The man always looked like he had something in mind, sometimes mumbling to himself. I was always curious about him because I truly believed that something was definitely wrong somewhere.
He never really said hello if you walked past him but when he saw daddy he would greet very respectfully. His hair was a stranger to the scissors and he always forced a cap on his head but his hair always found some escape routes through the cap for some fresh air!
The story in the village was that he ran away from the military, nobody was sure but because he usually wore a particular pair of boots that looked like what soldiers wore, the villagers drew the conclusion that Anyadiegwu (not real name) was a runaway soldier.
Also it was gossiped about him that he acted weird because he killed a lot of people during the war and the dead people's blood hung on his head and had made him mad. But then, this which particular? (but villagers can really gossip)
If you took a good look at Anyadiegwu you could tell that behind the "whiskers" he called moustache and the long "Ojukwu" like beard that he kept was a very good looking man and the few times I saw him smile he squinted his eyes and he looked really cool.
Yes, he had some sane moments when he talked and laughed with other villagers over kegs of palm wine. Such meetings were sometimes held in daddy's obi and I had seen him once come out of the meeting for a quick smoke. Watching him smoke, I could tell that there was more to this dysfunctional middle aged man.
He smoked like a man who once lived in affluence (of course there's a difference between the way a poor man smokes and the way a rich man does)
A poor man would rush the cigarette and smoke it till it almost burns his fingers or the filter itself starts to burn. Anyadiegwu lit his cigarette, took a long drag, looked up like he was talking to his Maker then puffed out the smoke; he took another long drag and as he gently released the smoke, he threw the stub which was still long to the ground and stepped on it to put it out, then he walked back into the meeting.
Maybe he had hoped to get more out of life but was shocked by the rudeness of life itself. When you give it your all but it does not regard your efforts and just treats you without respect. To me this was a highly depressed man. But what do we know about depression in Lokpanta?
It happened that a woman came to meet Anyadiegwu from far away, I'm not sure where. But she came with two children she claimed to have had for him during his sojourn in that part of the country.
The woman and her children started to live with Anyadiegwu but after about a year no one saw them anymore; it was believed that the woman probably couldn't cope with her lover and so she left with her children. No one attempted to ask Anyadiegwu of his new family's whereabouts.
The woman did not go away, it was later discovered that the she and her children were thrown into a particular well which served the people of that community.
The village was in a chaotic state as women and young children wept like never before. It was indeed a day of tears as their decomposed bodies were pulled out in parts from the well which was immediately sealed permanently.
A well which was once known for never running dry became the unpopular well because of this infamous murder.
The last time saw Anyadiegwu, he was in handcuffs being led away by the police.
He never really said hello if you walked past him but when he saw daddy he would greet very respectfully. His hair was a stranger to the scissors and he always forced a cap on his head but his hair always found some escape routes through the cap for some fresh air!
The story in the village was that he ran away from the military, nobody was sure but because he usually wore a particular pair of boots that looked like what soldiers wore, the villagers drew the conclusion that Anyadiegwu (not real name) was a runaway soldier.
Also it was gossiped about him that he acted weird because he killed a lot of people during the war and the dead people's blood hung on his head and had made him mad. But then, this which particular? (but villagers can really gossip)
If you took a good look at Anyadiegwu you could tell that behind the "whiskers" he called moustache and the long "Ojukwu" like beard that he kept was a very good looking man and the few times I saw him smile he squinted his eyes and he looked really cool.
Yes, he had some sane moments when he talked and laughed with other villagers over kegs of palm wine. Such meetings were sometimes held in daddy's obi and I had seen him once come out of the meeting for a quick smoke. Watching him smoke, I could tell that there was more to this dysfunctional middle aged man.
He smoked like a man who once lived in affluence (of course there's a difference between the way a poor man smokes and the way a rich man does)
A poor man would rush the cigarette and smoke it till it almost burns his fingers or the filter itself starts to burn. Anyadiegwu lit his cigarette, took a long drag, looked up like he was talking to his Maker then puffed out the smoke; he took another long drag and as he gently released the smoke, he threw the stub which was still long to the ground and stepped on it to put it out, then he walked back into the meeting.
Maybe he had hoped to get more out of life but was shocked by the rudeness of life itself. When you give it your all but it does not regard your efforts and just treats you without respect. To me this was a highly depressed man. But what do we know about depression in Lokpanta?
It happened that a woman came to meet Anyadiegwu from far away, I'm not sure where. But she came with two children she claimed to have had for him during his sojourn in that part of the country.
The woman and her children started to live with Anyadiegwu but after about a year no one saw them anymore; it was believed that the woman probably couldn't cope with her lover and so she left with her children. No one attempted to ask Anyadiegwu of his new family's whereabouts.
The woman did not go away, it was later discovered that the she and her children were thrown into a particular well which served the people of that community.
The village was in a chaotic state as women and young children wept like never before. It was indeed a day of tears as their decomposed bodies were pulled out in parts from the well which was immediately sealed permanently.
A well which was once known for never running dry became the unpopular well because of this infamous murder.
The last time saw Anyadiegwu, he was in handcuffs being led away by the police.
Quite an interesting story I must say.
ReplyDeleteHey yaa! Depression is real,a mental health issue and can cause alot of damage if left unchecked.
ReplyDeleteQuite interesting but pathetic. I wish the story will continue cos each line thrills the reader to the extent of wanting a continuity.
ReplyDeleteThe effects of trauma and in this case, post traumatic stress disorder is obviously dangerous. The old men are always eager to send the young to fight their wars. Wise up young men, not only that you might lose your life, lose the war and in this case lose your mind.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we come across someone being hunted by one ugly experience or the other thereby making that person depressed. Unfortunately, if the person involved is not a true Christian grounded in the word of God our only consolation, he or she may end up at doing something pathetic. Moreover, someone may be doing certain things under the manipulations of evil ones to the extent that he or she cannot do something good for himself or people around him. Furthermore, one may be operating under a curse which is more destructive and capable of making someone useless if proper counseling and deliverance is not carried out. However Anyadiegwu's drowning of his wife and children may not have done with a clear mind. Something is wrong somewhere.
ReplyDelete