Water and fire

There is a difference between a song writer and a singer.The song writer may have all the emotions poured out into a piece of paper but the singer is like an evangelist who spreads the Gospel he did not write. He lends his voice to something he believes in and in a magical way manages to give the writer's emotion life.

Reading through Chinua Achebe "There Was a Country" leaves me with several questions but something is certain he intended to let the world hear the truth, and in that process he has done something which Nigeria will eventually pay for. He has given history life. Should this book be read by children with minds like mine, we are headed for war, a war of thoughts, a war of questions, a war of "what ifs", "what went wrong", a war to find Justice. On the other hand depriving children of the knowledge of their history is day light robbery_ just like an adopted child fumes with anger rather than appreciation even if he was picked from the dustbin. The first question on his mind is, why did you not tell me? He goes on a voyage of discovery trying to find his roots.
His book and made me re-think the one Nigeria mantra. The embarrassing statement by a monarch of Lagos and the appreciation of such thoughtless expression by an artiste of no mean, repute_ has left me wondering what the civil war did to us as a people. In my opinion it simply pushed us farther away from each other, Achebe is merely fuelling that fire with gory tales of History.
Though this book has failed to mention the contributions of my people asides the general impression that we participated in adding to the rising number of casualties. Let me ask Achebe a huge question, where was the space for Southerners?

#girlfromthesouth

THE MILK MAID

LIGHTS AND DRAMA

GOSSIP FROM THE COURT-ROOM

             CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF THE FAMILY


   GOSSIP FROM THE COURT- ROOM

I will start today by giving my apologies for my writings, my sincere apologies to every single person who reads  this blog and does not meet rhyme schemes. I am just an apprentice learning from my teachers notes. I also want my writings to be understood by people "who have no shoes", by people who cannot afford quality education because their parents are not rich like yours.
Truth is my parents are poor people, my Dad is a retired bus conductor and my mother's skill is cooking, so you can bet I cook better than you. Meals cooked using firewood taste better than that which you cook in your glass houses using gas cookers. That is something I learnt form my mother_ am sure she was passing on an advice her wretched parents gave to her.
Let me not derail I promised to share some gossip with you from the court room.
Today I saw a Judge flaunt the rules, he tried to make it work. The Judge obviously wanted the petitioner to lose the case, he held several pre-trial conference in a bid to reconcile both parties but the petitioner was adamant. The petitioner wanted the marriage dissolved because the woman is now too academically backward for  him _ considering his position in life, and some other bedroom related reasons. After the court rose, the respondent went to the Judge's chambers to speak with him.
I watched the woman from a crack in the Judge's door, she was weeping, she told him.
"My lord, I have endured 5abortions for this man before we got married.I have gone through difficult child-birth, some which almost took my life but am glad I have beautiful children to show.I have stood by this man from our university days till now he seems to be larger dan life".
"I have been a faithful wife, constantly treating myself of sexually transmitted disease (s) he had given me freely.I have been a good mother, I quit my Job and let go my career to ensure I am always there for my children".
"I began to watch porn with him so that I can take up a role later at night, only to have different men sleep with me in my dream, you see these pornographic stuffs come with their own devilish influence.I have endure sitting on hot water after each round of sex so to be able to walk the next day. I tried to please him.Some days, I would be hung from a fan  for hours while he pounce on me screaming as if all of the world was coming to an end".
"He wants to leave me because am no longer as smart as I used to be. I have not had the time for self-improvement. I have spent years making food and warming his bed. We built his business empire together, I sacrificed for us to service loans, I wore inferior clothes for him to invest his profits. I know I cannot match the standard of the "fake" women he carried about. I just want a roof over my head, he will kick I and the kids out".
"My Lord, I know I may sound silly but I still love him, I want our marriage to work, please do not grant him a divorce please, what would the society say?They will give my children names. I have given up my life for him".
"Please help me".
The Judge took a long look at her and said_ "I too have been through a divorce. She did not leave me, she killed me first before doing that.   She brought men into our home while I sat here presiding over cases and writing Judgements. She tried to poison me twice that's why I have a bad eye_ he pointed to his left eye".
"She would beat me at the slightest provocation, I tried to fight back by begging her sometimes to please quit. Her bad ways and that would earn he an empty plate of breakfast and dinner, constant nagging and no sex".
"This was the routine of my life up until this morning, my lawyer just called to say the Judge had ruled in her favour".
"Tonight I have no home or house to go back to, I have no children to kiss goodnight, she took them away. Am an old Judge trying for the past five years to do Justice in other people's lives while mine is a bed of injustice".
The Judge secretary walks in and I have to adjust on the chair, so it won't appear I was peeping.
I will go back to court on Friday, hopefully their fate will be sealed.
As I gossiped about a woman's family woes to you_ tomorrow it will be your turn, I will share your gossip.
If you wish to claim you do not gossip I will give you three instances which you have been an active "backbiter"
*your opinions on Obama's assent to the same-sex marriage bill, did you write him a personal letter abi you spoke behind his back?
*your opinions about IS and President Assad have you written them personal letters?
*lets go closer home, which personal letter have you written Buhari

