FERT

Humans of Lagos "My Lagos dating account isn't suitable for readers and viewers below age 18. Discretion is advised. My job is to make happy the singles, divorced, curious, widows and all in between. Seeing them smile, is how I make a living. Last night, a woman called for my service in her mansion. She's a socialite, and I was eager for the transaction. All night, I serviced her like a boar and a gilt in an all day romp affair. She drained me and I was so spent. Still she wanted more. She got me charged but I fainted out of exhaustion. Still she resuscitated me to continue. I understand. It is the unfortunate hazard of my job. This morning when I demanded my payment for the service overly rendered, she simply said she would not pay me. Her excuse was that we both satisfied ourselves. I had wanted to create a scene but she was quick to remind me of how the society would mock me and my profession. I left her house devasted, pained that being a gigolo is ...

Humans of Lagos "My wife and I had a misunderstanding that grew to the point of our separation. She left with my lovely 3 year old daughter and then divorced me. All my efforts at being responsible for my daughter's upkeep was hindered by my estranged wife. She remarried, I didn't. My daughter was raised by her step-dad. I was brutally denied the opportunity to show my fatherly love. My daughter grew up not knowing me. My daughter was embittered with me due to the one-sided stories her mother fed to her. She hated me without hearing me out. She distanced herself from me even when I made countless effort to reach out. I love her, but she really hates me. Even at her university convocation, as a valedictorian with the overall best result, she only spoke gloriously about her adopted father. I was once again relegated to nothing. Why should she hate me based on what she was told about me without caring to hear my side of the story? We would never know what tr...

Humans of Lagos "I have my share of being fooled. Times without number, I've tried investing emotional affections on desert grounds. My not been hospitalised then, must have been a miracle. Friends told me that I'm handsome, but I lacked self-worth. See, I suffered. Like an attractive feather carried about in a stormy wind, I longed for any landing site that would accommodate me regardless of its condition. Some of my experiences include giving out my love genuinely, harmlessly and innocently with the assumption that it would be reciprocated. Only to be ghosted by my lover. Alas, I have invested in a feather love. Then I loved her that found me benchworthy. I checked up on her, but she responded only at her convenience. Her scanty responses did send me hope that she might love me back but at her own pace. S he joyfully toyed with my emotions and puffed away. And then I found her. She appeared like a full Moon, shining brightly unencumbered for a moment and the...

Humans of Lagos "How are you? The usual automated response I want is 'fine.' I'm not interested in knowing whether you are truly fine or not. No one does. The monotonous fine, is fine for me. My brother, it's now a custom. Here, We all pretend to be caring. However, we lack the empathy to genuinely care. When it's been a long time we last see our friends; we are quick to say: 'long time, hope all is well?' Though we know deep in our hearts that it's never well! We do this, to give hope. A false hope. Prolonging the day of our depression and desperation . Funny enough, like a mastered rhetoric, the respondents echo 'fine' all the time, swallowing those harrowing things going on in their lives. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I recently broke up with my girlfriend. She felt betrayed, other people condemned my action, but I felt I did no wrong. See, she's addicted to following celebrities on social media. She knew them by names, their pets by tags and their families by faces. Surprisingly, she forgets other things easily but not the celebrities'. So at that point that she started comparing me with her celebrities, my guts informed me to call it quit. At first, I made her know that I can never be someone else, but she wouldn't listen. Then I told her that celebrity is a thing of the mind. I celebrate myself daily for I'm a celebrity unto myself. So when she wouldn't listen. I wrote my breakup letter, posted it on her social media timeline, and then tag few gossips handles. Now I'm trending for being a mean breakup guy. Funny, I'm now a celebrity, renowned. I hope to cash in on this silly fame. No publicity is bad publicity. I'll become...

Humans of Lagos We all are on a path. A path it is and whether heading in the right or wrong direction, we can't say. Being on 'the right track' is often viewed from societal expectations or personal goals. Most times, we cannot tell, all things equal, if we are on the wrong path. Someone once said that we all are playing an illusory game but instead we think that we know what we are doing. I'm learning to go on my path disregarding societal norm. I'll be alright eventually. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "She said: 'I'm happy with your health. You know, health is wealth.' So it happened that I tried cashing in my happiness by rushing a bank, trying to withdraw money. I swiftly informed the Teller, 'I'm here to withdraw my health in monetary form because you know, my health is my wealth.' She raked my solid form with a wrathful gaze, I feel my body's saturated fat dislodging into a sea of sweat. Still I muttered my determination by insisting on my request. She proceed into uncontrollable laughter, and I still wasn't getting her hysteria. Until fellows customers began to point out my insanity. I saw no reason to fight their prognosis. I know I am wealthy because I am healthy. But if they insist, I would go get a mental health treatment and come back for the money. I was sure everyone one else that got out money in this bank all did so on the account of their good health. I must be accorded the same respect! I will...

