People act strangely when you're a stranger

I feel like ever since I've been back in Nigeria, the people I knew, or I thought I knew, have been acting rather strange, different, alternatively even. These are people that are even considered family. Everyone just seems so out for money, hounding for it like mercenaries. They ask the age old question, "What's your value add?" And if they determine you have none, they just move on from you so swiftly and hope that the door don't hit you where the good Lord split you. What if my value add is Love. Unconditional Love. The love I will give to you and the love I expected from you, why, because your family, an inevitable part of me (as I am, at least, yours). 

Two examples come to mind:

On December 17th, 2014, I bumped into Negro at church. I was suffering from a very stiff cough which I suspect I got from him because while we had been copulating that weekend he said he had just recovered from his own bout. I asked him to take me to a pharmacy so I could upgrade my cough syrup and get some juice. He hesitated. Nagged even. He asked in between his fumes, "Why do you always have somewhere to go after church?" He said he had to go to a friend's house. He eventually took me to get the medicine and also to a grocers to get the juice but he never stepped out of the car. He was texting fiercely the whole time he was in the car. As he stopped me at home, he refused to come inside the house so we could have a civilised talk about his text that morning promising to do better. He was just in a hurry, fidgety and high strung like a druggie feigning for his next hit. If he could ask me to jump out of his vehicle he would have. He was that jumpy and in a hurry to make a mad dash. He didn't even bother to help me lug my groceries into the house. 

And where was he off to in such a hurry? My investigation later revealed to me he was feigning for The M's house. He was in a hurry to go see her like his pants were on fire. She had even texted him while he was waiting on me from the shops, asking him to bring her charger. So he was a in a mad dash to get himself to her. I just found that so strange for a man of his character. He never shows his emotions that intently, he never ever looses his cool for a woman. But here he was racing with rapid fire to a woman's house. I keep asking myself, "Has he ever asked himself if he was alright and not on speed?" 

This is someone I considered like my family, my insides. He never stopped to think: My girl is ill. I can be late for dinner but right now, my homegirl is ill. That's how you care about someone.

Strange.

Second example is my brother. My only brother. We've been close ever since we were kids. People used to think we were dating or married because we don't look alike but we were always together. My brother used to cry whenever he disappointed me. Cry, a grown ass man would cry. He would cry and apologize profusely for not living up to my expectations. That's the man I remember. 

I come to stay in his house and he's just strange. On July 31st, 2014 a day after his birthday he is packing to go on a 2 week vacation to London. He asks me to leave his house so he can lock it. He would rather his house remain empty and I roam the streets looking for accommodation than he have me in his house with his mother in law for fear we would get into it. He yelled and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Get your stuff out or I'm gonna throw them out."

This is someone that is family. He never stopped to consider, wait a minute this is my sister, my baby sister who I vowed never to disappoint again. I understand this is my mother in law through marriage but this is my sister. I need to make her happy. 

I keep wondering if there was some "other" power at play in these folks lives, messing with their psyche getting them to act so "foul". Then, I remember my faith in Jesus Christ and remember but God is at play in their lives, that's what's most important. Can it be they just succumbed to the "value add" syndrome? I have no value add to their lives thus I am determined henceforth "irrelevant" to their general wellbeing.

Lagos has shown me many things. Many character revelations. I shall remember this time.