Dolapo Omoleme

“LEAVE NO TRACE” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #82

He rewrote the code and switched out some old parts for the new ones. He had had to go over everything hundreds of times, so much so that he had given up counting. There was no use keeping count, he had resolved that the only thing that would make him quit was death. When he screwed in the final part and set everything up again, he stepped back, stared at his masterpiece to his heart’s content, then he activated the PC application that fired up the entire system. He watched with bated breath as the system processed the thousands of lines...

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“NEW MEMORIES” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #81

His father managed to drag him out of the house that afternoon after relentlessly pestering him all through the day. They took a long stroll around the neighborhood, then made a stop at Mrs. Baker’s candy shop in the business district of the community. He had many memories from the time he worked there during his high-school years, and his father was determined to remind him of as many as he could recall of those he had been involved in making. It was his first time visiting in years. Once upon a distant time, he had deeply loved Brownsvil...

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“FOR GOD AND FOR COUNTRY” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #80

The bustling crowd that piled into Central Square was made up, majorly, of youths from Capital University and their allies from around the country. The state police had been defiant initially, confident that the threat of violence and death would be sufficient to keep the crowd in check. That quickly changed when the magnitude of the crowd became clear. They reluctantly backed away from the advancing crowd, all the while calling for backup, which proved insufficient when it came. The crowd was armed with placards and banners boldly display...

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“HAPPY PLACE” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #79

The ache that had clawed its way up from his legs to his waist started to reach for his shoulders as the ocean of repurposed cartons came into view. He tightened his grip on the nylon bag and picked up the pace as his final destination came into view, and so did the others in his group. He remembered it like it had happened the previous day. He remembered the long days they spent planning the trip. He remembered the skepticism he and the group shared about the prospects of the trip being successful. He remembered his worries about the effe...

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“IN THE YEAR 2177.” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #78

The year was 2177. The East Wall that separated the country into two parts had just been demolished by the new government, allowing inter-mingling, for the first time in seventy-seven years, between those who had enhanced their minds and bodies, and those who had chosen to keep all the human vulnerabilities and limitations that the new generation had developed a deep-seated intolerance for. It was a dawn of a new age. People on both sides of the wall were able to explore previously forbidden regions of the country, meet people who sharply ...

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“INSIDE THE C-SUITE” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #77

The hours had gone by at a slow pace. It was a sharp contrast to the violent blizzard that had enveloped the financial capital of the country. She had hoped the blizzard would blow over so she could return home to her ailing husband, but it had intensified instead.  She’d tried watching a movie but she got bored minutes into it. She tried to take care of her nails – for the first time in months –but she quickly tired of it too. She tried going through the paperwork that had kept her past her regular work hours, but she couldn’t follow...

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“IF PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE...” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #76

“You need to step up to the plate and take back control, father!” I urged. “You need to take charge of your own home! This is your home! You can’t let that brat boss you around and tell you what you can and can’t do.” He nodded in agreement. “You taught me everything I know about being a man,” I reminded him. “I am everything I am today because of everything you taught me during our long treks through the woods. You are no longer the man I used to know, father! Who did this to you? How did you come to this?” He sighed and rocked his ch...

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“A BETTER PLACE” by Dolapo Omoleme

1. When it was announced that the County’s favorite radio show would be visiting the County to to touch lives, the residents were excited. Many of them had listened to Charlie’s show for years and had daydreamed of winning the journey to total life transformation. Charlie’s show was dubbed “A BETTER PLACE”. The show’s goal was to help senior citizens let go of their old lives and regain the excitement of their youth. Charlie did this by picking couples from random counties and towns, and taking them on all-expense paid trips to famous lan...

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“FROM ME, BY ME, TO ME” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #74

Dear Me, I’m your Number One Fan. As I write you this letter, I hope it finds you well. I hope everything is good. I hope my dreams for you are no longer dreams. I hope my dreams are your reality.  How is mom? And how is the family? How much have you grown? I can only wonder, but I hope that when this letter reaches you, you are everything I hope for you to be – and even more. My goal in writing you this letter is to share some thoughts that I think you will find very useful. It’s easy to get ‘caught up’ when you’re in the thick o...

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“FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #73

I was surprised when I received the call from the strange number. Except for the occasional salesman, or call from my family, I rarely received calls. The little communication I did, I did by text.  I was doubly surprised when, upon accepting the call, I heard the voice of my superior, Mr. Goldman. He sat two levels above me in the company hierarchy, so we rarely interfaced directly. Most of the directives he issued filtered down to my teammates and I through our supervisor. What did he want with me? What could be so important to make...

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“The GIRL WITH THE CANDY BAR” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #72

I obeyed the command and rose from my sitting position, then I stretched my body to confirm everything was in order. It was. Just as I predicted. The team of experts had done a very good job. As with all humans, my analysis showed that they were eagerly anticipating the public unveiling, after which they believed they would win the prize and claim the fame and fortune that were sure to come with achieving such a great feat. It’s just human nature. When I sprinted towards the observation room, without any command issued, I saw the s...

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“MASTERKEY” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #71

“What’s that in your hand?” Ginika asked with a frown on her face. Chinedu sneered as he lifted the transparent sachet higher so all the members of the group could see it. “It is the secret ingredient that will solve all of our problems…” he announced.  Ginika didn’t know what the content of the sachet was, but she was open to receiving a miracle. *** The Alozie Community Baking Contest held at the end of each year. It was known far and wide for the marvels the many bakers within the community conjured for its outlandish contest...

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“ROYAL FLUSH” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #70

The family cried as Charlie Edwards’ coffin was lowered into the grave. His death came as a shock to everyone because of how sudden it was. An allergic reaction to food had spiraled out of control and claimed his life. It wasn’t the first time he would be suffering such allergic reactions, so they had expected it to blow over very quickly. They were astounded when they received the call from his brother, Shawn, announcing his untimely death. The family was very suspicious of the circumstances that surrounding his death, so they had the pol...

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“THE BLUNT FAMILY TRADITION” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #69

The Blunts had occupied the top echelon of society for many generations. They had gradually built their immense wealth over decades, all the while cementing strong ties to the political class, broadening their influence over the economic elite, and building an aura of mystery around their family. The family’s rise to power began with Dexter Blunt, a butcher who owned a ramshackle butchery in Brixton, the poorest district of the nation’s capital. His clientele were made up of blue-collar workers who were prone to making purchases on credit ...

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“IN THE HANDS OF FATE” by Dolapo Omoleme

Submitted to Contest #68

The banking hall fell silent after the first round of shots. Everyone’s attention was instantly pulled in the direction of the gunshots. They knew the sound, and they knew what it meant, given the environment around them, but they wanted to confirm it. It didn’t take them long to find the origin of the sound and the person who had triggered it. The bank customers watched in horror as the robber turned the gun in the direction of the other guard in the banking hall and squeezed off two shots. The guard was slow to pull out his gun. Both bulle...

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