Echendu Chukwudi
In the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria, there lived a young boy named Emeka. Emeka had dreams as large as the Sahara desert, dreams that whispered to him in the night and danced in his mind like fireflies in the dark. His heart yearned for more than the familiar sights and sounds of his homeland; it craved adventure, knowledge, and the unknown.
One fateful day, an opportunity arose for Emeka to travel to the distant lands of Scotland. With a mix of excitement and trepidation, he embarked on a journey that would change the course of his life forever. The sights of Edinburgh greeted him with their ancient stone walls and misty hills, a stark contrast to the vibrant chaos of Lagos.
As Emeka wandered the cobbled streets of the Scottish capital, he felt a sense of displacement, a longing for the warmth of home. It was during one of these solitary walks that he met a young Ugandan girl named Nalini. Her laughter was like a melody in the wind, and her eyes held the wisdom of generations—A sage goddess likened to Cleopatra.
Nalini took Emeka into her heart, and locked him away from the visibility of humanity. Teaching him the ways of her people, sharing stories of the pearl of Africa, Uganda. She spoke of the lush greenery, the majestic wildlife, and the vibrant cultures that called her homeland their own. Emeka listened with rapt attention, in his heart was an increase of appreciation for the heritages of African continent.
As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, Emeka and Nalini’s bond deepened, transcending language and cultural barriers. They laughed together, cried together, and shared their hopes and fears under the Scottish moonlight. Emeka found solace in Nalini’s presence, a sense of belonging that he had never experienced before.
One evening, as they sat by the banks of Loch Ness, Nalini whispered an ancient Ugandan proverb to Emeka, “Omwana takulila nju emoi,” meaning, “A child does not grow up only in a single home.” Her words to Emeka, reminded him of the interconnectedness of all beings, the shared tapestry like bayeux that binds us together in the continents and oceans of mixed threads and scenes of downfalls and glories.
In that moment, Emeka knew that his journey was not just about discovering new lands. It was about discovering himself and in Nalini he found his identity. He had found love in the most unexpected of places, in the heart of a Ugandan girl who had shown him the beauty of her culture and the depth of her soul. A Nigerian man from the tribe that runs after their own culture, now learning the monotones of the Ugandan heritage
And so, Emeka and Nalini’s love blossomed like the baobab tree watered daily. Grew strong and enduring. In each other’s differences, they learned from one another and grew fonder of their touches. To Emeka, he found himself enchanted by the rhythms of Ugandan music, the flavours of Ugandan cuisine, and the warmth of Ugandan hospitality.
As time passed, Emeka’s heart became intertwined with Nalini and their souls dancing to the beat of an ancient drum. They traveled to the highlands of Scotland, where the mist clung to the mountains and the heather bloomed in shades of purple and gold.
In the quiet moments of the Scottish countryside, Emeka shared Nigerian proverbs with Nalini, imparting the wisdom of his ancestors. “A bird does not change its feathers because the weather is bad,” he would say, reminding Nalini of the strength and resilience that lay within her—showing her willingness to adjust her beliefs and values to interest him.
Together, they created a tapestry of cultures, weaving together the vibrant threads of Nigeria and Uganda into a beautiful love and understanding. Emeka’s dreams had led him across continents, but it was Nalini who had given him a home, a place where his heart could finally rest.
On a starlit night in Edinburgh, under the watchful gaze of the ancient castle, Emeka knelt before Nalini and asked her to be his partner in this grand adventure called life. Tears glistened in Nalini’s eyes as she whispered her answer, “Webale munonga, Emeka,” thanking him in her native Luganda tongue.
And so, in the heart of Scotland, a Nigerian boy with dreams from Lagos and a Ugandan girl with a spirit as wild as the African plains found a love that would endure for all eternity, a love that defied distance and time, a love that was as boundless as the African sky.
Echendu Chukwudi, is a Nigerian Poet/Storyteller in Scotland. His anthology “An Inked Tapestry: Festac to Edinburgh” is set to be released in 2024.
