Hi..
That was all she could say, and he just stood there with a surprise look on his face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Mosun?? She answered, yes. It's me. Would you give me a hug? They hugged each other tight, she could tell from his hug that he wasn't really angry that she surprised him but she knows she has a lot of explaining to do.

After a few minutes, they both left and went to his apartment. There he made her a meal of yam porridge, she loved it. She didn't know he could cook this well. After lunch, he introduced her to his colleagues and they both took a short walk around the area.

Soon enough it was night and they were ready for bed, it was a cold night and they both cuddled, kissed and it still had the same effect it used to before he left for Yola. That made her feel a little more comfortable...and then it progressed, she was scared, she wasn't sure if she was ready, so she stopped and the night went like that, with both of them cuddling.

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The start of a beautiful relationship..Mosun and James were all over each other, every one noticed even their closest friends. Not everyone was happy about their relationship, some thought she didn't deserve him and some thought it should have been them...girls! So treacherous.
They didn't care, they went on funny dates. Sat under the hot sun and drank garri and groundnut, talk for hours, gossip about passersby, they had fun together.

It was just the two of them and that was what mattered.

Few months after, James was preparing for NYSC, he was posted to Yola. Oh boy! That broke her heart. She was sad because she couldn't visit but happy he his taking another step in becoming a man.
As early as 5am on that faithful day, James called to say his goodbye, they laughed and cried on the phone...he kept saying I'll miss you, I'll miss you so much. Of course she'd miss him too but she was more worried about their relationship, it has been said that distance doesn't help relationship especially when you're going has far as Yola. She told him not to forget her, she told him to call immediately he gets there, she also told him to always keep in touch. He promised. The call ended. And they both continued life in their different locations.

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True

You woke up one morning, and it all started. The feelings are coming and it's getting more and more real for you to ignore. Good friends you were but you want to be more, and so you pushed and to make it all perfect, he felt the same way. You blushed, you turned pink and you could hear your heart beat not out of fear but of excitement.  You felt his touch,and it was like electric shock.
You know it's coming, the long awaited kiss and just like that your daydream became a reality. It was sweet, it was better than sweet. You loved it, you both did. It was obvious.

From then on, you became an item, inseparable. You talk at all times, you laugh together, you play games with each other. Riddles to be exact...on the phone, all night. Thank God for MTN nights call.. You for enter gbese! But it was worth it.

A lot happened but it never broke your love, even distance couldn't. You were each other's best friend. You kept going on strong, everyday.
But then it happened...you both allowed it. The distance that couldn't come between you two finally did amongst other things..and people and he couldn't handle the pressure or was it at all?

Then it happened, you went separate for a while and from that day it became a part of you..and you thought at some point it would get better. It did for a while, you told yourself nothing last forever. Major deception!

From no where the real picture sets in, today mood swings, tomorrow pressure, there's always something, some excuse. You couldn't place it, you got confused but stayed with it. You took it all, not because you're desperate but because you were in love...

Love...apparently wasn't enough, will never be enough or maybe you're not enough for his idea future, the thought lingered.

You woke up one morning and it was all gone... the soft kisses, the strong electric shock touch, the smiles, the laughter, the friendship...all gone.

And you asked yourself.. where did it all go

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So true.

Going about my daily activities today, the above address came to mind. Just like every other day. I remember it all too well, my childhood days.

I grew up in the above address with my grandparents,aunties and uncles,all together. It was fun, yea, but....

62 Ajose is not the type of house you think it is... it's not your regular 3 or 2 storey building, 6 or 4 flats and a 3 bedroom apartment you're used to.

No it's not!

It's what Yoruba call ( Ile alero ) Well, 62 ajose is that. The compound holds different people, families, tribes and religions. People with different mentality and views about everything. I believe that house was designed for people who can not afford the luxury of living in a three or two bedroom flat. They had to manage in a one room too tight apartment with their family, share toilet and bathroom with every single person that lives under that roof...terrible but we had no choice. There was only one public tap right in front of the house and it was about 1or 2ft high. Water comes out only when they remember us; and when it does the whole yard lines up to get clean water but ofcourse it wasn't that smooth. We fight over who came first, who was on the line, whose bucket made it to the line first, we eventually get physical with each other and using those buckets to hit ourselves.(iron buckets o, not the plastic ones) Oh boy! It was crazy. After so much trouble,the bloody thing will stop running and we all go back to doing other things.

My grandpa won't even worry himself because he knows he's going to wake us up as early as 6am when the local mosque screams ( Allahu akbar )
That's our cue to fetching water. Myself and the rest of my friends would walk down the street to sammy's house or ile babo to fetch clean well water not tap water.
We go like 6 to 8 times and by then the center of my head is already boiling
We do this every single day, at some point the owners of the well we go to fetch, chase us back and tell us not to return.

After fetching water, we fight over who get to the bathroom first. Sometimes when we see how late we are for school,we go behind iya muti's window and have our bath there. While the adults take turns to use the bathroom. On the weekends, we struggle to sun our clothes, because they were just few lines in the backyard and if there's no more space, you wait till the next day.
Did I mention that there was no kitchen? Ok, there was no kitchen. Where do we cook? Beside the entrance to the room. We create a small space just beside the entrance of each rooms and there we have our stoves and pots. hmmmm...picture 10 tenants in one long corridor, cooking at same time.

And then when it rains, the whole compound is flooded. i mean serious flood o, up to your knee and to make matters worse the gutter right in front of the house also joins in the party. it was'nt pretty but we had no choice. sometimes we the kids go under the rain, it was fun but definitely not hygienic.

Living like that can either make you strong or make you give up completely, and that was exactly the type of people who lived in that house. Those who became strong due to their situation. They dream, hope, pray and fight that they get out of that place and make life better for their family, they do not joke with their education, and they take their religion very serious.

And then we have those who had absolutely no dream or energy to even pray for a better life because they've completely given up on life. They go to church or mosque whenever they feel like it, their view on education is primary and secondary school...period! No higher institution in mind. Ever! The next thing is mechanic, hair dresser, hawking or roasting corn.
My grandparents were very serious when it came to education, I can proudly say my aunties and uncles are graduate from schools like University of Ogun state OSU now called ( Olabisi Onabanjo University ), University of Portharcourt, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile ife. My grandparents worked their heads off to make sure we had the best they could afford. My Grandpa worked with Nigeria port Authority (NPA), while my grandma delve into two things, selling ogogoro at the early hours in lawanson bustop, she leaves the house as early as 5:30 every morning. Mama friyo as she was fondly called by all the agberos and bus drivers and conductors; then after that she goes to adeosun street off abiodun market to sell sweet,biscuits,soap,palm oil and grinding fresh pepper.
They never joked with education,my grandpa always reminded us every chance he gets that he completed standard 6!! And he says it proudly. Standard 6 must be a very big deal then because to me it sounded like he completed primary 6.  Big difference I know. My point is, they never let that situation stopped them from giving us the best they could afford.
I remember when I was young,and my aunt and two of my uncles gained admission to three different universities at the same time; they were all excited but my grandpa couldn't afford to pay for all three at once. So he came up with a plan which was for the youngest amongst them to wait for another year...oh hell NO!! My uncle Steven would not have it. I mean he went about screaming, do you know how difficult it was to score exactly 250 in jamb to be qualified I can't wait another year he said in kwale. ( 250 was the score you must have back then in jamb to be qualified to attend your institution of choice ).

Grandpa didn't have any other choice, so he gave them 500naira each, one derica of rice, garri and beans, a small bottle of palm oil and told each one according to their distance when and when not to come home. For the one in Ogun state, she comes twice every three months, the one in ile ife, once every three months and as for the one in Portharcourt, he told him never to come home until he graduated.

Grandpa was dead serious!

They were all able to achieve this because they were determined,,strong and they were taught never to give up. They could have chosen to go after each one graduates because of no money but they knew that issue wasn't going anywhere.

We were the envy of every other families in that compound. They wonder how we do it, they wonder where my grandparents got the money from, they went as far as asking us to our face but they get the same answer every time.
They were all sleeping when grandma wakes as early as 5:30am to sell ogogoro at the bustop and still comes back to go grind pepper in adeosun, they did not pay attention to grandpa who also had to go to work at apapa just to make things better for his children and grandchildren.
It wasn't easy, my sister and myself goes directly from school to adeosun to help her in her shop till late at night. My uncle Friday helps her to set up in the morning and helps her clear up. We are put in our best as we could.
Our yard people skipped all that and thought it was magic. No it wasn't, it's determination.

I saw the same trait with my age group who grew up in that yard, they were more concerned about primary and secondary school education, I never for once heard them talk about University or what they want to study; No! but they talked about boys and the other young girls who got pregnant at 16... that was it. There was nobody for them to look up to because the older ones are all doing odd jobs, so they saw that as the next thing after secondary school.

Not us... we dare not even mention one stupid occupation and you're sure to get one hot slap at the back of your neck from grandpa. For where? No be that house. We were raised well. We were taught to be respectful, to give, to be kind, to be strong, to fight for what we believe in, we were taught to be honest and to speak our mind no matter the situation, we were taught never to give up.

I didn't grow up with all the luxury some people did, but I had a good childhood.
As crazy as it was, it was fun.

A lot happened in 62 Ajose but I can only share a few..for now

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It's doesn't seem like it will go away any time soon, yeah...the pain, the hurt, the loneliness. It wasn't always like this though...No

She remembers it all too well and the smile that appears on her face when she thinks about it...Hmmm sweet good days.
It was like something she had never felt before and it was sweet, more than sweet. It took off slowly, like friendship, they never saw it coming but they both knew that at some point someone will fess up. Luckily for both of them,they did at the same time.

It was beautiful, they were all each other had when they both had nothing.

Mosun and James met way back in school (undergraduate days), she was in her first year while he was almost through. They didn't really take note of each other because they were always with a group of friends, just hanging out. Though its constant and they see each other everyday. She really can't say how it started but they just clicked.

James was really attractive, you know your regular tall dark and handsome? Yes, he was tall, dark and very handsome...and he made her laugh, that was a plus. She on the other hand, was skinny, light skinned,and beautiful, she had this innocent girl kinda of look.

One faithful day, they find themselves alone talking and expressing the way each other felt.. he said sweet words, she blushed, butterflies were flipping in her stomach. The start of a new thing....

Next episode continues next Monday. Stay tuned.
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