Living off campus 5

My initial indifference turned to concern. Why was Ife crying? Had Tunji hit her? If he had done that, that was the height of it. I kept asking her what was wrong with her but couldn’t reply. All she did was weep. After a while, she spoke up tunji had brought another girl into the room and he had the effrontery to send Ife out. What further added insult to Ife’s injury was the fact that the girl was more beautiful than she was.

I tried to console her without giving her the ‘I told you so’ attitude. She kept on cursing and lamenting, she even threatened to go into Tunji’s room and embarrass them but I stopped her. Rather I advised that she wen later to get her things when the other girl was gone.

Ife was still lamenting when we started hearing voices at he passage , it was definitely Doyin’s voice. She was raining curses heavily on Ronald. We were surprised, we kept quiet and leaned against our door to hear every bit of what was being said but all we did hear was Doyin cursing Ronald bitterly even in vernacular, the sound of door slamming, Ronald must be leaving angrily we thought. I began to wonder wasn’t this the perfect Ronald that Doyin treated as her mini god? Things were really happening…..
Few hours later, Ife went to pack her things back into the room. I really felt sorry for her she looked used and abused.
As if all the events that had occurred earlier in the day wasn’t enough, we started hearing laura’s voice inside of Wole’s room, she didn’t sound like she was on good terms with him. We weren’t really surprised at these, Laura and wole had a strange perception of a relationship. Their own relationship meant ‘relationfight”. They only got along when they were eating together or sleeping together. They were always fighting, wole had tried to break up the relationship several times, he claimed he couldn’t cope with Laura’s jealousy but it seemed he was hooked for life. Like he was already captured by her.

Night came and we managed to sleep amidst the hostile atmosphere. The following day as I dressed up for school I noticed that Ife remained on the bed. I asked if she wasn’t going to school, she replied that she wasn’t. I tried to convince her to go but she claimed she wasn’t fine. I left her behind hoping that she would have a change of heart. I decided to walk to the busstop with Riike who also had early morning lectures

As we walked Riike started to talk about the real reason for Ronald and Doyin’s fight. She told me of how Ronald’s other girlfriend had insulted Doyin in public. The poor girl had been shocked and embarrassed. She also told me of how laura kept threatning Wole over some messages and pictures she saw on his phone. I was about to pass my own comment on the abnormal relationships when Riikeasked me a shocking question .she asked me what Ife was going to do about her pregnancy, I argued with Riike and almost fought her for suggesting that Ife was pregnant . but the issue kept coming to my mind, truly it had been long I saw Ife have her period. I made up my mind to find out.

A lot of people asked after Ife in school, i ran into her classmates who told me of all the tests she had missed. I became worried again ,ife was definitely playing around an extra year. I decided to go home early and talk sense to her. I also made up my mind to call her parents if she refused to change. As soon as I got home I stated hearing loud voices of laughter, Bukky our part time room mate as we often called her because she often didn’t sleep at home was with her male visitors again. She claimed she had a boyfriend who lived in Lagos but Ife and I see different men visit her each time. One wonders which is actually her boyfriend. I got close to our room and heard another loud noise like something crashed, I rushed into the room and saw Ife vomiting. As she vomited she bent down to pick up the broken toilet sink, I stood still.

LIVING OFF CAMPUS 6

“Did you lean on it too much”I asked even as I bent to help her pick the pieces. Mixed feelings of annoyance and surprise enveloped me. Why was she even vomiting in the first place? Definitely Riike was right. As I dropped the broken sink outside the house, I could still hear Bukky and her visitors chatting loudly but I wasn’t concerned anymore about that.
Worry over Ife and what could become of her if she was truly pregnant took over. I was about entering the house when Doyin whose room was closest to the backyard where the dumpsite was came out.” That loud noise came from your room?” she asked in vernacular I replied in the affirmative “how did it happen? “she continued, I knew if I was going to safe Ife from any form of shame or embarrassment I had to cut the conversation short, so I just replied that I didn’t know because I just came into the room when it happened. I had just gotten free from Doyin who kept trying to draw out information from me, only for me to enter our room and meet Riike and Laura.

