A Run through the Night

Sunday, 03 January 2010 19:57

The decision to stop over in Benin City was almost inspired. They had arrived at Makurdi at 4.30 pm. With the long journey to Lagos stretching before him, Tega had sought a way to shorten it. He conferred with Amanda and they agreed that he should stop over in Benin before proceeding to Lagos. That way, he could kill the proverbial two birds with one stone.

First, he would see his son, Junior, and second, he would meet Amanda’s parents, both events furnishing him with enough details to give his parents, whom he would still have to face.

They took a taxi from High Level to a garage in front of a cinema, where they boarded another taxi to Onitsha. The journey to Onitsha was smooth and uneventful and Amanda slept most of the way, her head resting gently on Tega’s chest.

Sketches

Oni Dodo - An African Symphony

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They arrived at night. Both of them did not know Onitsha at all, so taking a calculated risk and ignoring all the negative things they had heard, they told a taxi driver to take them to an inexpensive hotel. The driver took one glance at their green Khakis and drove them to the Savoy. They left Onitsha in the morning.

Benin is a romantic city. In spite of being very modern, the past clings to the city like a royal robe. In Benin City, the past and present, old and new, ancient and modern, stand side by side, on parade.

The city overwhelmed Tega. He had been to Benin before but it was only as a passenger passing through the city. Now he was walking down Sakponba road in the company of the woman he loved. It was a unique experience.

The taxi had let them off a minute earlier and Amanda was leading him down this road, passing St. Matthew’s Church, a huge edifice on the edge of the road. There were modern as well as mud houses, standing side-by-side. Ancient and modern, he reminded himself.

Then, he saw himself running towards them. It was a smaller version of him, the same carriage, the same eyes, and the same nose. It was as if he had been put through a photocopying machine and a reduced copy produced. It was him, with all the years and guilt, and societal conditioning removed.

He watched the child shorten the distance between them. It was uncanny, like looking into the mirror, seeing you, young and innocent again. He was mesmerized.

“Auntie, Auntie!” the child cried. “Auntie is back,” as he rushed into Amanda’s embrace. She took possession of him, like a mother hen covering her chick with protective wings. Tega needed no prophecy. This was his son.

“Oh, Junior, I missed you,” Amanda cooed.

“I missed you too, and mummy and daddy,” Junior said, and then he noticed Tega. He looked up at him with a puzzled look on his face.

“Who’s your friend, Auntie?”

“You’ll get to know him ... promise.”

“Why is he crying?”

Amanda looked at Tega and saw the tears flowing down his cheek. Tears came to her eyes and she said, “May be he’s just discovered himself.”

END

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