TECHNICAL VIRGIN. Episode 21-25
Episode 21(unedited)
The Pastor carefully broke the news of Kola’s death to Sade but they were all surprised that she didn’t cry nor showed any form of shock. When she noticed their surprise looks, she smiled dryly and said,
“Are you surprised I didn’t throw myself on the floor and cry my eyes out?” She asked looking from the Pastor, his wife and Kehinde.
“I’ve been mourning Kola for over three months now, and I’ve gotten over him already. Kolade ruined my life and deserted me to suffer alone. He ruined my life daddy!” She began to cry as she remembered how Kola had not called on phone nor visited her ever since the pregnancy saga started. It pained her more because Kola kept telling people that he was not responsible for the pregnancy.
“I will never forgive Kola. God must judge hi…” She kept crying and the pastor’s wife ran over to her and held her mouth.
“Don’t say that Sade, it hasn’t gotten to that extent. Kola is still the father of your unborn child no matter what and you shouldn’t say such things about him” the church mummy hushed her and she broke loose from her hands in anger and ran into her room crying and the church mummy followed her immediately.
The Pastor began to lament bitterly before Kehinde,
“I did every thing possible to draw Kola closer to us like sister Sade to avoid further misdemeanor but Kola’s heart was too hardened that he rejected the help of God. He chose destruction over repentance and life…” He lamented, then continued.
” Imagine Kola relocating to Onitsha without anyone’s knowledge, not even me who have mentored him for over 16year. Kola really surprised me ” the Pastor said shaking his head in disappointment.
“I’m really short of words sir. I didn’t see this coming” Kehinde said, looking up at the Pastor.
“It’s well, I will call a church council meeting to begin plans on how to go and claim his body from the said mortuary and then meet with his family to break the news to them and possibly make arrangements for his burial….Ah! I don’t even know which one to cry for, is it to cry that Kola who had a bright future was cut short in the afternoon of his life or that he died in rebellion and could possibly be going to spend eternity in hell after many years of serving the Lord…” The Pastor lamented again and excused himself to enter his room. Kehinde couldn’t still believe everything that was happening as he sat down on the cushion for about 30minutes before leaving the parsonage.
Two weeks later, Kola’s body was laid to rest in his home town and many church members and his old school friends were in attendance. Though the Pastor tried to keep the story behind Kola’s death a secret, the members of the church council spread the story and everyone got to know that Kola was the one responsible for Sade’s pregnancy.
“Shebi they were in courtship? Highest thing the church for give them back seat and after serving their suspension, pastor for do marriage blessing for them. Why was he trying to run away?” An average woman told her gossip partner as they walked out of Kola’s family compound..
“But, why should acclaimed church people be committing formication in the name of courtship? That’s why I don’t trust all these people carrying Bible up and down in the name of born again..” Her partner in gossip replied and began to walk fast.
“I beg let’s walk fast so we can find a bus o” she said and they doubled their steps.
Sade who refused to go with the Pastor and his wife for the burial stayed back at home in deep thoughts. She thought about the beautiful future she had which was fast becoming a nightmare, her music album and her masters degree program which were part of her two years short term vision had also become a history as she wouldn’t be able to achieve any of them anymore. At a point, a suicide thought flashed through her mind strongly and she felt like ending it all but the fear of spending eternity in hell stopped her from attempting it. She felt like praying but couldn’t find the right words as it seemed she had forgotten how to pray.
“Lord please, let me have a miscarriage. This child would remind me of my errors all the days of my life and I can’t cope with the guilt. Please Lord,don’t let this child live…” She knelt down and began to mumble prayers…
To be continued
TECHNICAL VIRGIN. Episode 22
Episode 22(unedited
Sade kept praying to have miscarriage as she wouldn’t want to use her own hands to terminate the child in her womb but the child kept growing inside her and as her protruding stomach became bigger and bigger each day. Kehinde and the church mummy made sure that she went for antenatal monthly and also take every medications she was given.
On one of the few Sundays Sade agreed to go to church, she decided to sit at the back seat and avoided the gossiping looks of some of the church members as she maintained a straight face, focusing only on the happenings at the altar. During the praise and worship, she couldn’t stand to her feet but right there on her seat, all she could do was cry as the worship songs came forth as she remembered the very same altar upon which she had stood severally to minister and brought down the presence of God through worship and the microphone she had handled so skillfully being handled by another person who didn’t even seem to be serious with the songs she was singing.
