AFRICA : STORIES FROM HOME…. (DAY 1)
YOU ARE WHAT WE SAY YOU ARE.
You are our child, and the world should know that very well. We named you, does that not define the power we have over you? You are 25, no man has married you young lady, they all come and go. You shed tears day and night, you question God before asking for His help. He seems to have answered you when a man comes by and loves you all so dearly, he promises to marry you. Your world is beautiful but just for a moment because just like the many others he wakes up and you are not what he needs. He leaves. Where is your God now, beautiful? You are what we say you are, don’t you ever forget it!
A young man born to shine but your stars are dimed now aren’t they? You brought your parents so much joy the day you were born. As you grew you continued to excel, school was like eating cake to you. You did so well, year after year after year. Who did you think you were? Look at you now 25 and no direction, you lost your way somehow. 3 months before you had to take off for university on that full scholarship something tripped in you. You almost made it, you almost had it all, you could taste it. Now bitterness dances in your mouth even when you are asleep. Take note, we are what we say you are!
Your CV must look dreadful now, 25 paged CV, no employer wants that so now you have to lie and cut out some jobs you have been to. Why can’t you keep a job? You sit and say, ‘ I do all things right, I follow the rules, I look smart. I work very hard so why can’t they love me? Promote me instead of fire me? Smile at me instead of frown at me? What is wrong with me?’ No one answers you, darkness and sorrow surrounds you, the stench of poverty lingers on you. You are ready to sign out of life, you can’t do it anymore can you? You are what we say you are!
3 years have gone by, marriage without a child. When you got married the love was burning, now you sleep back to back. Doctors have done all their work, they have confirmed you both fertile but it is not happening. Frustrated you are, your words to one another are never kind hearted. The love is fading. The ground is breaking but neither one of you wants to fall. As the clock ticks so do the bombs sitting In your hearts. Your home is cold, you can hardly pretend anymore. People around you can see right through your frustration. We were not joking when we said, you are what we say you are!
We are often closer than you think, and in most cases you confide in us when things go wrong. We come bearing gifts on the day of your birth. Heck we even celebrate with you or celebrate you. We are filled with jealousy and greed and so we do what we have to for survival, to feed our souls and keep them satisfied. So yes we block your blessings for our good. We are the forces of darkness that stand in the way of your shine. Our Gods require sacrifices for our lives to be spared and we give them without shame. Our hearts are hardened. We know your God, so mighty, we fear Him and so the only way we can win is by drawing you away from Him. And we do it well! We are proud of our skills, so African child here us and here us well, you are what we say you are!
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