Humans of Lagos "A self acclaimed educated young man just left here now. He thinks he is smart but in my assessment, he lacks intelligence. He came on tourism here with his friends, and in excitement, asked me to take pictures with one of his friend's cell phones. While my unlettered self was still struggling to get the know-how of the phone, he gave me yet another. While I was trying to make sense of which phones to use to carry out the "supposedly" simple assignment, he gave me yet another sophisticated phone! Triple trouble! He gave me all three phones to operate in quick succession, so all his friends could have the photos in their complicated devices. I couldn't figure out why this guy would overburden me by compounding my problems since he is so intelligent. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I'm so done with Nigeria. Last week, my 8 year old son demanded I add more notes to his pocket money. When I asked him why, he couldn't come up with any genuine reason. My son is smart, and intelligent. He tries to follow the goings in the Nigerian political space at his tender age and as a result, he's so vast with the world politics. So yesterday, he told his mom and I that he'll be contesting for the post of Head Boy in his school. We were excited at first, before he threw us the shocker by asking for souvenirs to lure his colleagues to vote for him! Who inspired him to take bribery route? Methinks, he has learnt so much and now aware that corruption is the pattern that decorates every fabric of this nation. Maybe it will help us all if the politicians stop "fighting" corruption, but instead legally establish it. So please, take this N10, 000, and don't publish my name. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I'm really worried about the educational standard in the city. It's declining faster than the usage of manual cars. For instance, all the teachers in my son's school are not trained teachers. They're just frustrated graduates who couldn't secure their desired jobs. Unfortunately, these pseudo-teachers never bothered to invest in becoming proper teachers. This system of acquiring untrained teachers into the teaching profession is like handing over guns and ammunition to macho-brawns cos they looked fit for war. Seriously, I smell educational disaster." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "This is my first time in the city of Lagos. I drove four hours to come meet my internet girlfriend on a physical date for the first time. She stood me up for 25 minutes before swaying her luscious hips over. Then the moment we met, she broke up with me pronto. Now at the city's outskirts, my car decided to give up on me. And to cap my suffering, street urchins robbed me before the heavy downpour drenched my broken heart with heavenly tears. I should have searched for love right where I live." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I used to be a side cock to a lady that I loved. Her boyfriend wasn't committed to her but she couldn't just dump him. I assumed she liked me regardless. Though my manhood is not impressive, yet, she enjoyed it. I was hoping that someday, I'll become her main guy. So it happened, she broke up with her Boo. I asked we date but she objected. Instead, she went for someone else. A celebrity. Again, She wanted me to resume the side thing. But I declined. Alas, she only used me! One of her reasons for not wanting to date me was my unpopularity in the entertainment industry. And she wanted to be with a celebrity. Also, that I wasn't financially buoyant. But fame and riches are not my thing, I just want to impact my world. So be gone Satan. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "Yesterday at the hospital where I work, a rich man that was too sick to be airborne died. He was waiting for the white medical doctor that was to operate on him. The doctor's flight was delayed, and the man would not allow the indigenous medical doctors to touch him. Status mentality killed him. I remember my days in the village where people would love to stay on long queues to get treated by the white catholic doctor instead of going to the doctors trained in Nigeria. Many will spend millions to get surgery in India, and would return to be begging doctors here to manage them with meagre amount. It is unfortunate that we stay lost in a grandiose delusion we created." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I never loved her. Not knowing that every time we had sex, her love for me grew fonder. On the other hand, I was eyeing a big beautiful black girl at my place of work. One thing led to another, I got the big beautiful black girl. We began having sex and it was divine. Having sex with the two ladies can't be taking to mean the same thing. With the one I never loved, it was just sex. While, with her that I want, it was passionate. Then one day, the lady that I love told me that she couldn't continue having sex with me. She told me she never loved me. I felt used and I wept. Days later, I told the one that I never love that we needed to stop having sex, I told her my truth. I never loved her. She wept, she felt used. I'm heartbroken just as I've broken someone's expectations. We, at times, love those that will never love us back. And forget those that are dying to have us love them. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "Graduates without ambitions." My boss favorite words to us, his overused staff. Been working for him for more than 5 years, without any salary increments or motivation; he was always of the opinion that he's doing us a favour. With a family, and more mouths to feed, I discovered that my job will never be able to cater for my needs. So I took a decision, and dropped my letter of resignation last week. He was so stunned, he never expected it. He persuaded me to rethink my decision. For the first time, he used kind words and then made several promises. I'll not bulge. I'm leaving. That phase is over. It'll be better I expend the energy I used serving others to develop myself. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "Few days ago, I went for a minor procedure at Nose, Ear and Throat Department of the city hospital because my hearing was bad. Days after the surgery, I can't hear any better. I consider the money spent on the procedure a waste, while on the larger scale I  discovered that I didn't pay a fuller attention to my own body. My biggest communication problem is, I don’t listen to understand. I listen to reply. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "My girlfriend and I decided to take our relationship further, she unveiled my identity to her parents. They love me, and they felt that God is involved my union with their daughter. Her mother requested for my picture, she happily delivered my best picture. However, I'm now on rejection list because of my mane dreadlocks. Her parents told her that they would only allow her marry me if only I cut my hair. I made up a story telling  my girlfriend to inform her parents that a prophet told me not to touch the locs. Yet they did not budge. I thought the saying that "all things work together for the good of those that believe." was universally correct. " © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "Today, I went to put fragranced flowers on my mother's grave. She died 5 years ago. She was my first unlettered feminist, my jewel of inestimable value. Shortly after my 18th birthday when we were living in the slum, a married man who lived three houses away from ours proposed extramarital affairs to me. As a young curious girl, I accepted. Though the man promised to make our affair a secret, he backtracked and bragged. His wife got a wind of it and made a move to remedy the situation. She came to my mother's house, berating me for having an affair with her husband. Surprisingly, my mother stood against her. She lashed at the woman for not dealing with her husband that made a promise he couldn't keep to her but coming for her daughter instead. Even though I was ashamed of myself, I realised my mother was radically wise. She addresses the other woman fiercely but objectively. Though people in our vicinity felt awkward about her decisi...

