A Tradition That Doesn't Stick

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It's the new year's eve as I stretch through the corridor of the house, staggering unbalanced outside the house just to have a last feel of the year as I strategized on how to clean the compound without falling to my dust allergies. I was slapped back into the house by the early morning cold breeze that drew shivers down my spine and sent splatters of goosebumps all over my body.

"I guess it's not an early bird day" I thought to myself as I strolled back to my room. Folding back under my duvet as I extracted my best friend from its resting place, swiped it open and went online to check what my other distant friends are saying and planning for the day. Social savvy as they are, I was met by a barrage of posts that mad the social space look like a Thanksgiving auditorium that was only missing the quite necessary element of substance.

I scrolled through to check the different status posts and I saw that my next door neighbor whose obsession with Lil Wayne and his vulgar lyrics had actually motivated me to explore the different possible uses for all the swear words around, is now an ardent and dedicated fan of Tasha Cobbs and Karen Clark.

"who am I to judge?" I cautioned myself as I heard what sounded like a quarrel outside. Rushing out to observe what was causing the such an early morning commotion, I saw my neighbor's daughter Uchechi quarreling and talking back at her parents for castigating her. Apparently she had slept out again without permission.

My mind recoiled to seeing her "new year, new me" post on social media. I guess the change is taking its time to really manifest. But again, who am I to judge?. So I just went back inside to draft out my day's endeavors which was to climax in a crossover service in church to conclude the year and start the new year with God.

It was a smooth day with no special occasions, only a wedding that only heightened my want for a companion. Eventually I strolled early into church, a bit tipsy and feeling all guilty. I looked around and saw religiously pious faces looking all thankful and sober with their little envelopes in hand like seasoned swordsmen war ready and thirsty for blood.

"oh shit, I had forgot to bring my new year requests" I thought to myself as I rushed to the road looking for where to get a plain sheet and envelope to wrap my new year wants and needs to table it before the throne of grace. I'd rather not be the odd person out, the gentile in the midst of Jews.

Luckily for me there were some people who had not fully caught the new year's eve frenzy virus and shot their shop too early just to go passover in church. So I got the needed paper and envelope, hurriedly scribbled down a few requests based on the adrenaline rush in my head and whatever it made seem like a need at that point in time.

Happy and feeling fulfilled, I went through the service feeling reborn and optimistic about the new year. God has never failed and he is about to bring my heart desires to pass in the next 365 or perhaps 366 days. I walked around throughout the first few days of the new year with my head held high in expectation. I had crossed over into the new year in the presence of God and that should count as righteousness for me, so that means I'm in good standing with the Supreme being.

The ensuing weeks passed with lots of vigour and optimism. But my next door neighbor had then added Joyner Lucas to his Lil Wayne Playlist, while Uchechi barely spent three consecutive nights at home and they constantly served us with the street drama and topic for gossips in the area. It was a new year that promised so much, or perhaps that people promised so much, but was gradually receding into known normalcy.

But then who am I to judge? I hadn't really been fulfilling my own purposes and with my new year requests being met daily, or I have. Thinking about it, I found out that I could barely remember what those requests were. I just lived on the hope that he whom I had made the request still remembers.

"I guess this will be the year where I just celebrate my little wins instead of waiting for the big and grand ones"

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