COUNTING MILES

COUNTING MILES You would’nt answer them? Not when you go about in buses and public transport and hear them talking to you indirectly or directly with words like “Ta!” (you are lower than what you purport to be),”isi aku” (palm-nut head!_)- first time I ever heard such usage. I used to hear “coconut head” – no healthy head is without respect or devoid of intelligent thought(?),”idiot”,”isi-ewu”(“goat-head”-preferable the one they eat in the restaurant), “common”,”go”,”go away”,”which kin power you get”,”monkey”,”die”,”vulture”. This is from a cream of samplers. And look at them not usually those that should have known you. Milder,in the 90s but say a little bit up in the 2000’s,yet all would be a blunder and a wonder especially if they are sent by one or more stuck with a venom that beggers understanding.Not until quite a few weeksago. On a first life-time visit to Abuja,what do you get?It was a night trip intending to catch them in their office.Starting at Onitsha,by people’s statements and actions,I knew they knew me and so right up to Abuja! That surely means someone or more has been telling people about me using instruments like Radio,TV,internet,schools,churches,mosques and the like.And the stories they must have heard belies friendliness – never mind outward shows of hostility maybe occasional but I think just one or more happenstance is enough. Then, many things I just waved off (even in the 90’s) began to make some more sense. For one,there has been a lot of dying since the 90’s.Never mind I heard that it was prophesied that bus after bus of people were seen embarking and moving on,interpreted to mean deaths.The spate has been much of which I once asked someone if any affected community could not visit prophets or consult (depending on their understanding and belief ) to find out what is wrong. It might be that spirits are annoyed with them or anyone. But when some near or far die and some look at you with insinuations without clear words or actions, it might mean “You arekilling them or some” or “Someone or more are killing them because of you”. Now,when people as much as frown at you over any specified period,you are BOUND to reflect over-if need be-your entire life. Why should anyone tell people that I have done anything wrong warranting such destruction of name.But mark it out that you do not see one iota of fear in them.The accusation must have been tricky,crafty,cunning,or what have you. THEY ARE NOT afraid OF CONFRONTING ONE WITH WHAT THEY THINK IS YOUR CASE WITH THEM. All through life,yes only few cases – worse scenarios. CASE I I now understand why someone must have left a magazine (of the period that could be involved) in the “Junk yard” I was squatting with my sister and in-law in the early 2000’s.They sold second-handed electronic goods and refrigerators.Infact boldly written,in the period were statements worse than could have been derived from conversations with three or so students. So too are many public statements of that period of that tune. Around that period too,GOD made me meet one of the eye-witnesses of such a conversation at a Jehovah’s Witness Church, near GRA where I was then staying. He became too cautious dodging making any statements that would bring up the topic- so there was no problem? When people started to be clearer on statements (albeit still very shadowy) GOD made me meet someone who gave me the phone number of the second of the witnesses.I tried cotacting him with text messages with straighter points as to driving towards rooting out the problem (?).Lo and behold he dodged! Yet this was the same person (?) I was made to see in a newspaper where he seemed to be asserting the rightness of his “accusations” I had a call over the years that made someone describe me as “lost in action” because one interested in virtually everything at schhol lost all social-togetherness as far back as the 70’s.Not to talk of reading newspapers – till today! In anycase what on earth(not even an angel) should be able to convince any on an issue he or she ought best to know about. That would have made sense if their first (?) victim three months or so into “their”(?) show did not sound like “decimation of Ibos” – that seems a trend – where Ibos are even people everywhere and every race including America! Now this particular person ia among a group of PG students who surprised me early 1993- before the June 12 fiasco. I went to Port Harcourt and was to go back to school, many miles away, with taxi.It was night and taxi was difficult to get.Having,then, nowhere to pass the night,I decided to trek while looking for taxi at various stops along the way[Note,NO DRINK-real drinks for me stopped in the early eighties which today they testify none noticed] I reached early morning only after my sandals were cut and I had to hand-carry them. I reached he hostel thereabout of 6 am with my glasses on.Till today no one ever asked me what happened.Only one person as much as interviewed me as if to know if I was okay though he never asked what happened. Next thing that second person went to my hometown to announce to churches to locate my people to come that I was not well! CASE II The water episode.I was even a witness.After all these, I went to the woman in whose campus-eatery it all happened.This was just last week,realizing some read too much into the episode. She must have noticed I was angry with her because I just stopped short of telling her “You are really stupid being that you were an eye-witness” CASE III And where did students (of a higher institution ) derive that someone who tried to share one’s techniques and help in their progress was an arrogant oppressor who they would “shhot his plans” I never missed a lecture – not without arrangement! CASE IV Why were students (and those thinking like them) go about canvassing that I must resign when a lecturer who sometimes falls into the gutter drunk is their “Great Guy”[Never mind I also know he routinely visits NATIVE DOCTORS to help him] Just because they saw me walking under rain- having been beaten anyway. Only that I did not then know that that is what they were doing.Are they wiser than their seniors that were not fooled? Is it for nothing that I maintain that if by GOD’s grace I make it, that is surely one institution you will see me show up for endowments and the like – for that is where great battles con cering GOD having creator or not were fought!