[ Birthday parties ]

I attended his 50th birthday 2 years ago and it wasn’t just loud, it was absolutely the talk of the town – we locked down his entire neighbourhood that day from early noon till about midnight. 

And you can imagine – on a Friday o, what if it was on a weekend ?

Heard he had even mellowed down as his 40th was even louder and meaner sef – to the extent low income people were coming to plead for one assistance or the other after his 40th birthday party.

‘Medical bills clearance, feeding and school fees payments etc’.

Must have been based on his own nature for big and huge celebrations that he sized me up and once said to me:

‘Gbenga, why are all your parties parlour gigs sef ?’

Lololololololololololol . . . I had so laughed mehnnn.

As in, me wey I dey cut my clothe according to my size. 
I do things, whatever they are to suit my lifestyle and pocket – I don’t trend o.

But honestly, I love parties and celebrations, especially when they are the landmark ones, the rare ocassions that come once in a lifetime.

Must have been the reason I also teased and encouraged my neighbour’s daughter on her 9th birthday:

“We must have a huge party for your 10th next year, shut the whole street down and have family and friends etc over . . . “

The young girl’s face had lit up with so much excitement and interest, that evening – there was a ‘but  to it however. 

According to the Mum, who was all along listening to my yarns:

‘We don’t do parties . . . ‘ she said.
This stance of hers was just like her husband’s on his return from work that day:

‘We only do sitting room parties to mark the day and that’s all . . . ‘

So, I humbly ask:

Are parties (big or small) really unnecessary – what some call, a waste of money and resources ?

Your opinion . . . Honestly, I love parties.

Lololololololololololol. 

@ O’Shine Original 

[ What an introduction ? ]

I turned into my street that scorching afternoon, waited for a dark coloured salon car to squeez through the 1 lane remaining on the street cos double parking had been done on both sides – behind this saloon car was a Merc Benz suv, silver gray in colour.

I realized the driver wasn’t a total stranger by the time he drove past my waiting car, a neighbour’s friend and someone I very recently had an encounter with.

Anyway, I drove the remaining 2 blocks to the front of my house; parked, got down and opened my gate so I could drive in.

By the time I was done parking, the bearded guy in the Merc Benz suv had levelled up with me as I pulled the gates together to close them.

He smiled at me and said his good afternoon . . .

‘Do you remember me ? I am guy that blocked your gate the other time . . . ‘

I gave him a warm smile in return and nodded my head in acknowledgment of his remarks – his naivety moreso.

What efontery ?, I thought to myself.

Some guts mehnnn . . . (I am the guy who blocked your gate)

Lololololololololololol !

*

The above being the actual reminder of the madness I sometimes encounter and have to deal with on my street. 

People parking and blocking your gate – to go 4, 5, 6 blocks down the street to their friend’s . . . Damn.

@ O’Shine Original . . .

[ The land is GREEN ]

We had lunch together yesterday and jisted about so many things – Then he shook his head in obvious disagreement with something as he continued his gaze at me.

“Whaaaaaaaat is it ?”

I asked.

He said (taking a deep breath):

‘There is one reason I don’t like you . . . ‘

Huh (is this guy alright so, I said to myself . . . I’ve got some really ‘weirdo’ friends)

“Ok ooooo, so what is it ?”

He said you’re ‘Mr Photosythensis – I can’t stand it that ‘GREEN’ is your favourite color’ (If YOU know me well enough – now, that’s no secret. Lol)

“So, what’s his grouse with green ?IMAGINE that noooow – He’s definitely not okay, right ?”

I reminded him however,  that ‘The LAND is GREEN’. 

Nigeria at 61 . . .

Not sure I’m proud of her – but I love her all the same.

🇳🇬 🇳🇬 🇳🇬

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria !

@ O’Shine Original . . .

[ Battle royale ]

Right there in a corner, standing all alone was the 100 gms pack of salt – Dangote salt, that I had used to fight the battle.

A battle of wits and what I was to later refer, as the ‘battle of the worms’.

You can imagine how strangely creepy it was waking up every morning to crawling earthworms all over your house; the bathroom and corridor to my master bedroom too.

It was indeed, alarming to say the least – sometimes, they’re dead and dried and other times still crawling about and battling to stay alive – probably looking for wet grounds or at the least, any form of wetness.

In my observation while trying to figure out the solution to eliminating them, I noticed they came out mostly overnight while I slept – dark knights.

I therefore laid in wait for them – spreading dry salt all over the openings of my drains and basins in the bathroom. 

The genesis of all these was my burying my waste pipes into the grounds just cos I felt the austetic value was much more than having them all laid bare.

You know when you think you’ve solved a problem and then another not envisaged shows up.

Phew . . .

The final solution – a ‘chemical warfare’ on the earthworms. 

The salty affair by ‘Mr. Exterminator’. 

Finito !

@ O’Shine Original . . .