"Nahh, she is a bitch?"

"Omg,its that's bad?"

"But in a way you are lucky you know her, I never knew any of my parents,they died in an auto crash when I was still young. My grandma took care of me till I was six and she passed away and then I got into foster care from one family to the other and some of those families are real rough I can tell you that while some were pretty cool people but it never really felt like home you know,its like I have never really been part of a family. For a long time it hurt me like deep inside it did but I grew a tough skin and when I finally turned eighteen last year,I chuck my deuces and bounced out without a care in the world. I tried getting some minor jobs to take care of my upkeep but I kept getting fired because my bosses couldn't handle my attitude or so they say. Long story short some dude saw me outside this diner I used to work and said he will make me a star and I believed him,it turned out he only wanted free sex but he kinda got me into the modelling industry. Once my feet was kinda strong I kicked his ass to the curbs and I have been hustling ever since."

"Wow you are very strong, I don't know if I would have been able to cope. I'm lucky the guy who scouted me is actually working hard to get me somewhere and he protects me like he is my big brother and all. Let's just say I'm safe with him"

"Then you are lucky but also be careful,he probably thinks of you as an investment so you better watch your steps because such people if they think you are no longer profitable to them,there is no telling what they will do. But don't be scared it doesn't necessary mean he is like that all I'm saying is be careful."

"Yeah,I gotcha but you know the funny thing,even though people put the idea of modelling in my head,right now I really want to do it. Its like I am no longer rolling with their words I'm just trying to do something I have come to love."

"Me too plus I love seeing my pictures and I love putting on makeup and posing for the cameras. I swear I can't wait to be famous. I'll be at every event whether invited or not" she said and they both burst into laughter. At that very moment a girl collapsed "Omg,I guess she didn't eat too." They bursted into another round of laughter.

Finally they were given the signal that they were about to begin and they went over to had their makeup retouched and hair pinned right. The event went smoothly and when it was over,Mani invited her out to eat at a Mexican restaurant just around the corner.
Mani and her had to do a couple of shows over the next few weeks and their friendship grew. Tho the shows were minor events but it was something and somehow their names were being passed around and they had more bookings.

A knock on the door woke Ehi up,she stretched and got up. She look around her and the room was so bright she figured it should be noon. She yawned and walked slowly towards the door,she opened it and found Cicero outside.

"Hey big head." he said. Instead of replying,she yawned and walked back to her couch and sat down. He followed her and shut the door. "You look like a mess."

"I feel like a mess, I got in late last night."

"Oops,sorry. Another job?"

"Yeah a photoshoot. What's that in your hands?"

"Just fast food, I got you some French fries, hamburger and chocolate shake," when she reached out to collect the sack from his hands "Hell no,until you brush your teeth you are not getting Nada ,don't they teach you grooming in modelling, huh?" he said chuckling.

"Yes daddy,lemme brush my teeth. I hope you will also tell Santa that I have been good girl?" She said as she walked into the bedroom to get some change of clothes and then headed towards the bathroom.

"Sure,I will. Where is your boyfriend by the way?"

"I have told you he is my agent,dumb head." Sh entered the bathroom and shut the door,soon the shower was running. She came out some minutes later wearing a tank top and shorts "I'm clean now,so hand it over." she said in a stern voice

"Why are you sounding like one of my high school teachers" he said as he passed the sack to her. She brought out the shake and using the straw she drank with a loud slurp "Ewww,do you eat like that in public?"

"Nope,only when I'm with you" she replied as she munched her hamburger hungrily "If Simeon catches me eating this,I will be in big trouble"

"He doesn't want me getting fat." She said and rolled her eyes.

"I doubt that will ever happen like you are so skinny,sometimes I'm scared for you."

"He doesn't see it that way. Plus you know now I have been getting a lot of jobs and I guess he doesn't want anything that jinx it"

"I will be going back to school soon. I was wondering if you are free tomorrow we could watch a movie and then get something to eat later on."

