From a trickle to a downpour : How the rain became my nemesis.

Everyone loves a good party especially when there's a certainty of food and drinks at such a party. People will surely troop in like ants on parade to go claim some sugar. If you find what I'm saying to be strange, then just ask a Nigerian and you'll get your confirmation.

As much as I don't just attend random parties, one party that I can not get tired of attending is wedding parties. Here in Lagos, if you prepare an invitation for a wedding party, just know that the outcome response would be three times your expectations. Here in Lagos, there's something known as Mo gbo, Mo ya (meaning, I heard and I branched).

Things like this are common at wedding events a lot. People who are unrelated to the one hosting a party would be present at the party catching fun. Well, it is what it is as man must survive with rice and stew very plenty. This was my general slang anytime I was attending a wedding party where I didn't know anyone. Usually, I tag along with a friend to a friend's friend who knows the couple.

But on one of such occasions, the sky decided to play God on my behalf. I have always been successful at such parties and that fateful day, my hopes were high like high tension. My roommate's friend had brought the news of a wedding party happening the next day at Oshodi. As usual, I jumped in afterall, the friend of my friend is also my friend. I had a special lace outfit that I always wore to such events as it was classy. I quickly brought it out and began prepping it up for the party. My gold high heel shoes that I wore only on Christmas day were also ready. Makeup and other accessories would come from my roommate, no shame about that.

At about 9am, we were both ready. She already had the address to the venue and all was good until we heard a rumble from the sky. ”Becky, shey no be rain want fall so?”, Ruth my roommate asked.

”Which kind rain? Abeg no prophecy rain o. Maybe the gods are having their own party as well”, I replied while staring at the sky that was still clear.

Ruth was disbelieving. She began to worry about the rain soaking her and her newly made hair. Time was running out and I wanted to be punctual at the event so that I could have the best seat. ”This babe is just paranoid o”, I thought before going to look for a nylon raincoat for her just to get her to calm down. In my mind, I trusted the heavens for a sunny day so that I could mock my friend later but the heavens, oh the heavens abandoned me to myself.

We were on a bus heading to the venue when the drizzling began. I hope it stops soon I thought again but this time, the rain drops disrespected my wish and unleashed the dragon tears from the sky. If not that it was day time, I would have sworn that what was falling was hail stones and not rain. The sound of pak, pak, pak was all we could hear on the roof of the vehicle as the rain beat down hard.

What started like play became real as we stayed stuck for two hours in front of a shop with a little canopy after we had alighted from the bus. The little canopy offered only a head covering for us but the rest of our bodies were being tormented with rain splatters and cold. Ruth looked at me with that I told you so look and I could only concede defeat. Her care for me would not allow her to put on her rain coat and leave me there. So we both stayed there, praying for the rain to stop.

The rain stopped after a while but I was half soaked and so was Ruth. We had to take bike to the venue and true to my fears, the seats were almost gone. Thankfully, a kind usher showed us two vacant seats at a corner of the hall and that was where we sat. We could not participate in the fun of the party because we were drenched. We sat down like 9 months pregnant women and used finger signs to order the usual item 7 from the servers.

That was an event that I didn't thoroughly enjoy because the rain chose to become my nemesis.

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Thank you all for reading.

Images used are mine.