North, East, West, South - Home's The Best

4 hours ago

When the discussion is about my home town, I stay back and observe because i do not really have a lot to talk about. All my life, I only stayed there for three years, and in those three years, i did not socialize that much, I just went about my business and go back home. I don't even know many roads in my village. I just know the major roads and that is it. You can literally sale me in my own village and I would not know.

I grew did not grow up in my village. As a matter of fact, I am just getting to know how to speak my native language, Igbo. I can understand it, but speaking it is like giving me a tongue twisting sentence to pronounce.

I grew up in the Northern part of Nigeria, Kaduna to be precise. I also lived in Abuja. I never thought I would even go back to my village because i loved it there. My parents were cool and I was also cool with it. The day my mom announced that we would relocate to the east due to Boko Haram invasion, I was really pissed. My siblings and I were not happy with the decision, but for the sake of safety, we had to.

For those who don't know, I'm an Igbo man. I hail from Isi ala Mbano in im state. Though I really love this place, I don't like living in the village. I don't really know much about Mbano, however, what I do know about my home town is that we have amazing people. My people are welcoming to strangers and they are really good people.

Our youth, most especially are really fun to be with. I often don't attend youth meetings, but the few times i went, I felt what it was like to be loved by people who aren't your biological siblngs.

Another thing about my home town is how they celebrate Christmas. There something we call "Day." Yes, "Day" as in Day. Now during December, each village would celebrate their own Day, in which they bring out their masquerade to entertain people from other villages. They also bring out food, and drinks for everyone to eat together.

The masquerade, followed around by local drummers, would dance around the village square, meeting people to give it money. It would come to you, dance in your presence and you give it money. After this, and when the elders have vacated the venue, the real deal begins, where the masquerade begins to chase people around with a stick-like cane. If it gets to you, it would flog you, so, you have to be really fast. It sounds horrible to be flogged by a masquerade, but we loved it. It was fun. The adrenaline rush was sooo amazing that we try to attend each and every community's day.

Even though we are a fun people, we don't actually have it all. I'm not in the position to say what my community lacks because i have not visited home for a very long time. However, from the little time i have been there, what i can say we need as a community is that - we need good roads, and steady electricity supply.

These are the things we lack (when I was in the village). Maybe they have fixed these things. I was on a call with someone some time ago, and they said they have tarred the roads in my community. But nonetheless, we still need better roads.

Thank you for reading

Images are mine

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4 comments

@pishio69

4 hours ago

This is such a powerful reflection on the complex relationship we all have with our roots. It's a heavy topic, especially given the context of the Boko Haram crisis forcing families out of the East. The feeling of being displaced and barely knowing the roads in a place you're supposed to call home is something many displaced people struggle with, regardless of where they are from.

It's really interesting how you mention learning your native language later in life. That "tongue-twisting" sensation of speaking Igbo when you grew up elsewhere is a unique experience for second-generation speakers. It highlights how language and identity are so deeply tied to the specific environment where we spend our formative years.

The part about the youth and the community welcome is particularly touching. Even if you don't fit in or feel like you belong in the village, having that sense of unconditional acceptance from neighbors and non-biological siblings is something rare and precious. It sounds like the people of Mbano and the broader Igbo community have a strong heart, which is likely why so many return or keep strong ties despite the challenges.

Thanks for sharing your story here. It's a great reminder that "home" isn't just a physical location you know every inch of; it's the people and the memories, however fragmented they may feel. Hopefully, the discussions continue to celebrate that resilience and the unique traditions like the Christmas celebrations you mentioned.

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@adaezeinchrist73

3 hours ago

WOW! This is so good to see you here my brother. Mbano is a very special place though I have not been there myself. I am from arondizuogu in Imo state.

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@emreal72

2 hours ago

There's no place like home, I have not seen masquerades displaying before, sometimes, my curiosity wishes I could witness it.

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@bpcvoter3-12

4 hours ago

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