Adetutu OJ – HOW I BLENDED INTO THE GHETTO
Title: HOW I BLENDED INTO THE GHETTO
Author: Adetutu OJ
Type: Blog on WordPress website
Link: https://beingadetutuoj.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/how-i-blended-into-the-ghetto/
Story:
“I was born in the ghetto in the late eighties. I was born in challenge, ojú ìrìn also known as railways line mushin. The ghetto was for the strong and I never blended in quickly.
My late father had to move my siblings and I to another part of Lagos but I made my return back in 2012 to the ghetto because my maternal family also have family houses in another part of mushin, ìdí oro precisely. Ìdí oro / Akala is also another ghetto in mushin.
When I moved back here in 2012, my maternal family made sure to tell me that upon my return, people on the streets will think I’m a newbie in mushin and I should get ready for a street fight challenge. Every day I walked on the streets, I made sure I “bone” my face ( meaning making your face mean or not appealing enough to talk to).
Then D- Day came, I was coming back from work and was walking in the streets. One of my aunt owns a shop on the street and I just said ” good evening ma” to my aunt but there was a woman and her husband sitting in front of shop, her name was ìyá J( name shortened). Then she said “didn’t I see her and why didn’t I greet her and her husband ?” I told her straight up that I don’t know her and don’t have any intention of greeting her. (Most especially she wants it by force and I wasn’t ready for bullshits that day).
The next thing I heard was “taaawai!!” On my face, I became alert immediately and grabbed her buba (blouse) and pull her towards me and slapped her back then we brawled to inside the gutter in front of my aunt’s shop. The husband was hitting me too but I made sure to face my attacker.
When we got seperated, I went straight up to my maternal family house to tell them what transpired. They all came out and went to their house, scattered things on my behalf, told them who I was on the street and we later found out that they both won bàbá Ìjẹ̀bú (lotto games and bettings) and were also both drunk kẹ̀ri kẹ̀ri ( kẹ̀ri kẹ̀ri means to the brim)
From that day henceforth I was ready for any fights on the streets. I BLENDED by force.
Ìjà wá, ìjà ó sì, Always guarding. “
About Adetutu OJ:
“I’m a single mom, tambour beading artist, fashion model ( look books and ads) and African traditionalist. I’m here to talk about some personal experiences and other stuff.”
View more of her blogs here:
https://beingadetutuoj.wordpress.com/author/iadetutuoj/