The Good Life

I was responsible for the everyday dressing and cleaning up of my parents room  Most mornings had me finding wraps of different sorts of goody yumminess they enjoyed at night. Barbecue fish, chicken, chips, yam, the baked, fried, wine, juice, endless enjoyment packages  Ohhhhhhh how I used to turn green whenever I discovered it  So this man and his wife will hide behind closed doors when we retired for the night to munch things? They didn't even consider me, the Ada and cleaner of the room! Besides it's even we the kids that needed these things to grow well. Isn't that what Biology taught us? Well, last night hubby whispered 'Babe we need to put the kids early to bed' Ahhhhhhhhhhhh why were they still awake in the first place? He didn't need to say it twice  In this kinda situation 8pm is considered late night for kids under 5years oh Off to bed they went, Mickey mouse would still be there in the morning My heart was just doing kikum kikum I knew the...

All day I've been trying to pen down my emotions but... My heart bleeds for my country and her people No, we're not talking about the crazy hike in prices of goods and services  Businesses shutting down or threatening to do so Police brutality raging stronger Almost all uniformed sectors are harassing the citizens one way or the other Let's not mention the rate of unemployment, static salaries Ahaaa, how about the massive migration of our youths, labour force, best brains How about investors pulling out? The upsurge in crime, ritual killings and the likes So many agencies set up in the name of security or checking corruption Kangaroo setup all unleashing and perpetuating wickedness on the helpless masses The bane of utmost concern right now is how the blood of the citizens are flowing daily on the altar of banditry with the lackadaisical attitude of our leaders No sector is left negatively untouched It seems like the government is on an all out mission to not on...

In a nation that once was amongst the fastest growing economy in Africa, a place that attracted foreign investors is now as good as dead. Daily on the news it's either one sector is closing upon threatening to There indeed was a country Few days ago it was bandits seizing up the airport in Kaduna and grounding flights and other activities  Yesterday bandits blew up a train along the Kaduna-Abuja route with almost a thousand passengers. Kidnapped, killed and injured passengers  Less than 24 hours later another train has been attacked in the same route Another attack has been staged too against those traveling by the Kaduna- Abuja expressway  How does one explain the flagrant irresponsibility and unaccountability of our politicians and the laissez-faire attitude of the leadership of our country in general? Armed robbery, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping has become a norm of our today and the government has conveniently chosen to be silent about these Lives of th...

As a young lady, that initial opportunity of tasting freedom, the idea was to live life From a strict and conservative background, living life meant tripping when I saw the 'bad guys' I envied their supposed lifestyle in the sense that I felt they could do whatever they wanted and that was living the ultimate lifestyle  I went out of my way to befriend and try to blend with some but it was an uphill task trying to be what I wasn't  Many years later I came into the realization that the narrative was false Who wants unnecessary drama and headache when you could have peace? Peace of mind cannot be overrated  I love my peace of mind and place it above all else I know now that this is the best gift I can give myself and in this I can be the best version I'm to be to my loved ones In doing this, I now deliberately and carefully surround myself with people who promote this peace of mine Instead of spending energy proving points, I live my best life by making those ...

'Prayer point number 83: Every evil around me, dieeeeeeeee dieeeeee Clap clap clap your hands and say that prayer Shake your head,  every evil spirit around you must leave by fire!' screamed the prayer leader into the microphone  Past 2pm and we began shaking and clapping since 6:30am with dry fasting that was to last for three days To make matters worst, there was no hiding place from the ushers walking around grilling and drilling us worst than slave task masters  My younger brother decided to sit down at some point hmmmmm he was unfortunately rounded up by these ushers and before we could say Jack, one bottle of Goya oil was emptied on his head The rest of us didn't need anyone telling us to pick up the pace Day 1, we got home almost 9pm and dozed off the rest our weary souls Our ordeal began when my Mum decided she's had enough of our craze and tabled our matter before her husband  Chai! You know that period in your teenage life where you think you'v...

