MY DEPARTURE

MY DEPARTURE

In the months after Kammy's return to the city, We had again and again brooded over the way the white man treated the black. Comparing it to Christianity, the white man believed in God, brought God to us and God taught : "Love your neighbour as yourself". Christ came so we might have life abundantly. The Church taught that we were all brethren in Christ, one with another.... And the whites, who had hatred towards us were Christians too. The function didn't match, where was the error? In Christianity? In us? In the whites? In our environments? And how were to make it work? 

 Here, in Socoto (South Coast Town), it worked. The fathers who taught us lived up to expectations. They were peaceful people, good men and poured all of their lived into what they taught, accompanied by their good works. Belief, teaching, ideology translated into reality, action and life. We were the witnesses. 

 But we would leave here and go proper into the big world where the whites were. Amongst them, this feeling of peace and equality didn't work out. When the whites entered our church, they made for the front row. When we drank, they didn't share our cups. When we slept, the whites were in another room. Disgusting! We're humans for God's sake! 

 This thing didn't work out. How do we make complaints when the Fathers and Sisters being white were good people. And in the harshness of our young idealism we hoped that it worked like early simple mathematics. And it did not. 

Where was the error: in man or God? 

  I wrote from Sam time to time. He wrote and sent me copies of *Inequality*. My efforts had spurred a boy on, he became a monster in poetry. At least I'd leave a legacy in him, I thought. 

 At last, end of term came. I was packing my case at night. Mammy was doing the same. 

" Bola... "

"Yes. "

"Are you coming back"? 

"No. "

"I thought not. I will miss you bad"

"Me too, kam"

"Have you told Father Barley? "

"No. I'll write to him"

"You must Bola, he likes you and it will upset him"

"I know Kam. He's a good Father"

 Silently, hiding our faces from each other, we visited the Nam river. 

 In the morning, I took leave my leave from Grace villa leaving Kammy on the bed. That was how I departed Socoto. 

Extracted from Socoto days.