"Sure,why not. You think I'm going to turn free food down? Hell no."

"You do know you are crazy right?"

"Ermm,that's old news. Tell me something new"

"Jesus Christ,I just can't with you. I need to go see some friends and after that we will go ball so I guess I will see you later in the evening"

"Okay,thanks for the food"

"You are welcome,my momma said its been a while since she last saw you so you better go see her before she comes up here and spank you."

Laughing she said "Don't worry I will spend this afternoon with her." She accompanied him to the door and almost immediately the door opened and Simeon was glaring at them. Cicero nodded his head in greeting at him and strolled out and Simeon stepped in and banged the door .

"What was he doing here?"

"He came to see me."

"Okay,so that's how you roll now, whenever I'm not around you invite your boyfriends over. Look here miss,this is my house and I have invested too much in you for you to mess this up. You better not push me to the wall if not you not gonna like the new me that will push back" he said and stormed off to his room.

She stared at him as he walked away and wondered why he was acting up. Of late he seem to be having mood swings. Whenever he wasn't controlling what she ate or who she was being friends with,he was making her work out for hours. She shrugged and went back to her couch. She picked up a magazine she had been reading the previous day and started reading.

1 Like

Re: Fierce by iiru: 3:46pm On Sep 15, 2017
looks like Mani words is about to come to pass, Simon seeing Ehi as investment. thanks for the update
Re: Fierce by ritababe(f): 9:45am On Sep 16, 2017
welcome to front page
Re: Fierce by UduMgbo1: 9:47am On Sep 16, 2017
welcome to front page
my love how far

politics section awaits you
Re: Fierce by ritababe(f): 9:50am On Sep 16, 2017
my love how far
politics section awaits you
still can't comment there till evening. u guys should just enjoy yourself.
cc. ofia
Re: Fierce by UduMgbo1: 9:51am On Sep 16, 2017

still can't comment there till evening. u guys should just enjoy yourself.

cc. ofia
ok am waiting for you love kiss
Re: Fierce by OdunayoD(f): 10:33am On Sep 16, 2017
Update ooooo!!! shocked
Re: Fierce by Ritajovy(f): 11:04am On Sep 16, 2017
following Kudos
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:33am On Sep 16, 2017
Update ooooo!!! shocked

Coming soon dear
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:36am On Sep 16, 2017
welcome to front page

OMG I just saw this and I am freaking out. Thanks dear and to mod grin grin angry angry grin angry grin

1 Like

Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:37am On Sep 16, 2017
looks like Mani words is about to come to pass, Simon seeing Ehi as investment.
thanks for the update

I think so too
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:38am On Sep 16, 2017
ok am waiting for you love kiss

Errmmmm grin grin angry angry
Re: Fierce by paulaspearz(f): 11:39am On Sep 16, 2017

Thank you

1 Like

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Breaking Down a 'One Grant, One Loan' System

By Allie Bidwell, Communications Staff

As calls for simplification within the nation's financial aid system have grown, many policymakers have been drawn to the idea of a "one grant, one loan" system that would streamline the many existing federal grant and loan programs into one each for students. But while the idea may seem appealing on the surface, finding a way to balance simplicity with access may prove difficult moving forward.

At an event hosted by Third Way on Wednesday, NASFAA President Justin Draeger – along with Jason Delisle, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Sandy Baum, a senior fellow in the Education Policy Program at the Urban Institute – discussed the intricacies of financial aid that should be considered before moving to such a simplified system, and the impact the change could have on students and institutions.

"This is something that over time, we in the financial aid administrator business have circled around many times," Draeger said. "And as we've circled it, I think some of the issues that we originally thought this would solve, we started second-guessing."

The entire idea behind a one grant, one loan system is to address the complexity of financial aid. But in order to work toward streamlining and simplifying aid, policymakers need to recognize that the financial aid system is so complicated, in part, because there are multiple funding sources for students and families, Draeger said.

