Family, Friends, & Fun
Of course whether one's country is a have or a have not never really matters when going back home. Because if you're like me, you're going back for the people and not for the places. Between The Duet and my own laziness I didn't really get to spend time with many people but with those I did manage to spend time with, I had plenty of fun.
First there was my favourite cousin Akinand my close friend his girlfriend Layide. Between them I was able to go bowling, shopping and movie watching. We reminisced together, played XBox together, ate breakfast together, and when we were not together, I was usually either in the company of one... or the other. They really made my trip worthwhile, and all for a measly plate of asun and some empty promises. LOL!
Then there was Seun and Busola Denton (nee Ogunsola) who took me to church, fed me, and housed me for a weekend or so. They were great hosts and it was interesting seeing my cousin with her new husband. The guy has made her a real softie or in Nigerian terms "a man-wrapper". I wonder if he's also responsible for her improved grammar? Perhaps she was just on a good streak because the Busola I remember used to drop grammatical bombshells per second per second.
Next there was my god sister Tomi who actually made time out to spend a day with me despite her impending trip to Johannesburg, South Africa where she currently is now. She never fails to make me laugh and true to her reputation, she didn't fail to do so this time either.
Similarly, my friend Bisola had me cracking up with her slightly jaded attitude towards relationships. Believe it or not, she was the inspiration for my "Becoming Jaded" article! She also suffers from Sickle Cell Anaemia like me and I had the pleasure of helping her through one of her crises.
On the other hand, Bisola's brother Dami had me cracking up for entirely different reasons. The guy just looked battered. In a way that made me want to poke fun at him. So I joked about his complaints and laughed about his struggles in the hopes that they may turn out to be as inconsequential as I made them seem.
Finally there was my long time crush and most recent heartbreaker, Kemi. We spent a day together over lunch at Terra Kulture where she regaled me with stories about work and travels and people... and I, well I sat back and enjoyed listening to them as I always do. As for the heart break, it wasn't too bad and I got a great book called "The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives" out of it 🙂
Of course I also got to see other family. Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents. More cousins, more family, more relatives. I got to see the renovated 1004 flats and the Federal Palace Hotel. I got to travel to Bodija and Sharp Corner in Ibadan and my only regret? My only regret is that I still didn't get to go go-carting!
