I suddenly heard a loud shout from a distance a bit far away from my office that afternoon, and for the life of me I thought it was Barca playing Man United. But how wouldn’t someone like me (who’s an ardent Barca supporter) know my beloved team was playing? So I quickly peeped through the window of my office. I didn’t quite see anything, so out of concern for my life and those of others in the same building with me, I quickly rushed downstairs almost without thinking twice.

And guess what I saw from afar when I got out of the building?

A music band beating big round drums hung around their necks was approaching from the distance, with some blowing trumpets, while a few were carrying what looked like a local xylophone made of dark brown bristle wood. Then behind them was a huge crowd trooping after what looked like a long convoy of black vehicles. The crowd looked like a battalion of soldiers marching into an enemy’s territory. Only that this particular crowd which was made up of humans without uniforms seemed to be rented for what looked like, well, you already know- a political rally. They were predominantly women and children chanting different indistinct political slogans. Then I began to hear very loud wails of siren amidst high-rising brown dust and papers or what looked like posters
flying around. Seeing all these I became even more curious as I continued moving towards the crowd. The excitement that greeted me will never be forgotten in a hurry.

Whoever staged this particular rally must be a Nigerian with a difference; a Nigerian with a strong taste for good things. I mean, when I saw the packages every party faithful was given, I started
wondering if I was still in Nigeria or I was experiencing the Rio festival. Seeing beautiful Ankara backpacks all over the place in the hands of kids, I couldn’t help asking myself if it was Christmas
again. The women also got all sorts of Ankara-made accessories like hairbands and necklaces and bangles. And when I almost started wishing I was a woman myself, someone just brushed me by the side with an Ankara-laced laptop bag. O my! It was so beautiful!! You should have seen how I grabbed the man that brushed me. I wanted to ask where I could get mine too. On that bag was a square logo that had “African Things” crested on it. Ohh, I nearly lost my home training that day as I threw all caution to the wind as I joined others to chant the praise of the presidential candidate. I shouted so much till I lost my voice- all in the hope that somebody would notice me and throw me one of
those bags. Boy was I glad when someone pointed at me from inside one of the coaster buses in the presidential candidate’s convoy and asked the woman seated beside him to throw me my long-desired laptop bag. Immediately I caught it, the next thing I saw was www.africanthings.org written on a paper I found as I opened the bag. On getting back to the office and showing off my bag, all my colleagues went green with envy. They were wowed! Who would have thought there’s a Nigerian company making Africa proud with quality African-themed products? African Things is the real deal please!