Wow, there was no way we could escape these ones, I thought. I greeted them, it was then I knew Ife had told them she was ill and was vomiting when the sink fell. I knew the girls would never accept that story but somehow they played along. After a while they left for their rooms while I prepared for the next day which happened to be a test day for me.

Later in the evening I tried to encourage Ife to visit the school clinic, since she still held on to the story that she had chronic malaria. She kept on telling me there was no need for that, all she had to do was get to the chemist down the road and she would be fine. I became angry again, exams were only two weeks away and my obviously pregnant roommate was avoiding school yet still lying.

I was about leaving the room angrily when Tunji burst into the room. I was so infuriated at the manner in which he came in that I had to ask him why he couldn’t knock. He didn’t even respond to me he only turned to face Ife on the bed and started to call her names. He tried to hit her then I had no choice than to call for help when I couldn’t stop him. He kept calling her a prostitute, fool, all manner of terrible names despite the fact that our housemates were gathering at the door. Some of our male housemates, Wole and his friends tried to get him out of our room, as he was being dragged out he kept shouting “she is a crazy idiot, a dirty fool, she was collecting money from me and giving Toye my friend she was also sleeping with him”

I had never been more shocked my whole life, no wonder Toye left us some of the properties in the room for free. I was so embarrassed and ashamed, Riike, Laura and the other girls came in to show concern and question Ife as to why she did all she did but I knew they were only mocking her. As if that wasn’t enough Wole shouted from outside his room “Ife, please you have to return my money o sharp sharp” as he cursed under his breath.
I looked straight at Ife and asked if it was true, I was filled with annoyance when she replied that she borrowed just ten thousand naira from him. What on earth did Ife need the money for, she was still owing me some amount of money which I’d already written off because I knew she would never mention it not to talk of pay back. The other day some foodstuff and provision sellers in the neighborhood approached me to help tell her to pay them the money she owes them. Why was Ife borrowing so much money and yet she was still broke?

APOLOGY

hi, I am sorry for the delay in uploading the story series "LIVING OFF CAMPUS", I assure you that it will continue shortly.... thanks.

MONO PARENT

I never thought I’d have to write about this but then here I am writing. One of the most difficult tasks life gives is that of single parenting, be it the death of a parent or a case of divorce the absence of one of either parents leaves a void which is often difficult to fill. A single parent is saddled with the responsibilities of both parents and often times than not most people who find themselves in this position are usually not prepared for it. Not even when there are telltale signs earlier that they will eventually become one.

These parents battle with having to live without their partners, especially if such was a great loved one. They struggle to balance living above the hurt and forging ahead especially with the children ,the children who also share in the pain and challenges. Children, Old or young, male or female, still feel the absence of the missing parent . A void they as well struggle to fill. Even in cases where the remaining parent re-marries , there is still a longing , a persistent realization and reminder that one parent is gone.


Having experienced this situation myself and having friends around in the same shoes, I can say that one of the major challenges borne is the capacity to discuss the pain.Amongst other challenges which includes finances, frequent arguments and outbursts, negative character and attitude, negative pressure, in some cases restriction of movement to far distances either for business or pleasure, in younger children dangerous exposure to harm and abuse. The ability to sit and discuss the pain being felt is often absent especially in the family. Which further compounds other challenges? Most of us complain about worrisome and over protective fathers or nagging and over protective mothers. Why do people refuse to discuss their pain and hurt feelings, bottling it up and thereby remaining bitter?


I have seen people live through this situation successfully, living to tell their story, I have also seen people who have wasted away and have sunk in the sea of sorrow, depression and self pity, thereafter gone astray. Especially because they couldn’t discuss their pain, find solutions and live through it. Some people have driven themselves too hard in a bid to make up for their loss and get over hurt but have eventually had to discuss the pain they feel. Others have pretended to discuss their pain but have hidden their true pain and discussed just a few, these type of people eventually give in to outburst and with more pain discuss their pain.
Parenthood itself is challenging, single parenthood is therefore double challenging,the stress, the anxiety, the stigma in cases of divorce or irresponsible parent makes it a whole lot more. We can’t put an end to single parenting and its occurrence in the society, we can only help those in this situation find a way to live in gladness and fulfillment despite their disadvantage and pain.