Hubby requested for Ofe-Aku today I rarely make it unless he requests for it And as my irresistible hot chocolate, I couldn't say no He bought everything I'd need to make the soup and while going through the ingredients, It took my mind back to something that happened last year I'm a pretty good cook and I run a catering business by the side Someone placed an order for some soups and stew Being a kind of family friend, I decided to trade payment for honest reviews So I set out to make the meals and delivered As part of the review I got, he said, the eyes eats the food even before the tongue... Long story short; were the meals tasty? Yes but in my quest to impress, I overdid it. I decided to try out spices and methods I hadn't tried before. I told myself I wanted to kill it.   Here are a few things I learnt from that experience  -Your place of manifestation is not where you start experimenting. Do well to prepare yourself before opportunity comes knocking ...

2018 was a rollercoaster. We went from one challenge to another and then another and just when we thought we had seen the worst, we got hit again harder We just got married the previous year and by the next, we had our son. He was barely three months when our landlord gave us three days quit notice for no reason whatsoever. It came as a shocker cause we were in good terms. Then we started hearing the gossips filtering from neighbours; 'see how big their wedding was bla bla bla'. How would they have known that everything in our wedding were gifts and we never spent a penny? Well, hubby had begun building a house so we fixed the doors and windows and moved in (it was a nightmare). The handful of people who visited laughed at us As though that wasn't enough, there was a conspiracy to get hubby fired in his work place and then some other petition to blacklist him from researching and publishing as well as pay some fine running into millions. Was more of a case of a ...

'You mean your baby is still using feeding bottle at almost 2years? Ha! I stopped everything milk for mine at 9 months' Then she went on a rundown of all the things her baby did so early from teething to running and everything in between  As first time Moms, it can be so disconcerting when we meet this kind of mothers who are walking encyclopedias  Noooo, they never made any mistakes with their babies, their babies grew into every milestone with the snap of the fingers so they don't seem to understand why your baby isn't weighing 50kg or teething or crawling. And may God help you if they meet you in that confusing state when your baby is crying; by the time they're done reading you the child book manual you'd be left wondering if you're even supposed to be a mother at all My son(first child) had this very long dark curly hair that left him looking very cute and people always mistook him for a girl By the time he clocked 1yr+, I started getting ta...

Immediately they walked into church I knew Another one again this Sunday? This brother and sister will not stop tensioning we the single pringles  Matching outfits every Sunday  From the color schemes to designs and 80% of the time, they even rocked matching shoes My heart would be going Kikum kikum whenever they appear I resolved the minute man find me, even from toasting stage we would shock Ovation and Bellanaija with our matching outfits in every party, function or hangout till we hit the rank of 'God when?' for our fans Herein lies the beauty; I married a man as cool as I am He barely takes pictures just like me, not to mention the concept of coordinating outfits  All my dreams of matching geography green shirts with sunshine red in the mud It's almost 5 years and we haven't successfully managed to wear same T-shirt not to mention the daunting task of buying materials and going to a tailor Last Sunday I saw a couple living the matching life and a flicke...

Idontbelieveit! This reflection Naaaahhhhh, it's like this mirror has a jealous personality  Took a look in another mirror  Mirror mirror on the wall, please show me my true reflection  Seems it knew I was shocked at it's sudden appearance so it decided to become more prominent this time After having the kids, I was becoming accustomed to the 'Baby girl' lifestyle when I saw it 'GRAY HAIRS'!!! Ohhhhhhhh how hubby laughed I had already given him a run down of how my market value had gone up with the increase in all the right places and I was going to pepper the world with my new shape only to spot gray hairs? How do I explain to my future fans that I'm still a Baby girl, a Queen and more, that inspite of the gray hair I was still a sweet sixteen at heart? Chai! Anyway, I've been flaunting and rocking my white stripes of wisdom like kilode My fellow sweet sixteens with gray hair I greet you oh!

