Head up, eyes dilated and mind certainly wondering, he scoured the city as he looked through the glass window of the taxi in which he sat. The buildings were tall and very beautiful. Very neat. There were no leaves on the surroundings since that space had no trees. Unlike his hometown, where trees filled everywhere and their leaves caused a beautiful-commotion with the soil. Where their fathers and grandfathers would sit under the shade to eat and chatter in the afternoons after their women had pounded cassava and plantain into fufu and converted vegetables and water into an irresistible aroma. Here, everyone could speak this language and very hastily too. In his hometown, only those who went to school could speak this language. He gained the scholarship when he won the English and Science contest. Even as the best from his hometown, he had to be very attentive to be able to understand what one was saying. Arriving at the school, he saw people in very intimate positions. He opened his mouth, shocked when he saw one boy plant a kiss on a girl’s lips and nobody cared. Where he came from, one dared not try this! Not even in hiding! It was sacrilege. He was told the city was different from his village but this seemed too new to him. They did not eat under trees, they had beautifully designed tables and chairs and he doubted if the best carpenter in his hometown could make ones like them. Everything seemed so different from what he was used to. He threw himself onto the bed after being shown his room and thought. He was so confused yet ready for this adventurous place. He knew he had a lot to do to fit in.
Read Envying Rainbows – A Flash Fiction by Adejuwon Gbalajobi, Nigeria
