The Twin

The Twin Never talk Always mute Just words like 'Rara' and 'Beni' All in one day Caged in a world of freedom Statics despite no chains and shackles Always starring during any conversation Or laughing at a joke when they cracked none Isn't a shut mouth a shut destiny? Or perhaps a malodorous mouth. Some say it is licence to errors As instruction seldom need clarity. Keep quite, Can't you be quite, Look at your friend seated quietly Restless boy, hyperactive girl Your mouth smells Shut up! Insolent kids. Your noise is too much! Give me the list of noise makers - six strokes each Noisy children, spoilt brats. Now we have dumb twins with vibrant tongues. Oni, Afolabi Ajibola, 1:14am, 25/05/2019

I missed rapture again!

That was my statement to my wife after I was favoured to discover that it was a dream. Had it been real, it would have been the greatest agony words cannot describe. I had to recall the dream as it happened to my wife. Scene 1 I was in my apartment and had been allowing masquerades have a filled day. I resolved that I would not allow them again. The king sent his masquerade boys to come and use my apartment and I turned them down. The boys left in anger. Scene 2 The boys came back and used a charmed whip on me. I recognized the whip and knew it was meant to make me mad. I started speaking in tongues and asked them to ‘take it back’. One of the boys ran mad and the testimony went viral. (Matt 7: 21 - 23) Scene 3 I continued speaking in tongues should the demons want to come back and knowing that the king would give a fight. Neighbours started to call me ‘Baba o’ among several accolades. I was feeling like a renowned man of God. The feeling of self-importance came in. (Matt 7:19 – good fruit) Scene 4 I was talking like one with authority to others in the open about what God had done using me. Then rapture happened. THE KING IS HERE was written in the sky. The whole earth was terrified, even the devil. I laid horrified on the floor and started to ask for mercy. I went to my mother’s room and still found her in bed, ditto my immediate elder brother. I kept crying for mercy. Scene 5 I could see the sky glittering with faces clothed in white singing ‘King of kings, Lord of lords, Everlasting King, Saviour, Redeemer, Soon Coming King’. As I looked in the sky, I could see Don Moen. To my disgust, I saw Femi Kuti, he was allowed to contribute to the entire musical ‘performance’. He felt honoured and gave his best. (Matt 7: 3 - 5), Matt 8:11-12 May Mercy prevail over Judgement in Jesus name. 6/01/2017, 9:33pm Please share.

Ebo

Ebo Majestic brown calabash With palm oil almost at its beam Seven bean cakes, seven corn cakes Seven coweries, seven human fingers All to appease Esu Dropped at noon In public glare What if siren blares And makes a scapegoat of the devotee All to appease Esu Is Esu listening Will Esu listen Worshippers unsure Diviners just permutating All to please Esu

Being MISCONSTRUED

BEING MISCONSTRUED Can you guess what it means when someone you love and care about misunderstands you or what you stand for? Can you imagine the throbbing one will go through when you see the people you care about shed tears or take offence as regarding your stand? That was the case in a class of mine today. I gave a test as directed by the school management. As a teacher, I know that my students’ successes determine how far I will go in the profession. I told them that all the WAEC poems must be written off hand and they had over three weeks to do that. A day before, a neighbour’s daughter gave four of the poems off-hand despite going to a low-class school with dwindling standard. When I got to class I informed my students that anything short of four poems was zero. My very best student, both in academics and morals was able to write five. I wasn’t pleased, knowing full well that I have rated her as an ‘A’ student in WAEC and she had once memorized over six pages of a drama scripts to be acted and she delivered flawlessly within a timeline of barely two days. More so, her ability to memorize made her a top contender for the post of the actress of the year so I said this, ‘…Jemima is still writing…’ I said other things but that statement was the worst in the lot. Hell was let loosed as her countenance changed. I called her aside to know what was wrong with what I said. ‘How will you make comparison with other people’s children? How will you compare me with Jemima?’ she spoke with tears dropping from her eyes. My very best was deeply hurt and the sight of her in pain, still hunt me till now. She is not an extremist and is absolutely disciplined. In fact, I’m her fan and I have fantasized the time she will be coming for her WAEC result and then after a vigorous handshake take her to the current SS 3 literature students to say, ‘She got an A1 in Literature in English and an A+ in English Literature IGCSE. She was prompt with assignments when she was here, please emulate her.’ The pride of any teacher is in the students’ successes. Is comparison bad in itself? What do I do when my opinion truly hurts? This incident reminds me of the friendship of over twenty years that had to end. Although, I am still yet to know what went wrong, but I know that the problem had to be me. The reason I say this is because no one has a right to hurt another person. The mere reason that my friend and brother ended the friendship is because he was hurt by me and that is my fault. The fact that my sweet student shed tear in great hurt is absolutely to my credit. The comparison was made primarily to enhance her subsequent performance, but she sees it as a debasement of her person. An opinion expressed in good fate, but with great detrimental consequence. I am of the opinion that when I compare Gp with Beef, it is for Beef to view the strength of Gp and work on his own weakness to be a better person. Few days ago, my woman said, ‘Can’t you see how Segun is neatly shaved?’ I didn’t pick offence with Segun neither with her. I quietly went for a clean shave and didn’t pick offence when I was back. Comparative analysis even in tertiary institution is basically for strategic advancement, not debasement. I hate to hurt people. I regret and detest it. I need everyone. I’m always quick to go on my knees to say sorry, but I have noticed that people find it hard to forgive when they are of the opinion that you hurt them on purpose. Someone argued that my student is just being egocentric, that she should not have reacted that way (Just to remind you that I thought about the incidence for over 12 hours). A student of mine after the incident reacted, ‘…Mr Oni we are not dumb…’ Although, another felt the statement was too cruel to make, but it confirms that I was being misconstrued. DEDICATION This is special dedicated to all those that have misconstrued me and still take offence. I am sorry. Forgive me. I am just human. I am work in progress. Oni, Afolabi Ajibola 08036126690 oniafolabiajibola@yahoo.com …just a fiction 14/03/2014 22:18pm