God of mercy!!! What's going on here? Broom still in hand, I had just finished sweeping the bedrooms and walked into the sitting room a had barely swept few minutes ago in crazy disarray  Body aches, dripping with sweat, broom in hand I stood staring at my kids smiling at me and the mess they had made Few days ago my daughter took to writing and drawing on the walls of the house Last week she inscribed her signature 123 on the brand new car hubby got me Some months back my son turned detergent into the meat stock I was to use in preparing soup They've left taps running Bathed themselves with milk Poured away my gallon of groundnut oil My son shaved his hair crazy with a shaving stick ruining his chop life gang hairstyle; still thankful he didn't use it on his sister When they won't have their way while picking them from school today, they threw tantrum and cried till we got home And when I complained, hubby made a statement that got me thinking 'When you...

The moral decadence in our society! Back in the days all we feared was collecting puff-puff or chewing gum from a classmate and appearing in a coven by 12am Days when asking for boiled egg made parents call you 'long throat' When children weren't entitled to meat; you'd hang around the sitting room while Daddy ate and rush to clear his dish so you'd eat the piece of meat intentionally left Days when everybody was a parent to the children in their community. Uncles and Aunties needn't wait for your parents whenever you misbehaved, they corrected you immediately  When eating in your neighbour's house without the consent of your parents appeared to be the worst crime Where every single thing you owned could be traced and accounted for Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye we would now make excuses for yahoo boys and make up arguments in their defence? That instead of aiding in whatever capacity we find ourselves, we quickly take out our...

Read a write up on how lecturers (ASUU) do not care for the students hence the prolonging of the strike and I wonder how  such little regard could be given to a sector that is responsible for mouldings, refining and informing the minds of our youths The educational sector has suffered terrible neglect in the hands of the government  Over and over agreements with ASUU has been breached for one or no reason Imagine a hungry doctor coming to carry out an operation on you. How do you foresee that surgery going? Now imagine a Lecturer who puts his all in the job and consistently is paid next to nothing. Do you foresee him delivering at him maximum best in the long run? ASUU has done nothing but ask for the logical basics like -Salary increment  -Pay us for excess Workload  -Guaranteed payment of complete salaries under UTAS as against crazy salary slash under IPPIS A worker who has no job satisfaction, unconducive working environment, poor salary, would either...

Yesterday, news outlets went agog with the story of the brain resetting farewell slap Bianca gave Obiano's wife Trust social media to make a feast when the right ingredients are presented before it I love myself the way I am, doing otherwise will mean I'm not being my true self. I cannot change for anybody, you either love me or leave me. Really? Are you really sure? There's a saying that if a child washes his hands well, he'd dine with kings You want to be in the public space in whatever capacity, Sir/Ma, you'd be held to a higher standard whether you like it or not As you progress, certain behavioural standards are expected of you. From your looks, to your words and actions irrespective of the circumstances or provocation  An outgoing Governor's wife looked another woman in the eyes and called her 'ashawo' in front of the public, during your successor's swearing-in ceremony, right after walking to where the woman was sitted and provokin...

When I call hubby my biggest blessing in life some mistake it for the material things he showers me Hubby is a crazy and selfless giver Always going out of his way for those around him But, that's not it for me Just yesterday I spent countless minutes listening to a woman on the phone talk about how unhappy she was in her home and if time were to be reversed she'd have taken some steps to protect her peace and sanity Hubby is my blessing because he gives me peace of mind No price tag on peace of mind will do A spouse who gives you peace on all fronts, from financial to emotional is a priceless treasure  The absence of this has led to many separations and subsequent divorce in many marriages  Having a wonderful partner transcends the things they can buy you A partner who makes decisions with you in mind Who pushes you to do better Who's always on the look out for opportunities that would be beneficial to you or further whatever cause you're pursuing  One who ...

