A PATH OUT OF THE SHADOW
In the world of the youth, attempting to seek for knowledge, there once lived a child called Mine. She was very beautiful like the fairy mermaid of legend. But in those days, some thought she was not so beautiful, because she was not among the known learned children. She was therefore not known to jump about, like the weaver bird and talk like the proud parrot. Some even mocked at her 'empty' beauty. Others laughed at her naughty behaviour, grouping her among the dullards in her class. Usually after the weekly test, it was the culture that those who failed were always arraigned before the class, to dance to the mocking Yoruba song for dullards. The song goes like this:
Olodo lodo
Oju eja
O-doo
Oju eja
Olodo ra ba ta Oju eja lomo nje.
Meaning:
You empty-heads of the highest grade
The eyes of fish
That is what you know
How to eat.
Mine, for that song, forbade eating the head of a fish. This she did, in order not to mistakenly eat the eyes of fishes. Moreover, inwardly, Mine, knew that she was truly beautiful. "Dainty like the fairy mermaid and sensitive like the Sunbird", so teased her father often. She often cried. But it was not an ordinary cry that was often the nature of the young ones. Rather, it was the desperate cry of someone seeking to discover herself with honour, grace and glory as her abiding companions. Therefore, she must overcome the hurdles along the road towards being a truly beautiful child. Mine was a very curious and observant child. In these, she was definitely the best ever known among her school mates and beyond. So one Saturday morning, when she was in one of her crying moods, she decided to visit the flower nursery in the vicinity. The morning had long gone into the day, and the sun shone lightly on the green grassland along the road, while a gentle wind blew along the rough paths pleasantly. By the time Mine got to the nursery, she had stopped crying. Immediately, she was attracted by the radiant beauty of the flowers. She started walking round, admiring the colours of the different flowers and their appeal to the eyes and senses. As she continued to walk round, she noticed a Sunbird sucking one of the most beautiful flowers she cherished in the·nursery. She felt angry and unhappy. "Ah, you little silly ant" , Mine bellowed at the sun bird "leave that flower alone".
But The Sunbird felt undisturbed and continued with his sucking game.
"Are you deaf and dumb? Or am I not talking to you?", Mine persisted more angrily. And at that stage, The Sunbird shifted in his position. Looking at ease, but curiously at Mine, he replied: "My name is not ant, child. The legendary Sunbird, that is what my friends call me". "I don't care what friends call you, bird. All I am concerned about is your leaving that rose alone", Mine declared.
"Child, please why have you come to disturb me? Or am I the cause of your frequent cry". The Bird asked, wondering at Mine.
"Who told you I always cry?, and how did you know?'' Mine asked sternly. The Bird laughed loudly at Mine's ignorance and this annoyed her the more. "It means you don't know me, after all", the Bird said, still laughing. "Do I have to know you?" Mine asked.
"Yes of course", Replied the bird "Every parent ought to have told their children about the legend of The Sun bird: the sensitive one". Mine instantly recollected her father calling her the "sensitive Sunbird". "Okay, tell me. Why are you called the sensitive Sunbird".
"Just because I am sensitive to human needs". The bird replied, smiling as he positioned himself properly on the stalk of the flower. "Just as you guessed my mood initially?". Mine asked sarcastically.
"No, don't be silly, child". The· Bird scolded. "It is humans that guess but birds act on instincts".
"Thank you for your education". Mine conceded, rather interestingly.
"You are welcome", the bird nodded with relief. "And I hope it is a sign of true friendship". "I hope so" Mine assured nodding her head in reply.
"Tell me something. How come you knew so much in spite of acting on instinct?".
The bird loved the question and adjusted himself to it: "Patience, my child" The bird resumed, gesturing and emphasizing with his wings. "Patience to make smooth the way of life for yourself. For patience, in this sense means discipline and alertness". Mine nodded her head in agreement. "Look". The bird continued "I have always maintained that the smartest birds are the most foolish. Look at the way of the weaver bird: so smart that he does not always care to know the difference between a corn grown out on the corn-stalk and a corn tied to the corn-stalk. And he often end up in the hunter's cage. What about the dove? Can any other bird beat the swiftness of the dove to danger? The dove thinks cassava can produce rice. For when he discovers rice beneath a cassava plantation, he rushes blindly to devour it. And ends up, in the pepper soup pot of the crafty hunter". The Bird paused for a moment. Mine shook her head sadly.
"That is the way life goes with us, child" The bird resumed. "They are smarter and swifter than I. But l live longer; I am wiser and more knowledgeable than them. The truth of this has been acknowledged even by the human race". The bird concluded satisfactorily.
Mine smiled gracefully at the little bird whose ways she longed to learn. And she knew instantly that a worthwhile friendship had been given birth to, as she parted with the bird for home.