FROM MANDELA'S SUNRISE, TO THE WHITE HOUSE ON THE FOOTNOTE OF EBEDI HILL
By
Aliyu Umar Muhammad
Resident, Ebedi International Writers Residency, Iseyin, Nigeria.
There's always a serenity belonging to a community that values what you do. As BM Dzukogi will say, “you must belong to that particular community that knows what you are doing.”
A journey unfolds through the hasty, nauseous and unstable consciousness of leaving the state for Ebedi w
Writers Residency Iseyin, Oyo state. For the first time in my writing career, a welcoming joy envelopes my instincts from afar. I've never been to Oyo before, not even in a dream. A lot I've heard from friends who were fellows of the program.
Whenever God wants you to be somewhere, He surely gives you an invisible card, driving you to paths you never knew before. It's good to be kind and of good morals.
A man, old enough to be my father, whom we both respect each other saw me in a hasty state in company with my friend, Bilal. “Mallam Aliyu, Ina zuwa haka?” I responded with an apology first knowing I should have informed some people I always meet that I'll be traveling.
The man always monitors my presence and absence in Mandela. Mosque was always my place of comfort once I'm out of home and not going out to the field. He immediately called a friend of his, connected us and that was how the unexpected late morning journey unraveled a lot of stories. Some were jovial, others were plain discomfort.
10 hours longing made me start meditating on many things to write about. Of human errs, lack of patience, my wild thoughts of cars always getting too close to hit one another.
I'm not sure if i will one day, ride a car on long , rougher highways. And to the cross border of Jebba, one day I'll write about you, “Does our state border need to look insecure and unsafe for drivers before crossing in and out?” I'm yet to know more about this self interrogatory part as a writer and passionate citizen of Niger, I'm sure this is a projectile essay, someday in the future, I'll write about you.
I didn't arrive at Iseyin before starting to learn some of the ethics and cultural ideology of Yoruba people. Baba will always say, “Children nowadays don't like to greet people. They feel it's an excuse sometimes, to pass before an elderly person or group of people and not say anything.
But here in Yoruba land, you must learn to greet everyone you see to avoid being suspicious. “E karo, E ka san, E ka le” were fleeing out of people's mouth all the time as if it were a communal gift. I immediately name it, "Yoruba's ecstasy". Joining the race was easier despite my fluctuating accent, I'm a sharp learner at things I find amazing.
Do not say I'm missing a part by not sharing about my fellow residents. Of course, it'll be another essay of its own.
God blessed me with 3 different brothers, 3 different mothers but with the same identity as proud Africans. Daniel Kwaku Attah from Accra, Ghana, Ebri Kowaki from Enugu and Fatai Hammed Opeyemi from Oyo tho, had most of his time traveling to states after studying at the great ‘Iqra’ Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.
We share bonds of identity as Africans, struggling with voices to be heard, as black people with undoubted creativity and uniqueness.
We decided to hike up to Ebedi Hill, of which the White House based at it's foot. The stories were much therein. We really suffered the climb and were full of high spirits when we finally got the one part of Iseyin community at our feet. Mr Solomon, the nice officer led the team and we had a wonderful time taking pictures of which I had many enticing shots for my smartphone photography.
Today is Friday and of course, after the subhi prayers, I was going back to the Residency when suddenly a voice rang in my head. “Try snapping the trees on this Hill.” I carefully obeyed and went closer.
A man who held a bucket started talking in Yoruba. I know they're interrogation and quarrels as an elder watching a young adult doing something suspicious. I immediately go to him and luckily, “the E karo” magic suddenly worked. After explaining my purpose to him, he said no problems. I went back and to avoid other gazes, I quickly took my way to the house.
Surprisingly, the man followed me, called me back and apologized that he doesn't know I'm a writer and from White House. I felt ashamed. The question is, how many elderly people can do what this man did?? Apologizing the second time to a boy young enough to be his son? This is Yoruba culture.
I believe if Dr Wale Okediran did not build up a legacy that the community always respected, I wouldn't have gotten this great admiration. White House in the Iseyin community is a golden frame, a strong name lying at the footnote of Ebedi Hill.
Thank you all fam, Hill-Top Creative Arts Foundation - NGO Abba, Sir @BM Dzukogi, Mr Makama Shekwo'aga friends, family and loved ones, thank you for all your prayers.
To Dr Wale Okediran, may your good name never perish, Amin. To managers and officials of the Residency, we're truly grateful for being our kindest keepers.
Thank you, good peopleš„°.
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