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So Short A Letter

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Jacint
(@jacint)
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Joined: 5 years ago
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      Dear friend, I heard Mr.Kalu, who has three graduates was found dead dangling from his ceiling and some days ago, a girl was found to have died from self poisoning. Four days later, two lovers were found dead and a bottle of insecticide laid by their death side with a note that ended with; "even death can't do apart".

       Later that night, we gathered at the front yard to deliberate on the recent increase in suicide and how "right" or "wrong" they were. Starting with the two lovers whom we condemned of believing that there was a life for them both after death, a better one according to them. Next, was the girl who poisoned herself and we cited an example from the day's newspaper where a lady stabbed herself because her boyfriend of two years left her for another. Then, Mr.Kalu whom everyone called all sort of names from "stupid man", "foolish man", "senseless idiot", "mad fellow", "uneducated entity", to all sort of insults.

      Yesterday, as I stare at the letter from my office several thoughts cloud my mind. The huge loan from the bank with my home as collateral, mama's falling health, my last meal of porridge beans, my empty wallet among others. As I search for a way out, my eyes fall on the remaining insecticide from last night combat with mosquito and I remember the incidences of Mr.Kalu, the two lovers and the girl. Now that I consider it well Mr.Kalu had struggled to take care of his three children. He had borrowed to educate them while struggling with his ailing health. They eventually graduated with honors but turned greater liabilities to the old man as they remained unemployed. Day in, day out, the old man had instead faced insults from his children who called him a witch and we were all witnesses to these. On one occasion, they had stripped the poor man naked and asked him to confess while bathing him with water mixed with a leaf that caused him to itch begging for mercy. No one made an attempt to stop those children and each minded his business like it was a dream. These might be a tip of what the old man went through when compared indoor.

This leads me to ask "what is Suicide?" One could relate life to an examination in which a candidate who thinks he attempted all questions or reaches a cross-road just goes to submit (suicide). A friend of mine said "death is God's way of saying you are fired and suicide is human's way of saying I quit". To you therefore I pose the same question "what is Suicide?"

                                    Philip

©Joyce Akpan

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This topic was modified 5 years ago 3 times by Jacint

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