While growing up and hanging out with people older than
myself (by hanging out I naturally mean eavesdropping, playing mute around
them, and persevering thru their endless errands...)
I picked up alota stuff... trust me ALOT!
Back to the story/theme
I remember an uncle sharing a story of an old scholar of
his down in the borders of Cameroun (an approximate location of my village)...
The old man was giving them the key/elixir/secret to
knowledge (my uncle was his a keen and stubborn student)... This was as a
result of him badgering the scholar (Mallam) with questions like... “how does
one become smarter/knowledgable?” “What’s the fastest way to master this and
that?” etc at times even saying ‘ridiculous’ stuff like “how do I become as knowledgeable
as you in a nick of time?”
Being a man of wisdom that he is, he would get himself
outta the clutches of juvenile curiousity and thirst for knowledge with no
accord or concern for its content and context and surely consequence...
However, one day he did give them a key... (which might
make you shrug me off or hiss for playing with your attention spike all this
long)
He taught them something, which when I heard, I found
humour in.
He said “if you want someone to learn something... FEED
THEM!”
“Make sure they are well-nourished... But not too much to
become slaves of their bellies but just right enough to make them appreciative (and
attentive 'sponges'.)”
Secondly make them more curious than ever... Be vague and
ubiquitous if you have to.
Thirdly make it fun for them...
Show them they know not… They know little.
Yes! Trample on their pride and arrogance... Cuz that’s
one of the curses on those-who-think-they-know or have self-acclaimed
themselves- knowledgeable/smart etc
Under this particular segment I learnt the most
invaluable lesson yet... Courtesy of a test he put my uncle and his fellow
students to.
While they were deep in recitation/translation/memorization
of a certain chapter of The Holy Quran, he asked, or rather tasked, them to
find a certain verse within the whole 114 chapters and 6000 plus verses.
And he made it interestingly competitive too... A prize!
Being who they were... Everyone of them (over 10 or so) rushed
helter-skelter, juxtaposing with no prowess, using any kinda quirky way to
shortcut the process so they come up first.
Hell! My uncle even confessed to wanting to consult
another scholar for the answer. But was faced by two dilemmas-
One, the guy was really far away and he wouldn’t be able
to go and see him while beating the short time frame given by the scholar...
(coupled with the fact that travel, at that time, was done by foot or bicycle,
the former being the most accessible)
Two, HIS PRIDE!
The next morning after the usual bout and routine of lessons/lectures/tests/revision,
the wise old one, confident that none of them found the answer, made it look
like he was about to end/close for the session (with the usual ‘lets-round-up-with-a-prayer
routine’) then with an air of sagely smuggness turned as if he was about to
leave...
And blurted "oh... what’s the answer to last night's
question?"
They were silent for a minute... Then all of them started
talking at once.
Some saying “I am this close to getting it” (by that he
means... this close reading the whole BOOK)
Others this close to luckily guessing it.
Others...
He just smiled and said “see you in the evening...”
NEXT DAY. Just like most days, the time they have the
recital/memorization sessions, which usually involves him reading out a verse
and they would repeat it. This would be done at least 3 times so it sticks,
then they’d move forward onto another verse till they had enough for one day/night.
In last night's recital they were two verses shy of
finishing off the chapter they’ve been on that particular week (a thing I ‘forgot’
to mention :-p)
TODAY... As they were done with those two verses...
*FLIP FLIP*
They turned to the next page and awaited him to start it
off so they follow…
He read not more than 2 verses and… LO AND BEHOLD!
He read THE VERSE...
Before he even went 5 syllables into it… They were looking
at each other silly, side to side, then back to him, and kept repeating this
act till he finished reciting the verse…
THEY WERE SILENT!
He had to jog them to continue by clearing his throat
loudly...
“EHEM EHEM!”
*HE HAD HUMBLED THEM BY CONFOUNDING THEM*
Wise and prude, he didn’t say anything till the lesson
for the day was over... Then he smiled and came closer to them…
Saying... “does anyone of you know the moral of this
whole episode of ours?”
The answer “NO!?” came forth quite inaudibly.
He continued
“…it goes a long way to show you that
human beings, irrespective of age or background are hasty and forgetful
creatures. They tend to be in a rush for no apparent reason, their so-called
haste which bores competitiveness, for no justifiable reason too, is a thing
that blinds them to the point that they don’t see what’s RIGHT in front of
them. They miss out on the little joys of life and living, which are the little
things that sum up a meaningful and smooth sailed life. In all that haste which
begets waste, they ‘forget’ to enjoy, or rather, savour those moments, people,
and places… It’s much worse with you young folks... Shooting and cutting
without aiming or measuring... Blinded by (false) ambition, juvenile pride (just
to brag), and greed…”
He doled out a lot of wisdom you see... The chunk of which they didn’t
appreciate till they grew up way much more... He sensed that vibe from
them...
So he gave them a dumber/simpler (gwari-gwari) version-
“WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING... LOOK IN FRONT
OF YOU BEFORE ANYWHERELSE! AN EXAMPLE IS LIKE YOU DROPPING A COIN IN THE DARK…”
"AHHH'S!" & "OHHH'S!!" echoed.
Your village boys nodded accordingly while displaying yellow teeth
glowing against the fading red sunset... :p
Since then… I try and not look toooooo far away when I’m
‘searching’’ for something, some place, or someone. Start with a small radius.
Then expand gradually, gradually, gradually… till you reach your figurative El
Dorado.