Humans of Lagos "10 out of my 12 girlfriends gave the reports that their spiritual merchandise or consultants told them that I will be their suitable husband. Their various soothsayers comforted them that their wedlock with me would blossom. Each thinking she is the only one. I wonder why their prophets didn't see that. I know none of them subscribe to polygamy or polyamory for I'd love to marry them all, making the words of their seers come true." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "When my father died, my mother was evicted from her matrimonial house by her in laws. They alleged that she had hands in her husband's death, hence, she's not eligible to stay on on the properties. They forced my sister and I out of the house as well, leaving our mother to raise us all by herself. She felt it, deeply, the inequality that was meted out on her because she's a woman. She told us that she couldn't fight for her right because she was raised to see herself as a "weaker sex", there at the whim of the male. So while raising us, she changed the established dogma. Raising me soft and my sister strong. My sister was the bully and I the coward." I grew up becoming too soft to fit into the patriarchal structure designed for men as a result. I'm all alone now. My mother instituted a Cobra Effect, starting another problem with the one intended to end the existing one. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "So my neighbor's son, a medical student believes that he passed his exams using a talisman made for him by a local magician. I'm lost. I can't wrap my head around what education means to us in this city. Little wonder we believe that it's only God that can select a leader for us, even when billion is spent on elections by the politicians. Our society now hangs its fate in the hands of the invisible and ineffective myth, and accept bad things that happen as fate, while the leaders plunder us. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I began procreating before I was emotionally ready. In fact, before I know what self-discovery was about. I was forced into a marriage that I was never ready for. My father said to his friends: "get him a wife and he'll become responsible." They got me a pretty woman with unresolved traumas. Our conjoined dysfunctionality multiplied in no time and we became a ticking grenade of disasters. Parents from both sides waded into our marital affairs creating more conflicts. They wanted kids and more kids. Our lives have never been the same. In hindsight, I don't think I was meant to marry, I don't think I am cut out for fatherhood. In a nutshell, I don't like my wife, and I don't feel any form of attachment to my children. I want to walk away from it all and never look back. Before I even know me, I have brought forth five more lives to complicate things. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "That woman with her 30 something years old son entered the bus without having enough money for the transport. She pleaded with the conductor to let her lap the "lad", and the man agreed. She entered the bus, changed the agreement he made with the conductor by whispering she would not pay the total fare agreed upon. She was frantically rummaging to string together what she could pay. I decided to offer my assistance. I paid up the fare. To my shock, instead of her appreciating me: she simply said: "God is good you know." She tried familiarizing with me on religious ground. She never said a thank you. I refused to be offended by her act, I only concluded that she's a brainwashed person." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "'Men don't cry,' the clause that creates a dysfunctional society. "Be a man!' lures men into a state of emotionless disconfiguration and they act as if defective. So, these sentences make men think that they can cheat because they believe in having sex without emotional attachment.  Well, I've seen girls have sex without any indication of emotional attachment too. Men don't cry, so they: Become hardened, and heartless, dying slowly on the inside to later explode disastrously someday on the outside. This is what breed unnecessary violence. I met a lady, she couldn't take me for who I am, she said to my friends: 'He's not acting like a real man!' Her definition of being a real man? Firm, macho and fierce. But hey, I'm only enjoying the splendor of being me with my vulnerability and softness. But I do not blame her, I blame the mental conditioning that for eons got us indoctrinated into absurdity....