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Living off campus 4

It turned out to be Ola. Ola was a casual friend of mine, those kinds of friends you make as a result of a necessity or a joint responsibility. More like an acquaintance, I had an inkling Ola really liked me but I pretended not to notice. Seeing him that afternoon really surprised me, we were through with the fellowship project that brought us together, what could he possibly want? I thought within myself
After exchanging greetings and settling down, I expected him to state the reason for his visit but he only looked at me and smiled. This got me more impatient and irritated. He obviously wasn’t my kind of person. As if that wasn’t enough, I had secretly hoped that Ife wouldn’t leave me alone with him but unfortunately she stood up and excused herself from the room.
I was angry, now he will think he is being given free space to talk. i didn’t bother offering him anything, I didn’t want to prolong his stay. He picked up our album and started looking through making comments which I only managed to respond to. He later spoke about the church and recent developments. After few minutes which seemed like eternity he declared his leave. I was more than pleased to see him off.
When I returned to the house Ife wasn’t in still. I heard her voice inside Doyin’s room so I went there. As soon as I entered, Laura who was also in the room started taunting me asking if Ola was my boyfriend. They all burst out laughing I was so embarrassed and angry that they actually thought I could date Ola. I later got them to change topic. Doyin started praising her boyfriend. She made us look to the left side of the room where she arranged foot wears, sandals, shoes of different colours and designs like Laura. She claimed she had just ordered for them, courtesy her boyfriend. Ife and I continued to admire the collection.
After sometime we went back to our room, we had to prepare for the next day. Later on before sleeping that night Ife kept on talking about Doyin’s collections. She couldn’t bring herself to accept the fact that she was envious though. she later ended her talk with the fact that Tunji was richer than Ronald, Doyin’S boyfriend. It really infuriated me that Ife could think that way, more so she was still serious about Tunji after all we knew about his relations with different girls.

The days went fast, I was so busy that I hardly had time to relax. It was getting to that time of the semester when one could expect tests anytime. But one thing that got me wondering was that Ife was never busy. Infact she wasn’t going to school everyday. yet I saw her departmental mates in school running from one lecture hall to the other. Each time I asked her why, she would reply she already had the notes and someone wrote attendance for her. Asking her what she had been doing with her time usually brought about anger and explanations which were obviously lies. Ife’s behavior was becoming more unacceptable as the days went by, she left the house at odd times, stabbed lectures, came home with different stuffs and worse of all she kept on lying.
She was changing overnight, I was so worried and felt guilty each time our parents called and we say we are fine. Especially when Ife’s parents call me. I discussed her with some of my trusted friends in school, some advised that I just keep managing and praying for her others suggested that I called her parents anonymously and inform them. I still continued to contemplate this. Then one day suddenly Ife moved some of her things to Tunji’s room. she even started cooking in his room. I was really angry at this. Our once tight relationship was beginning to slack and she didn’t care.
One evening I got back from school and met Ife’s absence as usual. I didn’t bother to look for her I just fixed myself something to eat, I was eating when suddenly the door burst open and Ife rushed in. she fell on the bed and began to weep profusely.

