Motherland WiFi

Motherland WiFi, don't cut tonight
Hello? Hello — you dey hear me?
We dey hear you!
Ah, there you are! Mama, tilt the phone small
Okay o!
Who else is there? Bring everybody!
Everybody dey!

Tuesday night, my little kitchen's cold
Laptop on a cereal box, screen glowing gold
One click and the whole compound appears
Auntie Rose still shouting in my ears
Volume down, Auntie! — never, my dear!
Mama's wrapper bright as a market stall
Cousins leaning in from wall to wall
The pot behind her steaming on the fire
I can almost smell it through the wire
Jollof dancing on a pixel screen
Closest thing to home I've seen

One bar, two bars, three bars, green
Everybody squeeze into the screen
Grandma, you're on mute — the other button there
She laughs, May the road bring you safely home

Motherland WiFi, don't cut tonight
Mama on my screen, whole kitchen bright
Freeze if you must, come back with that smile
Motherland WiFi, bring home for a while

Can you hear me?
I can hear you!
Can you see me?
I can see you!
Motherland WiFi, bring home for a while

My son, you're thin — are you eating at all?
I sent pepper soup spice with Uncle Paul
Your father fixed the gate you used to climb
Your room is still your room — come anytime
That mango tree you planted by the fence
Now it's taller than the roof — can you imagine?
Everybody asks when you are coming home
Keep the money, buy the ticket — don't stay gone
Even frozen, seeing your face makes my day
We miss you o! Come home o!

Motherland WiFi, don't cut tonight
Mama on my screen, whole kitchen bright
Freeze if you must, come back with that smile
Motherland WiFi, bring home for a while

Auntie Rose!
Present o!
Uncle Paul!
He's sleeping!
The twins!
We're here, we're here!
Grandma!
She's dancing off-screen!
Somebody's chicken crossing the frame
I see it!
Six time zones, one family name
Buffering can't hold this much love
It can't!

Hello? Hello?

Home froze on the screen but still warmed my heart
Three thousand miles is the easy part
The hard part is the pot I cannot taste
The chair they keep empty, just in case
I miss the gate, the dust, the evening rain
The way they still call my childhood name

WE CAN HEAR YOU!
I can hear you!
WE CAN SEE YOU!
I can see you!

Motherland WiFi, don't cut tonight
Mama on my screen, whole kitchen bright
Freeze if you must, come back with that smile
Motherland WiFi, bring home for a while
Two kitchens, one song, no goodbye tonight
Across every mile, keep the whole house bright
What should I send you?
Just send yourself!
Motherland WiFi, bring home for a while

Okay, Mama — same time Sunday?
No, you hang up first
The screen goes dark, the kitchen hums
My heart's still loud as compound drums
Motherland WiFi... bring home for a while