Welcome to the end of season one. You are listening to "The Shorttales Club," where we read, think and discuss short stories we love.

Join us as we take a look back at some of the stories we've covered on The Shorttales Club.

1. The Madman by Chinua Achebe
2. The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant
3. This Man by Kasimma
4. We Will Talk About Other Things Instead by Deborah Oluniran Adeniyi
5. The Man from Kawo by Blessing Tarfa
6. Caterer, Caterer by Pemi Aguda
7. Call Her No One written by Frances Ogamba

We hope you've enjoyed our discussions and won't hesitate to read up on the stories. Listen to the episodes and tell us if you agree with our thoughts or not.

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On this episode, Oz and Friends eagerly share their opinions on a story titled “Call Her No One.” Written by Frances Ogamba and published in 2021 by CRAFT literary magazine, the tale comes with a content warning: Human Trafficking. It is a story that talks about multiple forms of abuse. Statutory rape, human trafficking and possible kidnapping are some of the themes explored in Call Her No One.

Narrated using the first person technique, Frances’ protagonist, Nne, tells a haunting tale that will grip you and won’t let go. Nne speaks in a disturbingly passive tone, as if she is outside of her body and experiencing everything happening to her like a third party watching it. Habiba hosts the episode and is the only one that doesn’t fall under the infamous Daniel’s spell. On the other hand, Debby is his biggest fan. Daniel, though an enabler in this horrid scene, impresses Oz with his efficiency.

We are urged to call her no one as even the name Nne is not really hers. We do not see enough of her home, her family or who she was beyond the life she was forced to live after getting impregnated while in senior secondary. Instead, Frances focuses on the birth of her child, and another and another, even as her ‘aunt’ wasted no time in selling them off before they are a week old.

There is little that anyone could have done to save Nne from it all as she is conveniently, the perfect victim. With no family who cared enough about her, it was easy for the ‘aunt’ to spirit her away to Port Harcourt where she knows no one and no one would come looking.

You ask yourself, how she gets repeatedly pregnant, well, this is where the infamous Daniel comes in. Seven days in every month, he visits Nne until she is confirmed pregnant. He does his job with a fastidiousness that can be envied. During the act, he religiously avoids all eye contact, leaving no room for any further intimacy between him and Nne, then departing as soon as he is done.

Listen to the episode to find out what happens with the babies and what fate has in store for Nne. Or follow the link below to read the story.

https://www.craftliterary.com/2021/03/05/call-her-no-one-frances-ogamba/

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On the sixth episode of The Shorttales Club, Oz and Friends read and discuss the short story, “Caterer, Caterer” written by Pemi Aguda. It is a story centered around a 'caterer' just like the title suggests, however, unlike what comes to mind when you hear the word, this is one meal you’d prefer to skip.

It's not everyday a good samaritan strolls into your life to help ease off some of your burdens. When this person also happens to be your pastor, you welcome him and his gifts with open arms. This was the case of the people living in the community Pemi described. Their pastor had bought the local Grammar School a generator, distributed foodstuff to members of the community and built a new Church - the tallest building in town. It was a monument that drew eyes to the sky, a constant reminder of God’s rule over the heavens. Pastor Pascal was God-sent.

So it was a thing worthy to be celebrated when our caterer was called in to cook for the Church’s opening ceremony. More so since her chief rival, Iya Sadiq, was the one to recommend her, after having to travel out of town for a family emergency.

Caterer, Caterer is the winner of the 2015 Writivism Short Story Prize.

If you’ve enjoyed our chat and would like to continue the discussion, kindly follow us on Twitter and Instagram @shorttalesclub to share your opinions. Also, you can find “Caterer, Caterer” on Amazon using the affiliate link provided in our show notes. Doing so would greatly help the podcast grow. Thanks in advance and see you next time.

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