We left Ibadan for Kaduna that same year to meet my dad, that was where I had my most beautiful childhood and the memories with my siblings, the neighbours we had, the school we attended and the friends we made still lingers in my head.
We stayed for 7 years and in 1993, riot broke out in Kaduna, it was the era of the Zango-Kataf riot of 1993,it was really bloody, we had to flee, in short we fled Kaduna without making preparations for another apartment in ibadan but we left, all out stuffs packed in a 9/11 trailer and off to ibadan.
That was the beginning of my sojourn to the land of Ibadan.
I had a smooth journey with my parents inside my dad's 504 car, we got to Ibadan the next day around noon and we headed straight to my dad's family house, we were welcomed, immediately a room was already set up for us to stay in until God knows when we were ready to leave.
I forgot to tell you that immediately we entered Ibadan we started complaining, the culture shock was evident in us, the old brown roofs, the ugliness of the city then compared to kaduna, everything looked strange and wasn't beautiful but did we have a choice, no, we were back home and in one piece.
I forgot to tell you that immediately we entered Ibadan we started complaining, the culture shock was evident in us, the old brown roofs, the ugliness of the city then compared to kaduna, everything looked strange and wasn't beautiful but did we have a choice, no, we were back home and in one piece.
We started school the next Monday, we were registered at Ronk New Age at Akobo were our family friend's children attended. I was supposed to continue from primary 3 but due to the difference in the educational standard, I had to go back to primary 2, that was where I met my ever true friend Oluwatosin Aluko.
Life continued, school was fine, I was doing well at school alongside my other 2 siblings.
Few months after we stayed at my grandparent's place, we moved to Iwo Road to stay at another Family friend's place, they had a larger space to accommodate us, we stayed there for almost a year, there I met so many wonderful people like the oyelekan's who were there for us all through, their driver picked us every morning at my grandparents place to school at Akobo, did I tell you my grandparent's place was at Oke-Seni along ogunpa in ibadan for those of us who know Ibadan very well. So you can imagine the distance every morning, it was a huge sacrifice rare to find now.
In 1994 I guess, we were able to secure an apartment of our own and we moved eventually. At last we were moving to a place we could call our own home ..and so we moved into this huge compound with blocks of flat along Academy, not academy olomi o, it was the one at Iwo Road, the compound had 8 flats in the front and another adjoining 8 flats at the back with a mosque where people came to pray, even for Jumah.
It was huge, compared to our House in Kaduna, the setting there was different, we had our own compound, our mini gate aside the main gate but here we are in a 'Civilian Barrack'.
We were the first tenant to occupy the flat afterwards we had new neighbours and before you could say Jack Robinson, the compound became full.
It was an interesting compound as well as a notorious one because we had some neighbours who already raised' Jason Statham' as kids, some of their parents were 'Hulk Hogan' by nature and could fight for Africa.
We had some who could abuse the living daylight out of you, even the Landlord's wife was trouble personified. It was a fuji house of commotion.
Oh my, we had lots of drama when it came to fetching water at the well, suddenly you'll just find slaps and blows flying from different angles, especially between children who had kept grudges against each other. It was a nation in crisis.
I'm not trying to hype myself or my siblings bit we were different, we were reserved and probably wondered what the madness was all about maybe because of where we were coming from, they treated us differently and with much respect. Thanks to my parents for that unique upbringing.
No one ever dared crossed our paths and my parents were revered with utmost respect.
To be continued Insha Allah...
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