CARNAL DESIRES AND REALITY.

In life, there are some things that pepper my body. I mean, they give me wild shivers down my bone marrow, such as the sounds of a baby's cry or little children suffering for the mistakes their parents made. These things pierce my senses like a jagged edged sword and I end up feeling so sorry that I want to hug and peck them and make them feel better. Let me explain a scenario.

About two weeks ago, on one fine afternoon, I was on my way home. I was seated in a bus, jejely minding my own business and busy writing my stories in a draft. You see, in this country, Canada and especially in Alberta, you have to learn how to jejely be on your own and mind your business every step of the way. This place is not Obalende or Oshodi or Mushin where you can just open your mouth carelessly and vomit whatever you feel like because a good number of fellow Nigerians do not know how and when to keep quiet at things that don't concern them. This place is not even close to looking like Houston or Atlanta where you feel you can say anything that comes to your mind because you are in America where everyone believes in that popular slogan, "America is a free country!" It is a lie! You must always, always jejely be on your own and mind your business when you are in Canada so that you will live longer. However, in this case, I was really touched by the situation in question.

So, I was concentrating on constructing a story plot when the bus got to a terminal adjacent to a high school and stopped for school children to get in. Before I could open my mouth and say, "Jack Robinson!" a young boy threw his body on the seat next to mine. This boy could not be more than 18 years old, even if he had eaten all the fertilizers in this world that made him look like a 30 year old man, with all the fatty and adipose tissues clinging mercilessly underneath his skin. He was carrying a baby in a roller carriage and he had positioned the carriage in front of him before he sat down and made me uncomfortable with his weight. Apparently, his weight could not contain one seat so he ended up putting me in a tight position because part of his body was already occupying my seat.

I took one look at the baby and lost my focus. A very cute little tot she was, with eyes as blue as the waters of Bora Bora, skin as pale as nude beach and lips as pink as deep fuchsia. While I was busy admiring the baby, the boy, who appeared to be the father, received a phone call. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, a female was shouting at the top of her voice from the other end of the line. I literally heard her yell at the boy and threaten to report him to the police for attempting to kidnap "their" baby.

My curiosity shone brighter than white light this time as I turned to look at the boy. The female's shrill at the other end was too distracting. This boy was almost in tears as he tried to ask the female to calm down, explaining to her that he was only taking their baby to his home because she had told him earlier that she didn't want to have anything to do with their baby and she didn't want to see the little tot. She would have none of his explanations as her ranting took a new level, similar to a wild banshee.

I watched his face become contorted with frustration, his eyes became red and if not for the semblance of control he was trying effortlessly to put up in public glare, he would have actually shed tears right there in the bus. The female deftly hung up on him and left him too flabbergasted to speak. He sniffed and wiped back tears with the back of his hand. Then he made a couple of other calls to people, asking them to help him and protect him from the police and explaining that there was no way in heaven, hell or on earth he would kidnap his own baby and keep her away from the mother.

Just then, the cute baby made a few gurgling sounds and immediately began to scream and wail simultaneously, flailing her arms up in the air. It was the kind of cry that signaled hunger and it was not just an ordinary kind of baby's hunger. She could've yearned for baby food or breast milk, maybe. Paying attention to the pain and discomfort in her eyes my mind aptly suggested she wanted something more. A mother's cuddle would have worked like magic. He took his baby and tried to placate her on his chest, cooing and making goofy baby sounds and kissing her head. His efforts went as fruitless as vain as she continued to wail. This kind of wailing really, really pierced my senses, even more than a jagged edged sword. A certain kind of pityful feeling enveloped me as I stared at the frustrated boy and his crying baby, not knowing what to do or make of the situation.

Soon enough, the boy pushed for a stop when he got to his destination and carefully carried his baby and the carriage out of the bus. I watched them until the bus drove so far away that I couldn't catch sight of them again.

***

I sit, in my moment of solitude and introspection, and wonder why and how it ever got to this. A lot of youngsters claiming adulthood are not even interested in getting to know what adulthood is about. These days, many people are not interested in building viable relationships that could last but are only interested in what, how, and when to satisfy their carnal desires. It is always all about the sex. When do we do it? How do we do it? Who do we do it with and what position do we have it in?
Apparently, I understand that this is not new for someone who is used to commuting publicly both at home and abroad.

I would normally reserve my comments whenever I am asked my two cents about this. But I would stand on a neutral position, without putting as much as any remnant of religion or bias to this.

If anyone wishes to fulfill the desires of his/her flesh, that's his/her problem, not mine. It doesn't even concern me. After all, people will still end up claiming to be adults who know what they are doing and know what they want. If anyone wishes to do it a million times before he/she turns 25, or before or after marriage, I could less and "jejely mind my business" because I am not going to live his/her life. Still, people will claim to live their own lives and tell you to live yours. I am not even wasting my mind or my energy judging anyone.

Whatever you do, it doesn't hurt to apply common sense, logic and conscience. Don't be so selfish and/or wicked as to bring a child into this world to suffer when you are not ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood. It is so unfair to that child. Stop being an architect of your misfortune. The world already has issues dealing with desolate, homeless and abandoned babies and children. Stop adding more flames to a fire that you cannot quench.