Whispers from Nakba

Chapter One

COMMUNAL COMMINGLING OF STRANGE CREATURES

I have a few thoughts to share; a few thoughts to give invoice for shipment overland, over islands and overseas. I feel it's time for me to withdraw memoir from memory bank on a memory lane as clear as today. Seemingly, as of recent occurrence; as recent as yesterday, but it is all a throwback in a flash: a flashback to childhood.

I used to accompany my father; our footprint were often published on footpaths amidst the bushes which leads to father's farmland.

Father had registered me in elementary school, but i always manage to find my way back to father's farm as soon as breaktime passes by: well of coarse that was my optimum fun time back then.

Back then, the order of the day in father's farm were aligned with tasty times: in the afternoon, one could tune into some roasted maize, munching on them like you're playing an harmonica, at night, one could find a hilly heap of pounded yam resting on a plantain leaf, waiting to be mounted on by me. Besides, we had traps that hunted down various games, we also came across snails and edible mushrooms; which were all diverse means to a unified end, which is to satisfy and gratify esculent desires.

A large river banked my father's farm. I had a lot of fishing activities within that water body; it's not like I was exposed to a fishing net of some kind, i was pretty much the hook, line and sinker type, and whenever i launch them into this river, I plunge through the front edge of paradise.

My father was so much of help to me, he knows my weak point in the entire line of action; he understands my body language, especially when i begin to seek an upright posture with both hands behind my waist to support my bottom spine. This is often his observation every morning, when I'm beginning to worn out, as a result of farm work. He will ask me to take a break when the sunshine becomes more apparent with exhaustive heat, and it becomes quite obvious that my energy is fast burning out, he will say to me: "go and take shade in the farmhouse", after a while of rest, he'll grant me the permit to go fishing.

Nothing less than kingship is the rare privilege bestowed by The Supreme Being upon farmers over his terrestrial plantation as well as the vegetative portion of His natural creation. What may be beyond the norms of the village culture still abides within the farmers accustomed tradition; extraordinary in the sight of ordinary people is within a farmer's ordinary view. If a man be doubtful of the infinite prowess of Almighty God, let him wander into the woods to catch a glimpse of the overwhelming wonders He portrays through strange creatures therein: tall trees and short ones, big birds likewise small birds, the mighty elephant, the creepy tortoise, the sneaky snake, the sluggish snail, the blind bat as well as the owl which sees roundabout nightfall, so also the dove whose voice announces daybreak; a living alarm that sets off the farmer's daily duties.

Talking about strange creatures, i could never forget to remember what happened to me; it was at a time when we were handed a mid year break from school and academic activities were put on hold. I and my younger sister; our very own penultimate in relation to siblinghood. Mary and I were on the footpath to our father's farm on a very rainy day, we met a river, it brims over, approaching our obvious notice that what was once a footpath had become a stream and for us to cross over, we had to cease from walking and begin to swim. I told my sister to go back home, as soon as Mary left, I had to swim to get across. After swimming across, i took a few steps away from the streaming flood when I saw a strange man walking in front of me, he was a pygmy, unlike any other i had seen since I came into this world. I had never seen a man as short as that before; in stature, he barely measure up to my waistline, and of coarse i wasn't tall at that time, i was only a teenager. This man was going in front of me, and i was coming behind him, this went on for a while, then he suddenly stopped walking and I cloned his footstep out of panic, i just had to mutualize the pause in his movement because it was scary. In a moment, I looked around and when i retraced my gaze to the midget in front of me, i could see him no longer, he was missing from my front view, so I moved forward, after a while, I looked back only to find out he was behind; i was scared to death when i beheld his face: he had only one big eye, located foreface, his eyes resembles a mirror; the type ladies carry about in their handbags. I tried to scream but I couldn't even whisper, my tongue cleaved to the roof of my mouth, my lips couldn't move, but my feet could, i ran as fast as I could, but when i looked back i saw seven of this dwarf demons chasing after me, i tried to increase my pace but to my utter dismay, they caught up with me with swift ease. I was being dragged by my hand into the bush.

