There was going to be a link between
a suffering present and a pleasant future. The object of change would be me;
but looking around me nothing seems like it. “All things bright and beautiful”
seems to me the only song that helps my questioning God when I first saw a
black man riding like a king amongst white men and they were saluting him ‘sir’.
The entrance of the premier into the Nembe community was like a heavenly body streaming
among mere mortals. With wet clothes we were running across the coast waving as
he sped away with so much military guidance at the shores of the gulf of
guinea. The cold and dark night was in a solitary place for me as I knew I
loved what I just saw, and I would try my best to get close to power. For the
first time in my life I knew fishing wasn’t the best profession for me. I
called my papa as I got back home and told him how well I loved what I saw. He
told me it wasn’t meant for people like us. And with an African adage he told
me to look at my fingers. I saw it wasn’t equal…. That’s how God created the
world my son. I felt grieved and I asked God in tears why he created me into a
city characterized by fishing, drinking and a wasteful product that spills on
our soil later called oil.
My neighbour Perezimo heard when I
was telling my father about becoming like a premier, and he told me after papa
left, that the only way to attain such status is through school. If you don’t
learn the ways of the white you cannot be like them. Many other advices came
and when I finally made up my mind; it was dusk. I walked to papa and told him
I want to go to school. He laughed and told me it was an abomination for
someone from our family to learn the ways of the whites. It was our turn to
serve the owuamapu god and who am I, to think I’m leaving the gods to school.
Lastly even if I agree there is no money. If you can raise the money yourself
go to school your brothers would help me…….. Words from papa. I left the house
with a lantern and as a seven year old boy; I took my first adventure of
sleeping by the shores of the river, so that I can catch fish early the next
morning.
The men in my town don’t wake up
early. They all drink till late in the night thus they wake up late mornings. I
slept off on the cold sand while thinking and the cold of the morning woke me
up. At the second cock crow I was awake and ready to set sail. But I remembered
I needed to pray and for the first time without being coerced I prayed to the
God of the whites in heaven for a successful catch.
I got a full boat of fish before the
fourth hour of the day. This is what papa wouldn’t even get a full day. I
dragged the boat to the shore to sort out the fish and the white man named Henry
Shaw that lives across the river on a beautiful island came and asked if I was
selling. I happily told him yes and he asked what I wanted to use money for. He
called me a small boy and within I wept that how come a common British boy,
privileged is calling an African leader a small boy. But for the future ahead,
I ignored him as I told him I want to use the money for school. Suddenly I saw
the amazement in him as he asked if I was serious. He put me in his speed boat
as we dragged my boat along to the other side. His uncle gave me thirty three
shillings; a little more than I make on a regular basis and told me to tell
papa to come and thumbprint for me so that I can start school at their camp.
When I narrated the story to papa he
was happy. I was surprised at his happiness and I thought to myself how come
this man had just forgotten his dream of us being the ones to serve the god of
the land. He collected the thirty three shillings and bought local gin with it.
His friends joined him as they drank to my admission. I couldn’t sleep. This
was the first step for me and if this could be possible; all things would be. I
woke the same time like yesterday and the same way I prayed to the God of the
whites. At this point I knew the God answers prayers. Papa couldn’t wake up
till noon and when he was awake he got angry that I didn’t wake him up. He
pulled my ear into the boat as we travelled the distance into the island. When
we got there they asked my father if he was aware I would be a student as from
the next day. He said yes and they gave him a paper to thumbprint to show
consent. I was going to start the next day. I was given knickers and a shirt to
wear while coming, and that no fishing before school.
I now had a regular time of waking
up. I brought out the cloth and wore it. It was bigger than me, but I wore it
like that as I slowly walked to my canoe. Paddling slowly not to be too early;
I sailed to the other side of the sea. And it was the third crow that I got
there. They took me to a class accurate for me and when I entered everyone
started laughing. I looked around and saw I was so different and the most
obvious of it was that…………………………………….. I
wore no shoes….
.jpg)