Living off campus 3

It was Wole. We had no choice than to serve him. Then few minutes later, Laura came in to “greet” us. She started to complain about having stew but no vegetables I was getting impatient and angry but Ife had already entered the kitchen taking a bowl to give her . As we all sat eating I was calculating in my head our three hundred naira 10 pieces of meat was finished. The stew we were hoping will last all through the weekend. Yet it was still Thursday.
After all our uninvited guests were gone, I started to blame Ife out of frustration she was supposed to lock the door since she came in last. In the midst of these we had totally forgotten we still had to fetch water for the evening and the following day. By the time we stopped arguing and realized we hadn’t fetched water, it was too late to go out. Our house was surrounded by thick bushes which the caretaker had refused to take care of even after collecting money from each room for it. This made snakes our estranged visitors.
Neither Ife nor myself could summon up courage to go out so we decided to wake up early the following morning and fetch since we both didn’t have early morning lectures. Unfortunately in the middle of the night I started feeling the call of nature to use the “white house”. I tried all my possible best to repress the urge to no avail. In frustration I rushed into the toilet and almost screamed halleluyah when I saw a half bucket of water. Ife must have left it behind the previous morning. As I eased myself I basked in my relief but suddenly Ife rushed out of bed and started pacing at the doorway to the toilet. She began to urge me to be fast as she was pressed too. Ha! I exclaimed “no water o”.
This was definitely the aftermath of the vegetable we ate in the night. Ife continued to threaten me has she paced up and down. As I hurried up I began to wonder how both of us will manage half bucket of water. When ife got in and started offloading hers it was as if she hadn’t been to the toilet in days. I definitely knew we had to get water and the only way was the most terrifying way. It was 2.45 am in the morning.
As I walked through the passage to the main door, I had an ominous feeling like I was going to regret going out, I had heard different stories of strange occurences in the middle of the night so I dreaded moving in the night. I also thought within myself our housemates will definitely think something was wrong with us for going outside at that time. Nevertheless I opened the main door which wasn’t locked, I wondered why.
As I fetched, I kept looking around fearfully to be sure there was no dangerous reptile or person lurking around. There was a strange offensive smell in the atmosphere , I decided to hurry. After fetching two buckets I was about hurrying inside when i heard a strange sound by the side of the house this was followed by footsteps. I was about to run when something stopped me in my tracks. It was someone’s shadow, then whoever it was called out my name, my heart skipped. It was AK, Relief flooded over me.
I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me he had been smoking crack. He asked why I was fetching water at that period , I was so embarrassed that I had to lie. I told him I needed to shower because of the heat. That turned out to be a good alibi because he also claimed he came out for fresh air. i quickly excused myself.
When I got back into the room I told Ife what I had seen. We both didn’t like the fact that someone smoked crack in the house. But we had no choice, we went back to sleep.
Weekend came and we had enough time to do assignments, personal chores as well as relax. I thought of tunji and Ife together, I tried to persuade her to stop the relationship but she wouldn’t listen. Tunji would definitely give her money but he would end up dumping her. She later went out with him in the evening and came back with packed restaurant food and drinks. I was tempted to eat with her but I knew I shouldn’t if I wanted her to listen to me. So I refused. Ife started talking to me about considering dating someone too but I refused vehemently, after my ordeal with my last boyfriend, I didn’t want anymore such fake relationships.
Later in the evening, uche came in to check on us after chatting for a while he left for his room. Ife and I started teasing each other about whom we thought uche was interested in, we were still doing that when we heard Timothy’s voice he was talking to himself again. What a strange guy we thought.
Sunday came we both left for church and got back in the evening tired. We had barely laid down to rest when someone knocked on the door. I opened it grudgingly after few minutes of which we had to tidy up the room. It was supposed to be our siesta period. As I opened the door I was surprised at who I saw.