At a time the citizens are supposed to be having it better, their backs are broken further in pain as they toil to keep it together From the importation of bad fuel, leading up to scarcity and the ripple effects of almost three times hike in prices of everything one can think of. Domestic flights almost grounded, insecurity at it's peak, cyber crimes, ritual killings, abuse by security forces Nigeria seems to be headed in a one way lane to a head on collision with destruction  No sector of the country has any semblance of sanity left because like a lamb, the government is leading the country to slaughter. Unions on strike, epileptic social services, increase in the migration of our youths out of Nigeria  Before the Russia/Ukrain crisis, fuel sold at #167 and now, #240, #400 and even #600 when oil right now is on an all time.  Being alive now in Nigeria is a miracle, eating a luxury forget any other thing like getting a job or salary increase. Is there any logi...

Souvenirs of different kinds Endless flow of drinks and food On our exit from the funeral my Dad said 'You see how everything was done tastefully and colourfully, that's how my burial should be as a Bishop' With a smile I replied 'That's exactly how it should be Daddy, but I hope you've set aside the funds for it? I have no intentions of plunging my husband and siblings into debts or financial hardship to achieve that but If upon your demise we are that financially stable, then why not?' Same hustle when hubby and I were getting married  It was bills, bills and more bills We made an estimate budget on what the ideal wedding will cost us Realized we'd either end up in a huge debt trying to impress or just do whatever we could afford. Sure enough we went for the latter and that has always been the guiding principle on our marriage Why base your life on 'Make I show off or make i show dem?' Truth is, before you're even done wearing t...

As I packed up my things, my heart broken into even more tiny bits with every item I threw in my traveling box  This wasn't how I pictured things would be between us It had been almost two years of loving but every time the subject of commitment came up, he'd say he wasn't just ready No, there was no delusion or false promises when the relationship began But as the helplessly hopeless romantic that I was and still am, I thought, well, love would win in the end I was no longer comfortable with what we shared, I wanted more So I kept trying to make it work Everything I could think of, in every way i could think of, I did. Still.... So I sat myself down and told myself the  painful ugly truth He has told you he's not ready You want more and he just can't give it Therefore it's time to move on So without a word,I packed up and left town The best decision I ever made for myself,  for him, for us Four months later we were married Five years after he told m...

I could hear the whispers as they sat behind us 'Hahahahahahahahahahahaha, he married her oh and to think we've been here since he didn't pick any of us. I really had my eyes on this guy for a long long time' And she gave a wistful sigh 'Take a look at both of them, dark. My own is what their kids will look like when they start giving birth' It was too hard not to overhear their conversation.  Hubby and I exchanged glances. To think we were in church One of them walked up to me after service 'See how you dark and your husband too dark, abeg make one of una dey rub cream make una pikin fit light' You didn't need a prophet to tell you this one failed Biology  Here comes the kick; it's a few years later, those ladies and myself all have birthed two kids and it would shock you to find my kids are better looking and lighter in complexion. So much for marrying a fair lady right? At the birth of my daughter, a lady who came visiting asked me...

'Thank you our sweet Daddy' the kids screamed as they each were handed their cones of icecream It was indeed a day of family fun Several games at the park and all the junk they could want, the kids were having the time of their lives One of those rare occasions when we stole into Daddy's calendar and colonized him for the whole day Fun! Fun!! Fun!!! all the way Having Daddy always working, whenever he's available, the kids cling to him and today was no exception  They ran across the field chasing him Took several car rides with him Swings, shared his snacks.... And there I was watching  Yes, it was fun but then these kids seemed to have forgotten I was the one who carried them for 9 months and went under the knife to birth them hmmmmm Well, I decided to insert myself in their fun world so I chased and grabbed my son.  The minute my hands held him a dangerous praaaa papapa escaped somewhere.  Thankfully other kids and parents were a little distant from whe...

Ebidonsi ona to Darling darling Ebidonsi ona to Sweetie sweetie Ebidonsi ona fio I love you I love you Ebidonsi ona da I miss you I miss you            Scrolling through my phone, it's quite obvious that no one could have put it better than Flavour in his song 'Wiser' Going to bed in heavenly bliss after listening to her voice at night Waking up to her sweet, heart warming messages of sweet nothings  Then the calls and chats in between the day The times of wild romance Beep beep Of course that would be my wife Cos it's about my time of closing from work I didn't need to check to know but I had to open it         'Don't forget to buy bread for Junior           The baby's milk is finished as well           Diaper            Wipes           Toiletries' Another grocery list in continuation of her first sms. Scrolling...

