Female and MORE!

 

Still in the spirit of celebrating international women's day, I will tell you a story. Forgive me, it's totally unrelated to this year's theme. 

But it's a recurring theme in our lives. If you look closely, you would see it next door. And the door after it. 

Source: Vector Images

Everyday as an undergraduate comes with it's own story. I look forward to each one, wondering what each day will bring, how it will end. When mother nature smiles, it ends well. A wistful smile to end the day. 

Unfortunately, she doesn't always smile. 

Few minutes into the second lecture for the day, the air thickened and became hot - hotter than it was already. (If you have been in Nigeria this period, you would believe me if I tell you that Mother nature had chosen to have a hot bubble bath in it.) 

Whiffs of smoke filled the air. And our lungs. When we looked, we saw that the thicket beside us was engulfed in flames. They said fire was a hungry beast ready to devour. They didn't do justice to it. This one leapt and danced on the green leaves till they were twigs. 

We knew this wasn't one of those usual bush burning techniques common in Africa. 

Source: Steemit

It may surprise you that instead of the usual fright and flight response that accompany fire incidents. We sat calmly, listening to our lectures. And watching. 

Looking back now, it made a funny scene. How everyone including the lecturer faced the window, watching the fire like the sungod worshippers of Egypt. I knew we were accessing our escape routes. Watching. Waiting. For me, it would only take a second. 

The fire went on for a few minutes. When we were sure it was going to choke us, the casual workers came to our rescue. Somehow, they controlled the situation, until it was only glowing embers. It relaxed us a bit - enough to listen more than we watched. 

After a while, just before the embers burnt out. We heard the most piercing sound. Our eardrums fried. All eyes turned again to see why dying embers made noise. We saw a fire service car. The first I've ever seen in my temporary stay in Nigeria.  I didn't know if I should glory in the sight of it and burst with pride. Or be angry. Such perfect timing!   

Since it had already come, the firemen helped put out the fire till it was a puff of blackness. And all that was left was a choking smoke determined to scar our lungs. I would not have minded if it stopped at that. If it was thick enough to blind me. Because right there in the middle of this drama was another one. A man flogging a woman. 

Source: The Guardian Nigeria

The scene lived with me all night long. It troubled me more than the fire. I wanted to find excuses. That the woman was his wife who had denounced all her wifely duties. That she was an employee who had in fact contributed to the fire. Or caused it. That she was anything but another victim of violence. Like others, I looked on into the darkness, and pretended not to see. 

Days later, the image burned in my mind. Brighter than the fire. And louder than the noise. Sometimes, we need not look too close to see. What we search for can be right under our nose. You need not join grandiose campaigns supporting women's causes. It's fine if you join. Good in fact. But it's even better if you knock next door and stop the next kick. 

There I was, wrapped in the cocoon of my house, thinking that the world has long evolved and gone beyond such degenerative treatment of women. Asides embracing equity on social media; sponsor women in tech, stop the next brutality next door, support female empowerment programmes. Embrace equity in reality!

To the survival of human race!

To every Rose that grew from Concrete; Blossom!