My Neighborhood

My Neighborhood.
Waking up from the bed to a beautiful day, designed for a purpose to be fulfilled, makes it memorable in my neighborhood. This saying that "naija no dey sleep" is a very true sayin. Everyone is on the move with their respective businesses and areas where it is located. Well, I didn't grow up in Ajegunle,  Lagos State but my neighborhood is a bit close to it's natural phenomenon.
 Abuja, though the capital city of Nigeria is rated as the smallest city or state in the country; with it's population in a countable sense. It is beautiful and well structured with diversified people living in it. Apart from the language and cultural differences, it also involves people with good manners and the opposite. You can imagine living in the midst of people you can't avoid no matter the circumstances.
It's fun, lovely, dramatic, crazy,  hilarious and whatever you can classify an "Ajegunleish" kinda neighborhood. What drives me crazy, is the Tap yes the Tap. Here people from different places around the vicinity come to fetch water for their various purposes. Greetings from people that just opened their shops to the ones that opened very early especially in the language that everyone understands "pidgin". "Una good morning oo, how una night take dey? Shebi una no see winch for dream so? Guy wetin dey sup, you wan shine your eye this Morning?" These are the words of traders; but the one that caught my attention at the tap was oga oluwa as he is popularly called. He has a liquor store where he sells a lot of hot drinks that helps you "wash away your sorrows" according to him. He tagged it "YOLO" which means you only live once. To the people who have no further knowledge about the other realm believes this so much and they intend to "jaye" (enjoy) and forget about their sorrows. What's striking about oga oluwa is that, he believes in so many gods. He believes in God almighty, Sango, ogun etc. Whenever he prays loudly as usual, he calls on the name of each God and asks for their presence in his everyday business. He's always with the vibe, plays music a lot, loudly of course. He Teases young ladies and make them trip for him by assuring them of his future and what is in store for him to enjoy. Some ladies who don't fall for it get the latest insults of their life. As smart as he is, he would look for a default in the lady and make jest of her with it. Sometimes it's fun but sometimes it's just annoying. As for me, I'm just like a ghost observing and enjoying the atmosphere and still thinking about a lot of things that needs to be done to develop our neighborhood. One thing for sure is that my neighborhood is a struggling one where by young boys and girls including me are forced to learn one handwork or the other for the betterment of our future. Some are into fashion designing, hairdressing, carpentery, mechanic works, confectionary and all sorts. While others work to earn money maybe due to low financial stability in the  family just to make sure everyone is alright. Hardwork and honestly is the order of the day. There might be non challant behaviors but the respect and love still abides. For me I can't call it an ubarn area or a rural area let me just say it's a  "ru-ubarn area".
"Common come here! If you try this rubbish again ehh, I will beat you even before your mama come back! Olodo!" This is the voice of iya lateef who believes in general training. There is this saying in my neighborhood that "the fact say na your mama carry you for nine months come born you no mean say we no get right to train you because na all of us get am". So, even though you try to mess up in the neighborhood you will surely be corrected either with mouth (especially those Yoruba painful insults that would be cherished if cane was used) or with cane. Having this mindset installed both home and abroad, it keeps you away from sin and helps you to abide by the Neighborhood's instructions. One thing certain about my neighborhood is that, you get to learn a lot of languages especially the insults because that's what you get to hear all the time both jokingly and when it's very hot!

I can keep writing on and on about madaki lane street because it's a home to be. You can confidently walk into someone's home and eat freely without being questioned or judged and your parents don't get to punish you with a concrete reason stated that it cannot be done beyond the neighbourhood. The "amebos" and "aprokos" are not exempted but Sha Sha we still dey like that. Iriz wat iriz. I look forward to a positive change in the negative parts but as for the positive parts, I look forward to more fun and togetherness. I still love my neighborhood.

By
Eze Chikadibia joan.