NDINDA: Talk of going home lifts my spirits

I wake up in high spirits. I’m pretty sure it has to do with the fact that the possibility of finally flying home no longer feels like a dream, if feels like a reality that will happen very soon.

The list of the number of Kenyans that want to be repatriated keeps growing by the day. I’m in such a jubilant mood I decide I will have a steak today. No boring noodles and eggs in the name of saving money.

I also decide that I’ll take a trip to Shoprite, the food retailer, to get my juicy steak. You see, Nigerian delicacies are an acquired taste; their beef, for instance, is prepared with skin on it, and the stew usually has an assortment of fishes that have a pungent aroma, a dish that a non-Nigerian would find challenging.

Generally, Nigerian dishes are not for lightweight palates like mine, so I’ve had to make do with KFC and other similar outlets before I switched to noodles, eggs, and sometimes bread.

You can now understand my enthusiasm to go to Shoprite specifically to get a piece of steak. 

Lanre, my Nigerian friend, had promised to drive me to the supermarket, where I also planned to shop for some essential items. We had agreed to leave at midday, but it is now 2pm.

NORMALCY RETURNS

I was really looking forward to this trip, not just for the steak, but also because I rarely get out of my room. I’m, therefore, disappointed.

Just as I’m about to give up and take a nap, he finally arrives, at 2.30pm. I joyfully get into his car, looking forward to the day ahead. But as we begin the journey, I soon realise it will take longer than anticipated since there is a heavy traffic jam snaking towards Ikeja, the centre of Lagos Mainland.

I observe that life has gone back to normal, for the most part. Hawkers are even selling all manner of wares.

Some have masks on, but a majority, including pedestrians going about their business, are not bothered. 

Social distancing here is for a majority of people a concept. When we finally arrive at the mall, we are instructed to sanitise our hands and put on masks before we set foot into the building.

DAY RUINED

My anticipation keeps building up as we walk towards Shoprite, only to find it closed. On the door is a notice saying they are open up to 3pm.

My heart sinks. I remember that Spurs, a restaurant that specialises in steak, is right there in the mall. As we head there my spirits lift a little. 

A quick look at the menu, however, and I realise that steak will remain a pipe dream today. I simply cannot afford it, not on the budget I have.

After a few minutes of wallowing in misery, I accept my fate and decide to buy some rice and beef. We also manage to find a supermarket that has most of the stuff I need and head back to my hotel, arriving at 6.30pm, leaving Lanre with only 30 minutes to get home before curfew begins. 

After my meal I spend some time at the balcony and then head to bed. 

Ms Ndinda is Research Manager, Transform Research Africa Ltd. She is stuck in Nigeria since March 21.