What was Christmas like when Growing up.
You know that rumbling sound the drum makes that keeps increasing. That's the way I usually feel.
The harmattan then adds to the thrill, dry air, hot day, cold nights and as if it wasn't enough, foggy mornings.
I don't know if the rice and stew with chicken was the best part of it or the marching outfits my mum would put on us, or perhaps it's the banger, I was a cunning little kid you know, sneaking out through the back to shoot bangers with my friends.
That's it, it's the bangers, the rice could wait and I didn't like the oversized marching outfits anyways, but the bangers was the climax of that rumbling sound that filled my heart.
We didn't do anything out of the ordinary as a family, no picnics, no Christmas trees, no lights, certainly no candles, we couldn't afford all those luxuries, yet my parents found a way to make it thrilling.
A planned trip to our village was the highlight. Leaving the city for the village during Christmas period was a norm here in Nigeria, as a matter of fact the streets gets lonely during these times and that's not because people are indoors.
The journey to the village was a thrilling one because we get to see all the fuzz Christmas was about on the way. Giant Santa Claus balloons built by fancy restaurants, mesmerising lights lining the edges of tall buildings and then bands of all sorts performing on the road.
The journey alone was worth more than the time spent in the village. The latter was usually filled with unwanted hugs from old people with yellow teeths (no offense to them) and unknown relatives asking silly questions about the city.
Church services was also a big deal for us, as we dance recklessly here in Africa just like David did in the Bible. With the local drums in the village it added more finesse to it, setting it apart from the solemnity of the churches in the city.
I've seen the travails of life, sometimes I wish I was still innocent, but I no longer enjoy Christmas as much as I did before. I still find a way to make it memorable, that's what my mum would want anyways.
Merry Christmas in advance to everyone that stuck around with this comment. It's good to finally be back on Hive.