DAILY WRITING (4)

 WEDNESDAY 20TH OCTOBER, 2021

Am I the only one who finds it difficult to cross roads in Lagos? Scratch that, crossing roads generally is an herculean task for me. I can literally spend over ten minutes waiting to cross the roads. Family and friends have ‘insulted’ me for this, “Madam, na here you wan sleep, abi? Cross the road naaa? Wetin you dey wait for?” It’s worse when it’s dark. All I see are the front lights of the incoming cars, buses or okadas and they look so close to me. So, I’d wait for them to pass. Many times, I’d look beside me and see someone trying to cross, hope and pray the person is not werey that will cross road anyhow and I’d cross as the person crosses. It’s hard work, people.

You may think it’s because my parents didn’t allow me cross the road alone when I was little but that’s not it. I’ve been crossing the road since…….I really cannot remember but a loooooooong time. Fiaaaam, and I’ve crossed the road. The speed I usually go with is not of this world.

Did your teachers tell you the safety rules then? “Look left, right and left again before crossing.” You remember, abi? That rule does not work again in this Nigeria. Right where you are standing a bus or bike can come and hit you there and still blame for not seeing the road.

These days, you keep looking left and right as you cross the road. The same rule applies whenever you’re standing. (So, in case you’re thinking of coming for a vacation in Nigeria or you are an indigene and you’ve not been to the country for a long time, take note ooo.)

After thinking far and wide, I finally know why I have this crippling fear when crossing the road. Remember I told you I used to cross roads very fast then, abi? That was how one day, a car hit me……..on two different occasions. Both on my legs. On one occasion, I told my parents and they massaged the leg so much I thought the leg was going to break. It was so painful. The second time, I didn’t tell them. Plus, I was already in the University. So, big girl things now. That’s how I was petting my leg instead of telling someone to help me massage it very well.

Anyway, those two incidents left a huge fear in me. Whenever I’m on the road and about to cross, I’m thinking, “If I enter now, this car may hit me before I even get to the centre of the road. Let me just wait so it will pass first.” Ten minutes later, I am still waiting. God help me.

Today makes it a year of the #EndSARS massacre. The time when all of us, Nigerian youths, who were fed up with the messed up system in the country, stood up against the government. And what did they do? They shot at us and so many lost their lives. I didn’t go out to protest. But I prayed along with a number of friends and I spoke against it for a long time on my podcast, Gist with Melody. I had a lot of friends who went to protest. It wasn’t an easy time for any of us.

I saw so much on people’s WhatsApp statuses that made me wish I had not opened them in the first place because they reopned fresh wounds. I knew how much I struggled to sleep. I am who you would call a night bird typically but having to struggle to sleep just because all you see are dead bodies and blood everywhere? That’s intense.

I am much better than last year. BUT WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

I PRAY THAT THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ARE CONSOLED. I HOPE WE ALL CHOOSE BETTER IN THE COMING ELECTION, NOT ONLY FOR OURSELVES BUT FOR THE COMING GENERATIONS.

#EndSARS

#WeWillNotForget