gods

NO harm done with little comment No pride lost in share confidence Since triviality is a relative terminology No harm done with speaking up People cheer when you speak and solutions follow They jeer when the moderator cautions Even those with seal lips Have the loudest voice to lash No man is God All men are gods One speaks and all comes to pass The other speak and few does 20/01/2016

Idumota

The morning was inviting as the sun merely shines and was not in the mood to scorch. I sent my form order score to the class coordinator and packed my bags set to go on a journey that will make my life different. Struggling with four different bags, I wriggled my way to the school gate, submitted my bags for thorough searching and humbly informed the security men that I was on leave. I left the Angelic white gates of Atlantic Hall into the naked town of Poka. The snake like road guarded at both ends by weeds that stung like thorns. In no time, I was at the Epe-Ijebu Ode road as I needed to use First Bank Epe for a reason best known to me. The road was a death trap and I couldn’t but thank Danbaba Danfulani Suntai – the Governor of Taraba State because Jalingo is a paradise when compared with Epe that hasn’t seen electricity in the last one year. In Epe, power isn’t erratic; it is not just there. After I completed my transaction at the bank that is seen as haven for thieves, I observed a conversation between the branch manager and one of the security officials. The locals – Epe omo oniles were demanding for ‘owo wa’- our money. I knew the language quite well and was acquainted with the fact that they didn’t work for that money. A thug said their money will no longer be 300,000N from the following month but will increase to N350, 000. He said that they were the ones responsible for the security of the banks in the area. The branch manager pleaded that he had given their money to their boss – Iku Dudu, but the others whined and warned that this educated man in his mid-forties should not repeat such an action in the future. I thought of the branch manager’s timidity as I journeyed from Epe down to Ibeju through Ajah to Idumota. ‘Ohun lo go’ – the branch manager is the fool. I combed Idumota to get my groom men’s tie and that of myself. In forty eight hours, I will be someone else’s property and she will be free to touch me as she likes and when she likes. I was heading out of Idumota with all the things for my wedding when I got to a point with sea of heads at Idumota. A young man accosted me and told me that Lagos State Government was giving free gifts to ameliorate poverty. I walked off him. I knew that nothing can be free in Lagos. Another person picked the lottery form and was asked to tick seven times. I was asked to try – no pain, no gain. I was not interested and I ticked eight times, but I wasn’t disqualified. I was told that I won a generator set. ‘Whaoh! My first night after wedding will be with power, and we can enjoy the fullness of bodily pleasure – I forgot I didn’t have a fan since there had not been power in Epe for ages.’ The young man looked me in the face and asked me if I wanted to pick it up or sell it off. I said I wanted to pick it up. He asked me to pay 1000N for receipt and I did. Another winner sold his electric fan and paid three thousand for receipt and collected his cash of 8, 000N. He told me again if you sell it, you will bring 18,000N and we will give you 32, 000N. I suspected something finicky. This was the popular ‘I beta pass my neibor’ that shouldn’t be more than 10, 000N. I opted to leave the money with them when I saw two hefty men in the bus. The young man urged me to move closer to the vehicle, but I was unwilling as I thought he will drag me into the bus. I took a bold step and chose to walk away, but the young man in no time, informed others that I wanted to walk away. About four men encapsulated me and said they will start beating me and calling me a thief if I refuse to give them all that I had. I reasoned that it was just 48hours to my wedding day; I imagined having a wedding picture with a battered face. I respected myself and parted with 7,000N. I walked away horridly and hurriedly imagining that I was duped in broad day light, in the busy street of Idumota. Had I not cooperated and they raised a false alarm and the passerby bought it – that I was a thief; maybe I would have been dead. In my most confused state, I walked out of Idumota and headed toward the third mainland bridge, picked up a vehicle and headed for Ife. Thereafter to Okeho unscratched. Nothing but fiction …imparting lives 31/12/2014 ONI Afolabi Ajibola 08036126690

JESUS IS ALL

I think it is time to share the great things that God has done in 2014 and return all the glory to him. Count your blessings. For me, 2014 was great, I got married to the best woman in the world, I got employed in the best secondary school in the world, I got another apartment, I raised my land to lintel, paid school fees and almost rounded off M. A. English Literature, travelled to and fro - no scratch, made two time the anticipated 2014 income as budgeted in Jan 2014, read loads of books, and still hand in hand with God. Share yours and invite more from the most high God. Merry Christmas. A4.