From my past experiences as a tenant, am praying for all good-hearted tenants to receive miraculous elevation from God so as to build their own house and have occupancy. You may ask, why am sounding this way, the truth is that if you were born in Nigeria with golden spoon, you're missing a lot because, raw black spoon is the best. Why? before you'll be able to change the raw black spoon into golden, it must pass different stages of refining and finally, you'll see more reasons to value it.
Maybe, you're living over there in diaspora, or, you're born with golden spoon, let me give you full details of what public house consists of. Just as the name sounds, public yard or compound is that kind of house, where your fellow human will push you from one end and expects you to fall down the same side he pushed you from. hahaha. Yes, normally, if one pushes you from right side, you're expected to fall in to your left side. But, in this case, if one pushes you from right side, he or she will expect you to fall into the same side he pushes you from. And if you fail to fall as expected, then, expect fight.
Public yard is that open yard where you're free to express all the hidden madness in you. Honestly, my little life-saving advice to all married couples is for them to avoid public house. Now, let me give you few of my experiences back then when poverty caused us to live in such environment. Let's goooo......
First experience
There was this neighbor then, whose name is Mummy Courage. She always find my trouble wherever it's hidden. Yea, if you're living in such environment, make it your priority to hide your trouble else, someone else will hide it for you. And if they do, know that you're going to lose your self-esteem. Hahaha.
Alright, let's proceed. One day, I borrowed 100NGN(one hundred naira only) from her, because I didn't have coins. But I promised to give it back to her that same day. Later, Just in an hour, I saw a lady hawking and selling Moi-moi. I called the lady to patronize her, though, I never wanted to eat moi-moi, but, it's just to change the money into coins. As the lady was putting the moi-moi inside nylon, that my neighbor came out and started shouting at me saying:
Marajah, this one you're packing moi-moi like this, remember, you're owing me oo.
My people, she said it in front of the moi-moi seller and to the hearing of other tenants. But, as a peacemaker I am, instead of frowning at her comment, I responded politely to her. Below was my response:
Neborlistic Neighbor!! Hahaha, chei, so you want people to know that I borrowed 100 NGN from you? Please take your money. It's like you too want to eat moi-moi abi? Oya, madam, put one for her. Na my good neighbor she be.
Hahaha, my people, you guys need to see the way she rushed the moi-moi. That was when I realized that a hungry woman is an angry woman.
Lesson: Don't ever judge people by their action immediately. Rather, search for the root. Maybe, something led to it. Not intentional. Lolz
second experience
If you're living in face-me-I-face-you yard or public house, any day you don't have money to cook with fish, meat and stockfish, honestly, it's better for you to cook indoors. hahaha. But, not funny ooo.
There is another of my neighbor then, whose work is to monitor what people are cooking and eating as it's the handwork of housewives living in public yard. lolz. If you have lived in such environment, you'll understand. But, if you're reading this post and know you're a housewife living in public house, whose manner is quite different, please indicate. See you, are you trying to hide? Don't be ashamed of yourself. Are you the only one!!
One funny thing about that my neighbor is that you'll see her outside cooking in public kitchen only if she's cooking with fish, meat and stockfish, or, maybe, she's cooking a delicious delicacy. But,her work is to monitor whoever that is cooking, after, she will start working from room to room telling people what you're cooking. If you're cooking with better ingredients, she will tell people that gluttony is the reason why you're poor. And if you're cooking with minor ingredients, she will tell people that it's only God mercy that kept you going, else, you should have die because of malnutrition.
Now, to avoid her problem, I decided to cook indoors since there is no meat or fish, though, I cooked it by choice. As I was cooking my white rice with fresh tomatoes, she opened my room curtain without knocking. Heeew, next, she drew closer to my pot and started asking why there is no meat or fish? I told her that it's the type I want to eat. Next, she asked why I didn't make use of the public kitchen? I told her that am just tired from work.
Ohhh, do you guys know that this lady told people that am too stingy to the extent I can't prepare balance diet for myself. When I heard it. Uppps, my anger stirred up to my nose, but, I kept quite. One day, as she was cooking, she closed her door. At a point, I opened that her door, walked in and immediately, she closed her soup pot. As someone determined to bring out my trouble, I stayed indoor with her. At a point, she had no other option rather than to open the pot. Immediately, I peeped inside the pot, the only thing I saw was oil, pepper, crayfish, and 4 cubes of seasoning cube about to add to the soup water. At that, I asked her why there is no meat or fish inside. Her response threw me into amazement.
Marajah, please don't expose me ooo my sister. Things are very difficult now oo.
Then I said to her, So you're aware?
Before I could drop my own trouble with her, her nearest neighbor opened her door, rush the pot, took it outside for the public and then said:
My fellow tenants, I want all of you to witness the kind of soup this our fellow tenant is cooking and eating. Imagine, even the dog in my grandma's house can't even eat this kind of soup. But, Everytime, she will be talking about other people's soup and food as if her's is the best. Just look at!!, is this not as good as gutter water?
At that point, I kept silent. But from that day onward, she didn't peeped into any body's food or pot. Next, she packed out. But the drama left her with a name. The name is Ofe gutter (Gutter soup) and she is still answering the name till date.
Lesson: Wherever you're living, try as much as you can to mind your business and if you're a lady, fix yourself in one or two works. By so doing, you won't have the time to gossip around. Else, they will give you name.
Worst experience
The worst experience I had in a public yard was the day my neighbor packed all my washed clothes that I spread in a rope and put them in a bucket filled with dustbin because she want to spread her own cloth. Adding fuel to the matter, she said that where she kept my clothes is where they should belong.
Let's say you're in my shoe, please what will you do?
Retaliate?
Fight?
or
Silent?
Am eagerly waiting for your response. Also, guess the one I did among the 3 options. Hahaha