Humans of Lagos "That two people are fighting or arguing over a thing doesn't mean either of them is right. But often, the self-appointed judges do fail in discerning this. The scenario can be likened to when two politicians or political parties disagree; it's not that either of them is correct. But both of them want to be right. Sadly, the judges here are the electorate. The electorate is ignorant. Blindly wanting to right a wrong from the seabed  of all wrongs. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "My society is mythologized. Thriving on absurd superstitions. For instance, on the one hand, when a passenger changes his mind about continuing on a journey, he'll be quick to associate it with God's way of keeping him from any negative eventuality that may happen to the car. On the other hand, the remaining passengers will console themselves by saying that perhaps he's a carrier of ill luck that God removed from among them. Although the rate at which accidents occur here due to bad roads and nonchalant driving is alarming, our superstition has nothing to do with prevalence of accidents. So the question is why hasn't our superstition fetched us transformative society?" © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "So a religious scripture says:" Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Here's how I can interpret it: my employer is the person that calls, I'm the laborer, those that I supervise are heaven laden. I have the pseudo-satisfaction, those under me are completely hopeless. It's not my fault, it's the system that fully satisfy my employer, then passes crumbs to me, while the heaven laden remain hopeless. Unfortunately, rest is only in death." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I used to believe in Unicorn because as a kid, I was taught that Santa came from heaven. Likewise, the first time I saw a Tortoise, I was eager to see it talk; just as I've been told in folklores. When I arrived Lagos, my thinking was that money littered every street. I was so taught wrong." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "I've relocated more than three times, moving within cities before arriving Lagos; yet like a shadow with a hollow, pain from the past sticks to my gut. My struggle continues within Lagos, where I've unrelentingly moved from one place to another like six times. Still my old self clings to me like an infant to a mother's breast. I thought time heals wound. But it's a lie, time doesn't heal any wound. It only allows you live with the pain. Bibitayo, my counselor sees time as an illusion in healing.That, what heals our pain is building resilient and strength through the vulnerability we go through with time . Perhaps. I now know that leaving the country without consciously healing my pain and trauma will only make them follow me like a plague wherever I go. Time may not heal this pain but my effort will, with time." © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "When I said I am irreligious, he asked: "So what moral do you want to teach the pupils?" My opened mouth only oozed of the stale smell of my frozen mind. He felt justified for calling me out. My colleagues, cowered on their seat at the rising terror of getting a rejection from the project under review. All because of me, this deal is falling through. The man cleared his throat so loudly it blended with the humming of his office air-conditioning system. "Without religion, evil will be so much in the world. And human freedom will lead the world quickly into an irredeemable destructions." He boasted like a conqueror of the battle of the hades. He won the round. I was too disoriented to make a sound. Before we got dismissed for the day, the man asked us for another meeting in which we should all be religiously inclined and represented. "You can go now," He ordered. I regained my senses before I gathered my defeated ass o...

Humans of Lagos "In this city, leaders of most religion organizations are quick to rattle on on how they feed the poor, house the orphans and so on. They make charity works look like they are the only one into it. And I'm like, in this slum that I live; I'm popular not 'cos of my "crazy" fro but 'cos of people I've helped in one way or the other. I'm as broke as hell, yet, I don't call for seeds sowing. I just give like that. So what's it with these cleries? This riled me up. In my area, a woman with fibroid was duped by fake healers and I felt sorry for her. I stepped in and suggested she considered surgery. Unfortunately for a "philanthropist"  me, I had to sell five of my best outfit to add to her surgery fund. I also went ahead to donate blood. Well, that blood donation was not a charitable move but rather an opportunity to run a blood work. Still, I am of the opinion that these religious leaders are smart thiev...