'Love is not enough' he said I couldn't believe my ears as I starred at him How could the man I loved with all my heart tell me love wasn't enough! Ohhhhh boy, was I heartbroken! No, it didn't end in disaster  Yes, we got married  And half a century later I understand better with every new day What do you do on the days you've had some crazy argument? What do you do when you've had a bad day at work and you just wanna lock yourself up in your room but your significant other is there, so you've just got to suck it up and smile? There are days you can't get enough of each other Other times you just wanna be alone Times when your partner annoys you so much you're tempted to go crazy but you don't  Situations that tests your resolve to love each other Family crisis  Death Finances Decisions  Indeed it takes more than just loving to be together  It takes; Communication  Patience  Forgiveness  Tolerance  Wisdom  Selflessness...

We have been crying literally on how dehumanizing we are being treated by our government till there's no more tears to shed  There's no respect or value for human lives anymore  A simple look around you shows that everyone is practically walking on eggshells cos you never know what you'd be meeting the minute you step outside your door It's virtually a miracle to go out and come back home in one piece today Every government set up with a uniform is automatically an outlet of abuse and intimidation to the citizens  You run from police, to road safety, soldiers, neighborhood watch.... The degrading way houses are broken into and arrests made The harassment, assault and subsequently, the trauma it leaves you with For very flimsy reasons so many has lost their lives or spent years locked up behind bars, some found by loved ones, others to be forgotten  How about properties lost to so called government agencies? Everyone using the platform created for the bett...

They say break the bias Women are everything; friends, confidants, running back and forth to make everyone's lives better and most times neglecting themselves, giving up their careers, bodies, sacrifices on sacrifices and more sacrifices. Selfless  Caring Unconditionally loving Supportive  Encouraging  Prayerful  Not easily broken Enduring All these and more and women never stop giving of themselves for a minute With all the stereotyping and societal pressures, women still do good. To flip the script it would be a great time to not just hail the women for everything they are and every possible role they fill but to also honour the 'real men' who stand by their women to helping them to live their true selves to the fullest, who help to make the job easier, who love and support their women in every way. To my Mum, a true superwoman. You're the definition of everything good. Thank you for all your sacrifice and labour of love.  Cheers to my Dad who incu...

Can we take a minute to imagine that Nigeria was well positioned to comfortably export Gas to European countries at this time... The cancer called bad leadership and mismanagement has robbed us of alot. Eating away chip after chip at our Hope's, at opportunities, at everything that would've made us live up to the name 'Giant of Africa'. So blessed with unimaginable resources, still we survive by begging  Begging at any chance we get Loans upon loans, sabotaging the future of generations unborn  'Giants of Africa' yet our men are so desperate to leave home that they've resorted to be volunteer soldiers in the ongoing battle  Meaning, they'd rather die on the battlefield of another nation than stay alive in Nigeria  When did we get this bad? When you think you've seen the worst Boom! you're gobsmacked with a more crazy discovery because yes, the cancer is still eating at us daily The youths all have one target right now 'How do we l...

Heeeeeeyyyyyy God! Uncle Johnbull coman see yasef oh! Let me begin from the beginning  My mother's name is Love and my younger sister, Charity so everywhere you turn my mother is literally walking in love. Her own kind of loving nature is second to none That a visitor comes unannounced is no excuse not to be well fed and given the best hospitable treatment my mum can even if it meant some of us sacrificing for the visitor. Combine that nature with being a pastor's wife,that's Mama Charity for you. That's how Uncle Johnbull after his first visit discovered this weakness of obioma of Mama Charity And like a person under some kinda influence this Uncle somehow always shows up when the food is almost ready, pretend he's not really interested when the food is offered but eats at least 2 plates. Uncle became a regular visitor oh, from boring gists till he got comfortable and became the guardian of our TV remote. Uncle did not allow us have joy in our father...

