I speak Hausa, fairly but I can’t call Kaduna home though it is the state of my birth, Nigerian law dictates My state of origin is not the state of my birth But the state of my paternity, Edo With blatant disregard for the state of my maternity, Benue I find this inadequate; my genealogy is an equal combination of my dual parental history!
I speak English, fluently Dichotomy of language necessitated my parents find common ground So English is my first language –the language I read, write, think, dream, and best express myself in I Speak it with a blend of accents from the beloved land of my birth and the land of the free Where I got a first class education, my first drivers license, first apartment, but most importantly, America is where I found my voice But do I call the home of the brave my home? Not quite, because my passport is green
So, where is home?
Home is in the pages of my favorite books, where as a child I hid to escape from the disorder and dysfunction around me And took a thousand trips around the world from behind closed doors
Home is in the bosom of the woman who birthed me, nursed me, Provided for me and protected me, ignored her pain to comfort mine, my mom, who was and still is my number one fan
Home is on my knees, crying ‘Abba’ Father, and knowing the creator of the universe pauses to listen to the smallest thought in my insignificant mind, where my speech is always understood and my silence never misunderstood where the one looking at me, sees through me and still loves me
Home is where I walk around in Prada boots or my birthday suit eat with silverware or my fingers bare take two showers in one day, or no showers for two days Say what I mean, and mean exactly what I say
Home is where I’m good, bad, ugly and beautiful too It’s that special place where I can freely be the sum total of my abilities and disability
the blend of my eclectic genealogy, kaleidoscopic history, under-rated nationality and multi-national personality all wrapped up in this 5-foot 8-inch, brown-eyed, brown-skinned, sharp-tongued, sweet-voiced, soft-hearted, strong-willed shell that you see or don’t you see?
Home is possibly everywhere and probably nowhere and actually anywhere Any place where I’m unconditionally loved and absolutely free to unapologetically and unashamedly be me: That’s Home!