THE SCOURGE OF OUR TIME; PART 1
‘SCOURGE, PUNISHMENT, SUFFERINGS, WICKED
ATTRIBUTES, BITES OF LACK, PERPETRATING EVIL, LOINS OF DECEIT etc. I can go on
and on’.
‘THE WORLD HAS TURNED INTO A PLACE FOR THE BRAGGARTS,
THE EVIL DOERS, THE VAGABONDS, THE SCOUNDRELS AND THE SCAVENGERS’!
MAYBE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE ESIABA
REFERRED TO AS ‘THE WRETCHEDS OF THE EARTH’!
Why do we have to leave a scar on one another?
Why do we have
to be scoundrels who scourge on one another?
Looting peoples’
emotional and psychological wealth?
What gain do we achieve from inflicting
pain on our fellow humans?
What
is the gain from achieving a wrought?
… THE STORY OF AKU
I am Aku. I am 22years old. If I knew what this world has in stock for
me, I would have begged God to leave me up there with him.
Do I need to tell you how my
mum died from the stones of the ‘sinless’ crowd, who mobbed her because she was
mad and stole ‘mangala’ fish?
Or do u wish to hear how my father,
who was a fire maker at a bakery got burnt by the same fire he made for years?
The most amazing of all, is
how my grandmother called me a witch, who used her parents for sacrifice and
still remained in penury.
My story is bitter not
because I lost my parents to death through painful means, but because my life
was ripped apart by the same people who are of this world.
I moved from the village to
the city, because I believed the city has more to offer; free education, easy
money, good people and lots of goodies …
My aunt received me; and
immediately recruited me into the Akara frying and selling business. Mrs. Kome is a renowned Akara seller on
the busy street of Olewa. She’s a short, smart woman, who dreams and wakes up
with the frying pan.
I liked the business, because
it’s a moving train. People patronize
her very well. At the end of every morning and evening we make more than
=N=3,000 from Akara, pap, plantain, potatoes and fried yam.
Things were moving as I
proposed except that I never talked about going back to school, because my aunt
said she couldn’t afford for a secondary school, so every afternoon, I visit a
low profile commercial school near the house, stand by the window to capture
words with my pencil and paper. After every school hour, I come back home to
recite and cram what I have copied from the school board.
Hmmm! Life is tough and can
never come on a bed of roses; my philosophy though.
.
Life continued that way till
one fateful evening, I couldn’t join my aunt at her ‘Akara Centre’ as people
fondly called the spot, as there was no food at home and I had to prepare
dinner. I was cooking when the husband came home.
Mr. Kome, a
tall, thin man, who comes back home dead drunk almost every night; and today
was no exception.
I pity my aunt because she
has no child to comfort her, at times like this.
Did I mention that Mr. Kome also bagged a degree in wife beating? Hmmm! Infact I will
say a PhD.
I welcomed him, served him
food, and went to the store, which my aunt converted to a room for me, since it
is a one bedroom flat.
As I was lying down, reading
and cramming the English that I copied from the school board, a hard knock came
on the door. Before I could stand up to the door, the door gave way and Mr. Kome rushed in like a rat pursued
by a lion.
He said in pidgin, ‘ wey your
madam?’ I answered, ‘she dey akara centre sir’. He came nearer, as a foul smell
mixed with alcoholic stench hit my nose. He muttered; your food make sense pass
your madam. Hope say u go sweet like your food?’
