In my neighborhood, we experience a series of events, so, we do not always know when to expect peace and when to expect robbery. As a result of the poverty level that the different political administrations had reduced us to, the crime rate among youths casts a shadow that we can't ignore.
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There are nights that we would experience burglaries, theft, and unsettlingly frequent assaults. You could be returning home from work and you wouldn't know you will be parting with your devices as soon as you turn a corner into your street.
You could say we are vulnerable to these activities because we can't always tell when they will strike. So I think we have grown accustomed to the different robberies that we learn to not stay out longer than usual.
It's unfortunate, but our fearful realities have left us with a sense of consciousness. We are more vigilant, security-conscious, and we keep our ears to the ground in our day-to-day activities.
Yet, even though we live in fear of being robbed frequently, our nightlife here is vibrant and the experiences are out of this world.
As the sun sets, we welcome the night and the new energy it brings to the city. The streets come alive with street lights, welcoming us into a different world completely. You can always ask a girl out under these circumstances because her hormones are heightened.
This is because our neighborhood is always cozy with dimly-lit restaurants displaying an air of intimacy. Our bars are always bustling with hums, laughter, sounds of football, Movies, and music, depending on where you want to spend your evening. Even visiting clubs will leave you with a breathtaking experience because of the occasional thumping bass of music and rhythm. It's always a fun-filled moment because we feel liberated for a while and we leave the cares of the world behind us, at least for the night, when morning comes we can return to our hustle and bustle.
Nights here aren't always serene, though, the vibrancy can sometimes tiptoe into the realm of rowdiness. There are evenings when laughter rings out a bit louder, conversations might turn noisy, energetic, or cheerful. And there's always this feeling in the air that both excites and alarms.
The need to be alarmed is often a result of bad boys in the area. They might get into an argument and start breaking bottles. Or they might have gotten into bad activities, and our neighborhood gets visited by the police.
In this situation, everyone will run Helter Skelter because if the police catch you, no matter how innocent you are, you will be arrested and extorted. Being extorted is even better because if your people can come up with the money, you are free, but the worst part is if they decide to incriminate you, you are done for. So, say bye-bye to freedom.
Yet, we always have a balance that, more often than not, manages to tread the fine line between evenings that we enjoy ourselves and respect each other's existence while we stay alert for situations that I explained above.
Interestingly, we don't have curfews over here, we have the freedom to move around during the day and night on our own terms. We just have to be careful where we go, so we do not get extorted by the bad bloods in the area. The only curfews some of us would have are for those of us still sheltered by our parents. So the time constraints are set internally Instead of externally.
This is often rooted in a desire to protect us from all the potential dangers that the night may harbor.
Apart from all of these experiences, my neighborhood is a fine one. And it's just the evils that lie in the heart of man that makes it look as though we can't have peace all the time.