Living off campus 2

Ifeoluwa was half naked fumbling with her clothes, struggling and scrambling to pull her trousers up to zip it. Guilt written all over her, I quickly composed myself then I greeted Tunji who was carrying on as if nothing happened. I told her I was back before leaving the room.
As I walked back to our room, I couldn’t stop replaying the scene I just witnessed. What had just happened? As I entered our room and slumped on the bed, Ife sauntered in. I was so disappointed that I was trembling. ‘I m sorry you had to see us that way.’ She said ‘ but I accepted to date Tunji long time ago’ she continued. I felt bad, so I had been living with a pretender. No wonder Toye left the room furnished for us. Toye was Tunji’s friend besides Tunji could have paid. I was still lost in thoughts when she immediately started talking about one of our friends whom she ran into in school. I knew she was trying to bury the hatchet. It was a topic too embarrassing and annoying to discuss so I grudgingly played along.
After discussing other people’s lives, who was sleeping with who or who was dating who for hours, I had gotten over the shock a bit and Ife was loosening up too. We then decided to sleep for a while. We knew we still had to go out in the evening to get ingredients for stew. We needed to cook as we had been feeding on junks for days. Left to me I could manage till weekend but ife wouldn’t have it that way.
We had hardly laid our heads to sleep when we heard wole and his group of friends return. We both hissed at the same time because we knew what that meant. Screaming loud our names, wole began to bang endlessly on our door. How on earth did he know we were in? Then I remembered that in the condition we came in, we had forgotten to clean and pack in our sandals like we usually did.
We decided to play dumb, pretend as if we were fast asleep. So we kept mute. We heard wole contemplating with his friends whether we were sleeping or pretending. After a while they called us all sorts of names and left for wole’s room. We were used to wole”s abusive nature. As if that was not enough we had already dreaded him putting on his generator. So immediately we started hearing footsteps at the back of our window we knew we were done for.
Wole was so inconsiderate that not only did he place the generator behind our window, he refused to allow us connect to it.so that we only suffer the loud noise and terrible fumes without sharing in the comfort. As the generator came on in the scorching sun, sweat breaking out from our foreheads, we knew there was no more sleeping for us. We were so frustrated that I suddenly began to wish that the generator will breakdown.
After about an hour of tossing and turning on our bed, PHCN refusing to honour our desperate request we decided to get out of the room. Ife got out first and I heard her arguing with wole as usual over his earlier banging on our door. Wole kept on calling her names, claiming she was a stingy brat.
I came out too and joined them but for one reason or the other wole refused to continue the discussion. I noticed earlier on that wole and his group of friends kind of had an iota of respect for me, but none for Ife. For what reason I cannot say, could it be that they know something that I don’t know or perhaps they had witnessed the same scene I did today.
In the end wole had to let us into his room, which was packed full as usual. We plugged our phones and decided to relax with a movie which turned out to be short of interesting. Laura had gotten back too, she came into wole’s room with bum shorts and a sleeveless top . she was so scandalously dressed that I had to believe what Ife had said earlier. Ife told me earlier that she caught wole and laura kissing passionately in her room but I didn’t believe it. It seemed so stupid that Laura would date wole in the same house also considering the fact that everybody knew wole was unserious.
So when she came in and sank into his bed casually revealing the better parts of her laps, I knew something was definitely going on. She chatted freely with us and joined the movie. After about 20mins of chatting loudly, wole’s friends declared their leave and we knew what that meant. We quickly removed our phones before he went to put out the generator. By then it was evening so Ife and I set out for the bus stop to buy what to eat.
Getting back home, everyone was back from school. Luckily PHCN had granted our request. But one disadvantage that accompanied power supply was AK’s deck. We could barely hear ourselves in the house. We needed to blend our pepper. We usually saved money by borrowing Doyin”s blender. We had been promising each other all to no avail that we would buy a blender of our own.
Immediately food was served and ready at night we settled to eat, we were so hungry that we forgot to lock our door. Suddenly our door swung open and someone burst in………