#girlfromthesouth

EDIKAN-IKONG YE ADA -IKUD (TORTOISE)

EDIKAN-IKONG :THE BOWL OF MEAL TORTOISE WAS EATING FROM.



I KNOW HOW IT FEELS...
I know what it feels like to be held....
the feeling of warmth,
the assurance of protection,
the gift of companionship,
the joining of faith,
the show of love,
exploring beauty in togetherness,
the fused dream of a future,
a hope in adversity,
to feel invincible because you are not alone
-SPRUCE-
These are just feelings abi? My writings are not for the Literate! Yes! I do not like discriminating_ that a man did not go to school is that a reason why he should not enjoy the romance of a good story? Are you saying illiterate do not love stories? Or are you saying they do not have conversations? Let me understand not being able to speak English is that illiteracy?
You write books and dupe people of enjoying the rush of adrenaline, you prevent them from enjoying and feeling the emotions behind your words and the story you tell. Call it style I do not buy it! Shakespeare had no right to deprive me of enjoying the true emotions behind his magnificent writings.
Is it the morals or the life lessons in his works? Nobody else comes close to such standard_ but why did you do it? I longed within the four walls of my classroom hoping the teacher could explain a little bit more what you wrote! I wanted to pick up your book unadulterated and flow with the emotions. I read it night and day but I still did not understand entirely.
"Doctor Faustus" a great book with huge lessons for all, what happens when you give your soul to the devil, searching in the dark only to be enveloped by evil. Again it could have been written with someone like me in mind.

