To the Dinoist

Growing up with my grandmother helped in shaping my perspective towards life to a large extent. We never lived in an exotic apartment; but we had colourful moments.

In a three bedroom flat situated in one of those estates in the faraway area of Lagos, she told us fabulous stories of her life which all created indelible pictures in my heart.

One of those stories I will always live to remember is that which she recounted one rainy night, after we had relished the amala and efo elemi meje which she prepared for dinner, my cousin and I settled at her feet to listen to her as she began to tell us of the beautiful experiences she’s had and how much she maximized her youthful existence.

We sat on the red rug as we raised our eager heads, expectantly staring at her face as she sat upright on our faded brown corduroy-clothed couch.

She adjusted her heavy brown glasses which she wore all the time and began to tell us of her life in the oldies in Lagos Island, she told us of an incident which occurred which made her lose an unborn child of hers; she was beaten on her stomach by an Eyo player with his stick usually referred to as Bante.

This incident made me scared of the Eyo festival until I became mature enough to own my reasoning.

On that same night, as we ended the Eyo story, she abruptly stood up and went inside, we sat there fixing our gaze at her as she went into her room, my cousin and I began to discuss the issue of the Eyo incident.

She came back to the sitting room with a photograph, an old photograph, she handed it over to us, the picture was torn on its edges, it was a white and black picture.

As I looked closely at the photograph, I saw a woman whose mouth was full of blood, her hair stood on edge, wrinkled face which showed she had been crying and was probably still crying when the picture was taken.

I was shocked, I had pity on the woman in the photograph, my face was about to wrinkle in tears as I shockingly discovered it was my grandma I was staring at in that black and white paper.

She smiled, she began to recount the story of how she was beaten to stupor by her husband, his incessant maltreatment and all forms of degrading treatments meted on her, many ordeals which she narrated imprinted negative impressions as I began to view the world as indeed a corrupt one. I pause.

While getting mature, I witnessed another similar incident, but this time between two neighbours of mine. They began yelling at each other on the staircase and people began trooping up to see what was happening, of course I came out as well. Until I discovered they were quarrelling over a pumping machine.

Coming out, I heard the man ranting abusive words at the female neighbour, making sorts of controversial and highly impertinent statements, the most surprising one was that he called her a “prostitute with a deep well”, I opened my mouth in utter surprise and asked myself what is becoming of this society which we live in? I pause.

When I heard of the incidence which occurred at the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday, July 12, 2016, amongst two senate leaders and seeming Lawmakers I smiled and asked myself “when will our leaders grow, when will they begin to acknowledge the fact that they are meant to be leaders with example and not throw caution in the wind?”

However, I have no words for the actor and actress who have decided to stage a lugubrious play of open shame for the nation to view their seeming “eleya meya”. I really have no words.

But come to think of it, who is corrupt other than a man who hurls abusive and degrading statement at a woman, what is more appalling than when a woman who tries to air her views and goes the extreme with it to the extent of hurling insult on a man who seems to exalt his manliness and manly authority.

If mutual respect and moral comportment cannot be exercised and maintained by people we seem to look up to as leaders, major players in the development of our nation and are expected to maintain laudable conduct, then we really are heading towards a decline.

I strongly believe that corruption shouldn’t be viewed only within the context of misappropriation of government/public fund or economic lack of integrity but also through moral and ethical lenses of responsible living, the nature of corruption which occurs in the area of human deprivation and assault or maybe threatened assault should be thoroughly frowned at and shouldn’t be found amongst our leaders.

If our front-runners cannot maintain ethical balance, then what should my grandfather and his fellow Dinoist who hurled disgraceful words at a lady who herself has responsible sense of reasoning do?

Someone should please tell Nigeria that the deliverance she needs is from no one else but Nigerians themselves. I pause.

______________________________________I am Bankole Wright, a graduate who holds a degree in English. I am a creative writer and a budding academic. I love to challenge set negative, degrading and putative norms towards Humanistic and ethical achievements. I love writing, reading and speaking, traveling and engaging in creative and artistic endeavours. You can reach me via my mail: wrightoluwaseun1@gmail.com.