Living off campus

LIVING OFF CAMPUS
I was excited when Ifeoluwa suggested that we became roommates. We were very good friends and it was our second year in the university and having spent our first year in the school hostel we decided to see what it was like to live off campus.
The thought of living together outside school got me more excited. We immediately set out together to search for a suitable apartment. The first day ended and we were disappointed as we were unable to find a place that suit us. After 3 days of frantic search with no success we were beginning to lose hope and was preparing to go back to the school hostel when a friend called to inform us of an apartment . He was moving out of the apartment so it was luck on our side. The apartment was self contained and Toye our friend left his rug, window blind, kitchen cabinet for us without collecting a dime. I was so overjoyed that I didn’t think there was more to Toye’s generosity we just thanked him and packed into the room.
The first two weeks was great, I enjoyed the company of our other housemates and neighbours although they were a pain in the neck at times.
Wole was next room to us. He was lazy, very stingy and ruthless. He could be friendly at times but whenever he was its was only because he needed a favour. Wole knows the exact time we cook and have our meal served there was no point denying him a plate, he would get it by all means even if it meant stealing it. Wole is so untruthful that if he tells you its 1pm in the afternoon you should go check again yourself. Wole also had this irresponsible friends who were also nothing to write home about. They were pests like him. wole liked to feel among, he could steal for that as well.
Timothy also lived next door . He was a very quiet and decent person. He was also nice and respectful. He couldn’t hurt a fly, he hardly had visitors. He lived a simple life, he would come around at leisure times to share the word of God with us. Ife and I often laughed each time we imagined what kind of girls Timothy probably thought we were. We gist all night, laugh hysterically as we mock guys who tried to ‘’toast’’ us. Obviously Timothy must have heard every conversation we had each day from his room. We didn’t care after all he was a ‘’man of God’’.
Laura was the girl that lived in the first room of the building. Laura could be annoying at times, she was a big girl obviously (wore latest designer clothes, weavons, footwears, shoes of different colours and designs). Laura started using blackberry ever before it became popular and she has had her brand changed about four times. She always uses the latest models. Despite all this Laura would knock on our door at odd times to ask for food, bathing soap and toiletries as if she was a poor student. It was really so amazing and annoying.
As for Riike, if you didn’t go to church you are a sinner and will perish. She was a religious fanatic. She would discriminate people she called sinners and would speak in tongues even when killing a mosquito. Yet Riike comes to our room, to gossip and eat our food. She even had more guts than the others, she would walk into our kitchen, open our pots to see what we were hiding. She also had the habit of talking about her boyfriend whom she said was God’s will for her. I believe in God’s will but whether she was right about hearing from God was what I didn’t know. She was always talking about him. It got to a point Ife and I thought she was trying to make us jealous.
AK lived in this same building. Mere seeing Ak you wont need a second guess to know he was on crack. He would turn the music playing in his room loud anytime of the day even at midnight. All efforts to stop him proved abortive. He hardly spoke to anybody and his eyeballs were always bloodshot red. He was so secretive and lived a secluded life that we only got to know his name 2 months after he moved in.
Tunji was Timothy’s next room neighbour. Tunji was our level mate and he was really a ‘’big boy’’. He often suffered parasitism like us. Laura, Wole and others all go to him for money and food. Wole’s irresponsible friends also’’ tapped’’ from Tunji.
Tunji really had money he owned a boutique close to campus where he sold male and female wears. he was also from a rich home. He often comes to our room to chill out and he allows us charge our phones in his shop each time we had electricity problems. He was really helpful but he had no regard for women. He believed all they wanted was money which he had. His alias was ‘’MONEY OVA BITCHES’’. He slept with different girls everyday, for some reasons I don’t know he tried to hide it from us but we found out.
Bukky was lazy. She was also a call girl. She was so lazy to the extent that she couldn’t cook or wash her clothes and underwear. She often paid a dry cleaner to help her wash. She was in 200l too. Bukky would sleep with any man for money, she was at that time dating alhaji our caretaker. She was from a poor family but always wanting to feel among. She often lied about using the latest things. Ife and I often laugh at her back. She thought we were easily fooled.
Ugo and Uche were brothers, they were also roommates. They were both in 400level and were really cute guys. Not only were they cute they were from a wealthy home and were also very brilliant both were first class students. Even Ife and I were almost tripping for this guys. We always enjoyed being noticed by this guys. We weren’t the only ones who were interested in this guys we only had enough dignity to keep ourselves but as for Laura, Bukky and even Riike it was like a rat race. They all threw themselves at these guys, when one person was leaving their room another was going in. Ife and I laughed about this in our room. We both secretly knew the guys didn’t want any of them. Ugo and Uche often visited us in our room but they never visit the other girls. This almost caused a kind of beef, these girls thought we were also on the rat race to win this guys.
Our last roommate Doyin lived her entire life for her boyfriend Ronald. She hardly interacts with other housemates except when she wanted to talk about Ronald. She would snap her picture every morning after dressing up( either Ife or I help her) to send it to Ronald before leaving for lectures. She was in 100l. Every weekend is spent at Ronald’s place. She often showed us the goodies he gave her.
Interesting housemates isn’t it? We learned to live with them and we never had serious problems. Even Ife and I only had little misunderstandings which we settled within ourselves but one day everything changed. I saw something that broke my heart. Ife was in fisheries department while I was in microbiology so we had lectures at different times.
On this fateful day I had lectures in the morning but ife had no lectures. I was always in a hurry to come back if Ife had no lectures because I didn’t like walking alone around school. When I came back everywhere was silent I opened the main door I didn’t hear anything. I wanted to catch ife unaware and scare her (we do this to each other from time to time) so I didn’t call her I just opened the door. I was surprised to find she wasn’t in. I tried to call her number but it was switched off. Where could she have gone leaving the door unlocked I wondered. After looking around I saw Tunji’s footwear were at the entrance of his room so I went to ask him. I knocked on the door and he took a while I was wondering if he was sleeping. When he opened it I was shocked at what I saw!
TO BE CONTINUED

