The Sins of Our Father
BY OBODOZIE DIVINE CHINOYE
CHAPTER ONE
Right from 1960, Corruption has eaten our society.
Our forefathers thought after gaining our independence all our problems and all our society menaces would end but sadly greed and corruption is the order of the day.
Today, June 1st 2021 I would be sharing my story with you.
I am Cree Stephen.
Born into a Christian family with a great belief and faith in God but due to society menaces; faced problems non-stop.
Africa is a large continent, a home for the blacks.
So I believe Africans or blacks are to treat each and everyone of the blacks with respect and also love but sadly majority of them have sold their rights for money and material things that only have worldly value.
My dad is a Deacon and my mum a Deaconess so right from birth I have been brought up to know and respect God.
Cree sat on a chair in her balcony observing nature as she loved nature, gently she watched and felt the breeze gently blow and the leaves dancing to their rythym.
She walked inside almost immediately as if she recalled something and came out with a book jotting her thoughts.
"I remember back then in 2000, then I was only 16 years of age preparing for my Neco and Waec exams..." She began writing
"Then I decided to abstain from any form of distractions but I couldn't. Why? I had a crush on a boy- my classmate to be precise"
Crushing on someone is just an infatuated feeling which lasts for only a short period of time. This many teenagers are oblivious about.
"He was tall, funny, light skinned and pretty much everything I thought I wanted at that time.
I used to spend most of my afternoons staring at him and each time he stares at me my heart skipped a beat, something I persumed to be love..."
A wise person quoted
"Want to hide something from an African man hide it in a book, he will never find it"
Was it an insult or a fact?
Believe me it's both.
An insult yes, because Africans find it hard to seek knowledge through reading; we get distracted easily just as I did with my high school crush.
A fact yes, No African will go to a book unless necessary.
Which is bad, maybe that's why our Government fails.
"My crush then never for once had or maintained a conversation. He never did or maybe he didn't want to. Crushing on him made me wonder how I smelt, how I looked. Which was quite weird. I would spend close to an hour in the bathtub just to make sure I looked good"
Just to impress man.
Little did I Know I was diving into the wrong path.
"As a teenager I never disclosed this feelings to my parents nor did I inform an adult."
*Why should i? They wouldn't understand.* I tell myself quite often
*They are old fashioned*
*They don't understand what it means to have feelings*
They are humans too regardless of their age so they know what it means to be "head over heels in love"
Yeah I quoted it.
*Why?*
It's pointless thinking about those things.
They only make you imagine things deep down you know it's not possible.
"I kept it to myself and I drifted from the Truth
The Bible
, my books and even my parents. Thankfully Dayo never got to know till our exams were approaching"
Examination malpractice is the order of the day.
Maybe that why our government keeps failing us.
A government is an institution of the state. A body that makes and enforces law. It's duty to her citizens is to provide security, social amenities and ease the pains of her citizens not increase it.
Funny thing is, many teenagers and youths who having gone through suffering all thanks to bad governance, wants to repeat the same thing infact even increase it by embezzling even more money.
When building a house, foundation matters. But many teenagers foundations are nothing to write about.
"I can recall after returning from a charity event, I met a young girl of sixteen arguing with her boyfriend on the phone and she was in tears after the call."
"I stared at her for a while before asking what the problem was and she bluntly told me after sleeping with her boyfriend numerous times he cheated on her and claimed she was cheap"
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"Are you?" Was the question I fired at her.
Disappointment written on my face.
"Of course not"
"Does he pay you to sleep with him?"
"No"
"Why then?"
"He is my boyfriend. As he girlfriend I am meant to satisfy him so he won't leave me"
"And what was the end result?"
She stared at me in shame.
"Opening your legs for a guy won't make him stay with you rather he will use you and do the same to other girls"
She stared at me in tears.
"Why do you have a boyfriend?"
"To be happy"
"For how long?"
"Happiness like that are only temporal. God is the only happiness you can ever have"
"How can I get that happiness"
"By simply confessing your sins to Him and asking for His mercy, He will forgive you"
That day I prayed with her and now she's a choir mistress in church. She sings pretty well.
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