The first time I killed a chicken by myself was in 1993 December, in my parents house in Lagos. I nearly kill myself join. Thanks to my early love for horror movies the sight of blood did not scare me, but I was appalled by the idea of killing something that actually lived and breathed. … Continue reading Cowards and Christmas Chickens
YEAR: 2010 LOCATION: New Karu, Nassarawa State On another Christmas day, I stay smiling, the harmattan allowing us to wear our suits for once. It was shocking to start receiving messages on the 24th. Wasn’t expecting anything of such, with Facebook, the likes and all. I thought that like birthdays, all messages would be parcelled … Continue reading Christmas Changes
Santa Claus gave me a priceless gift on December 25 2007. Back in November, Adaoma assured me over the phone that she would spend the Christmas in Lagos. ‘‘Are you sure?’’ I asked. ‘‘You always have a reason to remain in Warri. Perhaps you will market Samsung phones on Christmas day.’’ Her laugh made my … Continue reading A Salaciously Sweet Christmas
This is how I remember it. This is the image of my grandmother that sticks; that Christmas of 2005, the Christmas before she died. She is sitting at the dining table, in her customary chair. She has a bowl of Bournvita in front of her. Yes. A bowl. Apparently, this is how she likes … Continue reading Mama Efon’s Last One.
24th December, 1996. Our house on the ever busy Ogunbowale street buzzed like a beehive just as it always did in the days leading up to Christmas. We had a number of relatives visiting. Uncles who dressed slaughtered birds and helped to lift heavy stuff around the house, amid all the banters and back-slapping. And … Continue reading The Christmas Eve Raid
December 17, 2010 Lagos, Nigeria. I have always thought life was beautiful. Well, it was. But, now it just became more beautiful. What I held in my hands is the greatest marvel I have ever beheld. The truest sign yet that life is indeed beautiful. Once again I steal a glance at the wall … Continue reading The Arrival
22 DECEMBER, 2002 We sped down the highway, after dropping off Madam Ifeoma and her children at Garki in Enugu State. The journey had been uneventful since we left Pandam in Quan’pan L.G.A, Plateau State, except for the occasional stops, for Chijioke and Emma, Madam Ifeoma’s children, to ease themselves. We only had the large … Continue reading That Christmas
25th December 2000, Trans Amusement Park, Ibadan I woke up to a dry chilly harmattan morning. My lips felt parched and there was a tartly taste in my mouth. But there was no stopping my euphoric feeling. There is something about the yuletide that makes me feel so high. Could it be the delicacies … Continue reading Christmas Ride Gone Gaga
Christmas day has always been a tiring day. It was a day we didn’t come up for air till late in the evening when we had ensured that the last dish had been washed clean. Nobody went out on Christmas day except to church early in the morning; from dawn to dusk we cooked several … Continue reading In the Spirit of Christmas
(2010; Kwari, Takum, Taraba state) It was the third week of December and my mind laid on an undecided dilemma, in which I had no hurry in making up my mind towards a fixed resolution. I had gotten so accustomed to life down here, enjoying every minute of love showered by the natives, who … Continue reading Meeting Up Christmas from the Jungle
Christmas in Arochukwu is always more of a cultural celebration than a religious one. The ancient kingdom each December attracts indigenes and visitors who are treated to a cocktail of traditional display and unadulterated culture, as each of the 19 villages and different age grades on pre-specified days take turns to display the … Continue reading Christmas in Arochukwu: A historical orientation
3 PM, Christmas Eve, 2011. Mpape, Abuja. I sat cross-legged on the ground pondering whether to pick the call or not. There was no doubting who it was. I’d lost count of the number of calls from her yet its intensity had only grown with every passing day. Its effect on my psyche in light … Continue reading Return of the prodigal son
December 25, 1996. Abeokuta. Christmas, to me, is like a mystical book whose chapters are lived out, or better put, walked into, one at a time, year after year. There have been years when I walked into certain strange discoveries; some brought me weird toys; a few brought me lifelong friends; while I walked into … Continue reading A Divorce On Christmas Day.
Christmas comes like a thief. It comes armed. It comes with lots of thoughts and excitement; one of such led me to Lagos in December, 2011. Alighting at Jibowu in Yaba, the town looked familiar. I had dreamt about Lagos from Adam. And I had always woken up in Port Harcourt, the assumed City of … Continue reading The Lagos Dream
The reminiscence of the Christmas before last would not cease to flood my memory like thunderclap. It was my first Christmas in the tropics. More than that, waking up in my continent and sleeping in another on a Christmas day offered me a Christmas in another atmosphere that’s a total departure from all I have … Continue reading Stone The Santa!