“Lord, if only you will give me a second chance, I will worship you in spirit and in truth with my life and will never again let either secret or open sins come between my relationship with you…” She was praying silently when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned to see who it was and standing there before her was Mr Afolabi , the vice principal of the school she was teaching.
“How far?” He asked her rhetorically and bursted into a provocative laugh even while the praise and worship was ongoing.
“How far with your born againism? I heard you are pregnant, so tell me, is it Jesus that impregnated you? because the last time I checked, you are not yet married.” He mocked her still laughing.
” oh! No wonder you are no longer coming to work. But you see, you can’t hide bad news for long,everyone in the school have heard about the mysterious pregnancy of miss Sade the holy Mary… I’ve been coming to this your church ever since I got the information in order to confirm it with my two eyes but haven’t been seeing you and finally here you are,heavily pregnant. Now tell me, who is finally the sinner between you and I ?…” He continued mocking and laughing at her and she couldn’t bear it anymore, so she pushed him aside and ran out of the church back into her room in the parsonage crying. The church mummy noticed what was happening from where she was sitting and stood up to meet the strange man, but before she could reach there,Mr Afolabi had hastened his steps out of the church seeing that he had created a scene in the church. The ushers rushed at him but he was smart enough to have gone faraway from the church premises, so they returned back to their posts while the church mummy rushed into the house to meet Sade. She met her on the bed crying and after so much questionings and trying to calm her down, Sade told her who Mr Afolabi was and how he mocked her because of her condition. The church mummy spoke to her until she stopped crying but she refused to follow her back to the church service.
“Mummy, I’ve become a topic of discussion among the church members and unbelievers, I think I need to change location. I need to travel faraway from this area to a place where nobody knows anything about my past” she said as the church mummy was about going out and she turned back and sat down on the bed again.
” Sister Sade, you can’t run away from your shadow. Even if you will change location, it’s shouldn’t be now because you need to stay close to where your spiritual life can be revived back to life. Daddy and I have agreed that once you put to birth, we would release you to go home to your parents in the village to nurture the child and also cool off your head and then plan your life afresh. Sister Sade, life is not over because you got pregnant out of wedlock, God’s plans for your life is still intact. Don’t give up just yet” the church mummy encouraged her more and then excused herself when she saw that Sade was a bit relieved.
Kehinde kept visiting the parsonage once in a while and took Sade out for walking exercises and also made her laugh in order to make delivery easy for her until nine months were completed. Sade gave birth to a baby girl and stayed in the pastor’s house for an additional one month before the Pastor and his wife drove her in the company of Kehinde to her village in Ondo where she would have to live with her aged parents to raise her baby and possibly start a new life.
After about three hours’ drive from the city, they arrived Sade’s family house which was built with mud and in no time, little children and elderly women gathered around at a distance looking at the car and those coming out of it. On hearing the car horn in front of their house, Sade’s parents ran out of the room to see for themselves what was happening. Her father was the first to come out, but couldn’t move any further on seeing Sade in the midst of strange faces with a woman carrying a new born baby which he believed was Sade’s child. He managed to force out a smile at the Pastor as they approached him and not knowing what else to do,he pocketed his hands in his old native clothes as his wife came from behind and shouted Sade’s name in surprise….
To be continued
TECHNICAL VIRGIN. Episode 23
Episode 23 (Unedited)
The Pastor sat Sade’s parents down and explained to them all that happened and admonished them not to lay blames on Sade for getting pregnant out of wedlock but that they should accommodate her in love and accept the newly born child as theirs.
“We are all humans and are prone to temptations of life. Sade is going through her own tempting time and we all should join hands to strengthen her in love” the Pastor told them and they agreed.
When they were about going back to the city, Sade began to cry and clung her hands around the church mummy who cried along with her.
“Don’t worry, we will keep checking on you from time to time. And don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything” the church mummy consoled her as wiped off the tears on her face while Kehinde and the Pastor walked up to the car and waited for the church mummy to join them in the car. Sade and her parents waved at them as the Pastor drove out of the compound and finally out of sight.
