#GOOD
DIE YOUNG
You already know that song by Phyno. It has been on repeat
ever since I got the sad news. Even as I write this article or whatever you may
decide to call it, my I-pad keeps blaring those sounds of agony from the lyrics
and instrumental of that song.
The good
really die young. I received the news last night; I was not just shocked, I was
still for at least two minutes. Why do we lose the good in their youth? I
recalled all the heroes I have lost. I called them heroes because they all
lived heroic lives, and somehow they were part of some heroic moments in my
life.
It had become
a long list, and somehow it keeps getting longer …Jacob, Obinna and now Emeka,
maybe many more that I can’t remember or probably didn’t even know they were
gone.
I remember
those green moments at Umuahia; like slaves bound to die, we struggled to
survive. We took in every bit of pain that came our way; each pin of suffering
pierced our strength and urged us to move on.
We drank from
the streams of Umuohu, fought at ABSU spring, and donated our drops of water to
the waiting buckets of our dear lazy seniors who could not go to the stream and
battle for water. We fought the wolves with mere field cutlasses; waking to the
alarm bell at the dead of the night to pursue thieves we never caught. We
queued up at the old brick refectory to eat the tasteless meals they served us.
For those of us in Nile House, we, individually, fetched over 30 buckets of
water a day as punishment.
Early in the
morning after the Morning house prayers that seemed like warfare, with SS 2
guys baking our backs with their iron fists, just to keep us awake for the thirty
minutes charade we called prayer; we dressed up and headed to the refectory for
the watery JINGO they served. We never ate beans at Umuahia, we drank it.
After the tasteless meal, we headed to the Ancient Assembly hall for another
boring session, then to class. SAPPING, a systematic act of
begging, was allowed for those of us who had none, although we had HARDOS,
who never cared if you died of thirst when they have a drum of water.
The story of
Umuahia is such that would only need the pages of an encyclopedia for a
comprehensive coverage. Is it the Manual
Labour or School Work? Who didn’t
know Ojila,
Sir Fly, and Chief Agho? There are many of them Mr Udeala (the kind
hearted) we had all the breeds, both wicked and kind.
We went all
through these with faith, most times we came under the intense spanking of our
seniors, and anything served as cane, from Cherry Branches, Palm Branches to Chains
and machetes. Whatever was available at the time could be used.
We passed
through these valleys of bitter love and we made it; we graduated. Today, most
of us are studying in the best Universities across Nigeria and beyond, while
some are still in the hustle of getting in (Good luck). All these things we
passed through made us the men we are today, Mgbaratu, Social Night, School
Work, Manual Labour, Water Fetching, Inspection and many more.
It is a pity
that some of us left so early; JACOB
left after battling anemia from birth. He couldn’t even make it to graduation,
he was young and vibrant. The first junior speaker of SRC, always quiet, yet death spotted him.
OBINNA followed from food poison, his
demise was so shocking, I found it hard to believe that X-BIT 501 was gone. Who didn’t know him? Holy Rosary, Fede, Master Vessel,
UDS etc can testify that he was handsome and he fought hard for DDLS.
This
morning I learnt that ADUANYA EMEKA had
joined the list, a very quiet lad, very intelligent and a very good Christian;
the first junior Library Prefect, who smiled and respected both mates and
seniors.
My ducts were
too dry to cry, my tongue too dry to speak, and my brains too dry to think, am
just walking in a lonely dry wilderness. Yes! We shall all join the list one
day, but I pray that we shall be of ripe age and must have seen our great grand
children before we die.
Oh! God,
please no more deaths till we see our great grand children. For those who are
gone already, may their souls rest in the bosom of the lord.
#ONWUBIKO
#AdieuAduanyaEmeka
Augustus Bill
©2014
TUN/0022//22/10/14
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