AN EASY PASSAGE TO AN UNKNOWN WORLD
The greatest fear of mankind is the fear of the unknown. Here it stares me on the face. The fear that I may not return, many who treaded this dangerous path never returned and one of them is Mrs. Chinwendu my moms friend. I was feeling cold in the summer.
Three hundred? No I think three hundred and a nine drop... I just kept counting drops of what passed through my vein all in an attempt to get my mind busy and get my self out the realities of this world, but beside me lay the terror I feared most.
My eyes kept producing the liquid it was known for in a very substantial quantity, my breathing was sounding abnormal, it was as if my heart was dictating the pace. My ears were closing and opening on their own accord. My mouth was opened but sealed. Through the vein of the hand of my common use, I recieved my sustainance in liquid form. Why me? I asked, why now? I thought. By my side was the bossom that fed me always smiling and telling me that ''all is well, the Lord is your refuge and fortress... All that I know but...
Two nights of emotional agony came and walked away with the dictates of time. The third was with me now ushering me into my day of horror...(oh! How I wish this cup will pass me by... Thats all).
As the **** crowed in the early hours of this memorable day, heralding and waking me up to meet the day of my presumed night mare. (Was I even sleeping at all?..) I turned my face away from the gaze of the one who cares and wept. The lion king and my hero (may his noble soul rest in perfect peace) emotionaly thought it wise to stay away from his first fruit on this solemn day.
At the hour of 9 o'clock came in an attendant who performed the ritual of cleansing. It is time. Yes the hour has come. The countenance and demeanour of the womb that gave birth to me was that of hope, faith and strong faith. Just faith. Her smiles were glorious but I knew her spirit was restive and troubled. ''I am waiting'' was the last sentence she could utter ( or was that all I heard... I don't know).
With my two hands spread out like a militant surrendering to amnesty, I was ushered into the 'Theatre of Dreams'. Is this the fate of all Manchester United fans? You are really going nuts my spirit spontaneously responded.
Welcome! Was what I heard from a man on white apparel with his nostril and oral cavity convered, looking just like some of these characters in those chinese films(but this one hmm... Is he a white ninja?). I responded to his greetings with a nod (whatever that means). As I came in, I saw two faces beaming smiles at me on green gowns and white gloves. They were beautiful... (madness has surely crept in, the assylum should be the next port after my mission here). On my course to feed my eyes, I saw myself in a new world. This is a planet of robots and machines I thought. Another man in the attire of the former motioned me to follow him. The men were on white and the women were on green. Green and white I murmured (at least am still in Nigeria).
I was shown what looked like a crucifix called a bed and was told to lie down on it and relax my nerves after I have changed into an attire that looked like theirs. My hands were tied to both side of the bed forming a crucifix. I knew it will happen, but I never knew I will leave like Christ ( what a childish thought...). The one I presumed to be the leader asked me to say some prayers so that the main trial will commence. What I uttered, infact I dont know but deep inside of me I think I prayed.
I started hearing the sounds of clinging glasses and botlles, when I made an attempt to look, what I saw was metals beign arranged in a single file. At this juncture, I was surrounded by those masqurades, and suddenly something passed through the veins of my hand of common use and there was a blackout.
I thought I will strugle with my breath, I thought it will be a battle, but the passage was so smooth and easy when I left.
Just in a snap, I found my self in a territory of glory. There where flowers everywhere and beautiful birds of differrent colours were hovering and singing aloud. There was no sun but the whole arena was brightly illuminated. Where the hell I my?
Suddenly I felt it. Hunger yes! Hunger. The cause I didn't know maybe because I didn't eat for days when I was with those mortals. From where I was standing, I saw an intriguing sight, men of peaceful disposition eating and playing, just a little bit far away from me. From where commence the food they eat? I asked. I was perplexed because there were no houses arround. I watched closely and with a keen interest. Bizzare! What is this? Is it that simple? I picked up a flower also, at this point I was not learning rather my spirit was doing what he knows. Immediately the flower left its stem it turned into a bowl of what finally turned out to be a sumptuous meal. (but dont ask me what type of food it was because I cant remeber. (All I know is that I ate to my satisfaction).
When I was enjoying the angelic food any crumb that fell off turned into a flower and stand rooted to the gound. When the lunch was over I decided to pay a visit to my fellow friends who were mumbling words that even the deaf could hear, but were sounding greek. I took steps forward but I felt a force pulling and rooting me back to my former position. The more I tried the more I fooled myself. When I try to jump I see myself landing on the same spot without moving an inch. My new friends were laughing at me. The birds were not left out because I could sense the hysterics in their voices while the sang. They stood up waved at me and left. But the farther the went the more glorious their form became. My vission was limitless. Till this day I have been unable to pinpoint were this city is located. But I think thats the place were noble and righteous souls are preserved for the day of rapture. I saw familiar faces taking a walk and greeting each other with the sign of peace, but today, I remember those faces no more.
Suddenly, a white light as bright as bright itself appeared with rays of rainbow. The countenance and spectacle I could not behold. They rays of light emanating from this glorious form was falling like dew. I lack words of expression here. Then came that subtle and meek voice (a voice I still long to hear till this day). The tone was so soothing and sober and what I heard was ''Obim it is time to go back'', go back to where? I retorted. I lost thought of were I came from. Immediately the words sinked into me, in a twinkle of an eye, I saw myself in a black tunnel with a supernatural force transporting me to a place of which existence I have forgotten. I was hearing the voice of a woman, a voice familiar to me. She was speaking but what she was saying I understood not. The more closer I came to the end of the bizzare tunnel, the more audible and clearer her voice became. The end was light and immediately a temporary darknes set in. With a little force, I forced my eyes open and the first thing I saw was a bird on the window of the building that harboured my form. I turned arround and my mom hugged and cuddled me, smilling and saying with tears of joy ''Nna welcome''. Beside her was my brother Chinedu, who was crying uncontrolably. (he thought I was gone).
Like a thunderbolt, very sharp and quick, it struck and brought me back to realities. What, you may ask? That was the sharp pain of the appendixite surgery I had. I cried out in pains. It was really excruciating. I tried to wriggle on my bed but there were hands holding me to a still. '' Sorry Ndo was then my name, no longer Orji Obinna. Please I need more sleeping pills this pain is unbearable, was all I could audibly and reasonably ask for (but who dash monkey banana). All my demands fell on deaf ears, and that was when my dad came in and his voice thundered '' Obinna be a man'' those words alone brought me back to sanity.
It was after two days while I was still recuperating from the surgical operation that I was rightly told by my mom that I was out for what seemed like ages to her. She narrated to me how they were calling me to wake up. Funny. To me I was dead but to them I was under an influence of a god.
In excitement, I decided to tell her my experience and they familiar faces I saw were I went, the delicious meal I had and of the voice that transported me back to life. The doctor at this point came in to conduct his routine checks and was congratulating me on my fast recovery and equally made known to me of his own testimony. That I was behaving unsual in the theatre when the operation was going on and that this kept them on their toes, hmmm... Was all I could utter, I told him about my experience, he just laughed and said ''anesthesia was working. Those were some of the efffects my son. It takes you away from the realities of the present, to a world of no pain''. With this last words he tapped my head and left with his nurse...
Don't ask me whether I believed him... Of course I didn't. Mtchew...
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