Kehinde entered his room struggling over the thought that has long been disturbing his heart. He knew he truly loved Sade and had wished he was the lucky one when Sade told him she was engaged. He did hoped that things work out for her and Kolade before the tragedy that struck the two of them. He had planned remaining Sade’s friend even after marriage, little did he know that Kola and Sade would end up the way they did.
The thoughts that have been troubling his mind was the possibility of still marrying Sade as a single mother, though he still loved her and wouldn’t mind marrying her regardless of her condition, he was afraid his royal parents won’t support him to marry a woman who already has a child. He was confused and didn’t know whether he should keep Sade’s condition of being a single mother a secret from them or let them know about it. But his heart didn’t accept keeping secrets from his parents, so the matter began to give him sleepless nights from that day.
Sade quickly adjusted to the village way of life, as she joined her parents in going to farm, fetching of water and doing other strenuous house chores along with taking care of her daughter Toyin . Kehinde took it upon himself to visit her and her daughter once every month and he usually bought baby wears and foods with other things along with himself for Sade and her baby. Before leaving them, he would give her money and also urge her to call him if she needs anything. The Pastor and his wife also kept to their promise and gave Sade a surprise visit on Toyin’s one year birthday and she couldn’t contain her joy.
In less than three years, Sade had exhausted her life savings due to the fact that she supported her parents financially and also fend for herself and the baby. As if Olori Ade, a village titled man knew that Sade was in need of money and friendship, he began to make advances at her and as he woo her with money and gifts, Sade’s parents who held the Olori in high esteem began to pressurize her to accept his proposal.
“I can’t befriend a married man. That man already has three wives” Sade objected in a heated argument with her parents.
“But you couldn’t keep your self to marry aright. Listen, you are already in the same class with Olori Ade because you are a single mother without a husband. Befriending him which will later turn into marriage is even to your own advantage, because you can never find a young man to marry you o” her mother lashed at her to her consternation.
“Mammi!” She called her mother in dismay.
“Yes, your mother is right. Olori Ade is rich and and capable of taking care of you and your child. Can’t you see that all his wives are living comfortably? You will even be treated more special because you are educated and younger than his old wives. Give him a chance Sade” her father chipped in too.
The pressure from her parents and Olori continued for months until she began to give it a thought when things began to get so tough with her and her aged parents. Her father was down with sickness and only the little she and her mother were able to gather was what was sustaining them. Finally she accepted Olori’s friendship proposal and he began to spoil her silly with money and gifts which her parents also enjoyed. He released a huge amount of money to Sade for the treatment of her father on the condition that once her father gets well, Sade will in turn give him a kind treatment in bed and she agreed.
During one of Kehinde’s monthly visit ,he observed a great change in Sade’s physical look and approach which he knew were not part of her life before. As he was trying to get her to talk about her challenges and other things, Olori Ade showed up in Sade’s house and tickled Sade on her waist playfully from behind which got her embarrassed before Kehinde.
” Olori please stop!” She shouted standing up to her feet.
“Ah! Oremi kilode?( My friend what is it?)” The surprised Olori queried because he had done the same thing to her several times, and she never reacted that way.
” please Olori, I have a visitor now. Can you come back later?” Sade said feeling uncomfortable.
“Sade mi, have you forgotten our appointment today?” The surprised Olori queried looking suspiciously from Sade to Kehinde who was looking him, then turned around and left. When he left, silence followed.
” Is he your uncle? ” Kehinde broke the silence. He knew Olori was not her uncle but he wanted his suspicions to be confirmed by her.
“Uhm… Not really… He he is my frie..nd” she stammered in response.
“So this is what you are doing in the village Sade? Flirting around with an old man?.” Kehinde flared up in anger.
“Brother Kehinde what do you expect me to do? I have to survive, he has been the one helping my family… Besides, I need a man in my life..” Sade blurted out before realizing that she had spoken too much.
“Yeah, that’s it! You need a man in your life that’s why you are flirting with an old man, not really because of money” Kehinde spoke up and stood up to leave.
“Brother Kehinde, I’m a single mother already and no responsible young man is going to marry me. Are you expecting me to remain like this for…” She was talking but he short her up.
