5 Things You’d Not Find Anywhere Else Except The Trenches.
Have you heard the new single by Nigeria Afro-pop artist Skibii, it’s the rave of the moment and it has been on everyone’s lips since its release. Much more than a song, it’s a prayer than has soon become everyone’s desire, we all want to leave the trenches.
In as much as there is no substitute for a good life, it comes with its peculiarities and it will require one having to adjust to the new way of life. However there is something that once you leave the trenches you can never find them again, these are the things that make the trenches lovely and these things are peculiar to a different localities, but some of these qualities cuts across the board.
1. Cheap and Affordable Food:
One of the benefits of the trenches is the food. Irrespective of how much you have you’d always have something to eat in the trenches. There’s always something for everyone. From Iya Bilirakis Bread and Beans or Mummy Jimmy’s 50 Naira rice and beans, not forgetting the Aboki down the street that has suya that fits into everyone’s pocket size. How can we forget the days when there is no cash and you just walk up to any of the area mummy’s shops and eat with the promise of coming back to pay when you eventually have cash. This you can only find in the trenches.
2. Babes with the dance steps:
If you want to know who’s got the best dance steps, let’s go to the trenches, even DJ YK can testify. The best steppers are in the trenches. Once it’s the end of the year and the street Jamz and carnivals start happening, you’d understand what I’m talking about. Even the best dancers started from the trenches, big shout out to Kaffy.
3. Community Love: I
rrespective of who stays in the trenches, we are all one big family. Everyone’s parents knew one another and could easily serve as your parent. There’s always one woman who would always care for another woman’s child just like she does for hers and the same also for her child. This is because there are no houses huge fences that only opens once in 3-4 days. Everyone knew the next person and all your so-called secret are not secrets.
4. There’s always a legit Big Bro Barbing Salon:
Shout out to the barbing salon owners who allowed us to know Michael Jackson and Chris Brown while growing up. Once it’s 7 pm in the trenches while the parents are watching NTA news the young guys would always meet at the barber’s shop for different reasons. Most times not because of wanting to get a clean shave, the shop is the meeting point for the lovers in trenches as well as some others who just want to have fun, that’s where casting occurs and na their legit news dey always plenty. There’s a saying that anything you hear about anyone in the barber’s shop is most likely going to be accurate except in a few cases.
5. There’s always a Religious Centre:
Irrespective of how low the quality of life of people living in the trenches might be, there’s always a religious centre in the community, there’s always a church for the Christians and a mosque for the Muslims. A major characteristic of everyone in the trenches is connectivity with God, although their knowledge of the existence of the supreme being may not be the most informed, there is a reality and they know that God exists. Many people who grow up to become atheists or freethinkers didn’t grow up in the trenches where they were subjected to believing in the reality of God.
The trenches will always be the trenches, irrespective of their perks and peculiarities. One thing everyone must strive for is how to leave the trenches in every legal way even though there’s always food for the size of your pocket, or you see the best dance steps from the trenches babes, or maybe you experience the best of communal living amongst many others, never take off your eyes from the focus which is to eventually come out of the trenches.
