Drought
The story you're about to read is one of sadness, despair and possible depression. Normally I wouldn't bother telling you this but my friend - who would like to remain anonymous and insists his name isn't Ibrahim Ashraff - wants to share his story.
I used to stay in Zaria before I traveled to Ilorin, he starts. Illorin is basically Zaria with ShopRite and good bread, I stayed there for 6 months in 2017 before the universe decided it was time to leave. One interesting thing about my period there was the rain. It didnt fall as most crop owners would’ve wanted.
2017 was also the year of God’s blessings in my life, he continues. I wasn’t doing too bad in life generally and I finally proved my haters wrong - I had one (visible) strand of hair on my chin. I finally had a seat at the table of men. I could also stroke my chin and squint my eyes when I’m making the decision to add one or two extra ponmos at the cafeteria. Dare I say, I could comb it gently.
Most people thought it was unusual for a 20 year old to have only one hair on his chin. I didn't. I was a late bloomer and I was thankful I didn't look like a 13 year old Catholic boy any more, he said.
He continues, I had been ridiculed too many times and it was starting to get to me. My not so favourite was when I did well in my 200 level exams and my friends told me they were surprised how I could think without beards. This really wasn’t funny but you know guys. An enemy that I have since handed over to God started laughing and others followed. The joke wasn’t even funny but each 'ha' attacked my soul. But I survived.
I had discovered a shorter route home from work one day, he starts. Walkable distance. Long enough to think of an excuse to miss work the next day, short enough to not be thirsty when you got home.
He continues, I had also discovered that this route was the ideal distance for me to make certain important decisions about my life or at least think about making certain decisions. The perfect route. The Idris Elba of routes.
He actually said 'The Idris Elba of routes'.
Sidenote - I think he is a crazy person.
I knew I needed to move forward with my life but I didn’t know how exactly, he continues. Too many options. I decided that I was going to use my walk home to carefully dissect and carry out detailed analysis on each option with the help of my trustee beard of course.
He continues, Anyway here I was, a man who was on a mission - to think. I studied the weather and I picked a day that looked like it was about to rain but wasn’t going to. No rain in Ilorin for over 3 weeks and most of us had already given up on it. Ilorin farmers everywhere were convinced that a family member was behind it.
I closed early from work that day because I didn’t want to see other people, it was imperative that the road home be isolated, he said.
I set off and all is going well. My brain has never enjoyed working so much, he said. Cool before rain breeze on my face, hand on my chin, stroke in sync with my steps. I was in heaven. I enjoyed this bliss for 5 minutes then…, he stops.
Suddenly I see a tear drop aggressively from his right eye, I offer him a tissue and I ask if he wants to continue. Reluctantly, he says yes.
It’s just so hard you know, he continues, to think you’ve got your life together and to have it taken away from you just like that. Really makes you question the worthiness of your life you know. He continues, I noticed the hair on my chin didn’t move with the stroke of my hand. I knew instantly that something was terribly wrong. As if NEPA had taken control of my brain and their first line of action was to take the light to announce their presence. I stopped moving. It felt as if the whole world paused for a minute. I didn’t want to assume. I didn’t know if my heart could take it, he said crying profusely.
He continues, Quickly, I used my other hand to feel my chin. Nothing. At this point in the conversation, there was nothing the tissue could do about his tears.
He continues, I said a silent prayer, checked my hand and I saw it.
Staring at the corpse of Pius (in blessed memory), I didn’t know to feel. I was alone in the middle of the road, and I didn’t know whether to scream for help, he said sobbing.
What was even more painful was that I did this to him. I did this to my friend and protégé although I didn't mean to.
I was in mourning that I didn’t notice that rain had started. Perhaps the only good thing about the day was the end of the drought, he said.
