From City Streets to Village Beats: Samson's First Adventure in Nigeria

Samson had spent his entire life living in America and have always had this pull towards his parents homeland, Nigeria because of the vibrant culture and beautiful landscape he watches on documentaries. Even his parents will fill his ears with tales of Nigeria tasty dishes, natural resources and the cultural heritage. Now that he is finally of age, he is embarking on a journey to Africa to experience firsthand, the stories that has always kept him awake all night.

The day for his journey finally came and as luck would have it, he was able to strike a conversation with the pilot, who turned out to be a Nigerian as well. His name is Tamuno. There two bonded instantly as if they have known each other for a long time. Samson initial plan was to go to Lagos but captain Tamuno offered to be his host and tour guide if he joins him to port harcourt. Samson couldn’t resist the offer, so he quickly accepted.

When they finally landed in Lagos, Samson was so excited. This was a dream come true for him. The bustling city of Lagos was electrifying to him. From there, they boarded another flight to Port Harcourt City, the hometown of Tamuno. They arrived late and really hungry, so, they decided to stop over at “ShopRite” mall to get something to eat before heading to Tamuno’s house.

Throughout that night, Samson could barely sleep. The anticipation of going out to see his motherland was too much , he couldn’t wait for the next day to come. The next day, Tamuno took him to ”liberation stadium” to see the playoffs between the host team Rivers united versus Eyimba. The atmosphere was filled with passionate fans cheering their respective clubs. But things later turned south, as a result of a controversial referee who was blowing in favor of the host team.

When the security couldn’t contain the large crowd, everywhere became chaotic and everyone had to run for their lives. Samson had never witnessed such thing before. he was scared and at the same time excited by the raw passion on display.

To make up for unexpected commotion at the stadium, Tamuno took him out to ”lesukaa night club”, one of the best clubs in the city, to have some good time. Some other friends of Tamuno, came to join them. They laughed , dance , and drank until the early hours of the morning and at the end of the day, they were all wasted but that night was an unforgettable one.

The hangover from yesterday’s episode was too much, they had to stay all day at home watching Netflix. Samson took the opportunity of introducing Tamuno to his parents in america and they appreciated all he had been doing for their kid.

The next day, Tamuno took Samson to ”Port harcourt tourist beach”. As a football captain back in the states, Samson couldn’t resist the urge of displaying some of his game skills to the locals who were interested in playing with him. Tamuno wasn’t really moved by the game, he sees it as a dangerous physical sports. After Samson was done having a good time with the locals, they retreated to the beach bar, to chill out and watch the view of the sea. It was a much needed break, after all the experiences they have been through together this past few days.

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When Samson thought the fun was all over and was preparing to go back to the America, Tamuno told him about a cultural festival happening in his village, ”Okrika”. Samson had to adjust his trip because this is going to be the first time he’s going to visit the rural life and experience cultural diversity since he arrived the country.

The trip to okrika was fun until it was time to cross the river to the village. When Samson saw the boat, his heart dropped. He said there is no way, he’s entering such scary looking boat. He has never seen a local boat before. He declined the idea and requested to be taken back home. Tamuno assured him it was safe and nothing was going to happen to him. The officers at the jetty also provided life jacket, easing Samson’s fears slightly.

Samson almost had high blood pressure each time the boat swayed with the river waves. He felt so relieved when he finally reached okrika. The festival was in full swing, and the village was buzzing with energy. With the influence of Tamuno, he was able to create a space for them in front row to watch the entire event. Samson was in awe of the colorful dances, seeing the different community kings with their beautiful regalia, traditional music and the sheer liveliness of the event.

Tamuno introduced him to his parents and they welcomed him wholeheartedly. The highlight of his day was trying the local dishes, particularly the Okrika-style seafood, which he found delicious. His journey down to okrika was the highlight of his entire adventure, the only bad aspect is that he has to enter that same boat again while going back but it doesn’t really matter at the moment.

When it was time to bid his final farewell, Samson felt really sad. He had fallen in love with Nigerians rich culture and the adventure it offered. Samson promised Tamuno to return the same favour, when next he flies back to America again. The two families became friends and now had a place to call home, whenever they visit each other. As the plane took off, Samson smiled, knowing he would be back yet again for another wild adventure.

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