Mawelele – Ngempela

The word means truly, really, indeed. It is what you say when you want somebody to know you are not joking. In Nigerian speech we do the same with “honestly” or “for real”, and sometimes with a long, drawn-out “seriously” that tells the other person to sit up and listen. It is a small word, but it carries a lot of sincerity.

What I like about it is how flexible it is. Said to a partner, it is a promise. Said to a friend who doubts your story, it is a defence. Said after a long silence, it can be the first real thing a person admits. The same word can sit at the start of a confession or at the end of a long explanation, and it will fit either place.

There is also something worth noticing about a title that asks to be believed. People only say it when trust is in question, so the word quietly hints at a situation where somebody has been doubted or is trying to be taken seriously. Anyone who has had to repeat themselves before being heard will know that feeling well.

Whether it is love, money or a plan you are tired of defending, the mood is easy to place. It suits the moment when you stop arguing, look someone in the eye and say what you mean. Ngempela is a short word, and that may be why it lands so firmly.