"On the surface I think that makes a lot of sense," Draeger said. "[But] going to one grant, one loan doesn't do away with the largest source of financial aid, which is institutional aid, or state aid, or private scholarship providers. In short, it does simplify things for some students … but for a lot of other students, they're still going to have to apply for financial aid, they're still going to have to go to the school and get the award notification that combines all the disparate types of financial aid from various sources to come up with a net price."

Policymakers would also have to decide what to do with any leftover funds that result from a consolidation or elimination of other programs – eliminating the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and redirecting the funds to the Pell Grant program, for example.

But part of the reason the system has become so complex over the years, according to Delisle, is that Congress has a tendency to add new programs without eliminating others that might overlap.

"They add, and they never take away because the advocacy world will make them pay dearly if they ever try to get rid of any program when they're adding a new one," he said. "[Advocates] will oppose any reduction in benefits if it's to get simplicity. That's the dynamic you have, and the politics you're fighting that these ideas and proposals around simplification are up against."

Moving to a simplified financial aid system would also bring in questions around access and what the federal government's role is in ensuring students have the opportunity to receive a quality education.

"The reality is that we have a diverse system with lots of different institutions with lots of different prices," Baum said. But it's not the federal government's job to ensure students who want to attend more selective or more costly institutions can pay for them, she added, noting that the distribution formula for FSEOG should be adjusted to better target funds.

Still, eliminating some programs would likely mean that some students would have a funding gap, Draeger said. Moving to a one grant, one loan system would need to be more comprehensive to address that issue – such as by having one federal loan, but with flexible borrowing limits so students don't face funding gaps.

Delisle, however, said he wondered if there would ever be a situation in which "simplification is more important than getting more money."

Could there be a situation, he said, where "simplification is so important that if there's a little bit of money that leaks out of the system out of some deal, but we get a lot of simplification because of it, is that worth it?"

"Everyone categorically says absolutely not," Delisle continued. "I think that's something folks should challenge people on. Maybe it is worth it, if it was big."

Regardless of the details of how to develop and implement a one grant, one loan system, the political prospects for moving in that direction are unclear. While there is clear support for a simplified financial aid system among leaders in Congress – Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) have both openly expressed interest – the method by which lawmakers would approach the issue could vary.

Currently, both the House and Senate are working to make progress on budget resolutions that "may or may not" contain instructions for budget reconciliation – which could result in student aid changes coming in a "piecemeal approach," Draeger said.

"In an ideal world you would tackle this all in a reauthorization so that you could make adjustments to simplify, but also then maintain consumer protections, that you could provide flexibility for schools, and that you're not working against other policies that you're also proposing like accountability," he said.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article stated that Ms. Baum suggested the distribution formula for Pell Grants should be adjusted to better target funds. This article has since been updated to reflect that she was actually referring to the distribution formula for FSEOG.

Publication Date: 10/12/2017

David S | 10/12/2017 11:36:48 AM

The complexity in financial aid is not that Pell and SEOG exist simultaneously. It would be one thing if there were separate applications for the 2 grants or drastically different eligibility criteria, but that's not the case. Senator Alexander, Congresswoman Foxx or any of their supporters such as Jason Delisle have yet to convince me that they're not simply using the banner of "simplification" to justify cutting Title IV expenditures (while in general supporting tax cuts for the wealthy). You want to cut SEOG? Add the money - every year - to Pell. Don't let that money "leak out of the system." There's no reason it needs to.

Jose E | 10/12/2017 9:13:44 AM

I fear that all of these contexts are eliminating the voice of the graduate and professional student. Although this concept would be practical for the undergraduate student, it is not so for the graduate and professional student who relies so heavily on the current system to finance their educations. In the case of a medical student where we have a maldistribution of minority doctors and access is key, especially for those who would not be able to get the education if it were not for the Federal Unsub Stafford Loans and Grad PLUS Loan combination.