“Sade you lie. Being a single mother cannot stop God from bringing you a godly young man. Sade how come you suddenly forgot you are a child of God? How could you stoop so low to the extent of flirting with an old man?” Kehinde fired at her and she broke down in tears. He left her in anger and drove back to the city ignoring her pleas to hear her out.
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Kehinde who had become so dedicated to his profession as a Gynaecologist met so many women, both married and unmarried and attended to their health issues so humanely that women became so fond of him and were always looking out for opportunities to build a more intimate relationship with him. It was during one of such times that he met Toyosi, a beautiful young girl who just graduated from law school. She had visited the hospital to see the doctor as regards her menstrual disorder and Kehinde was the doctor who attended to her. From the way he attended to her, coupled with the fact that he was handsome and seemingly generous, she developed instant attraction for him and began to build constant communication with him through calls and chats. Kehinde on his own part liked visionary women and he saw one in Toyosi and as a result, he made himself accessible for her anytime she needed to see or speak with him and from there they both became inseparable as they even go for jogging exercises together weekly .
“I like your spirit” he will always tell her whenever they were together on phone or in person discussing career matters.
” I’ve found the woman to marry ” Kehinde told his parents in an unannounced visit and his mother jumped up in excitement and began to dance different dancing styles….
To be continued
TECHNICAL VIRGIN. Episode 24
Episode 24 (unedited)
When the woman was done dancing, she sat down all smiles and the Oba (king) who was so impressed by his son’s readiness to settle down after years of begging him to get married and give them grand children.
“My son,” the oba called Kehinde smiling, then continued.
“I’m very happy that at last, you have finally found the woman after your heart who will also build the empire with you” he said and his shouted,
“Yes ooo. Oluwa ese oo” she exclaimed excitedly and her husband smiled before turning towards Kehinde again.
“Oma oba,” the oba called Kehinde who answered him warmly,holding his palms together as if he was struggling over something.
” You know you are my only son and also the heir apparent to the throne and you can’t afford to marry a woman who will bring problems and reproaches into your life and the kingdom at large,” the oba said and breathed down, then continued.
“Who is this lady that has won my son’s heart ? I mean where is she from and what information have you been able to gather about her lineage?” He asked looking very serious as he observed his son looking down and fidgeting. Kehinde that he knew was a fearless and a stubborn son except for the intervention of God who arrested him and he became cool headed. He suddenly began to suspect that something was wrong as he and his wife exchanged glances. Kehinde suddenly looked up at them with a determined face and said,
“Ba mi , maami ” he called his parents in his Yoruba tongue, looked down and then felt obliged to make his parents proud. He made up his mind to mention Toyosi’s name to them, though he knew he was not yet intimate with her relationship wise but he was very sure that she was crushing on him and would accept his marriage proposal without a second thought. His parents would be proud to hear that he was marrying a barrister from a well to do family and would also love her when they meet her because she was a beauty to behold. Though he liked her for her smartness and visionary spirit, he didn’t have much attraction for her like he does for Sade. Secondly, he knew everything about Sade more than Toyosi who have been doing everything possible to please him. Though Toyosi told him she was not in any relationship, he had his doubts about her still and couldn’t go beyond normal friendship even when she was trying everything possible to initiate a romantic relationship between them.
” Her name is Sade…” He opened his mouth and mentioned Sade’s name before realizing that it wasn’t her name he wanted to mention. His heart began to beat faster signalling trouble but deep within his heart, he had peace beyond description.
“She is from a small village called Igomu (not real name), in Ondo” he said and breathed down heavily as he watched his parent’s eyes fixed at him.
“She is not really from a wealthy family but her lineage has a good record..” He explained and watched his father nodded his head in response. He gathered boldness from within and released the very words that have been troubling his mind.
” But, She… She’s a single mother” he said and fixed his eyes on them to face the outcome.
“Sorry?” The oba said trying to understand what their son was talking about and his mother gave a disapproving scream.
“I mean she already has a child but it was a…” He was trying to explain but they both hushed him.
“Stop!!!” They both shouted in unison as if they planned it.
“Ah! Is this how you want to pay us back ? By bringing a leftover food into this honourable home? Kehinde do you even realize you are a royal seed?..” His mother began to quarrel, raising her voice then turned to face her husband who was not talking.
