@gentleshaid

It started like any other day; normal, uneventful, and perfectly routine. I was right in the middle of a meeting with the Deputy Proprietor of my school, listening, contributing,…

I’ve come to believe that alternate universes exist. Not in some cosmic, sci-fi sense, but right here, on this same spinning planet we all share. I grew up in a humble background, …

Mistake. Don't vote

My Samsung S21+, which I bought used about six months ago, suddenly developed a green line stretching across the screen from top to bottom. It's a stubborn streak of light that ref…

When I married newly, I made a promise to my wife. A promise born out of love and a deep desire for her peace of mind. I told her she didn’t have to work if she didn’t want to. Not…

I used to admire lawyers and judges and even dreamed of becoming one. That was a long time ago, back when I could barely tell my left hand from my right. Nearly three decades later…

It all began with a bowl of tomatoes I never planted. A few weeks ago, as I stepped into my backyard, I noticed a tomato plant sprouting confidently between cracks in the soil. I…

I have this uneasy feeling every time I walk through the doors of a Nigerian hospital, especially a government-owned one. It’s not the sterile smell or the sight of suffering pati…

There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance, and most times, we don’t know we’ve crossed it until it humbles us. A friend told me his story a few days ago that hit this t…

I’ve seen asthma attacks more times than I can count, and trust me, there’s nothing normal about watching someone gasp for air. Each time it happens, my heart races faster than t…

I still remember November 2020 vividly. The month I finally walked away from my 9-5 lecturing job. Not out of rebellion, but out of exhaustion. The lockdown had just been lifted, …

When I think back to my early school days, one memory that still lingers vividly is the accident of a classmate who broke his arm. We were all young, restless, and prone to daring…

If you’re like me and you play Fantasy Premier League, you’ll understand the reason for my recent annoyance. Last season, the FPL platform worked like a charm. Smooth. Simple. Sl…

They taught us that a name was just a word. In my country, I learned the opposite. A name is a verdict handed down in public, a sentence that carries its own momentum. Walk into a …

When I walk into my plantain farm in the cool of the evening, there’s always this feeling of quiet satisfaction. The tall, broad leaves sway gently, the stems stand like green pil…

Sometimes I wonder if it is just the environment I’m in. Other times, I perceive it is the same virtually everywhere. Certain truths, especially those tied to biology, are uncomfor…

For nearly three years, I’ve carried the dual responsibility of heading Human Resources and Administration in a small school. It’s not a role that comes with the glamour of a red c…

The body’s resilience to abnormality often amazes me. It’s one of those quiet miracles we rarely pause to acknowledge. I’m not talking about grand recoveries from major surgeries …

Sometimes, I catch myself wondering if blackmail, or should I say gaslighting, is woven into our DNA or something carefully nurtured by the environments we grow in. History is litt…

I’ve seen some strange things in my life. Things that make you pause and wonder if people are wired the same way across the world. One of those moments was back in my childhood. …