GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN GOLD

Promise me son not to live the life of your grandfather, walk away from the expression ” Good Name is Better Than Gold” because, it is the mask foolishness and fame uses to conceal its face. Why dad? Son let me tell you a story about your grandfather. Chukwuemeka was the name of your grandfather. He got married to Nnenna who happens to be your grandmother. Chukwuemeka was the favorite of all men being the most popular in the neighbourhood. Though he was not rich but he was richly known for his act of giving under the auspice of maintaining a good name even at the expense of his family, because they never drank from his mighty cup of giving. We starved most times and some other times, we suckled from the minute resource from Nnenna who happens to be a Petty Trader in Ugbete Market Enugu State. The relationship between Chukwuemeka and Nnenna was that of the Buttucks separated by a straight line and brought together by excreta, but what brought both of them together was sex as his good deed would only fetch him good name not good sex.

Chukwuemeka works in a Local Manufacturing Company where they refine Palm Cannel. He was well to do and though is salary was not too much and not too less, it was as if the disagreement Jump up trouser had with the ground that made it not to near the shoe was the same disagreement grandpa’s salary had with his home because they never meet. Chukwuemeka was always robbed by good deeds! I could remember vividly, Grandma was having a baby at hand but the baby died with mum’s sagging breast in his mouth as a result of lack of proper medications but dad never bordered and each time Grandma would put up quarrels that taking responsibilities of his family does not stop him from doing good but Chukwuemeka would always keep deft ears on it. It got to a point that dad would sell stuffs at home to meet the needs of others. We all dropped out of school as grandma’s shoulders couldn’t carry the luggage of our problems anymore, yet sometimes we see dad paying the fees of other children. Indeed dad was a good man!

One faithful day, we were seated outside with our dad, haven had a taste of anything but our spit since the day broke. The bell of starvation hung on our neck and at intervals it will bell like that placed on the neck of Ivan Pavlov dog. Our eyes were as wide as the emptiness in our stomach but dad said he had nothing on him and since our eyes and stomach were hungry we could not feed both, rather we fed our eyes with the cascade of cars that zoomed by, a and the plethora of people that bathed my dad with greetings, until one of the sons of the neighbour next door approached him and said, Sir, the food my mum kept for me was not enough and though I have eaten, I am not satisfied. Before the boy could make a request dad said, take this five hundred naira (500), I don’t have much on me. So pathetic, we could believe our eyes, we couldn’t say a word but the hunger in us screamed bitterly but only our intestines suffered the. Lose yet the worms couldn’t let go of it.

Son, my dad was so nice that even the blue birds sand ode to his name, but he forgot his family, people spoke about him more than Christ, the wind whispers his name, nature gossiped his goodness, even the devil said, he is hell of a Goodman. My son, if good name were to be life, my dad would still be alive today. His name was a pleasant smell oozing from the kitchen of a typical Rivers woman and that smell served as a perfume to us  as people would address us as the children of that kind man and we would put a smile on but we never had peace and a price of dad’s giving, yet nobody said anything because of selfishness. Dad was a happy man but in sadness was were we found solace. Son, to me your grandfather was a living dead because it is only a dead man that has not dent on his name. He was proud and would always say, if I die, the world would bury me!

But something bad happened, dad lost his job and his name too. All those friends he made, whom he thought was his shadow and would follow him even in darkness left him like life to  lifeless body. The birds seized singing his praises rather it was the mocking bird that sang his dirge. Dad realised the hardest work is being out of work. He fell back to his family and instead of deserting him, mum took him in like a prodigal son, she never complained but we could see the ugly face of frustration and regret on his cheek. Mum was kind to have received him, but shame couldn’t allow him, so he tendered an apology to his family saying, he has not lived a good life. The next day, dad died strangled by the hands of guilt and regrets. On the day of his burial, nobody came only his family and his spirit roaming like a mad man chasing nothing. The sun hod its head, the clouds mourned him,  even the kindness he showed didn’t show up  it was a dry burial until he was laid to rest.

Son, good men don’t live long at the same time, am not saying do not give or help people but do not do it to please them and in everything  family comes first but just in case you should know, Good name is better than Gold is the mask foolishness and fame uses to conceal its face.

Written by: Emmanuel Ikoromasoma

Ikoro’s Mindset: Don’t live your life to please people!