Today again am writing for generations unborn, a generation where you and I know there will be no love, a generation where same-sex marriage will be the norm and bills for opposite sex marriage will be marshalled out and deliberated upon like the "Berlin conference" decided if women were humans too.
I will steal from George Orwell and write about animals, hoping the next generation of children will still visit the zoo rather than spend days playing "zoo-games". I will also borrow from the folk tales of my people, I am a cunning and I will write about the master
There was famine in the land of Use-ikot Ama ama years before transformation had come to the land.
Ada-Ikud(Tortoise)  Ekpe (Lion), Acha-Acha (Goose), Mkpebem( Bat), Ebok (Monkey) and a host of others had come to a village square meeting hoping to decide what to do to keep them alive.
Ada-Ikud being the head of the village, sat on a high stool making it obvious he was Lord over them. His shell  was all cracked and dry. As he spoke his voice quite low but firm and the animals listened carefully.
He spoke, "my people, if I were full of flesh_ I would ask to be the sacrificial lamb, I would die by your hands and be made food to decorate you tables and fill your empty stomachs. I do not have a mother,child or wife to offer. He wept as he spoke.
After few minutes of silence he said to we must preserve our clan, it is said "no mother sleeps while it's child cries of hunger. It was decided the villagers had voted, every animal whose parent was still alive was to be killed by casting lots.One by one each animal watched it's parents killed and made food.
Every evening Ada-Ikud would stroll out towards the forest, he would stop by the Eto-Akpa (Iroko tree) and sing for a few minutes.
"Etok Nne -nne suk
Usan udia de nno
Ke Ekpe -ikot amom Eka ata
Suk Usan udia de nno"
A rope would come down rapidly from the tree like "Rapunzel's" hair bearing at the end a pot of the most delicious meal.
This continued for days_ then one day Mbepem (bat) and Nkerikid (owl) were flying over. The forest when they heard such sonorous voice and decided to find the owner of such voice.They saw Ada- Ikud (tortoise) standing over a bowl of a delicious meal. They immediately flew back to the village and took word to the other animals and came up with a plan. While the tortoise was having a nap, all the animals went to the forest.
On arriving the spot, Ekpe (lion) sang, but the rope was not let down, other animals tried too but to no luck. Then Mbepem (Bat) sang, and the rope was let down bearing another bowl of a delicious meal , all the animals ate. Afterwards Nkerikid (owl) suggested with revenge in his eyes that Ada-Ikud's mother  (tortoise) should be lured out and killed too like their mothers had been killed. His speech lasted for some minutes like some General charging his army before they went to war. In such rage the animals got together and dragged down the rope and Ada-Ikud's mother came crashing, they tore and ate her up.
Later that night Ada-ikud went to the forest he sang for hours and no rope came down, he sang till his voice cracked, he sang like he was going to die yet no rope came down. Something pierced his hard feet and he had to try and take it off, it was his mother's shell that had pierced his leg. He did not know what to do, his secret had been discovered, he tried weeping but he was far too hungry to waste such amount of energy.
I look up at my younger brother, is that the end of the story? Errrmmmm, he scratches his head and says this to me; I was not there so I do not know what he did next!
#spruce
#girlfromthesouth

