Come Sit With Me , look deep into my eyes. What do you see? If you look deep enough, we will talk, you and I, heart to heart. In the quiet of the morning, I can see the world around me. Come Sit With Me by Sandra J
It was a jolly holiday time again! Pupils ran all the way home, their school uniform flying after them. They were very happy. No more morning bells; no more teachers’ cane. They were going to spend their jolly holiday.
Josephine the dreamer
Sophie ran all the way to her mama’s tailoring shop. Pupils were more than excited going for Christmas holiday, because there would be no report card that would spoil the holiday fun. Where there was no report card, there would be no sign that a pupil had perform below expectation at school.
Her mama had said in July, that if she passed her promotion examination, she would buy her a fowl and a gown for Christmas. And she had passed! Now was the Christmas holiday, she could not wait to eat the fowl’s head. Christmas was around the corner, it would arrive in two weeks time.
Sophie’s mama was a poor widow. She had no money but she had faith in God. She usually tells her daughter that even though they have no money, they are rich in the Lord. Inside of them, they are very rich.
She knew that she had promised her daughter a fowl head and a gown; she could not because of her poverty and break the little girl’s heart. She could not see herself, therefore shattering her daughter’s hope and expectations. She had to fulfill her promise. She would not bowl to poverty.
‘Mama, Ife said her mama had bought her Christmas dress. So was Kofo!’ Sophie announced brightly to her mama.
She was very excited. Though, she had not seen her own dress, she was sure her mama would buy her a Christmas dress. She knew it would be unlike Easter festival when she had wore her previous year Christmas dress. Afterall, she had passed her promotion examination.
She could not forget that Easter. She had cried and cried when her friends were wearing new cloths in the church. She could not play with them, she had to hide until it was time to leave the church and go home.
That Easter, she learnt that no amount of tears shed; usually give you the thing you are crying for. And she was told that to be happy in life, a person has to be comfortable and satisfied with whatever one has.
Sophie’s mama promised again to make a special dress for her. But as Christmas drew nearer, Sophie’s mama was yet to have money to buy Sophie’s new dress. Everyday, Sophie would sit with her mama in the shop. She would be watching her making other people’s cloth.
What a beautiful dress, mama used to sows, Sophie would admire each dress. But mama was not happy. Soon, it was 24th of December. It was Christmas Eve! Sophie’s mama had an idea, she called her daughter:
‘Sophie, you must know that I love so much,’ she said. ‘I will sow your cloth today; I will not do any other work today but to sow you a lovely gown. Sophie, you are all that I have!’ she was crying, though she quickly wiped her tears away. Been a widow was not daughter’s fault. She must not suffer on that account.
That morning, with the little amount of money on her, Sophie’ mama went to the market. She bought foodstuffs, soup ingredients and a fowl. The mere sight of the fowl made Sophie felt very happy. A fowl head was as sure as heaven!
‘My daughter,’ Sophie’ mama said to her, ‘I want you to be a Joseph, the dreamer. I’ll call you: “Josephine the dreamer” Sophie beamed with joy.
‘Joseph in the Bible wore a cloth of many colors. A special clothe made for him by his father. And Joseph did many great things for his people thereafter!”
Sophie listened, “Tell me the Joseph’s story’, she asked.
Her mama gathered all the pieces of cloth that was left of other people’s cloth. She put Sophie on her laps, “let me tell you the story, while I sow your own clothe of many colors.”
Her mama told the story while she was joining the pieces of cloth together. Each piece of cloth was joined together with love flowing out from mama to daughter. Sophie could not sleep that night, she could not wait to wear her clothe to church for everyone to see. She wanted to help her mama, she wanted to be Josephine that mama wanted her to become.
As soon as it was Christmas morning, Sophie woke up, cleaned the whole house and washed the plates. She had her bath. Sophie’s mama was very glad. She killed the fowl to make a delicious Christmas soup. Later the rice was ready.
After Sophie had eaten her Christmas rice and a fowl head, she wore her magic clothe. She was very beautiful in her gown and was happy.
At the Church, all the children gathered to look at Sophie’s dress of different patterns and colors. The children were laughing and making jest of her. Sophie was laughing with them; she knew they did not know what she knew. It was a happy and merry Christmas for her.
She joined the other children to sing Christmas carol. After the carol, Kofo and Ife asked her, ‘Why is it that you’re wearing part of everyone’s cloths?’
Other children had gathered again behind Sophie. She turned around to let them see her dress. ‘My mama made it for me. With every piece she sews, she told me a story of a boy Joseph in the Bible!’ she explained happily.
