MY TREASURED DESIRE

CHAPTER SIX: Africa, Here We Come - 1

Nri City, East of the Niger, Africa.

Ndidi Alexa George-Orji’s Point of View.

Africa is the land of original naturality, beauty, and tourism. But I must speak about the African Country to which the East of the Niger belongs – Nigeria. It is the most misunderstood nation where wealth and relationships thrive, largely. Hence, the nation attracts harsh reports from the scorners. Nigeria has the most sophisticated and positively growing economy in the world, being the largest Gas and Oil Producing Nation in Africa. It is blessed with endless natural resources – no wonder, it is the best African economic partner to the world’s largest Asian Economies.

Nigeria also has a population of over 250 million people that speak about 500 languages, though people conveniently classify the nation by its 3 largest ethnic groups – Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo in order of Population size. The East of the Niger is the Igbo Nation, the third-largest nation in Nigeria. Nigeria is the 6th most populous nation in the world and has a large congregation of Youths that promotes its unique festivals and Art.

Nigerians are known to be intelligent, hard-working, and creative people with a never-say-never attitude to creativity and industry - complimenting their attitude with a friendly and accommodating spirit. Still in the Arts, Nigeria has the second-largest film industry in the World – Nollywood – and has pioneering Afro-beats prowess in Music Productions, to complement Africa’s dance and celebrative lifestyle. They have many billionaire stars to show for their visual and performing Arts… It is also the World’s largest religious, but constitutionally secular nation: It has more Churches and Mosques than any other nation in the world.

Nigeria is a multi-cultural nation. Having over 260 distinct and powerful tribes with unique civilised cultures imported to other nations of the world. Nigeria has a rich array of cuisines, fashion, and styles which promotes tourism. In the North, at the Niger-Benue Area, Kofar Mata Dye Pit exists and excels – in Kano - since 1498, preserving the African tye and dye culture and fashion till today. Nigeria has three spectacular UNESCO World Heritage sites: in the North, Adamawa – Sukur Cultural Landscapes; in the West, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Groves in Osogbo, Osun State; and the Ulli Culture in the East of the Niger. Art is pure and priceless in Niger Area. From the Benin Kingdom through all the parts of Nigeria, Nigerian Contemporary Artists and Artisans are wealthy, creative, and unrivalled beyond Africa.

In 1986, an indigenous Nigerian, playwright, and writer, Prof. Wole Soyinka – from the most educated tribe in the Nation, Yoruba land, became Africa’s first Nobel Peace Prize Winner, in Literature. Nigeria also has the world's most diversified forms of animals, birds, and even most colourful butterflies: 1000 species of butterflies exist in Nigeria alone! Nigeria is a beautiful place.

Let me take you back to the Gala Event, briefly. I was in a convoy of about 15 Cadillac Limousines driving through the wide tarred road that leads to the Palace Crescent. I could see that Reese Chang – my Princess friend who is a Medical Practitioner (a neurosurgeon) - was feeling “carried-away” looking at the long winding craft of our spectacularly designed Royal Palace fence. Beyond the uniformly tall Palm Trees planted painstakingly within equal distances from the next, the fence itself was made up of enticing, golden corrugated iron rods sunk into the white, four feet high, solid concrete base.

Through the golden iron rods, she must have a view of the masterpiece that is the alluring residence of the Paramount Ruler of the East of the Niger. These are white with the golden touch, look-alike sprawling mansions, in a seemingly natural habitat… Reese had been with me here before, but we took one of the Royal Choppers and landed straight on my dad’s helipad, in all cases. So, this view should be new to her. It must have been difficult to imagine how vast the Palace Compound really is from how she had been seeing it.

There is no night here… The whole Oil-Palm Rich State is electrically powered by the Alex George-Orji Oil and Gas Company. My dad said that it would be his legacy to send darkness out of Nigeria, as soon as possible - a vision shared by his first son and 40% shareholder in that Company, Dr. Alex Junior. The Nation's Government enjoyed a 60% discount, which makes it the cheapest electricity Tariff in the World, as the jointly owned company - belonging to dad and my brother - pays the difference.

So, after the beautiful show at the Magnificent Dome, I reckoned that our International Guests need to be taken on a tour of the tourist attractions in Nri, the traditional capital city of the East of the Niger... After inspecting Alexa George-Orji’s Glamour Yacht – the Glamorously Classy Entertainment and Cruise Venue on the Seas, which blew the minds of the visitors, we took them to the Hot Water Springs; the Ogbunigwe and the Civil War relics at the National Museum; The Art Gallery of the Ulli Culture; The 9,958 feet high Nri Waterfalls, and the Tourists’ Delight Swimmers’ Lake, beneath the Falls; The 201-Storey Biafra Palace Hotels Complex Edifice – which looked like the Ancient Pyramids of Egypt from afar, but an amazing wonder from close range… to mention but a few places we visited before this convoy returned to dad’s Palace.

