Na lie, he no dey kampe

By

Hakeem Babalola

mysmallvoice@yahoo.com

 

The psychological perambulator of a man obsessed with happiness but actually under suggestive of sorrow or gloom is, to constantly in an egomaniacally manner assumes the opposite of very self. He is likely to inflate the idea of his own importance. His exaggerated sense of self importance is nothing but false pride. But that is how he could balance it. He must portray himself “healthier than thou” in order not to look unhealthy. That is his mode of survival and the only way he could be what he is not.

This sense of reasoning may be vital to the developmental survival of this man, but the danger lies at the very end of his life when circumstances would compel him to account for his deeds, especially how he had deliberately coordinated such dexterity and skill in order to secure undue advantage over others. It may or may not be his fault but the desire to swindle people of their inheritance would be of consequential burial chamber he may not be able to win victory over.

Instead of seeking help, this man would remain a donkey until the very end when it would be too late to save him from this mental illness that has accelerated the fallacy of pleasure inherited from the disposition of hubris. There is another danger but, because this man is a donkey he would be too bloody-minded like an obstinate child with a violent temper – to become a gentle old horse, docile and obedient.

No one would be able to save him from this demise because to him, and right from his mother’s womb, it is an art of failure to be gentle or to be considered polite. To him, the rudimentary of living lies in rugged personality not sheepish. This is what had defined his path right from the incipient stage of endeavour. He would go on to preach orderliness whereas he violently believes in chaos or near anarchy, an attribute he considers as a tactical weapon to unleash in order to remain relevant.   

Though his false pride had blinded him to reality, his ruggedness would help him to understand that, for him to “dey kampe” there must be chaos or near anarchy in the society he lives. And this man would do anything to preserve his end. He cares not. Perhaps he doesn’t care because he knows from experience that his people cherish ruffians – explicitly or implicitly. Otherwise he knows it would have been impossible for his character to develop along the way. And he loathes them for this.

That’s perhaps the vital organ that has rummaged his sense of worthlessness (worthlessness may not be the appropriate word here). I say worthlessness because if this man deep down feels he is a worthy citizen, he would not have derived sexual, physical or psychological pleasure by inflicting harm on others. So something of great intensity is fueling his belligerence. This man has a strong emotion oriented toward some real or supposed grievance. No one can cure him regarding this feeling which might eventually destroy him – further.

This man arrived at this precarious truce because he often reminds himself that his people are largely responsible for his ruined state of mind. It is his conviction that his people are sycophants and they have systematically shattered his dream of peace and prosperity. He would never forgive them for making him an unhappy man. But he must pretend until his last moment on earth. 

To achieve this, it is highly important for him to conceal his real emotion. Hence he must constantly tell his people or the world at large that “I am happy; I am contented with myself; I am not worried by anything; I dey kampe; I own Nigeria; and that God Himself speaks to me everyday; I thank God for creating me….”

 Where is the cure for pretence? For it is the symptom of his ailment. 

You see, this man has vowed to extract his own pound of flesh from those he perceives as enemy. Nothing would stop his paroxysm of revenge even if it means destroying himself along the way to achieving this goal of immeasurable calamity. But he is ready because he has gotten the necessary techniques to climb to the top of the tree. However, he has completely forgotten the rules that must guide him throughout such tempestuous or inordinate ambition. He must not climb the tree above the leaves.

Of course that is exactly what this man has done. I see him falling down at the crucial age he would be too weak to get up. This is because by this time he’d be exhausted as his destination comes into view. Even at that point he would put up a stone face, making him vulnerable to early ignominy. There’s no doubt the fact that this man is responsible for the precipitation of his own demise. But what is important to him is, to feign happiness.

And he would do it to the end. Perhaps the ability to sham felicity is where his luck lies, for he knows that by showing intense joy publicly, he is indirectly penetrating the skin of those who detest him. Yes, he wants them to be as unhappy as he is. If he could not get happiness, no one would get it. But why is he pretending to be happy? Why does he chew “I dey kampe” every now and then? Let the philosophers answer or solve the myth behind such demeanour.