Christmas Morning, Lagos

“Christmas morning in Lagos. The generator kicks on before dawn and you know it's real. Mummy already in the kitchen, jollof rice bubbling, fried plantain sizzling. New clothes pressed and laid on the bed — you'd been sneaking looks all week. Step outside and the whole compound is alive. Neighbors shouting Merry Christmas over the fence. Firecrackers popping down the street. Harmattan dust in the air but nobody cares. Everything smells like palm oil and celebration.”