What? Where's it written in your booklet? Go ahead and book us for it if it's an offence. Show us and book us, we will pay.   This was hubby and I arguing with road safety officers. Hubby is very extra with keeping all his documents up to date. Same applied to our car so after the officers stopped and searched for everything possible, they couldn't find anything to hold on to so as to extort money from us Hubby blatantly refused giving them a dime and in the middle of all these one officer said he'd book us for under-inflated spare tyre. It was a truly funny experience and such a ridiculous attempt  When they saw we wouldn't budge the lady amongst them resorted to insulting us 'See the car you're driving and you're acting like you have money' Trust Chi-Chi. Ohhhhhhh I didn't spare her because of everything they did, this statement got to me. How do you rate the value of a person by the material thing he possesses? It blew my mind I co...

Two Chicken Republic security guards have become internet sensation overnight.  For whatever reason, boredom, entertainment of customers or just for the sake of being happy, they chose to dance on their duty post. This was recorded and posted online; Happie boys right? Consequence; By the end of the day their dance video had gone viral, consequent upon, they got fired. Reactions; People began condemning the drastic action of their employer on social Result ; The duo due to the publicity, began getting crazy number of followers on their social media pages, endless gifts from their overnight fans, to State Governors giving cash gifts, job offers and even scholarships have been offered. Lesson for today: Sometimes doors are shut in our faces and for sure it would hurt. Worst still these doors might be to people or places where you've given you best and your all, only to be kicked to the curb. Well, as seen from the example of the Security Guards, that disappointment you...

Did I just hear crrrrraaacccck? Dear Lord please please let this cup pass over me As I fell down the stair, bodily harm was the very least of my concerns  You know how much it cost me I deprived myself of alot of things I was hurrying to pick something outside The new Samsung phone I just got last week was in my back pocket When forces of darkness pushed me and I fell down a stair How else can one explain this if not enemies that are after my life? My mind was already calculating the cost of changing screen Hey God! You know I've been a good and kind person from childhood  Don't allow this evil happen to your child Your beloved obedient daughter A silent tear ran down my cheek as I slowly lifted myself off the floor  I was on my feet but It felt like I had spaghetti for legs My stomach was doing a million flip Gently, very gently I brought out the phone Heeeeyyyyyyyyyy it was the phone case that cracked My miracle working God showed up strong for me Headed str...

A tear ran down my cheek, another and then another and just like that I was drenched in tears 'Will you marry me?' he said on bended knees 'Say yes, say yes' i said amidst tears Ohhhh how these couple had gone through thick and thin to be together and finally, finally..... There I was lying on the couch watching another lovey dovey movie as the helpless romantic that I am Really Chi, are you doing this again? I thought Since birthing my second child I find myself crying at any sad, romantic, happy scene on TV. Whatever the scene once the actors cry, I cry It's like my eyes developed a mind of it's own I cry but my mind is laughing and wondering why I'd cry at things I know are unreal but I can't help it Child birth bring many form of changes in women. From very serious medical issues to the tinny winny ones like my crying Women go through awhole lot to carry and birth a child. Some women become bedridden from conception till birth. Let's ...

Ashes to ashes Dust to dust With every shovel of sand thrown, memory of the lovely woman she was, was wiped away from earth's surface. The system compromised, a little money changing hands, little technicalities  in the judicial system, husband walked free But her life was lost Lost for all eternity  Her kids? Well, her body was barely cold when relatives took them. Leave this man alone Why don't you move on with your life? Friends and family told her severally  Hmmmmmm I can't, I have to stay for my kids. I don't want him to take them away from me and besides if I succeed in living I don't have the means to cater for four kids, Not to mention what the society would say. Let him just train the children. Besides others are having it worst. Except for the occasional fights, he's a wonderful man, he provides everything we need. Over and over she justified her decision to remain in the marriage  Until the family grew weary of talking and the friends, tir...