There’s always this old man on crutches, dark-complexioned and jaunty, prowling from bus to bus at a busy junction, stalking passengers with a grumpy flash of teeth. Every time, he would approach the bus windows, repeating the same words like a mantra: “Umunnem, e boninu. Unu bone oo, aguru emeru m ahu.” (“My brethren, don’t frown. If you frown, hunger will wound me.”) A funny statement, no doubt.
At first, my pity—fueled by my upbringing and perhaps my religious background—compelled me to never leave without slipping him a naira note. But over time, his constant “wolf, wolf” turned into a false alarm. Eventually, I stopped caring, and the guilt that once haunted me whenever I refused a beggar something quietly disappeared.
Why? Where did that guilt go? It began to feel like the charity I offered wasn’t for him—it was for me.
This isn’t to mock the old man, who seems like a fatherly figure in some way. Instead, it’s a reminder: many of us are like this man—hopeless, convinced we’ve been stripped of all power to save ourselves, when in reality, we are the commander-in-chief of every battle we face.
Yes, no one is an island. Even the most fortified islands need the waters around them. As commanders of our lives, we’ll need soldiers to fight our battles—but only under our command.
Pause. Read that again.
No salvation will come if we don’t summon it ourselves. If we give up, even nature will retreat, hang back its boots, and sheath its sword.It’s either you or no one else. Want to pursue your destiny with a destiny helper by your side from the start? You must be joking. You are the destiny. You need to become something visible, tangible—something real—before anyone can see you and help accelerate you to success. Right now, you’re just an invisible pack of air.
Save yourself.
Show yourself to be saved.
By Ezendu Emmanuel
