4 YEARS..................................

4 years. That’s what she gave; that’s how long she waited for you to make sense of it all. 4 years. That’s what you both invested. Beyond superlatives, you knew she invested more than just those 4 years - she gave you her heart and her loyalty. You sigh heavily; mumble some incomprehensible words asking yourself what more she could have invested. You couldn’t answer.

  

4 years ago you met her on a late October morning. You were on your way to work. She was on her way to her graduation ceremony with a friend. Paths crossed, tender sparks flickered and numbers were exchanged. She was looking exactly the way you loved women to look – radiant and beautiful. You were sure she gave you a wrong name at the time.

4 years of amazing times was what it was for you loved her. However, you were sure she loved you more. This you didn’t realize until a close female friend opened your eyes to it. You realized that you can be sometimes clueless in these things. But love is never enough you learnt much later. 

3 years in, you were almost sure you didn’t make her as happy as before. You knew exactly why for you caused it. A few indiscretions and a huge mistake of not doing the proper introductions to your mum on time. You didn’t think it was a big deal at the time until speculations and wrong assumptions started flying around. You corrected it a little too late. You both lost yourselves in the process for she had exhausted her patience. And you had almost exhausted your will.

You see, you respected her more when she didn’t walk away from you. Her friends called her stupid. You later realized why she stayed. You respected her even more after that. She was the most loyal human being you had ever met.

4 years. Not once did you think it was going to end. Not once did you doubt that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her. 4 years and all of the plans, promises and expectations disappear with the lazy December wind.

It was your longest, most serious and nearly your most intense relationship. It was a big proof to yourself that you were not scared of commitment anymore. But you were still certain you were scared of marriage. But you look at your parents and you find audacity and hope that it’s possible no matter what. Theirs wasn’t perfect but it’s been working for 40 years.

4 years and you wake up to the reality that you have just become a bachelor all over. You were not sure how that made you feel. You’d figure it out you mumbled and went to sleep. 

Foye.

ON A CHECKERED PATH..........

Autumn leaves. Nothing but dispersed in the hazy wind. Unperturbed. Just going with the flow. The flow of bliss or of blight. To an unknown place of rest or of ruin. Checkered, that’s the prospect of the autumn leaves. Checkered. That’s the prospect of the Nigerian citizenry living in a shadow of itself.  

There are so many things happening in the world and in Nigeria right now that begets one’s sanity or even insanity depending on which one had morphed into to keep it together. Insanity can be a form of sanity. It’s a just change in perspective.

From the most efficiently prolonged #fuel scarcity ever experienced to #Buhari’s too many trips to Bukola #Saraki’s messy trial to killings by Fulani herdsmen to #Trump’s mostly controversial presidential campaign, one can’t but feel beleaguered. Just few days back, Trump said all that Hilary Clinton has going for her is the fact that she’s a woman. Really? I’m no woman but I sure feel insulted.

The recent apprehension of the ISIS terrorists responsible for the Paris and Belgium attack is quite profound and worth celebrating. The feeling of a safer world imbues one. Quite typical of the United States, more troops were recently sent into Syria. We are on the way to a safer world – only for the North Korean nuclear situation.

But a safer Nigeria? One isn’t so certain. The recent video alluding that the #Chibok girls are still alive and yet to be rescued baffles one. Even though, the Nigerian army under Buhari’s watch has been more aggressive and offensive with little successes here and there in the battle against the inimitable Boko Haram. One of the many campaign promises of #Buhari was to bring back our girls #BBOG. He’s yet to fulfill this amongst many other promises.

Of course, one needs to be objective and not expect instant results – especially when things had gone so bad before the new APC administration led by #Buhari came on board. However, in a few months’ time, the administration will be exactly a year in power. Any results they could possibly have remains mired by the high dollar exchange rate and the longest fuel scarcity ever with rippling effects on food prices, transportation and untold hardship on the citizenry. Let’s face it; the Nigerian economy is probably at its worst. We are typically in a recession.

In the midst of this, the fight against corruption – the reason many people including one’s self supported Buhari– seems to be a façade at worst or at snail speed at best with no convictions in the bag yet. By my standards, #Dasuki and #Metuh should be languishing in jail right now. Same Metuh recently slumped and was rushed to the hospital. A decoy most probably. Just like the former petroleum minister –Diezani - had us believe she was cancer stricken. Where’s she these days? Still cancer stricken?

Saraki’s trial has become a political hullabaloo with the Senate and Senators rushing to save our mostly corrupt Senate president even with the indictment from #PanamaPapers. They are quite disposed to re-writing the rules to save him. One is quite impressed with the statement made by the APC National Chairman stating that APC doesn’t mind to lose the Senate Presidency seat in face of the controversial corruption charges. The mostly megalomaniac Kogi state Senator, Dino Melaye, has come out to say he supports Saraki despite obvious corruption charges. What a shame.

By one’s judgement, Saraki’s trial is critical and has far reaching implications for Buhari’s administration and his anti-corruption campaign. It’s even more consequential than #Dasukigate. If a conviction or at least a removal from office isn’t landed with #Saraki’s trial, then we might as well continue to have the mostly benign and corrupt #Jonathan as president.

One sincerely hopes that Buhari won’t allow the current politicking with Saraki’s trial mire his anti-corruption campaign. But then it’s his call even if it’s some form of witch hunt for Saraki. The right thing still needs to be done.

Foye.

Ps. That saying that one never knows what one has till one has lost or almost lost it is quite apt. its baffling how one waits almost till the very end of it all before realizing or reacting. It’s mostly painful if one never realizes.

Ps. 2. If I were an American right now, I won’t be supporting either Trump or Hillary Clinton. I honestly would be rooting for Bernie Sanders even as old as he is. But then, we know that Bernie won’t clinch the Democrats ticket. So it’s still going to be Trump vs. Clinton. Let the games begin. Or shall I say let the propaganda  begin?