If 1995 was a year!

The year 1995 comes with good tidings on one part and the other, some of the events that happened in 1995 are but not limited to; the 44th Miss pageant event which was hosted in Namibia, making it the first and the last time such event will be held in Africa, 1995 was again the year where regular multi-party election will be held in Ethiopia after changing to their new constitution. On a sweeter note, it was the year South Africa beats New Zealand at the Rugby world cup a period historian tagged iconic being post-Apartheid era. 

1995 started and did not go until I was born, birthed on a beautiful morning, with singing and joy on the face of the father, the birthing was supposed to be the last, but being male the laboring mother as at that point knew this was not the end, another trial will go in, due to the love for a girl child, after 2 male children. In the Yoruba culture, when a new child is born, families, friend and well-wishers pour in a congratulatory message, saying "Well-done for a safe delivery", some will say the child will grow beyond the reach of the parents, visitors will then chant Amen. 

What do one say about a presumed Medical Doctor who now grew to become a very skilled footballer, at a point named after the legendary footballer Jay Jay Okocha. With a penchant for girls, I lived to appreciate the sanctity of womanhood, I do believe all women, ladies and girls are beautiful and I won't stop at wanting to become friends with all irrespective of the tribe, religion and belief system.

There remains a problem I while hate growing, over a decade after birth, my Mum would deliberately wake me up to prepare the food while my elder brothers and younger sister continue their sleep, it is common knowledge that around 5am is the best moment of sleep in those days, at a point I will be like why always me! I do have a sister who is so beautiful, I believe she remain untouchable due to the habit of pampering lastborn child, not even when is she, I got an excused when another was added, but it was a renewed call for more early ups, my dad once confided in me that the last was an afterthought, he loves my mum.

Growing up became a little bit of unending story, ranging from bathing in the open when it rains, or bathing publicly, due to this age long culture of reaching a certain age before you could start bathing in the bathroom, these periods were not easy ones, because you have passerby who tends to look at your little below, it was a show of pride then that you will cover your below when your girlfriends approach your house. But while other children go to bed after each play in the evening, and condemned Tyre rolling by afternoon, I go to my corner at night pick my books, read them and I was such in love with books.

I was so educated that I do teach some of the student in the senior class up to two levels, I was not carried away with this endowment, I pressed on. This awesome part of me help me become an inborn extrovert, I won debates, quiz, and at a point when I was to be elected as a Senior prefect in elementary school I was given a Yellow card due to my height, almost all my class mate were a way taller than I do, It became a challenge, my Mum was invited for a chat to accept Punctuality Prefect Boy, sometimes in life you have to make compromise, who ever thought I was being groomed to become an emerging politician. 

Also read: My first date at 17

To a story I will never forget, there is a friend of mine, that do proof he hails from a rich home, and beat everybody to that pride, Okay. On this good Monday morning, we were set for the morning general assembly, and she vomited Eba - a food made of roasted cassava flour, pour in a hot bowl and made to thicken and turned with a wooden stick, and served hot or has preferred, it was a great day in school, as the news reached both seniors and other classes, it was a day to swallow your pride. 

Proceeding, on every graduation day, I do accept several gifts, as my name is mentioned, proceeding out of the guest tent, receiving the principal handshake, while halfway to sitting down, my name will be called again. It was a moment when there was a fire, it can be more sparkling than it is when the effort is put in. 

28 years after, the story is yet to complete, as the stone touches each other to make a fire, there comes a spark, remembering I have a little soul I love, just like Kyndal Inskeep narrated, "I was wishing we were something more than friends that kiss." Noting that a creative mind is a fertile land for growth, I became a writer and learnt the ways of life, through books, religion, politics and the attitude of friends. 

Until the story gets completed, every fires begin with a spark, this is me, expect me, If 1995 was a year, then January 11 was a day, I see me!