Emeka the Great Almajiri

The Journey Begins

On that cold December night of 1986, exactly two days after He turned six. His father gathered all his clothes and jammed them into a 25kg sized sack pushing Him out of the house like a felon. He staggered, trying to regain his balance as he trotted before his father.

Baba, where are we going? He asked in a voice that sounded fearful and suspicious. A strange trepidation crept into his heart, a combination of fear and apprehension took over his body and in His soul, He sensed something awful, without fully understanding what.

'I am taking you to the city where you can be happy and even attend makaranta' His father said in a promising tone.

Oh, that's nice, I love cities, and I have heard much about it, but how can I see my Inna and why am I being forced if it was for my good and why is Baba suddenly interested in what makes me happy? All of this was brewing in his mind. It was as if, because of his melancholic nature and for all the spanking, the slapping, the hitting, or the beating, he had finally chosen this trip as compensation. He coordinated His thought momentarily and judging by the stern look on His father's face and the firm grip on His left hand, He knew His father was up to something.

Aloud, he said. 'Wait! Kai! Ka kai! I am not going' He said in a discontented low tune, like one who has just awaken from a nightmare, confidently shaking his head in disapproval as if something powerful has suddenly possessed him. 'I don't want to leave my Inna'

'Noooo' His father said in a falling tune, with sarcasm embedded in his expression.

That's reproachful His father thought. Having no to time for such nonsense, he lifted him off his feet such that they were face-to-face, then shook him frightfully as a reminder of his cruelty and then on second thought he shone a wry smile exposing his cola-nut stained teeth. That mercy was a typical way of showing love. When he was set down, He could see the melting grin on his father's face as he humbly walked without any intention of asking any other question. The very root of his soul was shaken and he felt the component parts of his body running riot. He felt as though his body was formed with ill-fitting parts and all the confederating units pulling him in different directions, begging for separation. It was as if, because of this very nature of his father, that he hated him with every part of his body and found solace in his mother.

"It was one of those tricky days you would pray it rained because you didn't want to go out, to the farm, to the school or even the playground. One of those moments that you have a lot to do and you wished you were ill just to keep away. One of those times you hated a close family member and wish they were dead at least for that moment just because of some instant bullying. As he wobbled along, he was doing his best not to explode crying. It was one of those hours you knew you were going to die but lacked the strength to resist". He was wrestling these ideas in his mind as he hopefully walked to his grave.

'Wait' his father said, as if with intention of changing his mind.

'I want to take you to the city, there are no camels and donkeys but beautiful cars, tall buildings and sweet food.' He nodded doing his best to appreciate his father's show of love and comparing the promising beauty of the town he was going with the beauty of love he enjoyed from his Inna.

'Remember, his father said getting back on his feet 'You've got to hurry or else we won't get a bus.' Because of his age and because he lived in the village all His life, it was typical of him to think that way. He didn't know what going to makaranta was like, what being an almajiri felt like, He thought it was an adventure. Like the same false hope, Pandora left at the bottom of the box.