Baptizing the Gun

Before I go into details, I'd like to say that I love how this story turned out to be positive. I don't see that often in the Nigerian film industry, so this was a plus!

However, this story was quite bland and although it disproved the stereotype, 419ers were mentioned a lot.

I think this story was a lot more location than story. It was just setting and background to me. It starts with a lady in a fight on the "you-beat-me-I-beat-you-bus". That's really what they call it! It's like a greyhound bus and it's really hot and uncomfortable.

Lagos traffic sucks! This is accurately depicted in the story. "All the vehicles on the road attempt to turn at once". But people on the motorcycles or mopeds are the worst. They think they can just wiggle their ways through traffic. In certain parts of the city it's just a free road with a huge lack of any traffic signals or signs. It's crazy! Cabs in the form of buses drive with sliding doors wide open so people can hop on and off whenever they please. Also, the story says that children were in the road selling items. That may be true, but when I went it was just woman around my age or older. And one thing that's always for sale is: "Pure wata! Pure wata!" Hearing the screams of "pure water" is something that me and my sister will never forget as ladies held huge tubs of ice with bottled water inside above their heads. Wow. The smell of Nigeria is coming back to me right now.

Maybe I'm dumb, but after reading it through one time--I still didn't know if the main character was a preacher or not. I love how he wishes he had the preacher "accessories" in times of trouble so that he won't get treated badly, but late her is happy he isn't "wearing [his] Roman collar so [he] won't be automatically waved on" at a traffic stop. Speaking of Nigerian traffic stops--at night, it is best to not stop. My mom got robbed one time.

I love how this story is addressing real societal issues in that region of the world. The government is sapping the Niger Delta of all its resources and refuses to give the citizens of that area any of the monetary funds. "...Niger Delta has more oil wells than flush toilets? The government has connived with foreign oil companies to enslave us". That is why the Niger Delta is one of the most deadliest places to live in Nigeria. The people there have become militants that fight against the government and against oil companies. Up until recently, they have been blowing up gas stations and trying to get the government's attention with other radical ideas. If you go out to the actual delta, they are patrolling their land on the water with high speed boats and guns pointed.

There is a lot of ethnic or tribal nationalism in Nigeria. Being of the Igbo tribe, I find it hilarious that this story tries to make the Yoruba tribe stand out. Obviously, the guy who wrote this has to be Yoruba, because I'm pretty sure everyone who lives in Nigeria knows that Igbo and Yoruba people aren't the best of friends. The Igbo people are the largest group and they weren't even mentioned in the story, but the Hausa's were? My mom would laugh and use some of the dialect they had in the story. (which I loved)

Can I just say I'm excited to go home just so I can have some authentic rice and stew :)

This story gets across a main point in the Nigerian lifestyle that money is everyone's motive. If you have money, you don't want to flaunt it too much, but enough so that people know you have some sort of status. As far as people asking for money, they will do it at all times. I don't want to say the country is corrupt--I feel like that is too harsh because they are trying to change; but, you need money if you ever are put into any difficult situation in that country.

The thoughts of the main character that were italicized--I will always be happy to be a Nigerian. So, I felt disrespected by him thinking that. Oh well, just a story.

Now to the main point--

The whole time he was sure the guy was kidnapping him and had a pistol in his pocket. But when the main character falls sick, he sees that the whole time "the gun" was just a handkerchief. People always assume the worst in others. I try not to do that, so I simply trust no one. haha. I don't know if that's worst. But, the whole time this supposed preacher is cursing the man, his "kidnapper" and damning him to hell. It's just really hard to read people's underlying motives, especially with the world we live in.

Great way to end the semester with a story about my hometown. Can't wait to get back home.