One of the girls behind Sophie asked her, ‘is that why you are so happy wearing part of everyone’s cloth?’
‘Teacher even said that she has the most sonorous voice!’ another girl said.
‘Yes! This is not just a dress. This dress made me a “Josephine the dreamer!” it is a magic dress like that of Joseph in the Bible: Joseph wore it and saved his family and the world from hunger!’ Sophie answered. ‘Each thread of this cloth was sow with love. It is made just for me.’
The children were unable to utter a word. They were staring amazingly at the magic dress. Sophie was very happy, the Christmas was unlike before. She ran around like never before.
God had continued to whisper softly in his ears but his anger was too profound to make him hear a word. ‘The man who raped someone'sdaughter could kill someone!’ he was reasoning. He had made a decision and nothing would change his mind about what to do. His sleep had been robbed by this unfortunate incident.
The incident even sometimes made him forget what he wanted to do or what to eat. He was obsessed with the progressive plans on his mind. Each time he looks upon his daughter, he sees the man and feels the pain his daughter has felt. The more he felt the pain, the more he knew, he had to revenge the wrong to smile back on his daughter's face.
He was tossing and turning on his bed, rain was hitting hard on the roof and knocking on the windows. The winds were roaring outside. It had been like that all night. It was a storming night. The Priest got out of bed. The light was on in his daughter's room.
Maybe she could not sleep either.
The Priest‘s heart was shattered into a million pieces to see his family this way. He reasoned that if he had done something worthwhile about it, this would not have happened. And the memory would have gone away like a bad dream.
He walked back to his room like a strangled man. The worst of the world was written on his face like a ruin. He was waiting for the day to break so that he could put his house in order and bring smiles and laughter back to his home. There would be peace again.
He began by making plans in his heart: he would call his daughter to show him the man. He could not imagine what the devil would look like. Of course, he would be handsome, soft-spoken, and friendly.
The world has often made the mistake of imagination that makes evil men look like a creature that has claws and horns. How else would a rapist look like, if not like the rest of us! He decided to kill the man, his mind was finally made up.
He would turn deaf ears to his gentle inner voice and listen to his anger and disgrace instead. Otherwise, he won’t do anything about it, and worst of all, he would allow the evil to walk about free. Soon he would rape another man's daughter!
His priesthood had often denied him of his human right to avenge a wrong. He stopped listening altogether, and there was indeed a knock on the door!
‘Who could be calling so early at this hour?’ he wondered, ‘why had the caller chosen the church?’ It was a duty call.
Priesthood took over in that instant. He walked briskly to the church without a second thought nor a glance at his worries. At the church entrance stood a man in his late twenties. He was drenched and shivering. His worries were written all over him like a gigantic billboard.
The atmospherics was crying Christmas, Little children were naked with joy, Nature was giving out its gentle gifts. The happy children were dancing around Sarah, She was tied to a pole waiting.
Sarah and Nuru, her kid
Men were discussing Sarah’s meat, They were happy – Sarah was sad. Sarah watched as her kid, Nuru was Galloping with the rest of its kinds. Being free – being forever young.
Sarah sad about Christmas
Being free, Nuru had forgotten his fears, His mama was all fear for him. This kid of hers could smile his way into trouble. He was free and freedom was forever a trap! Nuru was jumping, galloping and dancing with nature, He was dancing to his mama’s fear.
All play made Nuru as hungry as death. He galloped to suck on his mama’s breasts, All smiles and hunger. Then he saw his mama crying! “Mama, this is but tears?” “My kid, when the world suddenly – Is happy thus, it says death is high!”
Sarah was crying
Nuru’s eyes was on the big breasts. In that moment – the mouth could say: I’ll catch the moon and the sun.” Nuru looked at his mama boldly and said: “ Whatever is nigh, I shall lick for you, mama!” “My kid, it’s death, it conquers all.” “For you mama, I shall lick it,” promised Nuru.
Sarah’s tears was all blood and salt. “My kid death is invincible – in fury, Many lives had been lost to its schemes. It takes forms, my kid – it sets its traps.” Nuru was confused – Mama was talking riddles. How could this death conquer mama?
Nuru wondering about Death
“Nuru be careful and trust not all that you see..” She had not finished when men came to tie Her legs and put knife in her neck. Nuru was looking but trusted not his sight. Sarah’s blood washed the floor for Christmas dancing. Nuru was crying while the children were laughing. All is well that ends well.
