You Must Set Forth At Dawn is the title of Wole Soyinka's new book. The book is said to have political connotations about the Nigerian political settings. I haven't read the book yet, but the title of the book speaks voluminously to me. Usually, when this sentence comes up in mind, It paints for me the perfect words to say to Africans. But this time, the sentence captured the thoughts I have about my nephew.
Somewhere in 1995 or so, when I could barely understand what was happening around me, my eldest brother had an affair with the house help of a neighbour who was also a church member. The house help became pregnant and that brought about a lot of ruffles and misunderstanding between this neighbours and my parents. This was because at that time, my dad was a leader at the church, and he was respected as such, so when this happened, it brought a lot of contempt to my dad. In an agreement to which my dad signed before the church council, which I was privileged to see few years ago, my dad agreed to accept responsibility for the pregnancy and would take care of the girl in question. Meanwhile my brother had disappeared from the surface of the earth. The girl went to her village, somewhere in the southeastern part of Nigeria, around the Niger-delta and nothing was heard from her and her family again.
In 2006, my mum woke up one morning in a prayerful mood, and suggested we go to look for the child. Apparently, my mum had met the girl's uncle together with my other brother. This uncle of hers was amazed at how my mum had brought up her children. He was sorry for causing any misunderstanding years ago, and suggested to my mum to come for the child, so he could grow up like my brother. My father on hearing this news, prayed about it and sent for the necessary requirements to be done to get the child. My parents were asked to pay some money and few days later the child was delivered to us.
That evening as he walked in, I was stunned and saddened. The boy looked exactly like those children from Sudan and Somalia, in hunger and war zones. His clothes were thatched with patches and I noticed he couldn't walk well which I later discovered that he had suffered from polio. With all sympathy, we took him in.
The next morning, I asked of his name, he replied, "Monday", I laughed disgustingly and told my mum, that name isn't going to last around here, besides his father's baptismal name is Michael, though he has never accepted it, I instantly conferred on him, that angelic name, and has since been called Michael, with his father's name, Owusu. Michael could barely speak English and had a very bad temper. He told us of how he was rejected by his step father, and how he had to fend for himself by trapping bush meats in the forest. He couldn't really give any account of his education. In Fact, he was lost behind. Michael became a regular addition to the family.
In 2007, when we brought him to Ghana, and he met his father for the first time, though I wasn't there, I was told he wept. But his father noticing how bush and primitive he was, and he not being able to walk well, told my mum, it's her responsibility to care of the boy. His father wasn't expecting something like this.
As the years flew by, when I went on vacation last year, I couldn't recognise him anymore. He had grown has tall as me, his face radiating so fairly, and his height seem to have made his polio unnoticed. He has become a carbon copy of his father. I starred at him for a while, then I asked my mum, "have you noticed how Michael has changed?", my mum smiled and replied, "all the people who saw him, when I brought him, are all saying the same thing". A more surprising thing that happened, was that his father brought his friends to come and see "his son" which he had in Nigeria. The son whom the father rejected, now has transformed into a glow. Michael's story is so inspiring.
Michael didn't start proper school early, he just finished his BECE exams. He didn't do so well. It didn't come as a surprise to me, because I knew his strength academically. Though he had the chance to perform very well. Few months before his exams, I would call him and advice him to concentrate on his studies and do well. My dad doesn't have the time for bringing up children anymore. He's just focused on his Bible, his last son (I'm referring to myself) gave him to many troubles, that he doesn't want to get himself to much attached. My mum too, is occupied with praying for her children's success, that she doesn't also give much attention to Michael. Michael has grown nicely and handsomely, but his values aren't the best. He's has become so cunning.
Finally he's going to secondary school, and here's my fear. He's almost twenty going to school. At his age, I had already finished high school. He marvelled when I told him that. If he misses this chance, it might be a serious dead end for him. Because at 23, he would revolt and choose to find his own way, which won't end well, and then all the beautiful story would be marred. For days thoughts about him bedevilled me, and all that kept ringing in mind was the title of Wole Soyinka's book. I couldn't think of any else to tell him, than to say, "you must set forth at dawn".
In Dr. Otabil's book, The Value Of the Dot, he gave an illustration that resonates with this notion. He said to imagine that three individuals are heading for a 9'O clock flight, and the first person is a first class passenger who is privileged to live just about twenty minutes from the airport at cantonments, while the second person is a business class passenger, and stays about an hour drive from the airport, and the third person is an economy class passenger who stays in a village six hours away from the airport. It is logical that the first passenger would set out just two hours twenty minutes earlier, while the second passenger would set out three hours before flight time and hope to avoid the traffic. Whereas, the third passenger would have to begin his journey probably 10 hours earlier, and still frets about whether he will make it to the airport on time. But by the time they all enter the plane, they are levelled.
If Michael would make it at the first chance, then he must set off at dawn. If by twenty two he finishes high school, and passes to go to the university, by twenty six, he'll be done and would have bridged the most gap of his life. But if he fails in the way, I fear, and I doubt that the beautiful story would be marred. This because, his father has two children with his wife to take care of, he rarely supports him financially, besides, if he fails again, my siblings would all think he isn't good academically and would prefer him to learn a vocational skill, and trust me, that is another long way to go. I don't think that's what he needs. Michael needs an education to brighten up, his past and give him a better chance at succeeding.
Michael, you must set forth at dawn, he nodded his head, after I had told him of Dr. Otabil's illustration. As to whether he understood it, I can't tell.
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