Around 6:25 a.m. this morning, I was still in bed trying to finish one more episode of the series I’m watching when a call came in on my phone, and it was my dad. My mind ran through different thoughts trying to figure out why he was calling at such early hours, and I was a bit scared too because he doesn’t call often. I picked it up, and the first thing he said was a greeting of “Happy Independence Day” before he went on to query me about why I didn’t go to church that morning since everyone at home had gone to church. And just as he knows me, I’m supposed to be in church as well. I quickly waved off the church talk, and we began to talk about the Independence Day celebration, which was the main reason he called—just to wish me a Happy Independence Day celebration. We went on to talk, and he told me that they slaughtered a goat for the celebrations.
“Haaaaa! Goat!” I screamed and felt like I should be on my way home quickly.
“Yes, the goat usage is coincidental though; it fits the celebration as well,” he said, giving the reason they used a goat instead of the chicken or turkey we usually use for such a celebration.
That’s how our home is—my dad doesn’t joke with any slight celebration, and Independence Day is among them. On a day like this, my dad doesn’t lament about the difficulty of living in Nigeria; instead, he thanks God for being a Nigerian and for the grace to keep pushing. And that’s the same path I’m walking on, and I definitely frown at talks that throw odd words towards this nation on this day. For God’s sake, it’s Nigeria’s birthday, and good things should be said of her instead of painting it black like we’ve always done. Lol😅
When it comes to politics, people write me off easily because of the way I don’t like talking about it or involving myself, but when it comes to sports and music, I’m a full Nigerian to the core. My friends who know me down to my personal life and even on my WhatsApp know how noisy I become whenever it’s about sports, tournaments, or anything involving Nigeria showcasing her strength in sports, especially football. And the same strength is matched with our kind of music too.
Let me stop here, I just wanted to tell you that I’m a Nigerian, and I’m proud of being a Nigerian.
Happy Independence Day to us!🇳🇬
Photo: Canva Designed
