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