Petals of Thought

HARDENED BY YESTERDAY

(By Joshua Oyero)

"The hurts of the past is the beginning of all revengeful thoughts." -O.J.O

 It was on one of those occasions. One after four consecutive lectures that lasted for two hours each. The Sun had slightly relaxed its scorching eyelid and the calm breeze legitimately associated with the evening was gradually taking over duty.

I was falter. I needed to relax my brain and my right limb: this is because doing this is a matter of imperative as the duo had been multi-tasked in eight fairly interrupted hours of note-taking. It was indeed a busy day!

In a resolve to help my tiresome situation, I immediately thought of a place that would best serve this relaxational purpose that I needed.

Without craning, I sighted a pavilion(originally built to serve the purpose of students' hang-out). It was of quite distant proximity to where I stood. My shoulder was overtly tilted to the left: An effect of the weighty bag of mine (whose flexible handle rested on it).

"That would be a wonderful place to retreat to so as to lax my tensed muscles." I satisfactorily said. And without delay, I swiftly bade 'au reviour' to my noisy friends who also doubled as my course-mates. For I am a Lover of tranquility. This reason coupled with the fact that my helpless bones were crying for a recess before checking out to the hostel made my leaving them necessary.

Later, on a close move to my discovered lair, I spotted the silhouette of two skimpy-dressed Ladies who both assumed a relaxed and temptative posture.

"Hi babes!" I warmly offered a greeting.

"W@'s gud Dude?" They simultaneously retorted in a tone generous with cheers (while asking a rather rhetorical question at the same time).

Having seated and dumped my bag on one of the few seats available in the 'unwalled common room', I tucked my hand into my right pocket to reach for my cyber-enabled phone. And before long, I was on Facebooking (not an obssesion for me, but a tool of escapism).

Then suddenly, a string of words invaded my eardrum. It was the voice of one of the two 'Babes' I had greeted on my entrance to the pavilion.

She adequately laced her voice with contempt and disgust. Below is the content of what she said: "I trust no man, not even Tunde, my so called Fiance. They all are bunch of dishonesty, insincerity and blatant disappointments."

Transfixed and disgusted at the slap on the integrity of the entire male folks, I gave out a deep but fake cough of dissaproval that eventually made them exit the pavilion.

After they had gone, My mind began to ponder and wonder on her words. And before long, I began to soliloquy:

"Why could she have resolved to avenge the evil done to her in a former relationship from the present one?

Why could she have said that she cannot be faithful to any man any more all because her faithfulness in her former relationship(s) were betrayed?"

Then, after some minutes or two of syllogism, I concluded that it is morally wrong for anyone to conclude to seek vengeance of the ills done to him/her in past affairs especially from the present one.

It is on this note that I'd crave the indulgence of you, my patient reader to wrap-up this piece by giving credence to an age-long prudent saying of my people-Yoruba Folks. It goes thus: "If you close your eyes that evil men should pass, you will not know when a good fellow will pass by you."

...Kip da Optimism Alive.