"I moved from Nigeria to Canada-by accident"

I came to Alberta to visit family in 2019. I never left.

- Folusho Oloyede

IN 2019, I WAS LIVING IN IBADAN, NIGERIA, with my wife, Kenny, and our four-year-old son, Dotun. I worked as a high school teacher. One of my sisters, Jummy, had recently moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, with her husband, who was doing his postdoc there. They'd just had a son, so I flew to Canada that November to meet him. My trip was only supposed to last a few weeks, but Jummy liked having me around so much that she suggested I extend my stay until late March of 2020, so I could celebrate my birthday with them. I applied for extended leave from my job and rescheduled my flight home.

Then came COVID. I tried to get a flight out but the borders were closed. I was stuck in Alberta. I felt miserable and useless for the next few months, because I couldn't be a father to my son and a partner to my wife during such a difficult time. Sometimes I spent four hours on video calls with them, despite the seven-hour time difference. My son was upset with me. "You told me you'd be gone for a couple of weeks!" he cried.