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Past Events

Round Table Discussion - Accessible India Campaign

Round table discussion with the Joint Secretary, Mr Mukesh Jain, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GoI

Date: 18th  Sep 2015,

Time: 3:00 - 4:30 pm,

Venue: Bangalore

India is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).  Article 9 of UNCRPD casts an obligation on all the signatory governments to take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas.

Dept of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, MSJE, GOI, has formulated the ‘Accessible India Campaign’ (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) as a national wide campaign to achieve universal access. The campaign targets three separate verticals to achieve universal access – namely the Built Environment Accessibility, Transportation System Accessibility and Information and Communication Eco-System Accessibility. The Campaign has ambitious targets with defined timelines that will use IT and social media for spreading awareness about the campaign and seeking commitment/engagement of various stakeholders. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is collaborating with Ministry of Home, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in this ambitious National Campaign.

For making Accessible India Campaign successful, engagements of various stakeholders would be extremely important. NASSCOM Foundation, on behalf Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, would like to invite you to this round table discussion to share thoughts and modalities of collaborations. We request your presence in this meeting. In case you are unable to, request you to nominate a senior colleague to participate in this meeting. Please find the invite attached herewith.

 Please write back to [email protected] for registration

There are no upcoming events currently.


text:
Los Angeles, California based sludge/thrash/grindcore act Watch Me Burn has returned after being split up for quite sometime. During their run though, they released a couple of full-length albums "Watch Me Burn" (2002) and "At the Stake" (2007) with a handful of demo and split releases in-between as well as a music video for the track "Mandrake".

With this return reunion, they spent time writing and recording a brief sampler demo, simply titled "2017 Sampler"; find the artwork and tracklisting below, as well as the added addition of a reunion show happening November 3rd 2017 at the Five Star Bar in Los Angeles, California. The sampler can be purchased as well as other works via their bandcamp page HERE.

1. Ghost Town
2. The Keeper
3. Shake Charmer

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Boiler Burners | Oil, Gas & Coal Burner Services

Boiler Burners

Ensuring safe, efficient, and complete boiler combustion.

National Boiler Service takes great pride in optimizing boiler burner systems to help you gain optimal combustion while ensuring safe and reliable operation.

From the careful inspection of proper air flow, fuel flow, and swirl level to optimizing your turndown rate, we work on essential burner and control components to achieve fuel efficient and complete combustion that meets your cost and emission standards.

NBS Boiler Burner Solutions - Our Process

At NBS, we modify or retrofit existing burners and combustion equipment to improve safety and help you achieve optimal boiler performance.  The experienced field service team at NBS provides unique, cost-effective solutions, including:

  • Inspection & cleaning of ignitor and atomizer components.
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  • Minimizing air leakage and ensuring proper combustion at all boiler levels.
  • Retrofitting or upgrading burner, controls, and other essential combustion components to meet or exceed emission standards.
  • Replace feed tubes, diffuser, spin vanes, oil atomizer, regulating rods, and impellers.

Common Burner Types Serviced:

  • Low and high-temperature natural gas burners
  • Low NOx burners
  • Oil-to-air and oil-to-oxygen burners
  • Coal-fired burners

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Successful burner and combustion projects include:

  • Toroso - North Dakota (Refinery)
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  • SSCC - Florida (Pulp and Paper)
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Contact us or call (877) 360-0858 if you have questions about installing, upgrading, or replacing your boiler burner.


