WHATEVER HAPPENS IN LAGOS STAYS IN LAGOS

It was one of those cold and gloomy Friday evenings. I wasn’t particularly excited like most people do at the end of the last day of work. A lot had happened to me during the week, and these episodes reminded me of the fact that I still lived in a world that keeps turning in circles. Tragedy, joy, defeat, fulfillment, grief, breakthrough and frustration; one emotion or sometimes more at a time.

On my way home from work that evening, Celestine Ukwu’s powerful and philosophical highlife tune from the 1970’s “Ije Enu” kept intercepting my thought flow. You know how a song just thoroughly captures your emotional state, almost perfectly. The song was a deep reflection of the journey of life and a reminder that our current emotional state is only temporary.

I quickly plugged my earpiece, scrolled through my highlife collection and let the song do justice to my emotions as it pleases. It turned out the song was the inspiration I needed to gradually snap out of the dark place my mind was persuasively taking me to. Its powerful message and melody brought sparks through my entire being. All I wanted to do was to recline on my sofa, be still and feel the anointing from the song until I became whole again.

I was barely home when my best friend called to ask if I had any plans for the night. At this point my spirit was actually willing to take any risk but I still had to negotiate with my body. My body was yearning for my house, the place it had called home every night for the last six months. I happen not to mix really well with Lagos nightlife. The buzz, the lasses, the rawness and all the vulnerabilities that makes Lagos risky at night.

My friend on the other hand was a night crawler of repute but we usually complement each other. I had a way of cooling him down and he had a way of tuning me up. He convinced me to come check out a new joint on Lagos Mainland where they had an impressive highlife band, breathtaking Catfish pepper soup and other forms of pleasure that comes with Lagos nightspots. It was an irresistible offer for even my unwilling body. Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!

There are a lot of wonderful moments that life offers us. Take it, without letting any negative feeling weigh you down, and it doesn’t need to be in your comfort zone. I was willing to have so much fun that night at any cost. Because I wasn’t sure what will come with tomorrow; more joy or new grief.

Every moment in this life is temporary, so when the going is good, enjoy the moment because they won't last forever. And when things are going badly, don't beat yourself up, they won't last forever either. Don’t look down on others who are down when you are up. Because tomorrow you might need them to help you up when you are down.

Somehow, my weekend ended on a high. As for all the adventures we caught up with on Friday night. Well, whatever happens in Lagos, they say stays in Lagos. There are so many things that happens in this city at night, some you will want to know, and others you will be glad you didn’t.