Photo Credit: Jacob Lawrence
The Arrival
Ololade A. Obadina
I landed with two suitcases and a prayer. Winter hit me first, then the cost of air.
Everyone said, “it’s greener on the other side.” Nobody told me green also means you hide.
I dey learn new rules for old life.
I dey calculate pounds to naira twice. The cold dey enter bone, not just skin.
But I tell myself “This is where we
begin.” I miss sun, I miss noise, I miss ease.
But I’m here now, so I bend with the breeze.
First job na agency, shift by shift. No guarantee, but I take the gift. “Can you cover?” “Yes, I can.”
That’s how survival turn to plan. CVs sent, emails gone.
Rejections came, but I moved on.
I learned “sorry” and “thank you” fast. I learned how to make little last.
Every small win felt like a crown. Because I was building from the ground.
People ask, “Why did you come?” I say “for better.”
But better no mean say e go easy. Better mean say you go fight.
Better mean say you go hold tight.
I’m homesick and hopeful in the same breath. I’m tired and grateful and scared of death.
But I keep going because I must. Because of someone back home’s trust. So, I work, I pray, I send, I stay.
And believe one day will be okay.
This is the start, not the end. This is the bend, not the break.
I came with nothing but name and faith. And that is enough to build a gate.
I may not be there yet, but I’m on the way. I may not be okay yet, but I’m okay.
One day I’ll look back and say: “I tried.”
One day I’ll look back and say: “I survived.”
Contributor’s Bio
Ololade A. Obadina is a poet and writer based in the UK. Combining a background in complex analytical casework within the public sector with a lifelong dedication to literature, Ololade crafts verse that balances meticulous attention to detail with deep thematic resonance.
