a picture of moyo okediji working on a art piece

My first month

ByMoyo Okediji

My first month in the United States, 1992.

I began to paint in my office at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

I was trying to discover myself again in a new world after leaving behind Nigeria and everything that was meaningful to me, everything that had anchored me.

I wanted to move away from gravity and try other things, even as the past held me down.

Looking back almost three decades later, I know I have not changed but the world around me has been changing and redefining me.

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a picture showing moyo okediji poised for the camera

Like a bird

ByMoyo Okediji

Like a bird, I mostly live on seeds and fruits these days.

The seeds last long, and I can easily store them in my self-isolated den.

But the fruits, I prefer them “fresh.” I, therefore, buy only enough to last for about a week whenever I visit the grocery store near my house.

So, I put on my Koro hijab and went to the grocery store.

HATE AND LOVE ARE BROTHER AND SISTER

HATE AND LOVE ARE BROTHER AND SISTER

ByMoyo Okediji

I ran into one of my childhood friends in Ile Ife two years ago. He is now a university professor.

We decided to go and get a drink and as we started drinking, we discussed the pleasures of living together in the same house as children for many years.

We all lived together as one family in that house.

He was the son of Baba Alhaji, the landlord.

ENGLISHMAN IN BENIN CITY, 1981 (Part Seven)

ENGLISHMAN IN BENIN CITY, 1981 (Part Seven)

ByMoyo Okediji

Rufus froze when he saw Obaseki moving towards our table. His jawline tightened. The grotesque was unmasking. I understood the meaning of that facial reaction. When a cobra flattens its head and its neck while lifting up its body off the ground to the torso level, even a baby knows what that means. We had crossed the red zone. I immediately got up and picked up the tumbler in front of him before it became a scud missile. My movement also distracted him for a moment. This was the climactic moment that had been building up for a year.

a picture showing moyo okediji wearing his appliqué shirt he found in his closet

CAT

ByMoyo Okediji

I laff so-tay las’ night my head fall commot my neck.

And I’m not making up this story.

My Chinese friend called me and said her friend, Tunde, who lives in Canada, wanted me to tell her the meaning of “Cat” in Yoruba.

“Why didn’t Tunde just tell you what ‘cat’ means in Yoruba himself?” I asked surprised.

a picture showing moyo okediji sitting next to his artwork

Ẹyẹ: Bird

ByMoyo Okediji

Ẹyẹ: Bird I told Iya Oyo that I was scared when a couple of birds perched on top of the large tree in front of the house and were making loud sounds, one calling and the other responding.“You are afraid of birds?” Iya Oyo asked me.“Yes,” I said. “My playmates told me they are witches, àjẹ́.”

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