Skirting the Street or…

Coal Camp is one of the first carved-out communities in Coal City (Enugu, Nigeria). The circa 1910 vibrant, virgin settlement is located between Agangwu gorge that separates Ụwānị to the east and Udi Hills to the west. Ogbete Main Market was an open mall, a walking distance across Ngene Evu. The stream snakes down from the coal mine and wards off Coal Camp from Ogbete, Central Police Station, Specialist Hospital (later UNTH), Udi Siding, Prisons, and Holy Ghost.

Mission Avenue was a busy frontline. At the end of the street, where Silversmith Avenue starts, Lebanese Mr. Solomon (“Operator”) and his family lived in a mansion with a tangerine orchard. Prominent Barrister Akpamgbo lived in an adjacent big building. Beyond these buildings are St Peter’s (Anglican) and St Patrick’s (Catholic) schools and churches, separated by an untarred road leading to the mines across Ngeneevu shantytown.

Two-storied buildings with balconies and glass windows dotted a sea of decent tenement buildings. Public taps gushed out pure liquid of life at street corners. Loaded landlords reticulated the water supply into their yards. Night soil men made their rounds via the backyard openings as folks slept. The streets were lit. Urban council workers cleaned gutters, repaired roads regularly, and removed stray animals promptly. Mr. Solomon operated a cinema by Tinker, hence his nickname. The cinema was near to the landmark law offices of C. C. Onoh, the famous father of Waawa statism.

The major churches owned the two populous primary schools. St Peter’s had its share of beauty-full girls from more affluent homes. St Patrick’s had more pupils, but there was something that confessions, Legion of Mary, and regular morning mass did to equally beautiful Catholic girls in the socialization department.

A culture of chasing girls existed, especially the eye-candy ones in fancy skirts and who lived upstairs in buildings with beautiful balconies or fancy front yards. A cousin at prewar St Peter’s knew all about it. Hear him:

“You set out at sunset before parents mapped out more chores. You walk to the street of a crush and stroll past her house as if on an errand in slow motion. You may walk back and forth four times, skirting her house. Luckily, she makes an appearance on the balcony and notices you. You wave. She waves. You wave back excitedly. She noticed and recognized me! Mission accomplished.

“At school the next day, the supposed-chance and short-distance ‘dating’ serves as an icebreaker. You tighten the time for ‘running errands,’ get to wave again, and probably come closer to the front yard to talk. It was all about ploughing and watering the ground to plant and grow a lasting friendship.

The ritual has a name: “Ije line”—where “line” refers to the lines of houses on both sides of the street. “Ije” in Igbo means ‘to go’ or ‘an outing.’ Since this outing is in search of a skirt, it could translate as “skirting the street”!

Life was good, inviting, and promising. Then there was a war. Things fell apart. Thirty moons later, boys became young men, and girls became young women. High schools kicked in for those lucky enough to afford the fees. High school coeducation normalized. Silliness stopped.

Half a century later, an American equivalent of ‘Ije Line,’ pops up. In his speech to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, IL on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, the USA House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) compared ex-POTUS Donald Trump to an “old boyfriend” skirting the street.

“Donald Trump is like an old boyfriend who you broke up with, but he just won’t go away. He has spent the last four years spinning the block, trying to get back into a relationship with the American people.” (See 3.07’-4.35’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_Z2r-fLz10 )

Forget politics, the culture is the same across the ocean divide. If you want to get the attention of a crush, sending flowers and chocolates is unAfrican. Since teenagers must have valid reasons to visit the homes of a different sex of same-age-bracket, other than the obvious, skirting the street or spinning the block offers a respectful and safe run either to make an initial eye contact or to win back the attention of an old flame.

@aladimma