Let's Sail [APPLY FIC-CLOSED]

Act 2 Scene 13

Friday June 24, 2016

Dawn pour some of her hand lotion in her palms and gently massage it into her skin as she sang to P-Square's , her favourite Nigerian duo, Personally. Actually, they were fav African artists.

Dawn:                                                                   Eh - I no go lie....

The things wey dey my mind

When I see you dancing, girl you got me high

And if you want to try, Gbege go dey tonight

Cause I'm in the mood

As long as you feeling the groove

I go deal with you

Personally eh

Personal personally - ah ah ah ah

Personally eh

Minho passed a look at her. The woman had been singing the song all night long and this morning she was going about yet again. It had a nice beat and all but Dawn singing it all night long had made his ears sour.

Minho: Your singing sucks.

Dawn: Tell me something I don't already know.

She pursed her lips together, threw him a sarcastic look and returned to singing.

Dawn: Personally eh, personal personally.

Minho: Tell me something, what is it that you want personally?

Dawn walked towards the closet, pulled out her shirt and threw it over her tank top.

Dawn: It's okay to ask if you want to know what the song is saying. Be direct.

Minho: I'm getting a few words here and there but I don't exactly understand.

Dawn: Even if you were a master in English, you wouldn't understand. This isn't standard English. It's Nigerian pidgin English.

Minho: Pid.......what?

Dawn: Pidgin English as in broken English? It is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups that do not have a language in common: typically, a mixture of simplified languages or a simplified primary language with other languages' elements included.

As she slipped into her sweat pants, she continued. Her temperature was running a bit high and getting sick wasn't on her to do list.

Dawn: Due to this entire colonization thing in Africa, most African countries have pidgin English. As you know I'm from Liberia and Nigeria, those are two west African countries that majorly speak pidgin English.

Minho nodded.

Dawn: Why am I even giving you this lecture? Oga, make you go research this topic for yourself na. I no be lecturer.

Dawn laughed as Minho went in confusion mode.

Dawn: I just said: Big man, go research this topic for yourself. I am not a lecturer.

Minho: Will it be the same if you said it in Liberian pidgin English?

Dawn: Not exactly. A bit similar but Liberians don't say oga unless they are imitating Nigerians. And instead of I no be lecturer it would be something like, I na your lecturer or I na lecturer. And the accents are very different.