Humans of Lagos These ladies in my area keep becoming pregnant by strange men. They claim to be prostitutes, yet, they could not just be professional with their jobs. Like use proper condoms or get on contraceptives! Bringing a child you have no plan for to this hectic world is the greatest sin I ever known. I fear for the future of these kids, I'm scared about the kind of contributions they'll bring into the society with impending dysfunctional upbringing!  Deadbeat fathers with reckless mothers birth disasters for the society. © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "Despite arriving at the venue eight minutes before I was due, I was not attended, none of us was, until an hour has passed. And when they began calling us for the interview,  it was haphazard. They never followed how we had arrived. Some of those I came before got interviewed before me. When they decided to called me in, two other interviewees were asked to join. When we entered the company's conference hall, we met two gentlemen (a white man and Nigerian), and a pretty lady. We were asked to introduced ourselves, the two other fellow actually applied for the post of business development executive while I applied as a script writer. The interviewer focused more on these business developers, as he threw more questions to them while I was ignored. I wasn't following them. I was rather disinterested. I heard the two guys disagreeing with the interviewers on a business term. But still no interest to follow their discussion. Then from nowhere t...

Humans of Lagos "I'm not too happy to share my mind right now. I obtained a HUGE loan from an elderly woman a few months back and now I am trapped. I couldn't pay on the date I promised so I stopped picking her calls. I began to avoid her. Yesterday, I got the money and I decided to pay her with ginormous interest. Hours later, I tried calling her to confirm my payment but her phone number was unreachable. This morning, I realized that she actually died a few hours before I made my payment. I'm so sad, I could have called her before my rash decision to pay first and call later. Her death could have written off my debt!" © FERT, 2018

Humans of Lagos "Allow me tell you to something. Many years ago, when my late father, retired and was to return to his village far away from Lagos, my mother took a decision. The decision that defined who I am now, and will be. So as to keep his company; my father had wanted me follow him to the village. Being  the last child. However, my mother disagreed. She considered, the quality of education I'd get in the village, and how they at their old age wouldn't be able to raise me well. Without my mother's objection, if I relocated to the village; I'd not just have the H factor, but also succumb to the external  struggle to pronounce CH, SH, V, and F sounds. If I'd grown up in that village, before age 15, I'm sure I'd be father to at least 3 kids from different mothers. But instead and yes, I later  became a politician by career and profession. To back track, my mother handed me over to my brother's fiancee. She washed my clothes, bathed ...

The thunder spoke obstreperously in the air, as if the very heavens might shatter. It declared to all the untamed forces of nature and gave fair warning of the wrath that was to come. In the woods, trees trunks moved and made creaking noise acquiescing to the swift commands from the hostile breeze. Tom sighing heavily, ran as 'fast' as an octogenarian with ankle weights.  He pushed aside each blade of grass on his path when suddenly, a huge tree fell and landed right before him. It obstructed his movement. On his left hand side, was nothing left and on the right hand side was nothing right. A dead end it's for him. Jerry's nap breached by the noise that accompanied the fell. He stared at Tom for few seconds, and then unveiled a laughter that sounded as of Lucifer welcoming a sinner to the Hades. Possessed with the speed of light, he disappeared farther away from Tom, and further into the woods. Jerry's left foot appeared from under a creeping gra...

Across from me, beyond the iron jaws of the prison gate, He stood—tall, gaunt, eyes deep as forsaken wells, Grey whispers of hair pleading against the creeping void of baldness. With hands weathered by death’s cold touch, he poured liquid steel, A silver vessel birthing oil onto a stone slab, His fingers twirling round the severed blade, A lover’s caress upon the guillotine’s wicked tongue. Doom shadowed me, a false charge branding my soul, My devotion to the throne now but a fleeting ember. Xerxes, blind to the truth, deaf to my cries, The palace council—wolves in gilded robes— Sealed my fate with whispers sharp as daggers. Had he forgotten? My king, my lord, How once I shattered the goblet of venom, How I snatched him from death’s coiling grasp? Yet now, his Empress, Cassandane, draped in silken malice, Arrived before the baying hounds, eager for the theatre of my demise. The headsman grinned, his glee a blade as keen as the one he honed, Steel kissed wood—a plank sundered like wind ...

