I no understand why people dey get d wrong idea say I be ajebutter, weda na becos I sabi speak small oyinbo English. I be Edo girl o, and una sabi say after Wafi people na we be next in line for pidgin English department. Warri people na professor for pidgin, we na PhD we still get. I jam one of my friends from secondary school days, her name na Osas, na all of us follow go IDIA COLLEGE for B-side(Benin), she and her colleague, one very fine bros like dat come say make we go chop lunch for JEVINIK near my office for Victoria Island, I come say no shakings, say I full ground for the mata. All dis time, na correct English we dey yarn o, as we come reach d restaurant na, we come begin talk for our BENDEL lingo, pidgin English. The bobo, na all dis kain ajebutter, staff quarters children wey too like English self, and na for Jos im grow up. The guy fear na, im no fit believe say two fine Lagos, corporate babes like me and Osas fit speak pidgin like that, confusion just register for the guy face anytime wey we put some Bafi and Wafi slang for inside d tori.
Tru tru ehn, no be say we no sabi speak correct English for Bendel o (Edo/Delta), but becos languages too plenty for dis 2 states ( unlike most states wey dem get at least one major language to communicate) we com get to use pidgin take arrange our side. Even tho normally I no dey like use am for public, but I grow up inside am, so I sabi d pidgin English well well.
Kai! Na small remain ehn, I nearly talk say I miss Benin o! but when I rememba all dose women for new Benin market wey sabi shout for person or fit fight you for no reason, wen I rememba all those obito and those bob izua type people I come realise say the only tin wey dey still carry me enta Benin na my papa and my mama wey dey live for dat town.
Dem say benin na ancient city, we know and me I like the olden days Story wey we get since wey I read am for history, and after I read Ola Rotimi drama OVONRAMWEN N’OGBAISI, I come sabi say we rich for culture and tradition no be small. But my problem be say, we no sabi maintain our old age. See places like spain, Venice, Greece, London….all of dem na old cities, e no mean say dem no go repair road or at least make d place resemble where person dey stay, but we just abandon Benin..i dey shame for d town anytime wey I reach dere.
Anyway, I just wan use dis story take tear my ajebo certificate, make una know say under all dis my ajebo moves ehn, I be wetin dem de call ovbiedokpataki(daughter of d soil) and for una wey no like am say I dey speak pidgin, make una go hug transformer, becos I no go let una use una reggae take spoil my blues.
Okay for those of you who did not understand this write up, sorry that you do not understand our own version of creole. I speak three languages fluently, they are English, French and Pidgin….now I just paid tribute to my street lingo.
Una Do O!