story series

hi, i am sorry this is coming late but I am about to introduce story series into the blog. so watch out for interesting series on here.. first i will be introducing living off campus, a series i thought i completed but then by popular demand I am continuing it... see episode 1 to 6 first....

EATDEPENDENCE

Over a decade ago, the whole neighbourhood in which I lived in was thrown into darkness. This lasted for a whole year, it all started when our transformer blew up and stopped generating power. All efforts to make the government then in power provide a new one proved abortive. Within that year a lot of people moved to another neighbourhood, I don’t know what held my parents back. it was a year of candles and lanterns all night, only a few people were privileged to own a generator , which was so rare then.
The only times we took cold water or drinks was when mum bought iced block from the other part of town, we resorted to sun drying as our major means of preservation of perishable foods.it was like living in a village. Now when I look back, I began to wonder, how did we survive a whole year in darkness? Again this same incidence repeated itself when we moved to our new neighbourhood, that lasted for well over a year, about a year and 7months. A lot of people went beserk, we couldn’t abandon our own house and move.
About 2years ago and just recently as well , two people I know died, they were involved in ghastly road accidents, rushed to the hospital but where left unattended to in darkness and in an overcrowded room. They needed to pay for even first aid in a general hospital I suppose.


A nurse I know complained of buying rechargeable lanterns for the hospital where she works, to aid the nurses on night duty take deliveries and run the affairs of the hospital, a government hospital. Some times they even had to get money for fuel from the patient who could afford it.
What about our educational system, I hate to think of the fact that the average Nigerian graduate is not fully equipped as should be, infact like a friend of mine said the average Nigerian graduate today irrespective of grade is about 35years backwards just because our curriculums have remained the same. Our lecturers give out what the were taught decades back, we don’t know practical but theory, cramming and theory .if you are now so unlucky has to come from a very, very humble background, you are done for, no education even if it is half baked for you.Afterall as much as they declare free education scheme, education is still not free! A lot of these people, illiterates and semi – illiterates drop out, get into crime, girls get impregnated , further poverty and lives are ruined.
One would have thought all these existed in the past, but looking at the situation today, nothing has changed still. Except that now almost every house possesses a generator which has turned out to be the messiah for so many businesses and then a lot of people have learned to live with the hardship and abnormalities in all the other sectors too. Such that we don’t even know what is normal anymore. Everyday of our lives we are affected one way or the other by the selfish and terrible decisions our leaders and rulers make either consciously or unconsciously. We leave our houses everyday hoping that each new day will be better than the previous; hoping that our daily hustles is fruitful and blessed by a handsome reward.
Hoping that bad, tattered and untarred roads we tread daily leads us to greatness, luck and fulfillment. But many return disappointed.


We have so much learnt in this country to make do with what we have, to make the best of every unfavorable circumstances and situations and still survive. We are indeed a great people I must say but if things continue this way, I doubt we’d be able to keep up with the consequences of remaining stagnant in development as a nation.
If we continue to face the same challenges, address the same issues and problems every year then we are headed for more frustration, more vices and probably destruction. I wonder how we have managed to survive till now, God knows.
I know that I should proffer or suggest what I feel in my opinion is the solution to all of these, at least that is what a lot of people have been doing and it still seems fruitless but then what I ask myself what really is the way out? How do we overcome? When ?Either our leaders are too selfish to think straight or they lack right advisors or probably we are suffering as a punishment for the sins of the past committed by the nation. Or maybe it is just that we still haven’t gotten independence like we thought we got 54 years back.


I still haven’t and won’t give up on this country, I know that too much time has been wasted awaiting the desired change but I believe and know that it will come.
Browny