Humans of Lagos  "Most times, we love the wrong person thinking they are the right choice for us. Many times, we can't get those that truly love us due to religious limitations, ethnicity standoff, age barriers, and economic hierarchy, physical attributes, distance barriers and health challenges. We settle for that which we think is the best for us. However, this may not be love. So, when the test of love arises; this best burns out as quick as the shafts dipped in explosive and goes away like the comet that blaze across the evening sky. I saw the testimony of a woman who developed complications after childbirth, she was supposed to die, but she's the cat with nine lives. She's was so sick, but her husband stood by her through it all. I asked myself, can I do this? Even my married friend that witnessed this with me even doubted if he would stand by his wife if in such situation. These days, we love for some calculative reasons. And it's fine, as long as there...

Humans of Lagos "I'm the sheikh of the The mono pitched roof, with the long, shining minaret Masjid over there. Right now, I'm ashamed of myself. Across from the Masjid, you see that building live two guys. One of them a staunch Christian while the other appears to be nonreligious. I don't know how they cope, but I loathe them all together. They are from my ethnic group but since they are not in my religious faith, I see them as disbelievers. Recently, a young man started coming to the Masjid for prayers, he's not from my ethnic group, so he doesn't relate with anyone here. I tried to get to know more about him, and that was when I discovered how hypocritical I'm. It happened that this Muslim guy stays with those disbelievers, they shelters him. Our Masjid does not even have provisions for those with accommodation issues, and if we do, I doubt we would accommodate the guy cos of his ethnicity. But I see these humans, they disregarded ethnicity ...

Humans of Lagos "I'm here thinking about the hypocrisy of humans before you arrived. So let me share one with you. I have this friend who's feeling holier than the universe and always trying to be more Catholic than the pope. He's an homophobe, and preaches strongly against the rainbow community. He's got no love for homosexuality. One of his points of defense is the health issue. He claims that gays are at a higher risk of contracting diseases through anal sex. A forbidden practice that heterosexuals never engage. But guess what? Only yesterday in court, during his divorce proceedings, one of the excuses his wife gave for the divorce request was his incessant demands for anal sex. I was befuddled. So while he went about condemning gay sex that he thinks is majorly anal, he's doing the same. What is his deal? I mean, why bother so much about what people do sexually with consenting others? How are they harming you?" © FERT, 2018

Curiosity they say kills the cat. I am not a cat and I didn’t get killed, but I discovered something. All my life I have always seen people chew sticks in the name of cleaning their mouth and I wonder what is wrong with them, after all, there are brushes with different options of toothpastes. I concluded they are just some village people who won’t change with the trend of things. Then I saw a young lady who is also in the practice, and she said she chews ‘orin ata’ (pepper stick). "What’s pepperish about it." I asked. And she said, "it is pepperish."  So after a while of seeing the stick, I picked it up and chewed a little part of it without the bark. Nothing happened - then I picked a little more then with the bark, so, something happened.  It was as if my mouth was in pepper. I have not come across any toothpaste with that strong mint. This is it, we cannot develop using others people technology. I still wonder why we depend so much...

Humans of Lagos "I don't agree idea that a lady should not woo a guy. This are feelings that must be expressed. If rejected, the lady must realize also that she'd reject some guys too. We all face rejection at one point in our lives. The lady that I love and respected the most,  (even though married with kids) wooed me. We didn't last. She cried when she broke up with me. She felt like she used me and dumped me. And yes, she dumped me. I allowed for it. She moved on... I'm still stuck. I don't even really know how to love others now. I woo ladies, yet I can't love them right nor respect them enough. I think, many ladies would say: "I was a good girl, but the unfortunate guy changed my course. Now I'm bad!" Perhaps just like me, we were never good, we only got ignited to kindle the badness laying fallow in us. A guy will not treat a lady right cos he wooed her, and may not treat her bad cos she wooed him. I believe, I'll fi...

Humans of Lagos "She loved me with her all. I truly meant the world to her. We planned our future together, to be spent togetherness forever.  But, the day she knew about my irreligiosity, things changed. She felt unhappy. She tried to convince me, to change. I assured her that I would attend her church services whenever she invited me, and would never argue religion with her. She was worried about her unborn children. She wanted them to grow in the religious doctrine. Painfully, she called the relationship quit. Though I was only 22 then, but I'd longed to marry her. My dream was shattered. She married the son of her pastor a year later, while I discovered that there's more to life than marriage. I'm 45, and now a confirmed atheist. The president of the Atheist Society in my community is the son of a popular clergyman - the husband of the girl that used to love me. How, she grew up becoming a rebel I will not understand, but I know that one can't cage huma...