By Agbonkhese Oboh

The boredom that came with the COVID-19 lockdown might be easing gradually. But some Nigerians experienced funny, engaging and exciting moments.

Vanguard spoke to some people, who narrated their experiences.

Victor, a teacher, caught an animal.

I kill boredom by playing ludo games. Nobody beats me at it. Then I play draught on my phone. But when I was defeated, it said “You lose”. I told the computer ‘you will lose in Jesus name’.

I have also watched some series (movies), such as Strike Back, Homeland; the entire season. I equally covered Power to the latest episode, ati bebe lo (and so on).

Then one exciting day, a wire trap my friends and me set near a swamp around my house caught a reptile. Some said it was an alligator, others call it monitor lizard.

But what I am sure of is that the Yoruba call it Aworinwon. Whatever it is, we had a feast; the omi obe (stew) no be here.

Nkoli, a mother of four, makes cakes, pies and chops:

On the one hand, my experience has been worthwhile. I have been engaged all through the lockdown days with what I love to do best.

I have been taking cakes and snacks orders, and believe me, I didn’t see this coming.

But on the other hand, I don’t enjoy the fact that I have to cook like three to four times a day. It’s really stressful. On a good day, I cook twice a day. I make food for the children to take to school and they return by 4pm. The next is dinner.

But now I cook as if I am expecting visitors. Sometimes I don’t even know what to cook.

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Oluwakemi is a teacher:

The COVID-19 lockdown met everyone away from home except me. One day, I shovelled the sprouting bushes around the house. It wasn’t much my business until now.

After weeding, I went to take my bath. God bless our power company; light came on just before my post-weeding bath. So I laid right under the sitting room fan after the bath.

I showed all the hidden treasures to the world as I was in my birthday suit. It might be unimportant to you. But there’s no luxury of air drying after a bath when you’re going to work on typical (pre-coronavirus or is it corona carrot?) days.

When I switched on the TV, my mom-like neighbour passed by the house and said: “Corona carrot turned you to a farmer. Is this weeding or sand disturbance?”

Well, how do I answer that? I didn’t have data or money for subscription, so I watched the Indian movie without subtitles on my phone.

Meanwhile, as I was going to buy soap for my bath, I made a mental note to start exercising because of my tummy that has renewed its bulging contract. But I’m bothered because the exercises make me eat more and I only have little food.

Sophie is into advocacy:

Unfortunately, I am not doing anything unusual during the COVID-19 lockdown. I have reduced as many human contacts as possible since I realised that I might be susceptible, so I am staying totally away.

For a long time, I haven’t been to the gate of the estate I live in. I just sleep, wake up and eat; from the sitting room to bedroom.

I am also finding it difficult to read and assimilate things, so I am just doing social learning, attending online classes and meetings, which are burning up my data.

Vanguard