Life in the village

Life in the village
The weeks I spent in the village during each visit were vital parts of my life. To me, my village was in every sense of the word home! My village is Peretorugbene Town in Ekeremor local government area, Bayelsa State. In my head was shaped like a capital letter  written reversed but with more than three prongs. I wish I could draw it... a long stretch of the river, a small road between the river and the streets. Almost every street had a warf at the foot of the river made of wood and a separate resting place called atele made out of bamboo sticks. The Warf serves a lot of purposes; makes it easy to get on or off the boats and canoes, it also serves as a platform for chores. Washing clothes, plates, farming and fishing tools, bathroom as well.

We had the village center, radio house which stood as a major way to disseminate information by the use of public address system, a hospital which I never saw, the community school, we also had lots of churches too. The garment churches always looking clean and colourful in their robes on Sundays. They barely ever clo9se before 4pm! The market confused me a lot! Coming from the city where a market remained a market everyday morning till night to a village where we had market days (Dorogu fou) and times (usually night). You get to the market at night and it's teeming with activities and music, the next morning you won'tsee any sign that that spot was a matket. Everyone gone by very huge boats to another nearby village!!!! Till same day next week.

I enjoyed going to the warf for any reason whatsoever. I would prefer to wash the plates there (please don't ask me how many of my mothers cuttleries I lost in that process) or the number of my slippers that was carried away by the ever flowing river. I enjoyed watching the kids swim after the chores until I learnt how to swim and joined them.

I enjoyed eating coconut rice, banga rice, squid, karafiye, I didn't like mgbosu, I loved gbe and doun aka bayelsa suya were classics, madiga, so many other things. The village had varieties.

I spent my mornings lazying around, sitting on our porch and watching people leave for either their farms or go fishing, you'll hear them call after their kids and give instructions to the ones they are leaving behind. The cries of the littles ones that want to go with their mothers or grand mothers and someone in the compound trying to pacify and all that. Then I hope for the sun to shine bright so we can brube our mum to let us swim rather than have our baths in the bathroom.

I spent my afternoon/evening time playing and taking fun trips with my playmates. We made dolls our of the barks of plantain trees, we buy and sell stuff using the wraps of gums, we walked to the mild bushes and plucked some edible fruits and delicacies, we cooked, ran and played all day! As the evening approached, my playmates begin to disperse. Their mothers or grandmothers would be back from the farm soon. Things had to be done to avoid being beaten. I join them to do their chores, I enjoyed bathing the smaller ones.

The arrival of those that went to the farm or went fishing meant the children around had to help off load everything. You get rewarded most times by a fish or a big Crayfish or any other species. Now the big question, who would help me roast my prize? I would watch these kids expertly clean my fish with theirs and sit by the fireplace hoping to learn how to so the next day.... forget it. I usually got my fish burnt before it is cooked. 😂😂😂.

It was very easy to communicate with the children and adults because I was fluent in my language Ijaw. Sometimes, you're given a tray load of any farm produce to help hawk. I would balance my tray on my head, count all the goods and ask the prices and also the least acceptable price and with my partner off we go. I looked out of place in my beautiful clothes hawking... my mum will laugh and encourage me to go but when you're tired just come back home. It was safe to move around. My goods were sold quickly I think mostly because people were eager to ease the load.

I remember following my grandmum to the farm a couple of times. She carried dried fish and garri which was my snack. I don't remember doing any useful work in the farm😂😂😂. I knew how to do almost nothing. I also tried my hands on weaving the traps, that was much more successful than farming. I don't think I ever caught a fish in all my years of trying 😂😂😂.

Masqurades!!! I remember very little about them. The practice was abandoned roughly about 15 years ago if I'm not mistaken. Back then, the radio house would announce the particular masqurade that would display, the day and time. I remember the yellow one with black large polka dot (I think it was called eremtoru) then there was also "gulogulo owei" anyway the fun was being chased but you wouldn't catch me near even the window. I was that terrified of the charade yet I liked the adrenaline rush. So I would peep and watch the young teenagers tease the masqurades and eventually get chased and all that. The one I would always remember.... Olorungu it was the most dreaded. All dressed in red, merciless and usually the last. The last masqurade I saw was this one, an aunty in the compound convinced me to go with her in a canoe as we trailed its activities from one street to the next. We felt relatively safe since we were using the canoe and it was displaying on land. I don't know what triggered this masquerade but it threw a bottle at the river... I almost peed on my pant. I kept asking myself who sent me to follow this masquerade 😂😂😂. I got back home safely giving glory to God only to realise the masqurade cut down our plantain tree.

My village was my safe haven!
I could goon and on and on....

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Christmas as a child

My childhood...
Welcome to a glimpse of my early days. I don't remember much before I was four years and four months old. My memories began from the days that led up to the birth of baby Joy. I was awestruck at the sight of her. She was the most beautiful little being I had ever seen. I stood next to her crib all through the visit, wondering what was going through her mind.

With the Yuletide season came preparations to go home. I went through an entire year, every year; looking forward to my birthday and the annual trip to the village for Christmas. My mum my hero. She would ensure almost everything we may need was bought and packed for this long journey. From indomie to live fowl to rice to goat to Christmas decorations to maggi tomatoes beverages corned beef the list was endless.


