A Night At Onitsha

(Journey to the East – Youth Service at Enugu State) On a Friday night, July 1, 2009 I found myself at Onitsha, home for all as it is called The eastern economic backbone and business centre of the Igbo people Accommodating the good, the bad, the poor and the wealthy A colleague to Lagos of the Yoruba people in the West Unlike Asaba, its closest brother it’s always busy, With busy people during their business in the busy way As late as it was, it seemed to be the breaking of a new day If works were to be equivalent to wealth The world wealthiest people should have emerged from Onitsha Suddenly, the crowd seemed to disappear into a thin air Everyone moved as if they were late for an occasion Diminishing like little water pour in a very hot pan So fast like a speeding car passing a little boy I wondered how the "fat crowd" of people could be swallowed up by that "thin city" in a twinkle of an eye Standing by me was a man that seemed not to be in a hurry I had to ask him, “where is everybody hurrying to?” “They run for the safety of their lives and properties”, he replied with a baritone voice That got the floor vibrating as if a tremor as just taken place As he turned to look at my face, he continued “Ina, this is Onitsha, home for all. No man trusts another” At those words, it occurred to me that I have not gotten to my destination But it was late to continue my journey And since I was then aware I was in a land where no man should trust another The only place I could go was a nearby church The best choice of a place to pass the night for a pilgrim like me. © 2009