Ona Akinde

Ona Akinde is a Nigerian writer, born and raised in Lagos. Her work has appeared in Oyster River Pages, Arts and Africa, and other publications. She is currently an MFA Fiction candidate in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston, where she serves as an Assistant Nonfiction Editor for Gulf Coast. She is also a recipient of the Inprint C. Glenn Cambor Fellowship.

REPOTTING by Ona Akinde

February 3, 2025 · Creative Nonfiction

1 at the airport in lagos, we find out my bags are overweight. it doesn’t surprise me. how was I supposed to fit years of my life into two 23kg suitcases? I buy an overpriced ghana-must-go bag to replace the heavier suitcase so I have more room for my things but my bags are still overweight. my mother is frantic as we pack and unpack, and I decide what else to let go of. “are you sure you don’t need this? the dress is nice on you,” she asks as I hand her another item of clothing to take back…

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