The Caged Ruby

Prologue

Enitan's life started like a morning dew as it brought calmness and cold relief to the expectant Mr and Mrs Aderibigbe who were all dose of happiness to have their first child and a male child at that, typical of most African parents. It was profound joy for them and they nurtured him with that joy he brought upon them. He was named Enitan, Adewale, Omoniyi, Emmanuel Aderibigbe; the names that suited him perfectly just as the flowers of dandelion suits its beauty. He experienced love and laughter in every moment he spent as the son of this couple. Being the first child, he enjoyed lots of privileges and numerous showers of love but was disciplined when necessary like typical African parents would do. Time took its toll and he got a new sister, Eniola. She was beautiful, with brown eyes and her carefully shaped pointed nose that pronounced her perfect face. Subsequently, another male child, Eniafe, was born, whose brown hair dazzled with sportin waves and curly edges that complimented his sharp eagle eyes. To top it all, the couple was blessed with another girl child, Eniibukun, who was the the replica of Enitan. She was calm and angelic. She had very long hair and straight shoulders that complimented her straight long legs that could make her qualify as miss universe if she competed. Enitan welcomed them into his strong arms that rocked them to sleep every night. He cherished every moment he spent with them as the love from his parents was enough to share with everyone of them.
         Eleyele held a great memory of Enitan's childhood and educational experience, from his primary to secondary education. The roads had his footsteps imprinted on them- the bumpy roads that watched him grow. He remembered vividly, the Ibadan polytechnic gate which was his motivation to further his education, which stood on the right side of the road with students who swarmed in and out like bees. The neatly trimmed grasses by the wall of the polytechnic was the exact representation of leaf green colour. It defined the beauty of horticulture and made passers-by green with envy. The moment he enjoyed most was during his secondary education when he boarded the Micra taxis from Sango to Eleyele. Breaking news and heated political arguments were always the anthem of the journey. He got to listen to different sets of Ibadan residents who, as usual, are known to have the wardrobe of words. Enitan also loved Eleyele for its market that welcomed both buyers and sellers . It was just another world on its own, he felt. The detailed picture of the market remained painted in the canvas of his brain.
       The parents of Enitan and his siblings defined his childhood. He had so many funny moments and they played till they almost ripped the house of its roof. It was pretty much expected from a house filled with almost entirely rambunctious kids. Vases never had a constant spot in the house. Owing to the frequent petty arguments between Enitan and his sister, Eniola, the position was entirely dependent on where none of them wanted it to be. That way, no one won and no one lost. They were the cat and dog of the house but still, love found its way to abide among them. Eniafe and Eniibukun always loved to play hide and seek, a game that stood as their favorite just like cricket is to Indians. On some other days, it could be the usual petty arguments like when Eniola once told him that he was just a dumb listener and lacked confidence just like a sheep. To her surprise, he showered her with his bright sarcastic smile that made her look like a clown even in her Sacramento green high slit dress. Eniafe, on the other hand, always teased him, asking about his relationship and who his crushes were in school. Anytime they talked, he always teased him and, in return, Enitan would do the same. Eniafe would just laugh. His laughter always pronounced his complete set of teeth that sparkled as if the tooth fairy visited daily to replace them. Eniola would butt in and say " Enitan, go and blow first before you speak to a girl because love isn't sweet until money enters." Enitan tried to frequently control the fire burning inside him because Eniola tried to leverage every opportunity to stylishly insult him anytime there was an opportunity for her. Luckily, Eniafe was always there to save the situation. "Just take a chill pill sis, he would definitely let the cat out of the bag someday," Eniafe always said. Enitan enjoyed the time he spent with Eniafe because they felt at ease with each other. He was the soothing spring to him especially after the usual "fire outbreak" with Eniola. He always thought this was probably because he was a guy and it made them flow more easily. They were like Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill of the Jump Street series.
    Eniibukun, who was the female version of Enitan, always kept to herself without interfering when her siblings discussed and had their adult talks since she was still young and very naive. Enitan only had simple talks with her as she was his replica and they both had nothing much to discuss. She was a good listener and was smart even as young as she was. Eniola acclaimed that she wasn't a dumb listener like their brother. Asides all the petty arguments and fire sparks, Enitan enjoyed every time he spent with his siblings because their parents showered them with unending love that had no adulteration. The affection was equally shared and love was the one gift that never departed their home as it was always more than enough for everyone. Love itself was already a part of their home and it never thought, for once, to leave because it fulfilled its mission there.
      Enitan graduated secondary school with good grades, as always, still maintaining his calmness and humility. Thereafter, he proceeded to write UTME and was able to get into his favorite school, University of Ibadan, at his first attempt skipping the cut off mark issue and being amongst the chosen ones of the chosen university. His brilliance could not be overstated, as he could be called the "King Solomon" of his time. It was his utmost desire to be admitted into the Faculty of Technology because there, he could be himself and he felt he could make his marks if he studied any technology related course. Being a shy person, he felt tech work best suited him since he could work from his own comfort or independently. Enitan's love for technology was immeasurable because he believed it would always be relevant. On the other hand, he thought about disruptive technologies which had slowly crawled into the society and had engulfed some businesses. "It's a fire spitting dragon because it just heats up other businesses," he often thought. Enitan always had a deep sigh when he thought of the potential high level of unemployment when robots begin to direct human affairs even when it was the human affairs that brought about their existence. Sometimes, he felt he wasn't seeing the bigger picture. Perhaps, this fierce tech evolution may stir a greater positive change in the future of work and he just was myopic enough not to see that.
After much thought, Enitan always ended up with his consoling concluding thought that soon almost became his created clichéd thought. He would always think, "in technology, create your own space, maintain it and upgrade the space to always fit in the space."

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