During those trips, I learnt to be accountable and alert. She would tell us to always know by heart the total number of boxes, "Ghana must go", and anything else. It was a journey that involved both land and water so there was always transit. The moving of all our belongings safely from two cars to a boat in a busy park was somehow headache but when you'r little, you just do as you're told and you'll be fine.

My mum would take the pain every single time to tell us the name of each village. I never stopped wondering why we were not from the ones that weren't far. In her words, our village was the last which also made me wonder what existed after our village because the river of course continued. She would say in fluent Ijaw this is this village; remember Mr A? His wife's mother was from this village until she got married and moved to the village I showed you fifteen minutes ago. My siblings and I: okay.🤣
She would say to us that the villages on the left were Delta State and those on the right were Bayelsa state.

To be continued
Life in the village.
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My father's blessings

About three weeks ago, out of the blues I decided to send my dad airtime. Usually I send to my mum just because 😂😂. That day I was like why not daddy today? So I sent #1500 worth of airtime. I was too excited, I called immediately. 

After the usual laughter, I told him, and at first he didn't understand. He thought I said I sent him a message so he was like "I'm yet to see it, let me check." Then I repeated it and he legit screamed "really? Airtime? #1500! Wow!" More laughter...

He was so so so happy I didn't even know when I asked him "daddy why are you so happy like you can't buy #1500 airtime?" He laughed it away. Tears welled up my eyes, I still can't explain the tears. I was feeling very heavy at heart with some major issues I was dealing with, but that call lifted the weight off me. I could laugh and cry and felt good that I could make my old man so happy despite all.

Later that day, he called to say thank you and that he wanted to call me with the airtime. We talked about other stuff and yeah.

Ever since that day, I have been experiencing different level and types of favour. 

I thought to share the secret...

Nothing is really too small to appreciate these people we call mum and dad. 

Don't wait till "you blow"; as much as we don't want to reason in that line, it might be too late then.

Start small if you must, start anyway.

😊😊😊

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Daddy for hire

Yes... we have a daddy we want to hire or is it rent? I'm not sure but here is the deal.
For a little fee you get to invest quality time with our daddy. Please pay special attention to the following. You should be willing to make lipton tea at least five times a day (No milk and no sugar, maybe sweetex). Morning devotion starts at 6am to err as the spirit leads but don't worry about that; yours is most likely to lead in praise and worship. Personal advice, let go of Sinach and Frank Edwards... go old school so you won't be the only one singing.
Do you love tennis? Well, you have to try... he loves it so much he got us coaches at a very young age 😂😂. Scrabble is equally important to him, be ready to record games.. It's just normal addition. Draft too yeah buh there's no scoring per say with that one.
Can you drive? That would be an advantage and could lead to discout. You will most likely become his designated driver.
This part is the most important, always run out of the house to shout "daddy welcome" whenever he comes back home. He loves it a lot and would legit pick up his phone to call all of us if no one does that.
Fresh food from mama's kitchen daily and during the day you can visit prettytouchomes for beautiful household decoration, blossemfreshdelight for fruit parfait, sandwiches and cocktails, Oke the photostylist could give you that photoshoot you always dreamt of, you can visit the lake, the cinema etc.
Just send your CV and reference letters.

I'm a creative writer... I write for fun.. I just decided to write about daddy today.

Please leave your comments below, let's talk.😁😁

My Trip to Italy

Now that I'm trying to document my trip down to Italy, I should have known from all that ensued that I was in for a rollercoaster here.
When I was putting my final things together,  friends of mine Anita and Ebise came to bid me farewell. See me "jjc" I packed every and anything, including hangers. Imagine my embarrassment when I got to the airport and had to unpack and send some ridiculous things back home. My uncle was shocked to see hangers (like 20) in my box.
Finally checked in and they left. Our flight had about an hour delay, I was tired so I changed my wedge sandals to comfortable slippers. The plan was to change back on the flight at least but I forgot completely.
Boarding was relatively smooth. We stopped at Lagos and more passengers boarded. I honesly don't remember what ensued, next thing a woman and a man were boxing right in front of my seat. I was in a mild shock. They were separated by well meaning Nigerians and boarding continued. Just as we were taxying, this lady that was in the fight started screaming that she couldn't breath, they tried to calm her but to no avail. That was how our pilot made a U turn back to the airport and called for medical evacuation team. Now this was happening in September 2014 the Ebola saga was still very on. Next thing we saw was a team of medical practitioners kitted to the teeth. Nose masks, gloves, just name it. They looked like they were going to space. The moment they stepped on the aircraft; everyone began laughing. After much negotiation, the woman agreed to come down only if her assailant would get off too. Eventually I think they hid the man so she would get down. We were three hours behind schedule! Some activists or journalists came to me for eye witness report and in my mind I was like "I just want to go to Italy quietly o" although I gave my honest account of the fight.
Needless to say, a good percentage of us missed our connecting flights and it was at that moment when we landed and realised that that we became really upset about it all.🤣
I was stuck with my horrible slippers till I got to Italy and since I got here it's been one drama to another🤣🤣.
Welcome to my world.

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