For someone who claims not to be easily excited, I think I
might be discovering a side of myself that I didn't know was equally potent, if
only temporarily repressed.
Now, I have caught myself and been caught by several close
associates behaving or responding to situations in. the most unfamiliar ways.
From excitement-induced stutter speech to sudden,
intense, thankfully-brief but enduring, subliminal feelings of sadness, my emotional spectrum is indeed
colourful.
He was an aspiring pastor in the mould of one very popular
Nigerian and Internationally-acclaimed preacher. He was assisted by a mutual
friend of ours - a lady in the course of his evangelical pursuits. They were
very close, infact too close it would seem because sometime later, she was
pregnant for him.
Now these were very young people at the time - both barely
twenty years of age. The scandal that blossomed from the incident was amplified
by the fact that so many of our 'friends' had always viewed their association
with suspicion and in their haughty omniscience, had seen it coming. To my
mind, they were also eager to exploit the moment to make their point (whatever
that was) clear. Perhaps my judgement was clouded but that's how I regarded
their 'innocent' efforts to be involved in managing the 'resulting crisis'.
Well to compound matters, my friend died mysteriously in
a freak accident at a construction firm where he was working, some months after
this incident. All this happened in the space of two years!
Yesterday I passed by a giant billboard that prominently
featured the image of his very popular role model and a wave of nostalgia
overwhelmed me. My friend died in the prime of his youth. I was convinced that
he must have had a great destiny against which some strong principalities had
conspired and apparently succeeded in terminating. I am still so disposed to date. The
ministry he had begun died with him although the initial scandal had probably
already smothered it long before its eventual demise. His only legacy it would
seem, was the fruit of his liaison with our lady friend.
Now let's speak of the lady. She trudged on despite odds
- first keeping and nuturing the child while continuing her schooling. Yes, we
were all in the same university at the time. She was and still is a brave and
strong woman. I know that my friend had always had intentions to yet make a honest
woman of her eventually. One error may have truncated or probably interrupted
his ministerial assignment but I knew he still had integrity and
in due time, would have risen again. But death put paid to all those hopes.
Once again, I say adieu my friend. We will meet again in due time.
Well, I guess my response was justified, wouldn't you agree?
Extract from PurposeManDiaries
N.B: Speaking of nostalgia, it's been quite a while I was here. How time flies!