HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS.The sun glistens brightly through the crystal clear window in my room bathing my brown skin in its joyful radiance. Filled with internal bliss, my thoughts are left to wander freely as I ponder on the amazing beauty of my home-Lagos. I love this city deeply because it represents an important part of my being. In this bustling city I took my first fragile steps into the world and that is the reason for the unique connection I feel towards this mother of mine.
Despite the dangerous broken down roads, the moans and groans of the impatient drivers as they try desperately to beat the unbeatable traffic on the Third Mainland Bridge and the sweltering heat in the market places as Lagosian women hustle to draw your attention to their food stalls, this city which lies at the core of my country has shaped my life through the years. I remember a time when I had felt the childish desires to be free from the restraints of my family; to see more than the friendly faces of my people and explore more than the busy rowdy streets of my hometown. I should have wished more carefully. Those first few months I spent away from home changed my perspective of Lagos.
At first, my heart was filled with ground breaking joy at the fact that I was finally free to see a different place and meet a different set of people. I was free to explore the boundless shores of adolescence. I was free for a while as all my hopes where met with the delightful people and places that confirmed this desire within my soul. Slowly but surely my home began to call back to me as I watched my surroundings change before my eyes. I longed for the brilliant rays of the sun on my face as I walked down the cold, slippery streets to school. I looked around at faces I could not understand; faces that reminded me of the joy and laughter of my people and voices that made me long for the friendly chatter back home between old friends.
I realized that family and home would never be replaced as I tried hard to constrain the warm feeling of nostalgia swelling up in my mind, body and spirit. I knew I would always love to travel and broaden my horizons but at the same time, I accepted that I could never fully be content without coming back to my roots once in a while. Stepping out of the airport into the burning heat and constant noise of my native land I knew this was true as I felt a deep connection with this paradise I love. Home is truly where the heart is.
Tolu Falode.
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