I was born when the time was still partially measured by the throaty crow of the cocks. When if cock refuses to crow, the time was measured by the height of shadow.
I can still very much remember how my father would say the time is three o'clock in the afternoon because the shadow had reached a certain height on the wall in our backyard. Sometimes I was wowed at the level of his intelligence.
He didn't mark that particular spot on the wall and he never for once missed it. I tried doing but kept on missing it. Then, I used charcoal to Mark it. Isn't beautiful to say I also measured time by the height of shadow? Winks.
My father was a farmer and partially a hunter. He was very diligent and good at what he does. He had cocoa, cola nut, plantain, yam, maize, cowpea, and rice farms. He was rich in goats, and different kinds of fowls. Apart from the fact that he uses labor we the children were also part of the labors employ on his farm.
We worked all year round. By the time I was thanking God in my lazy mind that we were about to finish the weeding of a particular farm, another farm was already set for weeding. If not weeding, spraying of pesticide, harvesting, other farm management is among what we used to do all year round. Like a soldier at a duty post no time for resting.
Like I used to tell people I was born with a golden spoon because the silver spoon will be an understatement. Because if any man has now what my father had then, he's wealthy not just rich. A story for the other day though. We usually go to the farm in the morning, had a break around 1 or 2 pm in the afternoon. Then, resume back to the farm around 3 or 4 in the evening. We closed finally by 7 pm latest. We did this all year round. Despite my father do employ external hands.
There was a day it was raining very early in the morning. And whenever it rained like that I usually pray that it didn't stop while it's still called morning because if it did we would still go to the farm. But unfortunately, the rain stops around 10 am. I felt like crying but couldn't because after all, I would still go to the farm.
What we had to do that day was to spray pesticides. When we got to the farm, even before then all our trousers were soaked as a result of the dews settle on the leaves along the path leading to the farm.
It was me and my brother alone. Seems we were the only one available that particular day. Probably my other elderly ones have traveled. I then proposed to him to not let us spray the herbicide since the rain had fallen that morning none would know that we didn't spray it. The cocoa pods were already wet. And exactly what would happen if we spray it. Let us deceive the man-my father, after all, he's not here, he wouldn't know.
He looked at me and smile. "But the pest would still plague the pods and it would be a loss, he said. He then shared an anecdote of how a young man was put in charge of a building project. But that the young man sees it as an opportunity to make wealth. Hence, he used inferior materials all through. After the completion of the building, he handed over the keys to the one who sent him.
But the man disobliged and told him the building is for you. But I decided to keep it secret to know if you would do it for me the way you would for yourself. The man when he ought to leap for joy was deeply hurt within because he knew what he did."
He then told me that whatever I'm doing for others in life, I must always see it like I'm doing it for myself. Forsooth you're doing it for yourself.
Morphologically, lies, and truth might look alike but trust me they have different genetic makeup. Their effect will definitely be different, this I learn from the anecdote. Even, if he had accepted my proposal, it might not be known to our father immediately but he would definitely know when the effect of the herbicide could not be seeing on the pods.
This shaped my life beyond the mere description of the tongue. Today, if I will not do it the way I will for myself, I will rather not do it at all. It will be a false image of yourself to think you can't do it for others and believe you can do it perfectly for yourself.
Though many have seen this as a weakness I see it as strength. Some even take advantage of me but I care not. Because I know from my father that the proof of good doings is not always a success. Even most times you are persecuted for doing good. But it is a sacrifice we must always all be eager to take to make the world a better place.
Remember, keep being you and keep being good.
I am AKERELE ODUNAYO SAMUEL
#Staysafe
#Stayhome
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