If you are attached to your earphones (in the different forms they come) that you have them on you all the time, only a few things come close to the despair you feel when you find out that you’ve left them at home. Usually, it’s one of the few things you check and double-check before you leave the house. But on some days, life happens. And when it does, this is some of the things you have to deal with:
You have to listen to conversations
On the surface, this might not seem like much of a big deal, but with the way Nigerians are set up, you can’t be 100 per cent sure. All you want to do is sit and mind your business, but all some guy two rows away from you has to say is something that has ‘Sanwo-Olu’ in it and the bus will explode into a hub of slightly-ridiculous, slightly-hilarious takes. And you have to listen to everything. Oh, the pain that comes with this.
A similar fate awaits you even if you opt for the ride-sharing services. The universe might decide to pair you with a driver that won’t take the cue that you would rather the car be silent, or worse, one with a terrible playlist.
You realise how loud the traffic is
Since you always have your ears plugged in, the music gets you through the mess you navigate every day, you have no idea how loud the traffic is. The mix of gruff voices and angry roars is enough to drive anyone crazy – you especially.
You rethink all your life decisions
With nothing to direct your thoughts, they go haywire, torturing you with the haunting memories of all the wrong decisions you’ve made. At the extreme, you may feel your brain exploding inside your head, except that it doesn’t, which makes it worse.
The ghetto in you jumps Out
The music is your anchor; without it, you’re lost and prone to acting on your emotions. This means you’re likely to have a spat with a conductor or give the poor Yaba guy trying to sell you a new pair of jeans the stinkest of eyes. It won’t end in tears (or something close to it) most of the time, but you don’t like to see this side of yourself.