I got to know that almost all the tourists had been informed that the Biafra Palace Hotels was my dad’s gift to the Oil-Palm Rich State Government before he was chosen by the President and Commander-in-Chief to serve his Nation as an ambassador to the United Kingdom. He was later popularly elected as the Executive Governor of that State.

However, I had insisted that the guests would be better hosted in the visually charming Royal Guests’ Mansions in the Heart of the vast palace compound… I had advised Grandpa that no Hotel could be better remembered for hospitality’s sake, than our palace’s Royal Guests’ Mansions – complete with the best of International Chefs who could perfectly prepare any cuisine, meal or delicacy, dessert, food, or drinks that exist in any chosen land. Already at your Service, are well-trained hospitality practitioners that are specially equipped with world-class etiquettes for Service Delivery… This hospitality thing is my best way to – annually - welcome our friends to Africa: The Natural Haven of Safety, Hospitality, and Respect!

“WOW!” Reese, my gorgeous best friend, from Asia, enthused after being overwhelmed by the scenery – just as the convoy cherished the smooth ride on the way to the vast Palace Gates. She called my attention: “EnDee.” Or simply, N.D. - That is how my friends’ shortened form of calling my African middle name sounds like. It is more endearing to me, that people hardly call me by my first name, Alexa. Only my Bishop, Grandpas, Grannies, Mom, and Dad have their self-given right to do that. You know these old people... Reese’s smooth British accent broke into my thoughts again: “EnDee – I’ve just seen a Palace abode that is so vast, yet, well planned and so-classy. This is arguably better than my grandpa’s awe-inspiring Imperial Palace in Achaia. Those two old friends must have taken years to keep planning what to do with their endless flow of foreign currencies!”

“I concur that our grandfathers are geniuses with exotic tastes! Your dad’s palace enjoyed a great rating by Forbes: So, don't be that humble.” I replied with a smirk betrayed on my face. I quickly followed up: “But, I will take you to my favourite spot in my father’s side of the inner Palace.”

“Our Own Crown Prince – My Big Brother, Reynold - told me that African Princes keep live Lions, Tigers, Zebras, Bears, Chimps, Monkeys, Cows, and all sorts of deep forest animals as pets… Not in a cage but walking amongst humans! Do you have such a reality in this Palace?” Reese Chang wants to know.

But I do not enjoy giving out so much information about my own family. That is a common factor between Reese and me. However, we both love to probe to know about others. So, I played our game: “Is that another way for Dr. Reese Chang to tell her host that she’s scared? Did you say your brother’s name was Reynard – the Fox in the medieval beast epic?”

The Two of us started poking each other and laughing, till we noticed that our convoy took a moment to stop, for about a hundred Zebras to cross the tarred road on which our cars were passing… “Seems like we are already in the heart of your Palace…?” Reese asked, with a flash of excitement in her sparkling blue eyes: We have those blue eyes in common too... My Mom’s eyes… All our boys: my elder brother and cousins have sparkling brown eyes like my grandpa and his Crown Prince – My dad. That fits their extremely fair African skins. Hence, people call the royals, blue-blooded white people. I also wonder too: There is no single albino in our family, so why that skin colour? My Grandma is a Caucasian European. So, marrying white ladies as their father did, Uncle Floyd’s and my Dad’s offspring deserve to be that fair-skinned!

Her sweet voice rang again: “These horse-like African Mammals of the genus Equus, and their pattern of very dark brown stripes on shiny white background furs… I heard that they are endangered species… How come you have such a large collection?”

“I guess – this is part of what you must see in the heart of Africa. They could be endangered species in other parts of the world but not here, Reynard’s sister,” I continued with my playful attitudes, until Reese pulled at my pointed nose, and quipped:

“My Brother is not a Fox… He is Crown Prince Reynold Chang. Is that your attitude in Africa?” Pausing to laugh a bit after stressing the name Reynold, she pulsed her mouth in a self-satisfied smirk and continued. “How I wish he’s not such a busy fellow. You visited Achaia for a month, but spent a week in the palace, six years ago. Two years ago, you spent your one month's leave with us, but he was – then - on his business trip to England. So, you missed a chance to meet him…” She then turned to me and caused her voice to be deepened… “But don’t expect me to leak his pictures to you. So, if you need to stop being choosy, I’ll tell you – on his behalf - that you are the kind of girl my non-egotistic brother cares about! He’s a Trillionaire, but he loves the down-trodden so much – Just like you.” She noticed that I suddenly became so reserved and detached. So, she requested to know, with mock concern: “Are you scared about handsome guys?”

“I hate toying with my emotions. For, I want to keep my virginity for my husband…” I answered as a matter of fact.

How I wish my chauffeur - and self-styled bodyguard - had chosen to spend a part of his vacation with us in Africa… I am missing him. In my heart, he seems to be the same person as his namesake. To be factual, with this kind of one-time unchangeable mindset of mine, wonders will never cease to be. I do not always go wrong whenever I feel this way. Could I be right on this? That would be… Strange!