In the shadows…behind the scenes
Nodding in the background
Almost non-existent if one were to judge by the physical, yet always there.
Always, always there.
No comments on the blog post. Sparse reactions on the Facebook, yet silently rooting.
Taciturn, shy, reticent but stoic in effervescent support.
After yet another night spent tugging lightly at the hem of his pyjamas to no avail, I knew my husband was cheating.
Osi was crazy about sex and it had taken a while for me to adjust to his constant need for a tangle between the sheets after we got married. But I had caught up. I had to, I didn’t want my man checking any other woman out on account of my sexual passivity.
So when Uche mentioned she knew some private investigator, I didn’t hesitate to engage his services.
The French Ambassador to the United States recently expressed his displeasure about famous comedian and host of the Daily Talk Show, Trevor Noah, arrogating the French national team’s World Cup win to Africa. The players are fully French and should not be associated with Africa in any way, was pretty much the summary of his letter to Noah. It didn’t matter that almost 70 per cent of them were Blacks whose parents or grandparents had migrated from several African countries. Apart from Noah’s brilliant response to the ambassador’s protest, the issue has once again brought up the question of identity, how it is perceived and what its implications are for an individual ora group of people.
The Ekiti Gubernatorial elections have come and gone, but the revelations that were made before, during and after the civil exercise should be a source of worry for any well-meaning Nigerian. The keenly contested race between Prof Olusola Eleka of the PDP and Dr Kayode Fayemi of the APC threw up many unwholesome practices that do not bode well for the electoral future of Nigeria. As early as the wee hours of election day, news already began to filter in about the massive vote-buying embarked upon by the two major political parties.
Recently, a cab driver hit on me. It wasn’t a shy, can-we-be-friends-first-and-then-you-know-maybe-something-can-happen-from-there kind of hitting on. It was a full-blown, I-really-like you-and-would-like-to-date-you-and possibly-marry-you kind of hitting on. It was cute. A tad annoying, but cute. He had been sent to pick me up for an appointment of sorts, and I had every right to be upset by his utterances. He was being unprofessional and if I had reported him to his employers, he may have been heavily reprimanded or even lost his job. But aside the slight the irritation I initially felt, I admired his courage. I was impressed with his guts and it got me thinking…
The image above not only represents the heart-rending inferno that consumed some commuters in Lagos last week, it could also pass for the current state of the Nigerian nation. On Saturday, a young man, in an apparent demonstration of his dissatisfaction with the chaotic and saddening reality of the country, stood at the Maryland intersection holding up a signage that asked the government of the day either shape up and fix Nigeria like they were elected to do or resign. He stood there almost all day, alone and stoic in his one-man peaceful protest, braving the odds. When the pictures began to make the rounds on social media, one would have expected everyone to laud his initiative and courage, but that was not the case. Rather, some of the same youths who have been clamouring for a revolution opined he was only wasting his time and would soon tire out.
The hot topic in the last two weeks has been the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The tournament holds once in four years and it’s not surprising that it would take over the discourse space. Apart from the adrenalin-inducing effect the event has on football lovers all over the world, regular individuals are also sucked into the frenzy of the month-long competition. However uninterested they may be, they are not completely immune to the buzz and activities that come with the game. It’s practically impossible not to “stumble” into conversations or arguments or some good old banter relating to the event, let alone the adverts and constant updates in the traditional and online media.
Music. Dance. Culture. Rifts. Love. War. Football. All the bits and pieces that make up our existence. The fragments, the wholes, our interests and the stuff we really do not give a hoot about all have a lesson to teach us. I choose to see life as a lesson. In everything I do, however mundane, I am always mindful that there’s something to learn. Beyond the four walls of the classroom formal education offers or the deliberate training and development efforts our employers put in place to improve our work skills, there’s something to take away from the seemingly pedestrian activities we are involved in.
“Girl, you are the luckiest feminine species in the world. An exquisite combination of beauty and brains, and on this special occasion, I can only wish you the very best.”
It was Joan, my American roommate, during my freshman days in college.
“Annie, big, big congratulations! I am so happy for you, girlfriend. And honestly, Joan has said it all. You have everything going for you and if I wasn’t your best friend, I swear I’d be jealous of all you have achieved at such a young age. Sister, I am absolutely delighted for you and I wish you and Greg the very best married life has to offer” My childhood friend and bestie, Mena concluded the toast.
“What’s the worst that could happen, anyway?” That’s the question I ask myself when I am at a crossroads. Whenever I sense myself getting exasperated about taking a decision or getting apprehensive about the possible outcome of a situation, I imagine the worst possible thing that could result from taking the wrong decision. And many times, that question induces the damn it mentality I need to face my fears and do it afraid. It’s the tonic I need to get going and it helps put things in perspective.