MY COLOURFUL NOSTALGIA

Growing up in Nigeria, I remember watching hollywood movies and experiencing of all the seasons. Summer was full of sunshine and beaches, Spring showed flowers in full bloom, Autumn was full of fallen leaves, and Winter came with snow that saw kids play a game of snowball. But my reality was one which didn’t see those seasons as they were depicted as we had very different seasons. In fact, we had two seasons; rainy season and dry season. With the latter at it’s peak known as harmattan. It comes with cold mornings and evenings, prone to making skin very dry. Welcome to my colourful nostalgia.

Being a leo, I loved the sunshine. Although, I always found it really hot but nothing a fan or an air conditioner couldn’t fix. In boarding school, we’d leave buckets of water out in the sun which got heated up and made for a nice wash. And on days when I couldn’t take it, I’d wish for it to rain. I vividly remember running out to our courtyard to dance in the first rain that marked the rainy season when I was eleven. It was the best feeling ever. You can always tell when it’s about to rain. The skies would go grey very quickly, accompanied with thunder and lightning just before pouring it down.

The rainy season came with harvest of some of my favourite food. Groundnuts and sweet corn. Thinking of it is making my mouth water right now. The flowers are also in bloom. I got to see all the colours of spring and life thanks to my mum’s garden. At the time she was an art teacher. She made really beautiful pieces, from paintings to fabric designs. She had a love for plants which meant we were surrounded by them. With her favourites, white roses and hibiscus growing outside her bedroom window. I do believe I got a lot of my creativity from my mum not to mention how much I look like her. But that’s a story for another day.

My colourful nostalgia continued even in the dry seasons. With dried hibiscus and maize used to make zobo and kunu respectively. Rich delicious cold drinks that made the sunny days seem a lot more pleasant. Doing laundry never felt better as the sun couldn’t wait to dry them all up. Living in Manchester now, I can only dream of those days and relive the memories. As with everything else that brings my heart joy, I hope to experience it all again. Hopefully soon. In the meantime, I’ll hold on to my colourful nostalgia. And this dress serves as a beautiful reminder.

Dress – Label/Mix / Bag – Kate Spade NY / Coat – Next / Trainers – ASOS