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Benefits Of Raw Garlic And Lemon When Fasting And Recipes

There are many ways to cleanse our body, we can do it with drugs or with natural remedies that, after all, are equal to or more beneficial than medicines. Garlic, for example, is a very sought after ingredient used to cleanse the body, and combined with the lemon multiplies ... read more

8 Secrets Of India To Make Your Hair Grow Faster

Looking at long hair is quite a challenge, have you ever wondered why people in India have long, lush hair? The beauty secrets of the Indians have been used since antiquity and are basically focused on natural care. The Indians consider that nature has all the answers to health and ... read more

This Veggie Can Cure Anything in Your Body

The beet is a veggie that is among the healthiest. It cures many issues. The red color is from anthocyanins that combat cancer. The beet extract fights cancer in humans, like pancreas, breast, prostate. Also inflammation is removed due to the B1, B2, B12 vitamins, C, magnesium, iron, copper, ... read more

10+ Signs Your Blood Sugar Is Very High

The sugar levels in the blood indicate the amount of glucose in the blood, which is the leading energy source for most body cells. High blood sugar or hyperglycemia can be caused by two factors, and can thus be of two types: type 1 diabetes, which is a result ... read more


text:
updated 3/10/2007 4:19:21 PM ET 2007-03-10T21:19:21

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Saturday the threats his government has received from drug traffickers won’t stop its nearly nationwide military crackdown, and he called on the United States to do more to battle drugs within its own borders.

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press aboard his presidential plane, Calderon said he would push President Bush to respect migrant rights and do more in his own drug battle when the two meet on Tuesday in the colonial city of Merida, Mexico.

“We are, at the end of the day, putting our lives on the line in this battle, and the United States has to come up with something that is more than symbolic gestures, much more,” Calderon said.

Calderon said members of the federal government have received threats from drug traffickers.

“There have been a lot of threats—whether they have been false or real—but they won’t stop us from taking action,” he said during his return from a visit to southern Chiapas state, where he celebrated his first 100 days in office.

Since taking office on Dec. 1, Calderon has sent thousands of troops and federal police to areas controlled by drug traffickers, including Mexican cities along the U.S. border, his home state of Michoacan, and the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco.

He also began extraditing major drug lords to face justice north of the border, something that the United States had urged Mexico to do for years.

Those actions were aimed at halting a bloody turf war between cartels that has included beheadings of rival gang members, shootouts and executions.

Calderon said that so far, the crackdown has allowed the Mexican government to retake control of several cities and return “basic levels of security” to those who live there. And he said there is evidence that drug killings have been reduced.

U.S. ‘has a lot to do to regain respect’
But he said the U.S. must take responsibility for contributing to the problem.

“Mexico can’t diminish the availability of drugs while the U.S. hasn’t reduced its demand. It’s an elemental equation,” he said.

He welcomed Bush’s visit to Latin America and urged the U.S. leader to make the region a priority once again. Immigration reform and other important issues for Mexico took a back seat to security in the wake of Sept. 11.

“There’s a Mexican saying: ‘Better late than never,”’ Calderon said.

Bush’s visit to Mexico will cap a five-nation tour of Latin America , a trip aimed in part at countering Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez’s growing influence in the region.

However, Calderon—a close ally of the U.S. who has sparred with Chavez—rejected the idea that he would lead the region’s anti-Venezuela campaign.

“I am not interested in playing a role with Bush in that aspect,” he said, adding: “The United States has a lot to do to regain respect in Latin America.”

‘Mexico should be prosperous’
The Mexican leader lambasted the U.S. decision to extend walls along its southern border, arguing that both countries should focus on improving the Mexican economy so that millions don’t have to seek work in the U.S.

“Mexico should be prosperous and not require its people to leave,” he said, but added that “no amount of jobs or investment can stop it completely.”

He said he supported Bush’s proposal to allow Mexicans to seek temporary U.S. work visas, and he promised to fight to protect migrants from a “culture of mistreatment” in the U.S.

He said there is no evidence of terrorists operating in Mexico, despite a recent Internet threat against countries exporting oil to the United States. He said Mexico takes every threat seriously, but has no reason to believe it would be a target for attacks, mostly because it refused to support the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

“Mexico has only been respectful of other countries,” he said.

© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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