A grey shawl, a dirty grey shawl draped carelessly around the thin shoulders of an old woman, is how best to describe the weather this evening. Hazy and humid with nights cold enough to not require air conditioning. Dust has settled over everything in sight like a sprinkling of icing sugar over a freshly baked cake. Even with windows permanently shut they manage to steal their way in.
I sit back in the car this late afternoon and take in the familiar sights. Traffic is almost non-existent, the wise having taken advantage of the holidays and escaped the chaos of Lagos to a saner world. The long fuel queues have vanished overnight, thank God. Just last week on the news, a man was appealing to President Buhari to “do something”. He said he had been on a queue for hours just to purchase some fuel in a jerry can for his generator as there had been no electricity in his neighbourhood for days. Good to see just a few cars in the petrol stations.
I am roused out of my reverie by a knock on the car window. "Madam buy rocket". I glance at this scrawny boy clutching several long bright red packets to his chest. He holds one of them out to me. Rocket happens to be this huge dynamite. Well, it looks like a dynamite to me. Wait a minute, didn't the Gov`ment ban these things? Here they are this koro koro afternoon, being sold in full view. SMH.
I make a quick stop at my salon in Lekki. Can't help but stare at this extremely light-skinned girl. A Lagos "bigz girl" by all appearances...hehehe! I take in the beautiful flowing hair, blond with red highlights...Hey, as long as it`s on your head it`s your hair. Shikena. Pretty face, flawless skin, perfect make up, dressed to the nines. Then I screech to a halt. Her feet are black, black as in Obasanjo black. Why do some women feel they are pretty only when they are light-skinned? I just cannot understand why. Abi, men prefer the light-skinned ones? Nonsense!
I notice a fast food drive-thru on my way out. See Naija o! We no dey carry last. I wonder how long they will stay in business before there`s go-slow in drive-thru or no change or the owner employs his relatives instead of professionals who can deliver. Our biggest flaw being sustainability.
Ahh, Shoprite. Circle Mall they call this one. Kudos to them for creating employment but errm...they have come with more traffic na. Traffic in this axis was crazy enough already thank you very much. I go in for some bottles of red wine. The place smells new. New money, new beginnings, even the air smells new. I notice the smiles on people`s faces, almost everyone seems to be in a good mood at Christmas. I spend close to half an hour at checkout. People don`t travel anymore?
I arrive home and dress up for a quick jog around the estate. I smile in contentment as I step out of the house, the Christmas lights have just been turned on although dusk is still an hour away. Trees and street lights adorned in blinking lights of blue and red and green. Several houses are equally blinking along, balconies having been adorned with all sorts including a brightly lit Father Christmas (no Santas in these parts! Lol) accompanied by his reindeers, equally blinking. The fading paints, cracked walls and the usual litter here and there having all dissolved into the background amidst all that glitter.
Ear phones plugged in, Usher serenading me, nothing can go wrong on this perfect day until I see a dead snake on the road. It had been crushed by passing cars but it still looked fresh meaning it had only recently been killed. I am in shock because I never saw a snake, dead or alive in Lagos before, never even heard of anyone seeing one. While I am yet staring at it I notice a movement to my right just by the fence. A few feet from where I am standing is a yellowish brown snake. I cannot believe my eyes. Big, long, gliding briskly on the short green grass and heading in the same direction as me. I make a 360 and rush to the safety of my home, two is enough for one day. I am still in shock.
Here we are once again approaching the end of yet another year. I look back at 2015 with mixed feelings, with a wide smile marred by deep sadness. Profound gratitude at the birth of my daughter Munachimso, utter sorrow at the death of my sister Ngozi. She had called me in the early hours of New Year`s Day 2015 to wish me a wonderful year. That was the last time I ever spoke with her as I never got around to returning her call. This has haunted me ever since. But I have learned to be thankful in all situations and to accept the things I cannot change.
Tonight is "washing" night as one of my Waffarian friends would say. All roads lead to churches, even for those who see the inside of a church only at this time. Promises of swapping bad habits for good ones are the order of the day. For me this is a time for gratitude. A time to be thankful for what I have, a time to acknowledge that the cup is half full. Gratitude for my daughter, my partner, my family and my wonderful friends.
