Remember the term “Dark Continent”? A demeaning, frankly racist term used to describe the continent of Africa. After centuries of being referred to what may also be considered a slur, Africa has shed this moniker in a surprising way.
Over the past couple of decades, people around the world pretty much stopped referring to Africa as the Dark Continent. In the year 2020, a horrible event shook the world. Now that we have emerged from the horrors of that event, I have come to realize something.
While the Western world was being ravaged by a pandemic, the same could not be said for the African continent. Here in Canada, as well as other nations, we had to close most businesses and stay home for safety. The first few months of what was commonly known as The Lockdown took on a different name for me – The Dark Days.
My saga began Thursday, March 12, 2020. News about the pandemic had been taking over news headlines since January. Our company asked us to test our ability to work from home. We were asked to stay home that Friday to test our ability to work from home in case we ever needed to. Testing went well, for me at least. I am a computer nerd. I can admit that. I have a lot of computers at home. I had no problem logging in and working at home for a day.
The weekend was pretty normal except for the news that the virus was spreading rapidly throughout our province. Sunday, we received a text message from our company’s Vice President ordering us to work from home for the upcoming week.
Throughout the week, I worked from the comfort of my suite while listening to the increasingly bad news on the radio. My colleagues and I were sure that we would see each other at the office the following week. The next weekend, our VP sent us another text advising us to work from home “until further notice”. This is when things became dark.
All non-essential businesses were ordered closed by our government. That is, businesses which required people to work on site. Grocery stores, pharmacies, and even liquor stores were deemed essential and allowed to remain open, but with severe capacity restrictions and long lines to get in. Restaurants were allowed to open but for takeout only.
For the next several weeks, I sat alone at home. I was unable to see my friends and socialize. Everyone in my life had become virtual. My life had become virtual. The news about the virus was quite terrifying. I wondered if we would ever make it out of the pandemic alive. There was no known cure. Around the world, people were dying in unbelievable numbers.
I had never felt so alone in my entire life. I grew up in social housing. Our complex was like a small village in the middle of a huge city. We never, ever felt alone. I didn’t even call my friends to make plans. I would just leave my apartment and hang out in the courtyards with friends who also lived in the cluster of apartments and townhomes we called our “Turf.”
But now, I am an adult. I live by myself in a luxury condominium tower. Although I lived alone, I was never lonely. I spent my time with friends all over the metropolis. The condo is located near stores, bars, and entertainment. I went to work, drank, exercised, and dined pretty much every single day. Life was lively.
These days were dark. I sat alone at home for weeks on end. I could not see anybody. I would wake up, bathe, make breakfast, then sign into work on my computer. After 3 weeks, I moved my computer station to the living room so that I could get some natural light through the massive windows. I could no longer stomach working 8 hours a day in my window-less den.
Work was busy and went by as if we were still in the office. I was focused on work and actually enjoyed my job even more than before, which says a lot considering I always loved my job. The convenience of being home was amazing.
Some of my colleagues said that working at home is great because they can save some money. I agreed then disagreed. Sure, working from home is wonderful, but at that time, I was not saving any money. It had cost me money. Prior to the pandemic, I only went home to sleep.
When I first moved in, and bought everything brand-new, I thought I had all that I needed. I was wrong. Staying home under lockdown made me realize how much I did not have. I ordered a lot of items from Amazon. A lot. I mean a LOT. After that, I started to see the savings in working from home… no more transit pass, takeout breakfast, takeout coffee, or takeout lunch. Another bonus was the time saving. No more waking up at 5:30 to commute.
All seemed well for those of us who could work at home. We were privileged. Many others were put out of work. The federal government started a program to give pay to those who were now unable to work. Everyone got the same pay. It was not enough for rent in this city. I worried about my friends who had to go through that.
The weekdays were fine for me until the end of my shift. This was when reality set in for me. Working kept my mind occupied and prevented me from dwelling on the situation. I did not feel alone as I had to collaborate with coworkers via Microsoft Teams. When I wasn’t working, I was free to feel lonely. Chatting with friends online, via text, or via phone calls did not alleviate my loneliness.
I played a lot of video games during those times. Games such as The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator, Train Simulator, and Train Sim World allowed me to escape isolation by living in a virtual world.
While we were isolated at home with nowhere to go but the grocery stores, I kept up with affairs in Africa. My favorite African YouTubers were still broadcasting and I could see that life was going on in the Motherland. They did not have to endure the long lockdowns that we did in the West. A part of me felt jealous seeing some of my YouTubers and friends enjoying cafes, bars, night clubs, etc. while I was stuck at home scared for my life.
It was during those Dark Days when I saw Africa shining and carrying on. Scientists are not sure why it did not impact the continent like it did in the West, but I am so thankful it didn’t. Africa is my original home. My ancestors were stolen from the Motherland. They were forbidden from speaking their own languages. They were mixed in with Africans from various tribes… creating a sort of “hybrid” African.
During the pandemic, while people in the West endured some Dark Days, the African continent, once called the “Dark Continent” continued to thrive. The pandemic caused a lot of tech companies to switch to a hybrid model. Now that things have returned to normal, I am able to work in our office… but we are now on a hybrid schedule. I work 2 days on-site, 3 days at home. I love it. I love hybrid work. It fits me, a hybrid African who is fiercely proud of his Yoruba, Bini, Esan, Mende, Akan, and Igbo roots.