Japa is only for the willing, japada is for the unwilling

Japa Sweet, But E Get As E Be

The day my visa come out, I nearly shout down the whole street.

I remember standing for that embassy gate, clutching my passport like say na gold.

Guy! We don blow o! I tell my friend, Kunle, wey follow me go.

We hug, jump up small. People for queue look us like madmen.

But I no care after two years of rejection, we finally see APPROVED.

That night, my mama cook better smoky jollof rice and fried turkey.

She just dey smile anyhow.

Timmy, remember where you come from o.

Remember the son of who you be my pikin

 Abroad no be heaven, she said

I laugh. Mama, forget that one. Na Canada we dey go. Everything go soft.

I don blow, me I don become yanky Boi like this.

But my Mama’s words?

They go come back later.

Landing day minus 12 degrees.

Omo cold wan finish my enemy, I Nearly japada

Cold bite my skin like mosquito wey never chop for weeks.

The airport smell different.

The air quiet. Too quiet, everything just soft and clean, even the air, he be like say I dey heaven's gate.

My cousin, Wale, con pick me for airport 

Walex as we dey call am, don dey Canada for three years, so I expect soft baby boy for wale

But when we reach him apartment, na one small basement with low ceiling and heater wey dey hum like tired generator.

Omo, na here you dey crash? I asked

He chuckled and said My brother, welcome to abroad. Na stepping stone we dey call here 

That night, I no fit sleep. Jet lag, plus reality.

My body dey Canada, but my mind still dey Ojodu.

First week, I apply for over thirty jobs online.

IT, admin, customer service anything.

But no call, no email, just silence.

Wale look me one morning and said

“Guy, I get one warehouse job. You want abi you no want? Man gers to pay bills he said

I pause. Warehouse ke? Me wey dey run system upgrade for company back home?

He shrug. “You wan chop experience or chop hunger?”

That line sting me small, but truth no dey hide.

Next Monday, I wear one big jacket and big boots follow am go.

Warehouse work no be beans.

From 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., na lifting, sealing, stacking.

My back begin dey shout protest after three days.

But at least, paycheck enter.

Still, something dey off.

Back home, respect follow me like perfume.

Here, I just be Timmy T. the new guy.

Even small Indian boy wey never reach 25 dey shout for me, normally that Boi no fit stand wey I stand for Naija 

E get mouth dey shout move faster, man

I wan vex one night, but I remember say bills mount na Naim I mellow down again 

So I swallow pride, whisper to myself no be forever.

Three months later, frustration set in.

Cold no dey end. Friends no dey.

You go fit waka for street and you no go see one person to hail.

Na so depression dey sneak come, but the naija in me no gree bow for pressure.

We must make am for this yanky wey I come, we die here.

I start dey call home less.

Mama go ask, How you dey, my son?

I go answer, We thank God.

But deep down, I dey tired.

One Saturday, after work, I go African store.

Na there I meet Ada.

Fine girl, strong accent, but soft laugh.

She tell me she dey study nursing, do Uber part-time.

We gist like old friends.

For the first time in months, I laugh genuinely.

From that day, me and Ada dey talk from time to time, she definitely they lonely and single ready to mingle.

She get her own struggles too rent wahala, work stress, school pressure.

But she dey strong. Her energy dey contagious. Ada dey ginger, she no dey carry last, she be hustler, she no wetin carry he come obodo oyibo,  

Ada go tell me say she no come Canada come count Bridge, she say Canada is full of skyscrapers, I go laugh sotey come get my worries, Ada really change my mind set about japa.

She once tell me say make i no dey form big man abroad. Humility go save you here.

I laugh, but she no lie.

Fast-forward one year later

Things begin to balance small small

I move from warehouse to warehouse manager, later to IT support.

Still small pay, but progress na progress.

Na the stepping stone wey walex talk about be this

Sometimes, I still stand for snow and wonder whether Na me be this?

But then again japa don dey make sense

But e get one thing wey I don learn 

Abroad no dey change person, e just show you who you really be.

If you humble, you go grow.

If you stubborn, you go break.

So anytime my guys for Naija message me,

Bro, how far, wan I japa too 

I tell them straight:

Japa sweet for mouth, but e get as e be.

You get to dey ready to face the storm till you go over come am, if not na japada get you so

No go abroad go find ego. Go find purpose.

No go there to prove, go there to build.

And no forget even cold land dey need warm heart. #japa #facebookviral #japada #follower #Purpose #realtalk #motivation #bluemomthoughts #bluemoments blue mom #blue'smomwrite