My neighbour looked upon Nigeria’s creased brow, her eyes squinting a bit from the harmless rays of the early morning sun. He wondered how it was that Nigeria was squinting at the sun. What happened to her sight? He debated whether to open his conversation with Nigeria on that note. Would it be safe to dive right into the conversation through a vulnerable path such as that one? He perished the thought when the words of the last question bounced back on the wall of his mind. How could he have thought to ‘dive right in?

Was that not the issue that had been uppermost in his mind from the time he started looking to be alone with Nigeria? What was the issue once again? Aha, this was it – How and why did she allow and continue to allow all kinds of characters to dive right in, obtain her assets by false pretense before leaving her for the next band of rampaging predators to have their fill?

Nigeria let a snicker escape from the corners of her mouth. She had perfectly read his thoughts. Nigeria know far more than her plunderers realize. Immediately, my neighbour understood the meaning of the snicker. His reaction to Nigeria’s condition was typical. It was usually the opening acts of the smoothest plunderers – they express surprise, shock and disbelief at the insensitivity and callousness of previous HOPs (harvesters of pleasures) followed by empathy and solidarity. Interpreting her long silence and lack of resistance as acquiescence and taking that to mean she had accepted them they launch into plunder mode and begin their harvest. Better they had come to her the way they really are instead of pretending solidarity and showing fake empathy at the first encounter.

My neighbour remained with her for some time. He kept waiting for her to speak. But she said nothing. Nigeria was not going to give him more than that snicker!

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria