After thirteen years, Araromi Olamide returns to his hometown in Ibudun with his father, Biyi, and twin sister, Olamipo, to spend Christmas.
The experience takes a dramatic turn when he meets a beautiful new girl. Like most things, it starts out w...
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The last weeks of December and the town became unusually bright and beautiful at night. Most of the roundabouts had been jazzed up with colourful lights. The street lights (the ones I never saw came on since I got to the town) were lit up in various parts of the town.
The beauty of the town became evident and I began to see a low-budgeted Abeokuta.
Seeing those little changes in the town at that time of the year wasn't much of a surprise. It was fond of Nigerian leaders to take care of their regions during festive seasons or when they want to receive big guests.
Nigeria, your country.
Pictures of the king and his horsemen were hoarded on the billboards all around the town. Few days before the Onire festival and the number in the town grew. More policemen were dispatched to maintain orderliness as people got ready for the festival.
The tutors at the cultural programme rushed us through rehearsals for our presentations. Dance, drama, and music.
Most of us would wait after the day's programme to rehearse for extra hours. Olamipo and Dorcas were part of nothing, so they would leave me in school most of the time.
I also had the choice of being part of nothing but I couldn't ignore drama. Drama was everything to me. It was hard to resist when I learned we would be presenting a drama that told the story of how the forefathers of Ibudun fought for their land.
I entered for the audition and won the slot to play one of the major roles in the drama. The Balogun of Ibudun town. My dreads and articulate voice made me the perfect for the role.
It was all fun and easy in the beginning. Thirty minutes of rehearsals and we were over. But it got exhausting during the final days of preparation when we had to go hours of practice.
The head of the programme, Mr. Olukoya wanted to make sure we had perfected everything before appearing on the big stage at the Onire festival. That reflective-headed man gave us no rest.
I would have passed out after one of the rehearsals if not for Titi that was around to help.
"Thanks for the water. Maybe if you didn't pass around this time, I'd have just fainted here. I was fucking tired." I handed the bottle back to her.
"Yo-u-u-u are wel-come." She turned to leave.
"Hey, chill. Why are you still in school though? Are you part of the music or dance group?" I sprung up from the bamboo chair to stop her.
I was just trying to seek her attention like every other day since after we met on the shortcut road. Perhaps, that was why she decided to stop to help me with the water because unlike the other kids, I spent time talking to her.
"No...I-I-I am n-n-ot i-n any group," she replied.
"Really? Why are you now here?, Studying or something?" I wrapped up my arms into each other while standing in her front.
