Opukirike or
great Krike is Okrika.
This is my
home town. I was born here and raised awhile for some time before I was taken
to Kafancha, a part of Jos in the North, before I finally settled in Jos city.
Here in Jos,
I start my primary school education up to primary 3.
Due to the
coming war, I move with my parent and four junior siblings down to the south
and now I am at Okrika, my home town and place of birth.
This is the
place where my placenta is buried and it has summoned me home.
Okrika is a
country of rivers domain. Years later, some youths described it as Okrika
London. It is an Island surround on all sides by water, with feeder delta
creeks routes.
Okrika has
an outlet to the Atlantic ocean due north. It is here that ocean going vessels
can enter the island to both ATC and then marine base. Again, from this
northern boundary, very big marine vessels or ships enter and leave the first
ever sea port at Port Harcourt.
When I
return from Jos, I see that this little but great country has only one English
link standing in its glory. It is the famous African Technical Company or ATC.
After the
war, it became just a shadow. Its remain is now buried under the sea due to
dredging of the river front.
ATC is an
English trading enterprise. I do not know what is traded. But the company I
gather is a mercantile venture. It is located on a deep sea port.
It made
history as the first English trading company in Okrika.
It is at
this ATC terminal that you can enter and leave the island or kingdom. Other
route exists, but ATC is the main and the most important.
I think also
that ATC has an outlet, branch or station at the deep marine base sea channel
for the tide rarely falls low here. Marine base affords all sea vessels to
Okrika any time day or night.
24/7 the
river is waiting for boats coming and going. At other points you have to wait
until the tide rise again.
It is on
record that the Union Jack or the British wants to build a sea port in the
Eastern part of Nigeria. But survey on Old Calabar, which is also sea coast
seems very unreliable and Okrika shows that a sea port can be build for ocean
going vessels.
The result
was the Port Harcourt sea port and others.
Being raised
in the city of Jos, I initially found Okrika hard to accommodate me and my four
little brothers and sister: two males and two females. Jos city is somehow
westernized.
At Okrika, I
saw 10 years old boys and girls of my age go completely naked. They do not even
wear pants.
In Jos, you have to wear your pants. Even the bushman when he and his family come up to the
city covers their nakedness with some leafy foliage.
Seeing a
girl of my age and up to 13 years naked is a belief I learnt in Jos brings
death to a person. So I and my juniors think we will die soon!
I believe I
will die and told my mother we all go back to Jos sooner not realizing that
home coming is escape from death.
She was
laughing, while I and my juniors were crying and relations what to know what is
going on, because I speak in Hausa language to her. Her explanation sent them
to roar in laughing too!
The belief,
that to see the private sexual parts of the opposite sex cause death is even
strong with my juniors at that time. It is something we all learn when we are in
Jos, although we have not seen a death body.
There is a
lesson in covering one’s private parts here. The death it carried has nothing
to do with untimely or timely death.
Going all
the way of the earth is normal. When the time comes, one dies and go to his or her
creator.
I think
sexual arousal is the issue as I realize when I fully grow up to a man.
Sex can kill
a man. The opposite is also true. Should a man’s heart trod after the girl in
seeing her naked to the private parts. Some men or women have fallen victim to
this process even on mere flirtation before the opposite sex!
Or we would
say that the man (even some women too) viewing the opposite sex nakedness can
be arouse and desire sexual intercourse intensely and immediately. The desire when very
strong can lead to a positive or negative effect.
That is the
issue here.
There was
this famous prophet and king in the bible on seeing the nakedness of his
neighbor’s wife while she bath, sent for her and had sexual intercourse with
her immediately.
Did the king
died? Yes, he died to all common sense and reason. He has not a right to take
his neighbors wife or any other girl to exploit the damsels sexually. To cover up his evil act, he send his soldiers to kill a private and husband of the woman! He proved
this or his action is wrong when he was told of a similar incident committed by
a lord of his status.
You can read
the story in the Christian bible second Samuel chapter 11 and 12.
There was
this story of valentine day festive. We take it was due to love affairs. But
whether it was due to sexual arousal, I do not know. But it implied that sex is
involved.
This is the
morale of dying.
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