So, (they say I should stop starting my sentences with so. But, so) I’m sitting on my bed in the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus and my roommate shrieks and says ‘Boro! (she pronounces Boro terribly, but she’s adorable so it’s fine) look out of the window!’
Now, before I tell you what was outside the window, can I just gush over the fact that my room overlooks the body of water under that bridge that leads to Falomo. Although, that also means that my room is just by the main road beside the water, and so cars and trailers and (wait for it) helicopters are always close by. I haven’t gotten a decent sleep since I moved in, because horns are blaring, tires are screeching and engines are sounding 24 hours everyday.
However, every time I almost get frustrated, I look out of my window and see the water and a surreal kind of calm just washes over me (lame pun intended). It’s even more beautiful at night when the different colors of lights affixed to the bridge are turned on to dance on the surface of the water. I love it!
Since I’m the only one who gushes over the water in my room, my roommate thought it appropriate to point out what was outside the window to me.
I looked out and saw a boat cruising the water. The entire boat was lit up with different colors of light! I was in awe like a little child. I just knelt on my bed and expressed myself in incoherent admiration, as my roommates laughed at me.
After the boat with its white wearing passengers passed by, I sat down to think seriously of my life and the kind of life I want to live.
Ever since me and my inner most thoughts can remember, we’ve been dreaming of living by the water, of going on boat cruises, of bungee jumping, of rolling in a pile of dry leaves, of getting lost in a foreign land, of all these things that seem too oyinbo to be Nigerian.
But somewhere, somehow, I did not believe these dreamd. Or at least I have let them stay just as fantasies. No serious plan towards them.
But that boat with all its pretty lights and white wearing people, just made me think: somewhere somehow, people are living out their dreams because they saw it as possible. You can do that too.
And do that, I shall. So if you have any tips on helping me with my dreams to live by the water (don’t say makoko or encourage me to be a mami water), I guess we can start with that one. (This is my optimistic self imagining that I still have readers. No, I don’t check my stats anymore)
And in case, there’s no one here (echo: no one here, no one here), let me just tell myself, that I still shall. I shall live out my dreams (live out my dreams, live out my dreams).
I'd love to hear your thoughts!