May all our dreams come true in 2016.
I sit back in the car this late afternoon and take in the familiar sights. Traffic is almost non-existent, the wise having taken advantage of the holidays and escaped the chaos of Lagos to a saner world. The long fuel queues have vanished overnight, thank God. Just last week on the news, a man was appealing to President Buhari to “do something”. He said he had been on a queue for hours just to purchase some fuel in a jerry can for his generator as there had been no electricity in his neighbourhood for days. Good to see just a few cars in the petrol stations.
I am roused out of my reverie by a knock on the car window. "Madam buy rocket". I glance at this scrawny boy clutching several long bright red packets to his chest. He holds one of them out to me. Rocket happens to be this huge dynamite. Well, it looks like a dynamite to me. Wait a minute, didn't the Gov`ment ban these things? Here they are this koro koro afternoon, being sold in full view. SMH.
I make a quick stop at my salon in Lekki. Can't help but stare at this extremely light-skinned girl. A Lagos "bigz girl" by all appearances...hehehe! I take in the beautiful flowing hair, blond with red highlights...Hey, as long as it`s on your head it`s your hair. Shikena. Pretty face, flawless skin, perfect make up, dressed to the nines. Then I screech to a halt. Her feet are black, black as in Obasanjo black. Why do some women feel they are pretty only when they are light-skinned? I just cannot understand why. Abi, men prefer the light-skinned ones? Nonsense!
I notice a fast food drive-thru on my way out. See Naija o! We no dey carry last. I wonder how long they will stay in business before there`s go-slow in drive-thru or no change or the owner employs his relatives instead of professionals who can deliver. Our biggest flaw being sustainability.
Ahh, Shoprite. Circle Mall they call this one. Kudos to them for creating employment but errm...they have come with more traffic na. Traffic in this axis was crazy enough already thank you very much. I go in for some bottles of red wine. The place smells new. New money, new beginnings, even the air smells new. I notice the smiles on people`s faces, almost everyone seems to be in a good mood at Christmas. I spend close to half an hour at checkout. People don`t travel anymore?
I arrive home and dress up for a quick jog around the estate. I smile in contentment as I step out of the house, the Christmas lights have just been turned on although dusk is still an hour away. Trees and street lights adorned in blinking lights of blue and red and green. Several houses are equally blinking along, balconies having been adorned with all sorts including a brightly lit Father Christmas (no Santas in these parts! Lol) accompanied by his reindeers, equally blinking. The fading paints, cracked walls and the usual litter here and there having all dissolved into the background amidst all that glitter.
Ear phones plugged in, Usher serenading me, nothing can go wrong on this perfect day until I see a dead snake on the road. It had been crushed by passing cars but it still looked fresh meaning it had only recently been killed. I am in shock because I never saw a snake, dead or alive in Lagos before, never even heard of anyone seeing one. While I am yet staring at it I notice a movement to my right just by the fence. A few feet from where I am standing is a yellowish brown snake. I cannot believe my eyes. Big, long, gliding briskly on the short green grass and heading in the same direction as me. I make a 360 and rush to the safety of my home, two is enough for one day. I am still in shock.
Here we are once again approaching the end of yet another year. I look back at 2015 with mixed feelings, with a wide smile marred by deep sadness. Profound gratitude at the birth of my daughter Munachimso, utter sorrow at the death of my sister Ngozi. She had called me in the early hours of New Year`s Day 2015 to wish me a wonderful year. That was the last time I ever spoke with her as I never got around to returning her call. This has haunted me ever since. But I have learned to be thankful in all situations and to accept the things I cannot change.
Tonight is "washing" night as one of my Waffarian friends would say. All roads lead to churches, even for those who see the inside of a church only at this time. Promises of swapping bad habits for good ones are the order of the day. For me this is a time for gratitude. A time to be thankful for what I have, a time to acknowledge that the cup is half full. Gratitude for my daughter, my partner, my family and my wonderful friends.
May all our dreams come true in 2016.
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