“Are you not going to say anything? Will you keep quiet and watch Kehinde bring in a loosed woman who will bring this family and the entire kingdom shame? She asked the oba in anger and but he was lost in thoughts and couldn’t answer her a word.
” Mammi, she wasn’t a loosed woman and she is not… ” Kehinde spoke up in defence but the his mother won’t allow him to speak further.
“Short your dirty mouth! Foolish boy!” His mother fired at him to his surprise because his mother has never spoke so harshly to him, not even when he was living a rough life.
“Listen, I will never be a part of that union. If you can’t find a virtuous woman to marry, tell me and I will find one for you from this kingdom. But if you insist on marrying that Sade of a woman, count me and your father out!” She said in finality and walked out leaving the Kehinde and his silent father.
“Baba mi, please try and understand me. This is the only woman after my heart, besides, she didn’t wasn’t a loosed woman that jumped from bed to bed, it was…” Kehinde drew closer to his father thinking he could get through with him but he didn’t want to hear him out.
“I’m so disappointed at you. This discussion is over, when you are ready to marry someone reasonable, come back. You may leave my presence.” His father said in dismissal and looked away.
Kehinde drove back to the city with sadness of heart and kept rejecting Toyosi’s calls all through that day. Toyosi became restless and thought that he probably was in danger but didn’t know how else to reach him because Kehinde refused to disclose his house address to her. She called few people whom she felt could know his place, but they couldn’t help her with the house address.
Kehinde did not want to make his intention openly known to Sade until he settle with his parents and get their approval before proposing marriage to her. His heart was troubled over his parent’s reaction, though he expected them to react,but not to the extent that his father who always long for his presence would ask him to leave his presence. He needed to speak with someone in order to relieve himself and possibly forget what happened between him and his parents and Sade came to mind. He dialled Sade’s number and expected it to be switched off because the last time he visited her, she complained that her phone had gone bad and he promised to get her a new phone in his next visit. His heart skipped as the thought of Olori Ade buying Sade a new phone flashed his mind and he prayed under his breath that she should pick her calls so he could confirm it.
“Hello brother Kehinde” Sade was heard at the other end.
“Hello sister Sade, how are you?” He said calmly and suddenly found himself smiling at the sound of her voice.
“Am fine sir, how are you doing?” She asked, and her little daughter Toyin came running from behind, shouting,
“Bother Kehinde! Bother Kehinde!” Toyin kept calling as she ran towards her mother to speak with him. Kehinde bursted into laughter on hearing Toyin shouting his name and asked Sade to give her the phone, but before she could do that, Toyin had grabbed the phone from her mother and had started talking ceaselessly to him without minding whether he was listening or not. Kehinde kept laughing as little Toyin kept giving him account of things he didn’t ask her.
“Olori bought new phone for iya mi o” Toyin informed Kehinde excitedly and Sade grabbed the phone from her and gave her a hard knock on the head. She fearfully placed the phone close to her left ear but Kehinde was silent.
“Hel..lo ,hello” she stammered over the phone but Kehinde refused to respond…
To be continued
TECHNICAL VIRGIN. Episode 25
Episode 25(unedited)
Kehinde dropped the phone and held his forehead which had started aching.
“What exactly is wrong with her? Why is Sade finding it so difficult to rise up after falling. Lord please speak to her heart, revive her love and fear for you. Open her eyes to see and know that you’ve got better plans for her life and that her mess can be turned into a message that will mend and mould other broken young people. Don’t let her fall the second time again lord, let your mighty strength and grace be made manifest in her weakness for it’s obvious her own strength can no longer carry her. Please Lord, I can’t bear it if Sade sleep with that old man…” Kehinde prayed and suddenly became too emotional as he couldn’t bear the thought of Olori Ade sleeping with Sade. Tears dropped down his eyes immediately and he quickly wiped it off as a feeling of jealousy and anger sprang up in his heart when he remembered how bad he used to be before God arrested him. His phone rang and he thought that Sade was the one calling back to explain things to him or better still tell him that Toyin was wrong, he picked up his phone with high expectations and was about sliding the green button aside when he found out that Toyosi was the one calling, he looked up at the wall clock and saw it was already past eleven pm and he became more angry.
