My Northern way of life

by Shirley Grace Hart (Nigeria)

I didn't expect to find Nigeria

It was a Saturday morning,the whole family gathered together and I checked my portal as many other young Nigerian graduates did and I had been posted to Borno camp, a camp located in the heart of the north. A thousand things flooded through my mind. I could hear my heart beat so fast, drowned in the saddened comments and advice from siblings. Embarking on a journey to the north after the news outbreak of boko haram made news. I remember the look on my loved ones faces when the news of my journey was announced. I got the goodbye look,the pity look and the tourist look . I received several travel advice from well wishers; one I got while traveling was "you need to look for a church wherever your vehicle stops as a protective measure" Growing up as children from the southern part of Nigeria , we heard tales of the northern part of the country; The tall trees,the rich culture and the simplicity of the northern indigenes. Then,we grew up to be young adults,fit to make our own decisions but the story changes. We watched the news and saw only the ugliest of tales. It was a land no one wanted to sojourn to except a mandatory protection to the father's land. The news about the northern crisis became well known after the kidnap of chibok girls. I remember watching the news and saw nothing short of sadness .It was a continuous protest filled with activists fighting for the release of the young girls. I started my journey with burning questions playing in my head. My solo experience was a lonely, exhausting, and literally hungry one leaving behind everything I knew as " familiar" on the other side of the country. I remember the driver saying something in Hausa as he made an unexpected stop breathing heavily. I was totally confused about what was happening as I couldn't understand what was being said. I was flooded with fears and replay of the tales I had heard." Is this it? Jeez I totally forgot to locate a church nearby" I swifty got down from the vehicle as I was the last person left behind. I picked up my phone looking for a network and couldn't find any. It was the scariest 35 minutes of my life. While panicking I could hear hawkers peddling to travellers. I remember meeting locals and using lots of sign languages to communicate. I saw beautiful markings on the wall,the warm air and lots of chatter from hawkers. I moved to them,Only few could understand, One in particular was Sherifat,a young girl probably the same age as me and a mother of 2. She hawked a drink called kunu and tiger nut a popular drink in the north. I was reluctant to try it as I wanted nothing to upset my stomach,the other hawkers encouraged me to give it a try. Sherifat's smile was reassuring and I found myself trusting this northern woman. I took a sip and It was delicious! Sherifat laughed so loud when I requested for more, I think her head ached a bit. Then she said , "Southerners are always scared to try our cuisine because of the news, we are just simple people and not all means harm" it was like she spoke to my thoughts. I continued the journey after two hours of waiting on the driver and I was a bit sad leaving . I came to a stop in Kano. Kano is a beautiful place to visit. I watched mothers and daughters laugh while preparing meals under the sun. They had a remarkable way of serving their husbands. According to Amina,the first wife of Hassan- a farmer known for his height in Gabasawa community, She said in Hausa " ba da abincin da aka dafa da kyau yadda ya kamata ga mazajenmu, ita ce hanyar da muke gode musu saboda ƙwazonsu" Interpreted as ,'serving a well cooked meal properly to our husbands,is the way we thank them for their hard work' Throughout my journey I observed the northerners lived a simple life,they cared about their families and grew their crops I had no idea people still lived the way they did.