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Yearly Archives

2016

24,

Breaking Chords

This is the first page of something really special to me, please let me know what you think in the comments. 

The shouting started shortly before my 11th birthday. I thought it was one off because when you have five people living in a tiny space you are bound to have the occasional clash. This was different, the first night turned into the second night and it went on at a stretch for months.

My family lived in a small three bedroom duplex. All three rooms were next to each other and with very thin walls that didn’t allow room for secret conversations. Each room had tiny balconies that were framed by iron railing that prevented people from jumping down. When you were on any of the balconies, you become deaf to the rest of the house; they were little heavens of escape.
I am a light sleeper so I wasn’t getting any sleep once the shouting started. I always wonder how my sister and brother slept through it. I became the unofficial referee to their shouting matches and I kept score because I needed a way to pass time.
My parents said hateful things to each other and I watched as the words they said slowly cut through and destroy the foundation of their relationship.  It crossed my mind on many nights to shout at them to stop but I was scared of the beating I would get if I interfered.
I started struggling to stay awake in school, so one night I took the straw mat to my balcony, I noticed for the first time the beautiful sound coming from my neighbor’s house and I easily lost myself in it. The beautiful melodies gave rhythm to all the emotions buried deep within and the lyrics provide voice to all the things I left unsaid.
I found myself disappearing into music to give words to my emotions.
September 4, 2016
letters,

For Kessie


This took too long to write, I never wanted to have to write about this, but sad important things need to be documented.



I was scrolling through my twitter feed when I read a tweet ”RIP Kessie” I was in so much shock that I decided to switch apps and send Kessie a message on Whats App and I was hopeful it was a dream when I saw the two tick sign beside the message I sent, praying that the tweet was a crude joke.

I returned to my twitter feed hoping the tweet would be gone but instead I saw more tweets confirming my worst fears.
So I dropped my phone and made a wish that somehow Kessie would reply my text. I spent the next couple of hours in denial, wishing that she was alive and hoping for one last sarcastic comment.
My wishing this away didn’t bring my friend back and I have kind of come to terms with it. I love letters, writing letters, receiving letters. So I have written a letter to Kessie of all the things I want to say to her and I am choosing to deal with this by living in the memories I have of her and when those fade I will imagine sharing new adventures with you Kessie and always find ways to keep you alive in my heart. Rest well and be sure you would never be forgotten.




Dear Kessie,
Here are a few things I remember about you, you made me laugh about the silliest things, you didn’t take life or yourself too seriously always making jokes about yourself.
You are one of the best storyteller I know, I always wonder how you did it, all of us will go silent in the room whenever you launch into one of your stories.
Less I forget you are definitely the first sarcastic person I met it was second nature with you, it was always a struggle to tell when you were being serious.


Keesie here are a list of things I am sorry for, we tried to keep in touch after secondary school with sending messages back and forth on Facebook but, this didn’t last, relationships need physical meetings as we couldn’t find time for that.
By the time Instant Messaging became easy, we had drifted too far to exist in each other’s virtual world so we stuck to the occasional catch up chats on Facebook.


I ran into you in March we exchanged phone number and promised to have a catch up lunch but, we never got round to it. I told myself in the following months that we had our lives ahead for us and no need to rush setting  a date for our lunch.
I am sorry I didn’t push hard enough for our lunch date, sorry we didn’t do a better job of staying in each other’s life, if I had know you didn’t have time, I would have met up with you every weekend, create new memories. Most of all I am sorry I don’t get a do over.


I am not ready to go through the stages of grief, so I choose instead to live in the memories I have of you, of always going late to the dining hall our last year of secondary school, of late night conversations and drinking garri.
We were in our 5th year of Secondary School when I still thought I could write poems and my writing was sacred. I was writing in my journal during long break, pencil in one hand gala in another, you walked up to my table and said ‘’you be wasting time writing about that boy that left you, Ore he already moved on find another fish even if it is one with it’s eyes missing.’’ I immediately started laughing.


The morning after I heard you died, I was reading my bible and I came across this Bible Verse Isaiah 57vs.1 The righteous man perishes,and no one lays it to heart;devout men are taken away, while no one understands.For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; ESV
In all  these, I choose to believe you are in a better place and believe in this verse
Rest Well Kessie Be Sure I Will Be Telling My Children About You

Oreoluwa
September 1, 2016
life lessons,

TEDx Talks

My friend from University Ayo ”Dudu” introduced me to Ted Talks, I was reading ”Half of A Yellow Sun” and he asked if I had listened to Chimamada Ngozi Adichie’s Ted Talks titled ”We should all be Feminist”, to which I replied ”what are Ted Talks?”. He played a video for me on his phone and introduced me to the beautiful world of Ted Talks.

I will be sharing with you a few of my best Ted Talks and I hope that they enlarge your view of the world, give you a new understanding of humanity and the power of individuality.

Let me know in the comments below your opinions on the videos and also recommendations on talks I should listen to.

July 27, 2016
Uncategorized,

4000 to Infinity.

I took the first six months of the year to relax from the constant activity that was my life; of exams, of classes and if you are wondering about work and money, I became a freelance writer. In addition, I tried to update my blog regularly, worked actively at the N.G.O I volunteer with and my parents indulged me and gave me a monthly allowance to go after my dream of writing and driving around Lagos in a bid to finding new and interesting things to do.

This past week my blog hit 4000 views and counting. I am super excited and grateful for this. It seems my six month of relaxation wasn’t a total waste. I am grateful to all the people that read my posts, share and post lovely comments, you made this possible. 

So to commemorate this milestone, I will be sharing a few photographs I have taken in the last 6 months and I know you are thinking Yes! I became an amateur photographer. A Picture tells a story and since I love telling stories with words why not throw photographs into the mix. 

I am currently saving up for a Camera but Wendy(My Car) wouldn’t let the account balance be great. I am thinking of starting ”The Over Thinker” YouTube channel, let me know in the comments if you would watch my videos. 



July 20, 2016
24, Her Version of Events, letters,

8th July 2015

Dear Oreoluwa
You are about to get a text from ICAN that would make you feel like your world is crumbling and someone is twisting your insides. I need you to know that this isn’t the end of the world and your insides are fine.
I know your birthday is tomorrow and you want to stay in bed and wallow in self-pity. Please don’t plan a trip to the dam, Mo will take the best photos of you and Tofu would surprise you with a cake for the first time since your fifth birthday.
Cut your hair, it is long overdue don’t worry it would grow, take longer walks, have longer conversations with Aunty Kemi and Mr Mayor they have an arsenal of knowledge you would need in the coming months. Stop running to Lagos every weekend, you would miss Ilorin so much when you leave and not have the opportunity to visit.
Your holiday to Ibadan would be life changing, your inspiration for life would be renewed and you will meet and accidentally fall for someone, don’t think too much of it, just go with it. This experience would make you very happy, sad and angry, all at the same time. You can choose to avoid this all together by not having a conversation about the Civil War. This is totally up to you.
You will have another episode of depression and thoughts about dying, talk to someone about it; it isn’t bad to ask for help. Mama is trying, cut her some slack open your mouth let her know what is going on, let her know how you are feeling. Communication will make a lot of things easier to deal with in the coming months.
Don’t be Afraid; fear would keep you from a lot of adventures, go to places on the spur of the moment; the things you worry about currently wouldn’t matter in a few months.
Lastly google ‘’Bethel Music’’ and ‘’Shima Yam’’ you would thank me later
June 23, 2016
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