Good day everyone! In this article, I'll be sharing about my home town with y'all, and by the end of this write-up, you'll know as much as I do about it, including where it's located, our language, the food we eat, and some of the lovely tourist attractions and traditional events that take place there.

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Although in my mind, or should I say based on the knowledge of what I've been taught from my tender age, I know what home is, but I decided to check Google to see if it corroborated with my definition, and surprisingly, it doesn't. Below is a definition I found online, and they seem to be in agreement on the meaning. Well, if that truly is the meaning, then I guess we Nigerians don't see it that way.

The city or town where one was born or grew up, can also be regarded as the place of one's principal residence.~_{Marriam Webster}

But base on my understanding our home town can be regarded as our root, our origin, or simply the place where our linage and forefathers are from; it's our identity and where we're regarded as our main home, just like everyone else's. I've got a home, and I'm certain everyone else born of a woman does, because one way or another, your home town can easily trace the origin of our parents and that of theirs.

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OBA

Oba is a small village in the Isin local government area of Kwara state. Just like every other neighboring village, it doesn't have many residents because most of its present generation is spread across the city, but it is a lovely place to be filled with loving, unique, and welcoming people, whose arms are always wide open to help others and welcome strangers.

OUR TRIBE

Although we identify as Yoruba, which is one of the three main ethnic groups in Nigeria, we're Ìgbómìnà by tribe, Igbomina people are scattered around many villages in Kwara State and other neighboring states, and we're identified as the ancient Yoruba people because our forefathers are a descendant of Oduduwa, the founding father of the Yoruba people.

OUR LANGUAGE

Our language is almost identical to the Yoruba language, but ours is called Igboona, and it much harder to speak or understand than Yoruba itself, I personally can't speak it fluently but I understand it perfectly.

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OUR FOOD

We eat everything eaten by the Yoruba people, but the most common and favorite among our people are amala and pounded yam.

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WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE

• NO TRIBAL MARK FOR MALE CHILD: The Yoruba people see the facial tribal mark as a show of wealth and a means of identification, and that's why most Yoruba people's origin can easily be stated by meer studying the pattern of their facial tribal mark, but for we, the Oba Isin people, it's forbidden for a male child to have a tribal mark. I don't know why this is so, and I'm excited I don't get to have one, but then it's understood that only a bastard son of the Oba Isin people has a tribal mark.

• THE RAIN MAKER: One of the most popular things Oba is known for is that it's a town where the citizens can choose to make rain fall, regardless of the season. This was a tale my grandparents told me throughout my childhood, and I felt it were all just tales until I witnessed it myself in 2010. That was my first time visiting my home town, and the purpose was to register for the permanent voter's card in our home as advised by the government.

Some youth corps members from other states who ain't citizens of the place were sent to register us, and while they were there, they heard about the legend of the rain and decided they'll give it a trial to confirm if it were true or not. The thing is that to make rain fall anytime my people want, all they need to do is fetch some water from the river that flows beside a particular mountain and pour the water on the very top of the mountain. History says that the very first drop of water that touches the river from what flows from the top of that mountain will ignite rain immediately.

They were the same and even ran down into the river to monitor the first drop of water coming from the mountain top, and lo and behold, as stated, rain fell immediately, and we all went back into the village drenched with rainwater. Many of them said it was a coincidence, but had they never tried it again, I would have seen it as a coincidence had I not been told that several times during my childhood as well.

• OWU FALL: Owu Falls is a waterfall located in the heart of Isin local government; it's about 10 minutes walking distance from my village, and it has been the reason why tourists and visitors regularly come to enjoy the view and appreciate the beauty of nature.

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That's about all I know about my home as far as some of the stuff I know about it, although there are still more. I'll put an end to it at this point, but you can read @kronias article on my home town in the Hive Learners community to get the full details.

NOTE: The first image was designed by me on canva while the second is a typical way Ìgbómìnà be dressed, and it's a photo snapped at my friend's wedding ceremony.

Thanks so much for reading, have a blessed and productive day.