Quite often these days, I have seen you in the lives and hearts of your best, the youths. They are scared. So scared. The pressure from all that is happening burdens them. Even if, like myself, a good number of them are yet to grasp the big picture. New policies are being made. Old resolutions yet unresolved and unrealised consolidated by new ones yet unarticulated...the fear, the horror.
Amongst the pain that I see in their eyes is the fear that they are alone. Each one feels locked up in a shell of his/her own. Each feels that his life will be a continuous battle against the rest of the world. A battle to fight hunger, validation, rejection, prejudice...a battle that has already been lost.
My brothers and sisters feel all by themselves, they are frightened. They believe that running away is the answer. Even when it isn't an available option. I don't know about a victory that was handed on a gold platter, or a lasting freedom that was never professed or defended.
My Africa, quite often, I'm scared too. Frightened to my bones. And I hope that some of these days you shall look on us kindly, and perhaps confirm that we are all in this together: Broken, strong, grieving, celebrant, wishing, faithless, christian, muslim, straight, gay, lesbians, jews, traditionalists, bisexuals, transgenders, dreamers, realists, fast, slow, wreckless, meticulous...we are all in this together. Part of this perfect circle. For ourselves, and in a more beautiful equation for each other. One phenomenal people within God.
My Africa, nkem. The pressure is here, but it will help to know that I can tell my brothers and sisters that we are all in this together, working hard, breaking through.
Yours hopeful,
Nnanna
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