Posted by Arc. Akpan Pius Usoroh on
I recall Ajegunle
I recall the crowded streets
The dirty
untarred roads
I recall the unplanned streets
And the smelling stagnant waters
Of the gutters
I recall the houses
In which people lived
I recall how a man
With 2 wives, 5 kids
Would cluster within
A 3x4 room
I recall rainy days
I recall rain boots inside tiny living rooms
I recall how faeces from the toilet
Would float right inside
Tiny sleeping rooms
I recall household items
Stacked one on top another
I recall with tears the agony
The sadness on the faces
Of the family men
I recall football matches
On the untarred dusty roads
I recall tennis games
On broken toilet doors
I recall the redigging of gutters
And I recall the hips of sand
On the sides of the roads
I recall our cowboy games
I recall “kpaking” and “ikoso”
I recall our regular visits
To the refuse dumps
I recall the rush
Without shoes
And I recall the pains
The overzealous
search
for treasures
I recall broken bottle pieces
And I recall the wounds,
And lest I forget I recall “Elewa”
“Oni Rice” their “ishun” and “kpomo”
And also “dankwa” and “Elede” ,
Famous delicacies of my childhood days.