In one of the streets in Lagos, one could feel the coziness of the the atmosphere in the vicinity . It was a weekend and bars graciously opened up their doors to welcome men who just wanted to drown in their momentary pain, sorrow, happiness, or perhaps depression with their favourite addictive brew, popularly known as “green bottles”.

One of the bars I visited was just at the corner of the street; its shade could accommodate only a handful, but more space was made available outside. The medley music played complemented the mood for the night, and I guess the men there had their ears seasoned with good Afrobeat rhythms..

Surprisingly, I was the only lady amidst twelve men who were attached to each table. There were four of the circled furniture, and I occupied one of them. Amidst this scenario, I couldn’t stop wondering why these men were not surrounded by women; it was a weekend, after all.

All these male folks were just hanging out with their smoke pipes, which had “Quit Smoking, it kills” boldly written on them. They also had some pepper soup and chilled bottles of beer in various brands to take solace in their distress.

It must have been a night where the men declared a strike against any form of side chic or side hustle; it became a night between themselves and the green bottles. I watched keenly as the first table had a couple of guys interacting and spicing their conversations with humorous laughter.

Conversations were flowing freely on each table but what caught my attention was one of the men advocating against men marrying illiterate women. He cited a story of how his friend is currently in dilemma because of the dehumanizing treatments from his illiterate wife. They all sympathized with the man in such traumatic situation.

Curiosity prompted me to ask some men a couple of questions on the green bottles. Nonso , an Igbo guy, said green bottles intimate relationships among men. He also encouraged fellow men to teach their wives to drink beer to avoid boredom at home. The Igbo man, however regretted not teaching his wife how to consume brew during their courtship. Another Lagosian, Mike, said that purchasing green bottles for the guys cement lost souls, foster friendships as well as help one to seal a deal.

After this session of interaction, I have crystalized my thought that , in the masculine realm, there is something intimate between men and the green bottles. Some men even prefer to take delight in drowning in drunkenness to being stifled by their nagging wives. They believe green bottles understand their pains more and each chilled green bottle makes them escape the woes of reality.

So, this substance has become part of men’s world and if a broken friendship needs amendment, a chill brew is a required nessessity. No wonder it is called “a bottle of understanding”.