TO LURE 30 WARDENS

"NO WOMAN SHOULD BE DEPRIVED THE JOY OF.    MOTHERHOOD NO MATTER HER CRIME"--EMAI


TO LURE 30 WARDENS

The Judge had a thing for me I could see it in his eyes, he looked at me as if I were the murderer. Even if I were "na Im son I kill"? I hear other prisoners talk in whispers they say today is the final day of my hearing, I believe it's judgement day.
As usual my legal representative sat at the front row, elegantly dressed,her emotional attachment to my case was evident from the way she kept tapping her fingers on the huge mahogany table_ she would cast glances at me and then at her notes, there were visible tears in her eyes.
The Judge sauntered into the court room some minutes before the huge black wretched clock struck nine. My case was called. I knew the numbers HC/2014/D506, The State V. Atainim Mkpo-Ayafun. I was led to the dock unfettered by the prison warden who accompanied me to court. My lawyer gave a long speech which I did not pay attention to, even the Judge was not paying attention he kept his eyes fixed on me, he ate me up with his eyes, he undressed me and began to lick me, his tongue and body seemed to be in some kind of rhythm. I consciously held my blouse as if trying to stop him from tearing them away with his gaze. He had committed a crime, he just had carnal knowledge of me without my permission, maybe I cannot prove it but he had sure harassed me with his eyes. I stuck my hand up to say something.
I began to speak of how uncomfortable the Judge made me feel, before I could finish I was hushed they muttered one grammar "contempt of court" and another "committal" aye I did not understand. My counsel was begging the Judge she said a magic word that seemed to calm the judge "purged of all contempt" wetin concern me?
The court session continued normally without any interference of any sort. At the end the Judge read out his judgement, some lengthy stuff meaningless to me. I seemed to be somewhere else, time spent behind bars had changed me. I think it was about me becoming insane rather than being corrected like they claimed abi no be "correctional facility " una dey call am; I was damaged beyond repairs.
"The sentence of this court upon you the convict is that you be hanged by the neck until you be dead and may the Lord have mercy on your soul"
Just then my mind became open, alert, alas cure had come. The realisation suddenly hit me. My elder brother  had been killed earlier  that is what brought me here.
They say I had motive for killing him. I came home to share the goodnews, my boyfriend had popped the huge question and I said "Yes", I was getting married. I saw him sitting on the bed but his back was turned to me, I called and he did not answer the door was open. I walked up to envelope him in my embrace but I met his corpse in a pool of his own blood. I screamed out of fear, and pain_  I could not leave him like that, I called this "Udo obot" shey na police una dey call am. On arrival they tied ribbons all over the house claiming they were marking the crime scene.
They took me away in handcuffs, I was not even allowed to say anything in my defence. The rest of the story_  I do not know, I only remember being taken to a dark cell where my entire life ended.
That dark cell was a prostitution ring, we were taken out on Friday nights fed and washed and given pieces of cloth to wear. "Dance for your freedom we were told"; Nobody knows you exist, you will be killed and no one will question us".
I had been at this for sometime, an amazing customer asked for my company that night. I had danced with lust,fear and hatred that night. The emotion within me was intense and soon bore expression, the dance floor got cleared everyone watched me_ just at the nick of time disaster came calling.
I bathed with my mind made up I was going to runaway tonight, I would beg for mercy later but I needed to do something urgently. Yes! "Money for hand back for ground" a man was going to devour me as usual I thought, my mind had tricked me. My scheduled lover for the night began by asking me to stroke his back, we talked we laughed and drank. Then my foolish brain starting sending signals to my gutter of a mouth, "help me escape this place and I will do anything you ask.
Silence fell_ a tap on the door two hefty dogs were brought in, and he said to me show my dogs your loyalty first. I became drowsy, oh good Lord I wish I slept off, my hand were tied while these animals licked me all over and scratched my skin, they devoured my entire body for hours. I thought the nightmare was over, my body was sent into fits with whips from a horse whip, so did blinding slaps, the bastard was on top of me. I had cried and wept till my body was weak. If this was the price of freedom I would readily pay it.
I do not remember sleeping off, I woke up in a darker cell, I was being punished for last night. My freedom was no where nigh. I was terribly hurt at that realisation, the thoughts of the previous night flooded my brain and I passed out.
 I looked over to the gallery where my fiance sat, he was struggling to hide his tears, I saw my friends and I could not bear anymore. I broke down not in tears, but the will to live was gone, I could not fight.
I was already too damaged, there was nothing left for me, I would carry the scar for years, would any man want me knowing my past even though it was not my fault? These questions tormented me as I was led out of the dock and taken to the van, it was not a black maria like that of the "road to bar beach".
My lawyer came up to my cell the next day, she said the Law would not see me killed if I got pregnant before the day of the execution. Weeks passed and I was still searching for a man who will get me pregnant.
The government was fast responding to the public out cry of overcrowded prisons, a list was made of every inmate awaiting execution. Approval was given to have the sentence carried out in less than two weeks.
Every warden I managed to pay and lure would spill their seed outside my body and threaten to beat me up whenever I complained. There were thirty wardens I had slept with twenty five. I was due for the last five and I had barely one week to go.
I was being laid by the thirtieth prison warden who equally spilled on the floor, In my confusion and desperation, admist tears I sat with my legs stretched apart and I took every single drop of his fluid and put them into my body. I resisted the urge to pee for fear that It may all come out in my urine.
I had five days to go, the prison was being de-congested, I had been scheduled_ my turn had come. I woke up that morning and told myself I must not shed any tear, the locks on my cells were taken away and replaced on my legs and wrists.
I was led to sunlight after so many weeks of utter darkness. They put a black cloth over my face and the pastor began to say some words, my stomach churned and next I vomited. I woke up in the hospital, my results were due to be out soon.
 The Doctor neatly clad in a white Lab coat said to me, "congratulations, madam you are going to be a mother". The Doctor immediately turned away after asking every official in the room to step out side so I could rest.
Few weeks later am still in prison but a much better facility, am being given medical attention, my friends visit and and am told I can go after my baby turns Six. Far better than to hang from a noose I thought to myself.
Truth is I was not pregnant, the Doctor gave them a fake result, and kept injecting me with hormones to make me appear pregnant, am wondering where the baby will come from.....
A cock crows, you know that kind of cock that has not found food to eat in days? I wake up from my nightmare still sweating.



#girlfromthesouth