“What exactly is wrong with Toyo, why is she calling me by this time of the night? Please I don’t need any disturbance.” He soliloquise and switched off his phone, entered the bathroom and poured water on his head to calm before going to bed. He rolled from one side of the bed to the other unable to sleep as his mind kept wandering around from one thing to another and it continued till some minutes past one midnight. He decided to pray since sleep had deserted him also, climbed down from his bes a knelt down close his bed and began to commit his parents hearts into God’s hands, but he didn’t pray about that for long as he switched over and began to pray for Sade.
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The race started and the athletes who were about six girls took off, among them was Sade who was already taking the lead as she ran skillfully ahead of the other athletes and spectators were cheering her up to keep up the pace,so she ran with her head high but suddenly became distracted and missed her footings and fell headlong on the ground. The commentator cheered at her to rise and finish the race while the spectators expected her to rise and win the race because they so much believed she can still win regardless of her fall, but Sade remained on the ground crying and complaining.
“I can’t run to finish, I’ve missed the track and can’t find my footings anymore. Besides, I have disappointed everyone so there’s no point rising to make a fool of myself.” She gave reasons while the other athletes kept running, and they were only but two of them who had ran past her while others were still running towards the spot where she had fallen.
“Rise up! You are not off the track yet, you can still win the race!” A man urged her from the crowd but she broke down in tears and shouted back at the man
“I can’t rise, can’t you see am already exhausted?” She cried still sitting on the floor so the disappointed spectators became angry and began to jeer at her as she cried. She cried the more as they taunted her with words then she woke up and found out that it was a dream. She looked around and saw her daughter sleeping peacefully beside her,then murmured some words in her Yoruba dialect and slept back.
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“Sade! Sister Sade! Wake up I want to discuss something with you” the church mummy tapped Sade who was who was still feeling sleepy ,
“Open your eyes Sade and wake up from your slumber. You can’t keep sleeping like this, your lantern will soon go off if you don’t wake up. I want to tell you a story about my life that is very familiar with yours …” The church mummy was still talking to her when Sade’s mother tapped her.
“Sade wake up! Wake up and get ready for today’s farm work. It’s getting late already” Sade’s mother woke her and in the process interrupted her dream.
“Oooooh! Maami you just interrupted my dream now.” Sade shouted in annoyance and her aged mother looked back at her with a mean face.
“Will you get up from that bed? Do you think that you are in the city where you live your life lazily, sleep and wake up anytime you want and then go about misbehaving with young men? Since you couldn’t keep your self in the city after all that your father and I did to train you through school, you better buckle up because you must sweat it out in the village. Even if Olori ends up marrying you, you must still join his wives to farm in his various large masses of land. Get up Jaree!” Her mother jeered at her as if they were quarrelling and Sade felt humiliated again. Since she joined her parents in the village,her mother suddenly changed and became very used to taunting her with negative remarks each time she didn’t do what she likes. She swallowed hard and climbed down from the bed, checked the time on her phone and it was ten minutes to 5am. She wiped off the tears dropping from her eyes with the back of her hands and picked up her tooth brush and paste to brush as her mother continued nagging at her.
Kehinde woke up by few minutes past five in the morning to find out that he was sleeping on the floor in his room and not on the bed,then he remembered that he was actually praying on his knees but when his knees began to ache, he lay down on his tummy and continued his prayers then probably dozed off from there. He rubbed his eyes and felt a sharp piercing head ache indicating that he didn’t sleep very well in the night, but he managed and got up to his study table for his devotion.
All through the work on the farm, Sade kept ruminating over the dreams she had in the night but couldn’t make any meaning out of them. She wished her mother didn’t wake her up, so that she could at least hear the story the church mummy wanted to tell her. She sighed sadly as she felt exhausted but couldn’t stop the work in order to avoid another round of insult from her mother’s venomous tongue. She thought about her appointment with Olori Ade later in the day, and smiled to herself. She promised to sleep with him for the first time that very day and Olori had made arrangement for their meeting in a local village hotel where the act would take place in the evening. She had a brief reflection over whom she used to be before Kolade came into her life, a firebrand for God who loved and reverenced God with her body.
“All that are in the past now. I just have to survive anyway anyhow” she said silently and waved the thought aside as she waited anxiously for the evening with Olori to taste what real sex feel like…
To be continued
Written by Precious Obialor Ukazim
