A season of Soyinka

The season ended on Sunday at TerraKulture( Theatre@Terra -there will be productions there every Sunday henceforth. God bless u BAP) I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the play. The cast was brilliant and it brought back nostalgic feeling of my days in UI when at the end of every session the Theatre Arts Students had their numerous productions which was free of course and you would think I was going for an exam too the way I would rush to get a good seat and watch the various performers paint on my mind and reasoing through every word, dance, song and movements that they displayed on stage. I successfully dragged hubby along though he was reluctant and For the love of me kept praying with me that he doesn't change his mind at the last minute. You never know with my Ibadan man.

Apart from seeing the play , I had earlier in the week agreed with a fellow blogger to meet at the venue.We developed a unique friendship over the weeks, our medium of communication being emails. We exchanged 1st names and nothing else, no digits, no pictures nothing but I was sure beyond sure that when I see her I would know her. My guts don't lie. I saw her and I knew it was her. Hubby in his usual self thot I was wrong and couldn't comprehend why we didn't at least exchange digits or pictures. The hall was full to capacity he said how do u pick out someone you have never met out in this crowd he retorted. I waited till the end of the show and walked up to her and asked if she was who I thot she was and Alas! she was the one. I was so happy to finally put a face to all the words and again my guts don't lie.I pride myself to be very intuitive. We spoke for a short while and I was off.

That meeting to me was the best part of the Season of Soyinka next will be Immaculate Jero's yahoozee dance steps. It was simply hilarious. Well done Laspapi.

PS: I will conclude the wedding log in my next post.

The Wedding ,Reception & Kai Amarya

Its the morning of the wedding. The wedding consist of saying the Fatiah(sic) prayer and that is it really. The men all set out to Funtua (that is where the Bride is from) where they will observe the Friday Jumat along wt the saying of the wedding Fatiah which will be at about past 2pm in the afternoon. The women folk up North generally say their prayers at home it the men that must go to the Mosque for prayers. The Bride spent the better part of the morning saying prayers. She was understandably nervous.

Then the calls started coming congratulating her and wishing her well. She looked at me and say ...I have joined your club o I'm married. I congratulated her and gave her a hug. We then had to start preparing for the Reception.The reception is also all women affair. We all get dressed in our laces and all. The venue was decorated in an Hausa Traditional theme. The was the calabash cravings, raffia table mats with sweets and kola flowing out of them and the lighting was really cool.The hall was filled with friends, family and well wishers. Music was provided by 2 local musicians and one was a woman who sang beautiful India folk songs Uzo would have being in Bollywood heaven no doubt.

The bride was called to sit at the High table and her Aunts and friends were invited to join her and yours truly was one of them.Pls note that the MC was a woman and the video coverage person was a woman also.All that gist about Northerner woman I think is exaggerated o.We then had the buffet with the Bride leading us to the table.
After eating we hit the dance floor again to dance and be merry. The reception was over at about 5pm and we had to return home for Kai Amarya(conveying of the Bride) which is the main event.

No sooner did we get home that the Bride's Step Mum Aunt came to tell hr she had just a couple of minutes left in the house she was to get ready for the Kai Amarya. I was ordered to pack my suitcase as i was going with her and will be spending her 1st night as a married woman with her. She was very reluctant and didn't understand the urgency and I was equally puzzled that a friend was required to spend the night with her; accompany her there yes but spend the night there No where will the Groom be? I was promptly educated. The groom isn't allowed to see his Bride on the 1st night. He would see her at the Dinner tomorrow and if he is lucky spend the night with her. Whao!
We quickly gathered the rest of her stuffs and loaded the car. We needed to get to the Grooms house when there was nobody there and the Groom's party who are coming for her should not meet her in the house. They will come for a fake bride while the real Bride would have arrived way ahead of them.

We were followed to the Grooms house by the Mothers and Aunties. Someone dashed in to certify the coast was clear. She isn't suppose to meet anyone in the house. She then walked in amidst prayers. She was ushered into the bedroom and she sat all quite and near tears on the bed. Her Aunties all sat on the floor and prayers were said. Then it was time to say bye.The floodgate opened and she wept. She held on to her Step mum and would not let go. They both cried and cried and cried. There was no dry eye in the room. It was very emotional.

