Have you heard the phrase "Adulthood na scam"? I have heard this word many times, even as a kid, but it is none of my business. The only thing I was concerned about was growing up so I could eat two meats like my dad and have my freedom from the eyes of my mom. Little did I know that becoming an adult comes with many responsibilities. After my university days were over, any little argument with my mom, I would say, "Just wait and see, I will soon leave this house for you." And did I leave the house? Of course, I did, but there are many days I want to run back to my parents' home and have a good rest because it always feels like heaven. With little effort, everything is already sorted out, especially food.
In this blog, I will share my experiences before and after I left home. Sit back and relax, and smile at your screen because I am about to take you into a land of imagination.
Before and After
One of the first realizations that hit me really hard after leaving home was that going to the kitchen to prepare your own food every day was hard. I wake up in the morning, do my morning prayer like the son my parents trained me to be, check my mail, and see if I have any tasks from the office on Jira, and when I am done doing all this, I am hungry. Normally, I would have heard
"Demola, food is ready. Should I bring your food or will you come take it when you are done?"
That was my sister's voice and right now I am missing that voice, and not just the voice, but also the food that came with that voice. I would walk into the kitchen, look around, and see if there is something I can easily prepare. If there isn't, I would just go out to get food or take my everyday bread and cocoa.
Another before and after was paying bills. What do you mean I have to pay for electricity? "Don't rented apartments come with free electricity? I have never paid for electricity before, and when my light went off, even while I was trying to blend some pepper for dinner, I thought it was the usual "Up Nepa" stuff that always happens, but I looked outside my window and I saw my neighbor having light.
I was about to call an electrician when I heard my meter making a beeping sound. So I have to pay for electricity. This is so unfair to adults.
Yet, while I miss all this about home and many more things, there are some things I am glad about. Staying at home would never help me grow because if I want to grow, I have to leave the comfort of my home. There are some things I can do now that I couldn't do before.
Before, if I went out, I had to be back before dinnertime, and dinnertime is mostly 7pm. I can't stay out that long, even if it is very important, but now I can stay out as long as I want and come back home anytime I like.
Another thing is, my mom is a lover of children and so many people like her in the neighborhood. A lot of people would just come visit her and talk with her on a normal day, and the sad part is that they would come with their children. Imagine three women who visited my mom bringing two stubborn kids each.
I would be in my room, trying to get some job done or sleeping then I would hear the sound of children running around in the house; sometimes their screams would scare me and I would have no choice but to stop what I was doing to check on them. I remember one day one of them came to jump on me on the bed. Thank God for the Holy Spirit; heaven was about to welcome a child that day.
In my own apartment, all this can't happen because everyone is living in their space, and no one is going to disturb you unless you invite them into your space. Besides, I have total control of everything happening in my apartment.
"Hey, hey, hey, go play in front of your house." It's as simple as that. That doesn't mean I don't like kids; I know one day I will have mine too.
Now, we have come to the end of the blog. I hope you smiled while reading it, and you had a good time. I did too, if you did drop a comment and probably a follow.
Thanks for reading. My name is Fashtioluwa.
