Life in a "Face Me I Face You" Compound;
Hello #hive family!! I live in a Face Me I Face You building with my parents and siblings. It’s a typical type of housing in Nigeria, and there are many like it in my area. In this kind of house, single room for singles and 2 rooms for family, and we all share common spaces like the bathroom, toilet, and kitchen. If you grew up in one, you already know it's a mix of noise, laughter, quarrels and sweet memories.
We mostly rely on small generators nicknamed “I Pass My Neighbor.” 😂 If you hear the sound of those generators especially the ones that have visited mechanics over and over again you'll understand that peace and quiet is a luxury!
In our compound, once you’re done washing clothes, you have to rush out and spread them. If you’re late, sorry o, because you might not find space on the line. Bathing is another challenge. You have to wake up very early to bathe; otherwise, you’ll end up standing in a queue just to get water or wait for your turn to use the bathroom.
Zero privacy;
There’s no such thing as soundproofing. Your neighbors hear everything especially if you're the type who doesn’t know how to lower your voice. In fact, my neighbor's window is practically inside our room! I remember one time, our TV got spoiled and we opened their window to peep and watch theirs. My dad flogged the stupidity out of us that day! 😂 It was a long time ago though.
The children in the yard are always together playing, fetching water, or doing chores. Of course, every compound has those neighbors who don’t care. Some are always bringing in women and ignoring the kids. Others blast loud music with lyrics that aren’t even appropriate for children and the funniest part is, they don’t send anybody! They don't even care what you think.
The little parrot of the house;
One cool evening, my parents were sitting outside getting fresh air, along with other adults. My friends and I were in a corner doing assignments. There was a little boy in our compound - the baby of the house - around 2 or 3 years old. He couldn’t speak clearly yet, but because of the influence of the older children around, he was always trying to talk.
That evening, a beautiful young lady walked past our compound. Suddenly, we started hearing, “Siii siii…” - that sound boys make when they're trying to get a fine girl's attention but don’t know her name. It's common in Nigeria, especially in the East. The boy kept going, “Siii siii pan geeh pan geeh!” 😂 We all burst out laughing when we realized he was trying to say, “Siii siii, fine girl, fine girl!”
The girl didn’t understand, so she just kept walking. Then the little boy shouted again, “Common gettat! You do guy por me!” which meant, “Come on, get out! You're forming for me.” The adults were shocked and immediately told him to shut up. He gave them a side-eye and ran to his older sister.
There was also a time when the song "One Corner" became popular. Most parents hated it because of the suggestive dance that came with it. Kids would drop whatever they were doing and start dancing pressing their bodies against walls or chairs and moving their waist like they were simulating a boy-on-girl act. 🤪
That same little boy once grabbed his mother's leg and started dancing to "One Corner", singing along too! 😂 His mom almost beat the song out of him, but one guy stopped her, saying the boy was just a child and didn’t know any better. He blamed the environment. But trust Nigerian mothers I’m sure she gave him the real beating once they entered the room.
Hope you enjoyed reading this! If you're smiling right now, just keep smiling 😊 Thanks so much for reading and for your support!
N/B: The photos are mine