Back to Abuja

Easter Saturday.

We returned to Abuja this morning after a wonderful week away in Ghana (about which I will post  an entry when I find a moment to download the photos). The flight home was slightly less than wonderful - the only direct fight from Accra to Abuja is at 6am, which meant a 4am wake-up. As it turned out, there was no need for an alarm clock. Alex had woken several times in the night with a high temperature, so I had already been semi-conscious for a couple of hours worrying about whether he’d got malaria. However, a dose of Calpol seemed to bring his temperature down and, once he’d been sick upon arrival at the airport in Accra (right in the middle of the departures hall), he seemed to perk up considerably. 

It was with some trepidation that I boarded the flight home this morning – the bombing on the outskirts of Abuja earlier this week has made me nervous about returning to Nigeria, particularly in the run-up to Easter. There are times when I seriously wonder what we are doing here, when the news of the Nyanya bombing has already been wiped off the front pages by the kidnapping of scores of schoolgirls in Borno state – and the violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, but also the continuing skirmishes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, continues to cripple the economy and free movement of millions of people in north-eastern Nigeria.

However, once we landed at the airport and had been received a wonderfully warm welcome home from our driver, everything felt a whole lot better. The early morning weather was far cooler than in Accra, the sunlight was beautiful and the traffic unproblematic. The whole city seemed to have become greener in the eight days we’ve been away. It was great to be back in our house, particularly as the carpenters have been at work during our week away, removing the mildewed and termite-infested woodwork from the kitchen and replacing it with something that approximates a cupboard, even if the doors don’t close. We had a very relaxing day at home, catching up on sleep and taking the children to the pool for a swim. Of course, all will depend on what happens over the next few weeks and months, but for now it feels good to be home.