The woman soon left and it was just us, the Bride, Umi, D, and I. We soon put her at ease and gist started. H her sista joined us later and D left for home so The bride, Umi ,H and I spent the wedding night together. We didn't sleep till 2am though

Oh wat a day.

4 events gone 2 to go.

Sa Lalle

The bride is my one of my friends. We met in Bwari village in 2003 half way through our program at the Law school. Those days are gone never to return. Life in Bwari was 'short, brutish', and all about passing the Bar exams. Her room which she shared with her sista was just a few doors away from mine. We soon got together to study and in turned developed a friendship that continues to blossom till date.

I met the groom last September when I went up North for the Introduction of my broda.He was very warm and pleasant and it was quite easy to talk to him. Apparently his beauty has told him about him and vice versa.It wasn't difficult to see he why he was special and i couldn't help but ask in my characteristic blunt manner when the wedding would be. i also went ahead to set a date of mid 2007. Heaven must have said Amen cos today they are man and wife.

I was back in the North in January I was again up North for my Broda's wedding and my friend was aware crossing the tees and doting the iiiis for the wedding. Excitement was in the air even when i spoke wt her and her sista.
She came to Lagos a couple of times during the planning but somehow we didn't get to see. The date was fixed and all roads lead to Anguwa Rimi.

i took the 1st flight out of town there was so much activity lined up to celebrate the wedding in customary Hausa tradition. The grooms family are very much into tradition so we were going all the way. I was excited for my friend and happy to be part of the experience. A mutual Friend of ours was on the same flight and her brodas were waiting to pick us at the airport. she was travelling with her children so we had our hands full.

I got to the Bride's home and she was so happy to see me. Everybody knew who I was even though I was meeting most of them for the 1st time. I recognised so many faces from pictures and I was glad to finally match voices over the phone with faces.It was a very warm and rousing welcome. A good sign of things to come. I went to see the Bride and dear Salla was perfecting her henna painting craft. she was doing the legs and then the arms and all. I looked on has she drew lines after line and rows of shapes and flowers her hands unshaken straight and perfect. It was indeed Salla at her best.

That was the final part of the preparations that had started very early in the morning. She has sat on incense in purification rites,waxed and removed all bodily hair that were considered to be obstructive, and she was oiled and massaged to a shimmering perfection. She was indeed ready for her groom.

The 1st major event of the wedding proceeding was the Sa Lalle wch literally means applying henna on the Bridewas that evening. This event was going to take place in her Grandma's house. The groom's family is suppose to according to tradition, bring henna and perfume and all wat nots to adorn their bride. The brides Aunts and Mothers will be there also offering advise and praying for her. Before the Ango's family can get access to the Bride they have to pass through the 'gates' and cross the 'hurdles' mounted by the Amariya's friends of which yours truly was at the fore front. You would think I understood the language.Language was not a barrier we all knew why we were there. Most interesting was one of the Bride's friend who happens to be a niece of the groom. She joined in the haggle for the gate fee and her folks asked jokingly which side of the divide she was representing and she gleefully told them she was there for her friend the Amariya. The door to the room where Dij sat all covered up was not opened till some good old naira changed hands. The women went in sprayed her with perfume and all then she was ushered out of the room in company of her friends to the dance floor where a local crooner was busy with his band.Trust me Yoruba owambe chick it wasn't long before i was grooving to the music sprain ankle long forgotten.

All that the amariya wore that even from the atampa(ankara) and veil and slippers were provided by the Ango's family. In line with tradition she would give it all away to an old lady within the family for prayers and more blessings.

The dancing and eating continued till late in the night.

One event down 5 to go.

July and its Randomness

July is my fav month of the year for so many reason top of which is its my birthday and 2 of my friends have made me happier by having their babies on that same day though it wasn't planned so i have so many birthday mate. Its my brother's birthday to and my Aunt and so many other friends and family and each year my July list keeps increasing. my niece was also one in July.

July also is officially the start of the other half of the year. its a time of thanksgiving and soul searching. its mid year how are u doing on that list. you remember the long list we all come up wt at he beginning of the years stating all that we thin is humanly possible to achieve in the year. July is the time to bring it out and give it another look.

I attended a wedding of a dear friend up North and i intend to blog about all the details in another post. It was a long weekend of fun and celebration of their love and for me a voyage into the Hausa culture.