Edem’s Late Arrival

Edem’s Late Arrival

“The ignorant neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” – Thomas Szasz.

I have run out of mutinies. All mutinies I had a hand in were wrong but successful. I even mutinied myself at a time my brothers thought my ego was so-outsized I would not dare. Now, here I am living in peace and harmony without a mutiny to initiate, plan or assist. And in hindsight the clear message to all was my ego was tame all along. What’s wrong with staging mutinies if the so-called leaders of the famed better society make it become the baser society. If it is base I will fight it. Even from this Locker!

Goscolene is in short supply since I have not restocked my stockade, pantry to you, in a long time. Not since I headed to Ash Montana but did not get there. Boiss dey! Thank God for pretty Tsunami babes. I never knew grey hair could be so sexual.

Heu! Heu!

Peace, quiet and fond memories.

Heu!

It is 4:00 a.m. and cold. With love I nurse the second to last bottle I have. I must have one full unopened bottle at any time. Those are the rules, well, as I set them up for Davy Jones Locker rendezvous.

Time up for my reverie. Oh no! The lights turn indigo in the Locker. Another Forgone Terror has arrived in the rendezvous. At first my attitude is I don’t care. Still, I remember I embrace my sojourn here and swore to fulfil my duties no matter what happens; I chose them. Why should I suffer because back-stabbing brothers cooked my demise just to perpetuate base practices without giving account. I not only enjoy this place, it enyoungs me. Isolation is a secret key to youthfulness. Rest of mind! Rest of mind! I had to say it twice. Guynes!

Who do I see approaching me?

The man walks in with a mild swagger bracing his shoulders. It is cold down here but the air is not so damp. Most who come here feel like they are entering an air-conditioned room from a hot outside when they enter the Locker.

“O Cap’n Rixho Mafiosco! Yohana to your perspicacious soul!” I say.

“O Wrong Someone are you still here?” Rixho says.

“Oyesio! I still balance here.”

“Yohana to you! I thought CB had forgiven you and you had left this place and decided to chill out On Board” he says, surprise frowning his face.

“As long as the ever-benefitters and those who seek office like it is a complication of OCD hold sway in the fold, CB will not forgive me.”

“Those guys are minions. You really think they have any influence over CB?”

“Joseph Stiglitz won a Nobel Prize for his work on information asymmetries in making choices. Nobel Prize winners are not immune to the problems of information asymmetries.”

“I see.” He says, his forehead narrowing.

“I have waited for you here in the Locker for a long time. What took you so long?”

“I jazzed into a Forgone too early so I hung around to give spirit guidance to those I left behind. Now I am ready to jazz on and up.”

“Yohana to your rugged bones!” I say, stretching out my right palm to claw his.

Then I break into song;

I say men you are rugged O!

I say men you are rugged O!

You rugged well

Chorus: O Rio!

Sailing today, O!

Sailing we are today aye!

Hokpe alele…

We repeat the song several times and trust me the Spirit of Gbogborima descends into our midst. As per Where two or more are gathered… things.

“So, you still enjoy these things of ours but you remain here.”

“I love it here. No spots, no orders, no envy, no hatred, no fights, no traps, no winchee.”

“That’s surprising to hear. I thought you enjoyed fights, having enemies, entering traps and you were unaffected by such.”

“When every fight you must handle is dirty you become as dirty-minded as the dirty fighters and some of those guys are so dirty. That’s the reason I chose Davy Jones Locker over On Board. I now have a much quieter and cleaner mind.”

“Must you always be wrong?”

“That’s the way God made.”

Rihxo laughs again making clicks from beneath his tongues

“I meant don’t you understand compromise?”

“Very much. Intelligent compromise.”

Rixo laughs yet again then keeps silent for a while his eye telling me he his mind went elsewhere. Not for long.

“Don’t you engage in sexual activity at all?” he asks

“No.”

“But there is the Doesis Locker. You can reach it with your submarine in no time.”

“I could but since I took CB there, he visits Doesis Locker frequently. Eket Observer dey there O! I don’t want CB to catch me or hear of me doing Standard Obukohwo with one of his favourites. Then he would give me a Black Hole Spot.”

“Ha ha ha! You have not lost your sense of humour. CB is a good man you know. He has stopped giving Ultra Violet Spots. Never Microwave or Blac Hole Spots. Those things have been stopped, full stop”

A Black Hole Spot is so severe it deletes all memory of a person’s life in this world as if he never existed.

“How about the recent UV written fresh ink yet to dry? The same person who is responsible for all current UVs including the most recent one. All we did was speak truths. Don’t you guys at the top know this?”

“Yes, but as you said there are information asymmetries in these matters. Make peace and return. You can do it,” he says switching on his charm with a smile and his tone.

“We can continue our talk on the way to Olympic Lyonnaise.”

“Die it! It is Lyonesse. Call it with respect! But our journey is to Akosombo Trench,” he says with a firm tone.

I have not known of anyone who went to Akosombo Trench.”

“It is an active deck and like Fiddlers Green. Black Dog, Bongos Katata, Long Ben, Ding Dong Dell, Pawpaw Licker and others are there.”

“O Cap’n I am not stepping on your rod. Are you ready to leave for Akosombo Trench now?”

“After me,” he instructs.

I pick up the half bottle of goscolene I was drinking from then put it back. I remembered I always keep a full 3 litre keg in my submarine – voyage rums.

We begin our walk out of the rendezvous me imitating his swagger. I hope he does not notice.

Oh! Christmas is coming. We shall exchange Christmas greetings when we are getting close to Akosombo. So, I witness the motions of yet another Great Sailor of the High Seas transiting to the Up and Beyond. Farewell O Rixho.

Sail on!

 

Be Good, not Lucky