THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR 1: THE FALSE DAWN

THE MIDNIGHT VISITOR 1: THE FALSE DAWN

  November 14, 2018    InspireForte Solutions

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Life as we know is a plot of endless turns and twists. If tossed like a coin, at one moment it could be on its head - exciting and fulfilling for you, and at another it could be on its tail - bitter and sorrowful too. In another perspective, life could also be seen in three phases – the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good is usually full of sweet experiences that are far from the harsh realities of a hard-knock life. The bad is usually a blend of both the good and the ugly – it’s neither exciting nor sorrowful, but things don’t always seem blissful all the time, and while the ugly has everything to do with so much anguish, pain, sorrow and suffering. It’s an experience no one would love to live. For the people of Akubiri, life was very ugly for us.

At the village assembly, you could see wretchedness in the eyes of the people with many looking pale and on the brink of death due to hard sufferings. Our land was void of water like a desert and our leaves withered like a rotten corpse. We seemed like a people cursed by the gods. Just as we were about to grudgingly finding solace in our misery and to the thick clouds of obscurity, there came light at the end of the tunnel. How did our fortunes change?

'They say time is the wisest counselor of all'. How long shall we continue to endure the heat of the midday scorching sun that has made our head bald in hard labour?

'It is also been said that time waits for no man'. Shall we continue to feel the excruciating pain of hunger that has sapped every ounce of strength in our mortal bodies and killed our dreams?

Where and how far can we go if our minds are clouded with hopeless thoughts that make our weak and aged legs fail to take steps to where we can get help?

That has ceased our breath to the death and killed our young minds like still babies.

“Shall we continue to suffer:

Pain for gain, Fear to preach our faith

Bane for fame, Shame to cover our nakedness under a shade

Insanity for the cause of change, Plagues that have destroyed our high places and palace,

Because fate has brought upon on false dawns.

Slavery for survival, Sorrow to live for tomorrow”

“I promise to give to our beautiful land:

Beauty for ashes,

Pounds for years of hardship

Rain of wealth for years of hard sufferings

To find a cure to our plagues and make a way for our children's sake

Gladness to brighten our faces of sadness

And hope to rekindle our stars for a glorious tomorrow.

To have sweet voices to sing new songs

And dance to an ode to celebrate our divorce with poverty.

Votive gifts to make our land fertile

And prosperous for increase from dawn to dusk

Him that has ears let him hear, I have spoken...!”

I can never forget that very day as Chief Maduka, the wealthiest man in my village, who was also a politician made promises that would better the lives of the people if they supported his political ambition.

During his days on earth's walkway, he was widely referred to as 'nwoke obodo oyinbo'. Just recently back from his journey to the white man's land, his name was good music in the ears of all villagers as he was too generous to a fault. His words were sweeter than the honey from bees. He was husband to the widow and they nicknamed him 'dike'. He gave us access to modern infrastructures to make us feel at ease and education to empower the young. Our hearts beamed like the halogen lamp and our smiles were as wide as River Nile. Mazi Maduka’s return coincided with the New Yam Festival celebration. The ceremony was grand as he made sure the people had more than enough to eat and drink. A new dawn arose for the people and life became worth living. The grass became greener in our fields, but unknown to us our joy was short-lived…

To be continued…