1 Bon

You can never understand their actions until you know where they came from"

The gallantry of one man could only be found through the terror years of slavery as Bon culled the pieces of a life of mediocrity to make out his eternal resolution. Bon Nnamdi, a retired judge back in the 1900's. A man of many believes and clandestine not knowing if he truly believed in God, to him christianity was more of one understanding why he was a believer. He always believed everything on earth happened for a reason and only God had the answers. Being the only child of his parents, Mr and Mrs George Nanmdi lived the simplest life.

At the age of fourteen the White men invaded our state at the south east of Edo in Benin state. They attacked and savaged every nook and cranny of each state as they moved from city to city and state to state. George earned his bread and butter as a farmer with a very prudent wife by his side. He knew the future was promising for their only child who was now their only source of hope.

The kinsmen and elders of our towns were promised freedom.They promised us a better state. They could read, write,bargain better and even convince us against our believe systems. The brought in what they called "Christianity" and gave us reasons why we should worship the only true God. Even with all the Ifs and Buts, there was no listening ear,the hustle and bustle made me more confused. At first i taught the world was coming to an end later i realized it was only just beginning around me.Peasant farming became impossible, they watched every move and asked a lot of senseless questions. Little came from them so we had to put in a lot of hard work to our farm work.They tried so hard to rip us of all our source of livelihood those birds of ill-omen wanted total control.

Days went by and so did weeks and then months as the fight brought a lot of strange changes. Mom called me one evening; I remembered her telling me something that made me edgy.She said to me 'Bon; some of the young women in Ofo- Ote has gone missing and most of them happen to be pregnant"... I kept looking at mom straight in the eyes as I feared what she would say next, as she continued , she drew me closer ;

" my son i don't know what this is all about, but am sure these new visitors of ours are here to take from us rather than help us...."

as at that time there was no words to express. Could we have offended their gods or perhaps our own? if they were different. I could read my mothers mind now, she had wanted me to run away from Odo- Ose before they came for the younger generation. I tried to pretend I didn't understand a thing she said but within me I was perplexed in equanimity, blinking my eyes spontaneously I sat still untill I was released.