After about five minutes, this pygmies brought me before two men, left me there and left. One man was standing in front of me, and another man dressed in rags was standing on my right side.

The one in front of me looked so stunning that it was indeed strange; I had never seen such before: his clothes was pure and holy white, so pure no fuller in this world could wash it whiter than it already is, his cap was gold likewise his sandals. His face was clear as crystal glass, his teach was as the face of heaven, his body like new sprouting leaves by the rivers of water, constantly reflecting God's glory. He held a diamond rod in his hand. He was unlike a man born of a woman, he was a man with no human semblance.

When he saw me, he burst into laughter, then he used his rod to touch me and my fear disappeared. He said to me: "Child, I rejoice with you this very day, The Creator has made up his mind to use you for human race. It is all about God's call of duty upon your life, it is not the work of the children of men. You may still by young, but the old fowl was once a little chick; it is youthful days that pave way for the future. The root is the most essential part of the tree, the sinks and the springs are the source and overseers of the flowing river it streaming tributaries. It is in your youthful days and with your youthful strength you should build on the solid rock. Almighty God is the solid rock; hand over your lifetime to Him, He is the God of gods and the Lord of kings, but do not forget that life is hard, also know that truth brings dispute amongst the children of men, the truth is bitter to their soul, they rather feast on lies served on platters that flatters, but the end of their lively festivities are the passing fancies of deadly vanities. But as for you, seek the truth, know the truth and speak the truth. Be original in every thing you say or do, although the children of men prefer the fraudulent, but that preference is as fleeting as a distant mirage, because the children of men are still the ones who will escort the fraudulent to his or her downfall.

Sometimes, a righteous man may be initially looked down on as worthless, but in the end he is at ease he sits majestically and sleeps peacefully, he will walk with honor and stand in power because he has no hidden agenda, he has been absent in the presence of backbiters so he is fit to justify the innocent and condemn the guilty, since he has not been called behind to handle bribes. No matter how thick the ties that bind lies, a truthful man will cut through even with a blunt knife.

If many will awake from that deathbed of lies, then the truth must be told no matter the resistance, also know that life in this world is not a bed of roses, so endurance is essential.

Observe your environment, take a look at those trees, each is quite distinct: one taller than the other; also observe those pygmies that brought you here, take a look at this man standing beside you putting on rags and observe how his outfit differ from mine: such is life; united in diversity as you have been visually exemplified.

In all these things, with endurance and patience you will inherit the earth. Endurance will enable a man to stand before the great, but the weary will fall behind.

I also want you to be careful and be respectful; honor the elders, beware and be aware of the blemish of pride, don't allow even a drop sprinkle up to stain you. Pride stands as a stumbling block which the devil places in the ways of this dark world so that the children of men can fall in utter destruction. But verily I say end of the the devil is at hand, the day of judgement draws near, where the righteous will live forever justified and the wicked will die forever condemned: so therefore, never allow the devil cloth with the shoulder padded straitjacket of pride, but instead, let God to suit your soul with the spirit of humility. Nevertheless, humility differs from stupidity, your humility should never make room for stupidity: a man should not venture that path of misguided humility which denounces the delicacies on an high table of honor, just to shamefully scrabble for crumbs under the table like a rabid dog.

For the sake of all these and many more, your trust and believe should be in Almighty God and Him alone, make His presence your humble abode, because pride is absent in His presence. Behold and look upon the man by your right hand side; observe him carefully, because the paths of you both will definitely collide in the nearest future, when you come of age, he'll come to you as a message from God, he'll bring you messages which you must publish roundabout the whole world, only then will you fully underground these things, but for now, take your studies seriously and make an enlightened way for the days to come, for a time will come when your father shut his eyes and leave this world behind because death comes to all; but you must be strong and courageous enough to proceed and leave a living legacy behind for forthcoming generation: therefore proceed this very moment, may God fill your life with goodness; my regards to your father, your mother, your younger ones, most especially Mary your sister, goodbye for now".

After saying these words, he handed me over to the man in rags, he told him to show me the way back to the footpaths which leads to my father's farm. This he did. And after I veered off from the footpath into my father's farm, the man in rags went ahead on his way.