Updates Part 1

I know its being a long time coming but I just didn’t feel like it. There was so much happening that if I wrote it down then, it would be too real for me to take, to digest, to ignore…to handle. I guess I can start from the top and work my way down. I may omit some things…I may be blatantly honest. I don’t know. But its important I write down my thoughts before I question my actions years later. So, I will be posting stories back to back until I write all I need to write

My Cousin’s Graduation.
I have never being so proud or so happy for someone who was not family. K is special to me because we are always honest with each other. She has grown up to be a woman I admire and relate to. I remember when I went to visit her out on the West coast and had a blast with her. Her outlook on life and how she argued with you on every point was something to behold. Then she moved closer to us and found her First Love. To say the least, the change that God has made in her life is a reminder that there is someone far greater than you and I that can take a mold of clay and create a Work of Art.
It was no surprise that when we heard that she was graduating from law School, everybody and their mama showed up and came out to support her. Or maybe because this signaled the end to her first career- professional student!! I cannot tell you how many degrees babygirl has under her arm. And she got them in a relatively short amount of time. This could be attributed to the fact once you are brilliant in Naija, you can skip grades left right and center.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me back track so I can give you day to day gist

The gist and my Twin cousin ‘O’
I had been looking forward to her graduation because of the sheer number of people that were coming and fun I knew would ensue when you put Naijas from various backgrounds in one house. That and the fact that my cousin called a 50s theme for graduation party and I wanted to show off my dress! My cousins came down, my family from Down South and my aunts and her mom from Naija. Of course all the young folks stay at K’s house (yup, my cousin owns her own house) and the mamas stayed at Aunty T’s house. K had bough a house a few months back, so we all had a place to stay. By Friday afternoon, the house was packed. Majority of the girls slept in k’s room- some taking to the floor and others (3 I believe sharing the Bed)-so you can imagine the amount of gisting and gbegborun that was happening :-P
I as usual chilled with the boys…what can I say, I’m a tomboy at heart. I convinced my sis who is one of K’s rommies to do my hair, which she did a fabulous job as usual…even though we did not finish till Friday morning, at 4am. We started this adventure Thursday night. No comment! But it’s all love though

Our live-in Chef!
Friday was pretty chill. I think the highlight was that we in the house were awaiting the arrival of someone important. In short without this person who would have starved or being living off of indomie or garri---no lie. That was what we ate Thursday night and Friday morning before his arrival. The shopping had been done. The kitchen had been set. The ingredient bought. Who is this person we were waiting for you ask?? It was none other than the Alafin of “throw Down Naija style”, the male side of Iya puts food, none other than O, K’s brother. If that boy was not my cousin, I would marry him. NO LIE. That boy can cook better than me, my mama and even his combined. Chai. I remember when I eat his Edo version of Ila Alasepo. I nearly broke my teeth licking my plate. My best friend who just had her molars pulled and could not eat solid food because of her pain, stomached the pain and went for round two because of his food- True Story. But I digress.

So anyways, O came in Friday afternoon and got right to work. He made some goat meat stew and white rice. In short, there was nothing left in the pot after we were done. Thank God that I had saved some extra because I knew I would crave more later. The next morning, o regaled us with a 5 star breakfast. What did we not eat that he didn’t prepare- Baked Beans, bacon, Sausages, Eggs, steak, chicken etc. I am certain I must have put on weight just with that heavy breakfast. And something unique and lovely about O is that it doesn’t go to his head that he is a good cook. He keeps reiterating the fact that he is just learning. When he tastes something that is good from older and experienced cooks, eh says” this is the level I am trying to operate on.” He is a man who loves God and a worker in his church. He is soft spoken is known to talk in proverbs instead of English. He doesn’t judge but lets Christ shine in his behaviors. He is pretty young in his faith but I sing praises to God when I see O now as opposed to what he was before. A focused man, who may have his faults from time to time, but still, has a heart for God.

Wow, I just wrote a paragraph about O and food. So, as I was saying once again, Friday was cool. I went out with my sis and one of my aunts to go shopping. I was extremely happy because I found a pair of chic slipper-shoes that did not wreck havoc on my knee but was heeled enough to go with the dress.

The Concert
On Saturday, after my lovely breakfast, my sister and I again went out and took my aunt (K’s mom) and our two aunties to the mall and some other stores. It was on this trip that I found another matching accessory to my outfit- a purse. And since it didn’t have a tag, I got it for 12 bucks, something that would have cost 25 pa minimum! God is good I tell you. Yeah, maybe I had alterior motives to be looking fresh to death that evening…maybe it was because of the knowledge I knew Naija babes who were fashionistas would be attending the graduation and I didn’t want to feel somehow….or maybe it was because K’s friend, whom I had only met once was coming to take me to Seal’s concert before we headed out to k’s shindig…or maybe I was trying to impress her friend who I know is not into me but was still fine. Seal has not lost his touch at all. I was surprised by the sheer amount of people who packed the indosie/outdosie venue to see Seal sing his oldies that we love. I was on my fit most of the time singing dancing and just having a great old time. HWne he sang Love divine or Kiss from the Rose, I could have kissed a perfect stranger right there and then. He was awesome and beautiful! YES, beautiful because you didn’t see the scars on his face and head, you saw the beauty in his melody and soul.

The Shindig
Let’s get gawn, walk it out, now ‘ting’ about it…awwwww SNAP!! Now Rock Rock Rock Rock you can do it all by yourself!Hehehe. Omo, DJ Zuma was in the house and it was off the chain. We partied till two in the morning. Me, as a dancing connoisseur, I refused to eb out done on the dance floor. Was it Makossa, was it Dancehall, was it dirty south hip hop or Afro Hip Hop? Was it komole or Walk it out or Ajegunle music? Mehn, I danced so te people knew Baby girl had a passion. It was also extra special because I was dancing with people I knew, my cousins, my cousin’s friends, my brother, people I met at K’s house. It was just nice to enjoy the music and people and not have to worry about smoke in my hair or dress or one ingrate trying to get a hard on on my booty. K was looking fly as usual and was a gracious host. Everyone had a blast, someone bought me my favorite drink which I nursed the whole night. I am what you can a pretend alcohol drinker. I like the flavor of it in my drinks but if I can taste it or it’s too strong, I don’t drink it. My guy friends wonder why I drink since I water it to the level that it can no longer be deemed an alcoholic beverage. Big ups to K and her roommate for planning such an event.

We later left to another graduation party but that one was not as fab as K’s jare. The only thing was that there was suya…and I ate a whole lot of it.

The graduation ceremony
So, we got back in at 5 in the morning were convinced that we would wake up in time for the 8.30 church service. It is not good to lie to ones self. We all woke up around 10—with just enough time to get ready for the graduation ceremony, pick up a few folks and march on down. The graduation took about 3 hours as the law school class was about 500 students. All I know was that my family took the trophy for breing the loudest when a student walked across the stage. We did continue to scream and shout k’s name and shout party like a rock start from the moment her name was called to when she collected her diploma to when she walked off the stade. K told us that the Dean couldn’t believe the amount of noise. Someone needs to let him know that this Naija family rolls deep and supports each other/ I think we were about 15-20 at the graduation ceremony.
After the ceremony, we met K outside the hall and started singing Praises to God in Yoruba—positively embarrassing the chick gan sef. But did we care? Nope!

We later high tailed it to Aunty T’s house, who had spent mad mula on K's post graduation party. There was food galor and about a hundred folks in the house. We ate, we danced, we reminisced and then we went home

You can tell that I had a blast! I did, I truly did. I’m so happy for you K. May God continue to instill in you the stillness to know that he is God and in Him, you can truly do all things.