NIGERIA AT 58 - NIGERIA IN TALES

NIGERIA IN TALES

"God blessed the day I gave birth to her" mama said. "She was chubby and beautiful in her charming black colour;  the world marveled at her birth". There was no electricity to charge my phone so as to record mama's voice but I grabbed my writing pad and pen to keep up with mama's pace as she told her story. "My darling daughter Nigeria, inherited a land flowing with milk and honey. All things were at her disposal. She gave birth to triplets named Madu, Mohammed and Mayowa" I shortened the names to MMM so as not to dull the old lady. "The whites wooed my daughter and almost took all her belongings but my grandsons got it back as they became independent in 1960" mama said as tears rolled down her eyelids.
"What is it mama?"

"Haaa! My grandsons couldn't hold down their land because of greed and many other things I can't tell you because of your wavy hands. Well, out of them were raised soldiers who took power  by force. Hmmm! Sounds of gun made me a Parkinson's disease patient. Nigeria suffered despite what the creator blessed her with". If my hands were wavy I had to show mama I don't have Parkinson's disease so I was in line with her words. 

"The soldiers for my sake exchanged baton with my darling children that wore robes as their first leaders. I thought our pain would be no more but it has been struggles since then; almost two decades of democracy my son. Injury between siblings have been threatened; insecurity has governed the land; some people enrich their pockets while some are kicked when picking the crumbs from their tables". I frowned at the last statement and dropped my pen. "No cause for alarm son, it will get better. The fact that you can still write about my daughter shows you will all stand to feed and nourish her".
"No space in my writing pad again mama. I'll keep the last saying in my mind and join to heal her land". She nodded.

TOLULOPE FASUYI

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