And when you leave the trenches
Like everyone, you were born into the trenches, raised in the trenches; you did 0–0–1, 1–0–1, 0–1–1 and other form of formation. You have taken chin-chin in the morning, garri and sugar in the afternoon, and eba at night. When things are good, you add groundnut to the garri, and the eba has sardine or sawa, as it is called in lagos. You also know fishes like kote and alaran , but those are for good days, special days, like when your brother comes third in the Cowbell mathematics competition, occupying the 18th position in the whole state with only four marks separating him and the first position.
You also take chicken, but only twice in a year; Christmas and Easter Sunday.
You know trenches, you know different level of trenches because trenches are in levels and I would explain, just fasten your belt, take a chilled coke or eva water, and let’s journey together.
Trenches is real, trenches is hard, it’s sad. It’s like waking up to a pile of misery every morning not knowing what to do about it. Trenches is your mum is resigning when you were in S.S.3 and your brother was in J.S.S 3, so you have to make potato chips and distribute before you go to school. It is not eating to the exams hall, being distracted by hunger during the exams; you label the heart but your stomach is cringing and your brain is on temporary strike thanks to the livid lashes of a ravenous body.
Trenches is when your teachers in teens church (or your clan in the village) contributes 2k, 3k and 5k because you FINALLY gained admission after three years of waiting- you resume carrying ghana must go because you can’t afford a proper travelling bag; can you even afford a travelling bag not to talk of a good one?
Dear reader, you might also have experienced some trenches;right? For instance, it is trenches to wake up at 04:00am, get to garage at five am, and soak in the stench of paraga-induced urine. But how would you get to Lekki phase 1 by nine am if you don’t leave abule-egba by four am. I think no company in Lagos should compel their staff to resume by nine am (asides bankers and hospitals). If I ever become commissioner for anything, that’s the first edict I would give)
After a long day at work, you would try to arrange with your colleague that has a car (if you are lucky enough to find one) and cajole him or her to drop you on the way. If the heavens smile on you, there won’t be A LOT OF of traffic on the way, and on days like this, you thank the Lord because he still answers prayers. You would buy coke and gala (it’s rich people that do fit-fam and go to the gym). For you , trekking from Ogonloto to Agric because you didn’t see keke thanks to horrendous roads and climbing ikeja along bridge to avoid policemen is enough exercise.
Trenches is standing inside BRT because you would save 100 naira, that means gala money is settled, it is lapping inside danfo, not taking a bus because it is 100 naira more than the usual price and Lagos people won’t bulge.
Trenches is by name- Iyana-ipaja, Abule-egba, Baruwa, Ayobo, Ikorodu; oh, those that stay at Sangotedo are not exempted because why would you leave sweet names like Dolphin estate, Molade-Okoya Thomas,Adetokunbo Ademola and go to Igbo-efon, Ibeju, Mopo ijebu 😕?
There is another level of trenches, and it is christened choices. It is seeing choices but not having choices, not having the purchasing power to pursue your longings. It is listening to the raucous roar of your neighbour’s “I better pass my neighbour” or generator for those who don’t know the trenches. It is longing for milkshake but buying fayrouz because you know the cost of milkshake will buy you two refuel max from chicken republic. It is wanting to go for vacay but thinking about house-rent , bills and blacktax, so you comment under your friends, acquaintances and IG idols; you type things like oshay spender, queen of enjoyment etc. I am here to encourage you, do you know why? Because you are not pretending, you are accepting your level of trenches and working tenaciously hard to leave the trenches. I mean, dollar to naira is 710 and you have to write CFA, ACCA, PMP, GPHR and ACIRB. Who will pay for those things if you go for yellow-lyfe’s five day trip or wakawakadotcom’s trip to Rwanda. My dear, face your life and work hard, wistful thinking won’t get you out of the trenches, luck might sha
And when you leave the trenches; because you will. Don’t look down on people who are in the trenches. Don’t think a babe is broke because she suggested lunch at a 5k restaurant because you now have dinners at Marriot. Don’t talk down at someone’s outfit and call their gown a 3k gown. Don’t broke-shame, don’t money shame; don’t talk down at cashier or yell at the waiter at chicken republic. It’s not her fault that there is bad network and your credit card won’t make payment.
And when you leave the trenches- don’t say a place is not expensive, there were days you could not afford those places. Go back to the trenches once in a while; use keke napep instead of bolt; park your ride at home and take a danfo (you can pay for the front seat if you are like me). Take a break from “The place” and buy food from Iya Bola that sells rice, beans and ata dindin. When you leave the trenches, because you would- do not look down to those still in the trenches, remember as a friend said sometimes, people fought and worked hard; it didn’t just work out.
And when you leave the trenches, go back to Ikeja along, sweep the street with your feet and let dust kiss the soles of your suade- you need to remind yourself why you write code for 20 hours out of 24, why you spend time designing on figma for 16 hours; why you are working two jobs together and you still want more side gig or do you want to go back to the trenches?
And when you leave the trenches-remember to drag your family (and friends) out of trenches because a rich man amidst ten poor men, is still poor. Stretch a helpful hand, share an opportunity, do an introduction, lend your network, because time is the best judge, and you might need help from someone you raised from the trenches tomorrow.
For now, to all of us, in different trenches, I am rooting for you, don’t give up.
