Quick scribbles: Curious case of Senior Gimba

Prescript
Yeah that was delibrate, afterall if what you write at the base is called postscript then the one you write at the top should be called… It’s been a while .We were told that when life gives you a lemon then tryna make a lemonade out of it. Anyway I’m still thinking of the right flavor to make out of the lemon life inevitably presented. It’s good to be back and better (winks).

  Junior Gimba was the name. To say Junior was a victim of crosshatcheted hypocritical parenting or his misfortune was simply down to his failure to reconstruct an already faulty upbringing, either way, you would be safely safe between the two extremes called right and wrong. Join in the voyage as we briefly sail through the waters of Junior (son) and Gimba snr (father). Bon voyage!!!

Junior!!! The voice reverberated through the house jolting him back to reality as the scream of his dad’s ‘basscular’ voice drowned the sound of the television he was watching. He had been caught red handed by his dad while watching a pornographic movie. He knew there was trouble as his dad speechlessly walked into the room. Minutes later you can hear the screams from the sitting room, only that this time it wasn’t from the television set but from the workings of koboko threading hardly in various degree, magnitude and angle on the junior’s helpless back ,no thanks  to the mighty hand of Mr Gimba playing the fatherly role for catching his son watch the unthinkable. There has to be a solution fast if Junior wishes to live in other to ‘watch’ another day. Dad, I took the disc from your room while cleaning it in the morning, Junior screamed out as he realized life might be snuffed out of him. Mr Gimba’s hand suddenly turned numb and weak. Then his mouth suddenly broke the deadlock in self defense saying, didn’t you see “18+only” written on it? Didn’t you just clocked 17? This happened to be Junior’s life joker as his dad released him with a stern but rather weak warning.

Why must I be eighteen to watch it? What difference does it make when I will be eighteen in twelve months time? A very confused and perplexed Junior innocently thought to himself. Meanwhile, Junior’s father dashed to his room speechless and defeated, his appetite all but gone. He thought he caught his son red handed but Junior also caught him white handed (omo buruku).

Can we call this phase ’’when the cop becomes the thief”?

 Junior Gimba - now seventeen plus (gradually coming off age) was enjoying his favorite soap opera in the living room while his father was there also conversing with his business partner. Mr Giwa, you just have to inflate some prices on this quotation  so we can realize enough profit from this deal, sometimes you have to bend the rule but that doesn’t necessarily change the game, we might  have to tweak our integrity at times but not necessarily sacrifice it, said Mr Gimba. Mr Giwa left the Gimbas house with the assurance that he would do the necessary.

Is it a must to inflate before you get profit? Curious Junior asked his dad. Junior that is called business deal, never mind you won’t understand till you are old, his dad said as he tried as much as possible to avoid further questioning. This age myth self…. Junior thought to himself. Foolish boy, how would I pay his school fees if not for the business deals, Mr Gimba thought to himself.

The following week Junior was caught ‘white-handed’ by his dad, as he also tried inflating the price of some recommended text to be bought in school. Junior don’t you know that is lying, stealing, wickedness, Mr. Gimba shouted which was also in resonance with some heavy slaps. But dad, you told me inflation equals business deal, I just decided to do some business deal rather than sneaking into your room to steal. An innocently perplexed junior defended himself, Gbam!!! Mr. Gimba is in the best position to narrate the aftermath event.

Can we call this phase tit for tat?

Well as time went on, Junior was stylishly banned from asking questions during the family devotions because of the way his Dad stammered and cunningly answers them .Questions like why do people subtracts from their age? What are the consequences of forgery?  Do we call double-dating a game or a sin? E.t.c, for crying out loud, how does he expect his Dad to answer those conscience-pricking questions when he is the culprit-in-chief himself.

Em em.. Junior eventually grew up and became everything his dad wanted for him; he broke every available family record. He didn’t even wait to marry before becoming a polygamist all thanks to his chain of girlfriends. Also, he became frequent visitor to the innermost part of the police station all thanks to various failed and successful ‘business deals’. Did he failed his family or never even fully lived up to dad’s potential?

To parents trying to make saints out of their ward while they themselves are devil incarnate. To those who would rather cover up than to open up. Only if they can permit the power of their example to supersede the right of the authority they wield. To older generation who would rather paint a picture than live the stories, time will tell if the picture would be perfect or the stories would be inevitably revised.

Junior’s choices determine his life’s outcome coupled with the necessary subtle factor….Gimba Senior

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