I think your environment plays a huge role in shaping how you act or think, a good number of times. And so, while I don’t think my neighbourhood has done much for me, in terms of the way I act, think or reason, due to the fact that it’s our own compound and we tend to mind our business, it has taught me to be more cautious. Wary, might I add.
I think my family house has been in this particular neighbourhood for about sixteen years. It’s weird thinking about how much time has passed since we moved here. And I certainly wasn’t aware of a lot of things and how the environment was, since I was still quite young. But there were a few things that struck me.
First, were the people. The family house is in a very rural area, something Dad still regrets today, I think. And so, as a typical African neighbourhood, with typical African people, everyone is always in your business. Dad built the house, fenced it around, but since he believes in neighbourly love and community, didn’t make the fence as high as it could and should have been. A decision that would come to haunt him later.
So, the people, in the beginning, were enamoured by these strange people that were the first to build a super big house with a long-spanned roof, and immediately clocked that the money was flowing and they should be a part of that. It brings me to all the bad parts of living in my neighbourhood after all these years.
The envy is out of this world. Choking, palpable, nearly-tangible envy. And you know, envy breeds a lot of things. So, no matter how good a person or in this case, a family is good to you, you have it in your head that they’re better off than you, hence, it’s okay to take from them. I’m still yet to learn how to drive. But my elder sister drives my parents’ cars sometimes and one time, while she and I were going out, one guy hissed at us as we approached the street’s intersection and went all, “See children that I watched grow and they now have the audacity to be driving and I’m still here.” I know, crazy stuff.
But yeah, it gets worse. So, remember I said the house is fenced but not as fenced as it should be, right? So now, they’ve gotten into the habit of scaling the fence and in a very cowardly fashion, lurking around the house when they think no one is awake, sliding windows open to pilfer stuff. My former laptop, my dad’s phone, my sister’s phone, and a lot of other stuff have gone. And very recently, a treasured item of mine was stolen. On a Sunday. While we were at Church. In broad daylight. It’s not constant. Mostly once in a few months. Waiting till you lose your guard, then they strike again.
Now what’s even more terrible about all of this is the silence. Due to the fact that it’s a communal type of envy, no one says anything. Even if they see someone scaling your fence into your house, or scaling out with whatever they’ve picked, best believe that not a single word will be uttered. To the pilferers, or even to you. And it’s quite sad the way things are. To add insult to injury, they’re usually the most enthusiastic greeters. Waving and greeting and hailing when my parents’ pass, but then they find ways to perpetrate evil to us whenever they have the chance.
My neighbourhood has evolved though. From us being the only family with a big house, to just among the other big houses. Our street itself has become some kind of estate where similarly big houses and people reside. However, none of them complain about the pilfering, because no one steals from them. But owing to the calm mien of my family, especially my parents, plus Dad’s ministerial position that they are aware of, they believe they can get away with it. And so far, they have.
But I know this won’t continue for much longer. I’m mostly always away at school, but I believe that the reckoning of the devious, malicious, conspiratorial neighbourhood, is coming very soon. Lol.
My entry to the Hive Naija Community Prompt.
Image created with Meta Ai.
