1995 - THE LAST ERA

Author: Ebuka Henry
Date: 03/12/2019
Models: Yar Ajak & Pelesia Wambia

The last unique group of creation, our potential is far beyond, but to rule we need to work on self-actualization only then we will be able to rule and make our mark on earth's lovely step.

According to @Zedinfluencer and I quote "People born between 1985,1995 & 1998 are the most unique generation of all time. Here's why?

They are in-between two generations: the one before the internet and technology took over and the generation after it took over.

The generation before us was old school and believed in working hard. The generation after us believes in working smart.

We saw it all: Radio, TV, Mario, waptrick, Nokia, Nintendo 64, Samsung, iPhone, PS4, Tape, CD, DVD, MIXit, MIG32, Netflix, Snapchat, emojis, Virtual reality...

We are the generation that knows the tradition and questions it. we pick what makes sense to us. The generation before us knew no questions. The generation after us knows no tradition.

We are the gap between the industrial age and the internet age. We understand both sides from experience. We should be running the world!! The old guys don't understand what's going on anymore, the new guys don't fully understand where what's going on came from."

1995

oh, bless the lovely winds that blew during the night, as our mothers rushed in and out of our neighbor's house, we children did not quite understand what was going on at that time what we understood was whatever that was about to happen had celebration attached to it. Our fathers laughed and merried as they drank out of Jars saluting each other in our mother's tongue. what a time to be alive. finally, we heard the cry of a baby another addition to the community another millennial, the joy of our parents knew no bounds, we as children could not hide our joy we clenched our fist in happiness we were happy because our playgrounds were about to get bigger and more exciting. it was a happy day. we cherished our childhood photos in our photo albums we giggled as we made faces to our baby photos. we pointed at the photos as we danced around the sitting room, this generation will never get to understand how that felt since all thier photos are uploaded on cloud or on google drive.

Growing up was fun, we looked forward to moonlight tales from the oldest man in the community as we sat in Circles to listen to what Papa had to tell us, Our favorite was The Tortoise and the Hare we had heard that story a thousand times, but we could not get enough of it, Papa had a way of telling the story. we all sat amazed as we wondered about how smart the tortoise was and how other animals in the animal kingdom sort for his help and advice. we all wanted to be like Mr. tortoise. These particular moments we shared amongst one and other lead to unbreakable bonds, developed our sense of unity and the importance of community. we learned everything we knew from our elders from cooking to cleaning all household chores down to the games we played some we created for ourselves (In Nigeria we played Boju Boju, Tinko Tinko, Catcher, Mummy, and Daddy; This particular game was a classic we relived what we saw our parents do from the kitchen to the living room, straight to the other room to do what we imagined happened there( like our parents praying bring your mind back to the story) let's MAKE A QUICK TURN

Small Mummy: where are these children, Yar Yar Yar Ma!!!!!
 Small Mummy: You are deaf abi? How many times do you want me to call you? If I come inside there hmmm hmmm 
Yar: Runs out quickly in fear 
Small Mummy: throws slippers or kitchen spoon at her

Daddy: My dear am back oooh, is my food ready

Small Mummy: welcome My husband as she kneels to greet.

Daddy: where is my food and where is everybody?

Small mummy: Your food is ready let me serve you, (*small mummy shouts* so you people did not here you father abi?)

children all come to greet daddy, they all eat, small mummy and daddy go to the other room to have thier alone time. 

we created what we felt we depended on common sense, Google then was not our friend. We had to survive.

BACK TO THE STORY

Respect, Integrity, and character were very paramount, our elders made sure we knew their importance. We learned a lot of languages from our parents, Apart from our mother tongue we also mastered the art of sign languages. If we had a visitor and you were in the sitting room, once your mother's eye collided with yours and her eyes became a little bigger and brighter than they usually are, that was the CUE, Run along son/daughter. I remembered the day we went to our neighbor's house we were offered food I meant my favorite meal of fried rice, chicken and plantain with salad, honestly, the aroma of the food was beyond any sweet scent you have perceived, my stomach was ready to receive the food, just before I collected the food I heard a loud cough, I assumed she it was the usual cough, so I stretched my hands to collect, the cough became louder and stronger I knew something was not right somewhere, I looked at mum for confirmation, Jesus the fire I saw in those eyes I felt the heat even though we were meters apart. I gently declined the food with a simple lie that my stomach was hurting. I disowned my parents in my heart. Something this Generation will never understand. I witnessed one this past week a stranger gave a kid in the matatu a sweet, she collected it, mummy was not happy at her daughter then she whispered this in her ears;

Mummy: tell uncle you don't want the sweet because your stomach is paining you 

Girl: Uncle mommy said I should return the sweet, I think she doesn't like you 
Mommy: before she could say ssshhhh to the girl the cat was already let out of the bag. she was ashamed, I tried picturing that scenario with my parents, the whole image ended up bloody I opened my eyes.

Falling in Love in this particular era was beautiful. We wrote letters; letters containing our hearts in it, poems that would be breaking the internet, if it existed at that point. Men respected women, they paid attention, they understood what value meant, the lived with patience, Something this Age will never understand not where the likes of blue ticks and K is the other of the day. 

Hide and Seek unraveled the beauty of the moment as we gathered to play. The ladies informed each other on what position they would be hiding so as to avoid bumping into each other during their intimate moments.  This game lead us to seek the love of our lives, we closed our eyes in anticipation, savoring the little moments as our mouth dried out of over-anticipation. we all knew where our lovers where hiding we pretended to go to the stream to fetch water whereas we were actually going to seek our bride's to be we just wanted the elders to think we were were hardworking,

 But our game of love was beneath the game of hide and seek. we sought them, found them as we got lost again in each other's embrace. we valued each other and time was of paramount essence, curfew time was no child's play, come home after curfew and face the wrath of 24 lashes on your soft buttocks. we locked hands as we stared into the depths of each other soul confessing our undying love for each other...

To kiss your partner was like a covenant it was sacred it felt like sex, it carries the same weight, it brought them more into Love, unlike this Age where you meet today kiss today and also have sex on the same day. 

Everything was beautiful back in 1995

let us pass this great knowledge to this modern generation 

Hope you had a great read
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