With gloabalisation taking over the world today, I often get asked a very difficult question "Where are you from?" Tricky question that one because I often don't know what to say. Is the person asking me where I live? Where I was born? Where my citizenship lies? Or even where my parents hail from? Usually I just say I'm Nigerian and let it end there.Of course, it gets narrowed down when I'm asked by my fellow Nigerians, "You don't have an accent, where are you from?" Or even "I can't tell whether you are Yoruba or Igala, which one are you?" Hmmm, they must've judged by my veil.
My father's definitely Hausa, from the most ancient ruling Hausa family, in the most ancient Hausa Emirate. My mum is definitey Fulani, from a former ruling Sarkin Fulani family in the same ancient Emirate. But being born in the Garden city of Port Harcourt and having a birth certificate that makes me an indigene of Rivers state complicates matters for me!
To make it worse, for a large chunk of my life (specifically, 16 years) I lived in Warri. Some 5 years in those 16 years were spent at boarding school in Benin. Now it's back to Port Harcourt! the past two years have been fun even though PH is turning into something else *sigh*. My Parents took it upon themselves to take us to Daura at least twice a year, especially for Eid (Sallah) because there's the Durbar that we all loved, to see my dear grannies and of course, to prevent my uncles and aunties from making noise about us not being "Brought up Traditionally".
We always looked forward to these visits although it was obvious that we (especially me, Miss Prim-and-proper) didn't quite fit in. I've got two wonderful granmums. My dad's mum being a wise woman (Who taught me how to put Man-Shanu on my hair and henna up to my knees!) and my mum's mum being the funniest person I've ever met (She's half deaf and hears things a bit differently from what is actually said). Then there are the wonderful people that are just so happy and don't have a single worry in the world. Being around such positive people is just refreshing you need to see it to believe it. I just love that place so much!
Being the silent but mischvievious one, I like to annoy my Aunties with my little annoying habits and comments. You should've seen the looks on their faces when I said i'd rather eat Starch and Banga soup than Tuwo and Miyar Kuka. Or even when I said when I get married, I don't want to wear the family Al~ Kyabba (this huge hooded cloak with some HEAVY embroidery on it!) when I leave my parents home ..Hehe... Of course I have changed now but some of my aunties still suggest to my parents to let me stay at their place so I can get some "Training" I wonder which kind of training it is...Hehe. I think I know all I need to know, Thank you very much.
The good thing about being from everywhere was that I got to Naija-trot. Living in one extreme and travelling to the other. Those days we used to make it in two trips or just one 18 hr drive!
What I love the most about being from everywhere is that you learn real tolerance. Life is not the same at all. You really learn to appreciate the beauty of other people's culture while trying to discover and hold onto ours. If you are from the south I urge you to visit the north then you'll know what I'm talking about. Nigeria is so diverse It's almost like I'm living a double life. We used to joke that once we crossed the Murtala Muhammad bridge in Lokoja we have entered another Dimension.
People never understand when I say I AM a confused child. This is just one of the many many complications in my life. I can't wait to see the reaction of my extended family when they find out that my man is not Royalty and definitely not from Daura or even Katsina state...Hehe...Fun times...NOT!
