I met a wise child today; I call him wise because I find him wiser than most adults I know. I call him a wise child because in the midst of his misfortune he finds the faith that fortune is just but a few steps away , and because of this he keeps living, he keeps surviving, he keeps giving himself a reason to want to live even though he finds himself in the valley of hopelessness. I call this child wise because he believes the world can change; he believes there is hope In the future.
Such commitment to survive, such belief that he could dream, such faith in humanity is one that can change the world today.
I found a wise child today; he could not be more than 10. Somewhere around a bus park. He asked for a couple of change and she walked away, he shut him off, she turned her face. I saw a wise child today who despite facing rejection from the public finds the courage to struggle to survive and a source to dig up a smile unto his lips and the strength to still move on.
I didn’t catch his name. At the time I realized that, I was over 300km away from this wise child. I guess he kept me thinking throughout the journey.
How could a child be so wise?
“Where is your mother?” I asked
“Over there somewhere”, he said motioning with his hands.
“Why are you not in school”, I asked
“I have to eat first before I can go to school. Please give me something so I can buy some food, biko (please)”.
I smiled when I heard him speak Igbo. It felt like I’d been washed from head to toe with liquid ice under a day that was so sunny and hot.
How do you know am Igbo?
“Your beads”
“How did you learn Igbo?”
“I can speak Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. I spent most of my early life in the east and west of the country. I learnt their language so I could be able to beg people for money in their language. I came here 2years ago.”
“How did you travel?” I asked.
“We climbed a very big lorry although slow, sometimes it takes weeks to get to where we were going to.”
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I want to be the president”, He said with a remarkable glow on his face.
“You know you have to go to school before you can become president,” I quickly added.
“I have to eat first, before I go to school that is why am here”. The glow faded away slowly on his face.
I couldn’t t respond to this child, I was speechless not because he could speak fluently at his age but he understood the basics for the existence of any human being. He understood humanity.
I met a wise child today, I couldn’t catch his name because I couldn’t ask. I couldn’t ask this wise child what his name was because it felt like I knew it, and the fact that this name which I felt I knew sort of blew my mind away. He left me with something you hardly find around ‘hope’, ‘faith’, and ‘love’ things the world needs right now.
I couldn’t tell what my journey felt like, I guess because I felt his heart beat within me, and this is true because he had a heart like anyone else. I could feel his struggle, and if this wise child could struggle to survive and against all odds and hope for the best in the future. Then shame on us for not trying. Shame on us for not believing. Shame on us for even though our existence is a symbol of love we fail to share it.
I met a wise child today, I couldn’t catch his name but I absolutely guess his name was one of these or all of these, hope, faith, courage, love, and a bright future. I pray for these and I pray for this wise child. I pray I see him soon and this time around better his life.
