It’s here again –the ‘Christmas fever’, it has nothing to do with the month of December. Imagine Christmas in the month of June – I tell you it will become the mid-months events.
Christmas, I keep forgetting is at the corner, it is next week Thursday, maybe because of the way I see it, the 25th of December of every year is still like every other day in a year.
The question is –why the fever in this season; like there is no life after that day-for me life continues after every Christmas celebration.
Come to think of it what is Christmas? Why Christmas? How is it supposed to be celebrated? Who is it meant for? I did not ask the when because a child can answer that while sleeping.
A celebration is a thing of joy which calls for togetherness, eating and drinking-Why the increase in price of everything? Why the recklessness in our actions?
People travel to be with loved ones and families they may have not seen all through the year while the transporters increase fare to make money for the Christmas expenses.
The market women increase prices of food stuff because they know that people will definitely buy- ‘no be Christmas we dey celebrate!’
How about the clothes and textile merchants, the tailors, footwear sellers in the market all this to mention but a few take advantage of the peoples’ desperation.
If we look into ourselves, we will find out that we are the problem. There is this desperation and anxiety amongst people most time- a bid to impress others at our own expense.
Crime increases at this period, accident toll is not left out, and women use what they have to get what they want in this season. Relations are broken while new ones evolved –it is Christmas.
If a research is successfully carried out you will find out that most HIV/AIDS patients contracted it at this period, STDs, pregnancy and abortions are not left out-sheer carelessness.
We have to work on our orientation, Christmas is not a do or die affair- maybe you do not have enough to join the queue involved in the spending spree ,relax there is another 25th December in 2009. Why spend on wants when there are needs to be met at this moment or after it?
Why go through untold pain, shame and disappoint to get what we will always have?
This is just the beginning, I have more, WATCH OUT, and I have not answered my questions.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Experience
The experience which took place at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has come and gone but for me, the event and after event will always be fresh on my mind.
I planned attending the program, hosted by Paul Adefarasin, General Overseer, House on the Rock, with my friends who changed their mind at the eleventh hour. They said it rained in the afternoon and that it might rain in the night.
I made up my mind to attend the event alone- it was my first time since the program started in 2006 and I did not want to be told the story. The Experience started like 50 minutes behind schedule, it was supposed to start by 7 pm.
The place was filled to the brim with an estimate of 350,000 people from all parts of the country. Guest artists Midnight crew, MaryMary and Chevelle Franklin preformed and after Fred Hammond’s it started raining, the rain spoilt the sound system and the programme suddenly came to an end.
I sat at the Pavilion first floor, I was not drenched but I felt uneasy and I went out to ease myself only to meet a crowd struggling to leave , there was human traffic jam, ladies were screaming, men commanding, there was pressure on every side I was floating in the air, thanks to the guy that caught me.
People going out were scared and prayed that there will be no stampede. Getting out of the pavilion I found the whole place flooded ,the water got up to my legs past my ankles, most people removed their shoes and walked barefooted to cross the ‘Red Sea’ then I noticed that my shoes have gone bad, no thanks to the semi-stampede at the pavilion.
When I got to the mobile toilet it was another experience, the whole placed was messed up people started using the entrance as the toilet, the rain had not stopped, it was still drizzling I decided to go home this was at about 4 am.
I walked from TBS to CMS bus-stop before I got a bus to board. The driver charged us 200 naira instead of 100 naira I had the money and seriously wanted to go home; I was cold already with my shoes on my hand.
I slept off in the bus only to wake up when we got to the coconut bus- stop along Apapa –Oshodi expressway, when I got to my bus-stop I alighted into another ‘Red Sea’, the driver warned me of the drain which had no slab over it. I raised my skirt and started crossing the ‘Red Sea’ with so many thoughts running through my mind, I remembered the dirty drainage and this water touching my skin was from it -what if I get a skin infection? What if I fall into the canal? It was not all, the water flooded the streets and I walked through it all-barefooted.
When I got home my cousin was home, he left when he could not bear it, I was angry with him, he should have called me with his phone since he came with his car. He told me he called my number but it was going through- bad network. I had a warm bath; the time now was 7am. I lay down and slept off. It was indeed an experience after The Experience.
I planned attending the program, hosted by Paul Adefarasin, General Overseer, House on the Rock, with my friends who changed their mind at the eleventh hour. They said it rained in the afternoon and that it might rain in the night.
I made up my mind to attend the event alone- it was my first time since the program started in 2006 and I did not want to be told the story. The Experience started like 50 minutes behind schedule, it was supposed to start by 7 pm.
The place was filled to the brim with an estimate of 350,000 people from all parts of the country. Guest artists Midnight crew, MaryMary and Chevelle Franklin preformed and after Fred Hammond’s it started raining, the rain spoilt the sound system and the programme suddenly came to an end.
I sat at the Pavilion first floor, I was not drenched but I felt uneasy and I went out to ease myself only to meet a crowd struggling to leave , there was human traffic jam, ladies were screaming, men commanding, there was pressure on every side I was floating in the air, thanks to the guy that caught me.
People going out were scared and prayed that there will be no stampede. Getting out of the pavilion I found the whole place flooded ,the water got up to my legs past my ankles, most people removed their shoes and walked barefooted to cross the ‘Red Sea’ then I noticed that my shoes have gone bad, no thanks to the semi-stampede at the pavilion.
When I got to the mobile toilet it was another experience, the whole placed was messed up people started using the entrance as the toilet, the rain had not stopped, it was still drizzling I decided to go home this was at about 4 am.
I walked from TBS to CMS bus-stop before I got a bus to board. The driver charged us 200 naira instead of 100 naira I had the money and seriously wanted to go home; I was cold already with my shoes on my hand.
I slept off in the bus only to wake up when we got to the coconut bus- stop along Apapa –Oshodi expressway, when I got to my bus-stop I alighted into another ‘Red Sea’, the driver warned me of the drain which had no slab over it. I raised my skirt and started crossing the ‘Red Sea’ with so many thoughts running through my mind, I remembered the dirty drainage and this water touching my skin was from it -what if I get a skin infection? What if I fall into the canal? It was not all, the water flooded the streets and I walked through it all-barefooted.
When I got home my cousin was home, he left when he could not bear it, I was angry with him, he should have called me with his phone since he came with his car. He told me he called my number but it was going through- bad network. I had a warm bath; the time now was 7am. I lay down and slept off. It was indeed an experience after The Experience.
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