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On September 17, 2019, before leaving the shore of our great country, I knew that Sister Rita’s dad had passed on. On arriving at God’s Own Country, I enquired about her and Chukwudi, her spouse, and was told that they would hold a wakekeep for their dad in Dallas, on September 20, 2019. That would be an opportunity to see them. That morning, I forgot about the programme. Forgetfulness is understandably so to man, but forgetting that one, was inexcusable. It was exciting being there and meeting people, especially, the old faces.
At 10 pm, when we arrived there, the ceremony had started. The US has not changed at all, always holding such programmes at midnight. Well, it is convenient for them and it is the dividend of living in a relatively secured country. Two ministers of God were there, and a reverend father, who came from Germany. We sang songs from the hymn book. Bible passages were also read, followed with prayers.
When the Master of Ceremony [MC] was to be introduced, I had expected a youth, wearing some funny looks. It was the opposite! He was rather, a middle-aged man, holding a doctorate degree. He did his utmost in bringing life to the programme all through. I admired how he was giving honour to God all through, unlike some of the ones we have in Nigeria, who will use the opportunity to ridicule God, the Church and the ministers, disguised cleverly in jokes. The MC would call out one by one, the various associations Chukwudi and Rita belong to, for them to dance and then ‘spray’ their money to the bereaved family members. They responded in their droves, spreading money on Chukwudi or Rita. Before you knew it, much of the floor would be filled with the US Dollars. As they went back to their seats, the money would be collected, making chance for another group.
Incidentally, I was given a front seat, where they were doing this. Imagine! Have they forgotten that ‘Prof’ of our Central Bank, in those days, banned the practice? Thank God that if he walked in that night, for whatever reason, he would see that I was not one of the people offending his law. In fact, he would notice that I did not move about, not even visiting the toilet end, to avoid being bracketed together with them! On a second thought, I felt that if he dragged the people to court, they would win the case, for what he banned was spraying naira and not dollar! Thank God, the spreading was even done in God’s Own Country, not in Nigeria!
The spraying of money that night reminded me of the incident that took place during a wakekeep in Arochukwu, Abia State, during the early birth of money spraying. As people were busy spraying their one naira notes on the bereaved family members, one young girl, whether insane or pretended to be one, was busy laughing and gathering the notes into her pocket! When they stopped her, she left with the fortune she had made. I saw people making much effort, in that US wakekeep, to ensure that such an ill-ambitious girl had no inch of space to operate. Not a single dollar was lost!
Apart from the large number of dollars people were giving, which filled literally the floor space, all the time, some of the associations gave envelopes, which were not announced. By intent or error, one of them announced theirs and the amount deafened the ear – a thousand dollars! The objective of one of the associations, we were told, is demonstration of love to their members by identifying with their joys and sorrows, and to prepare them for heaven. Though an-all-female union, the MC, in great humour, said that he would enroll with them as a member! Who would not!
My Oga, when I was in the primary school, told us how two men were invited for scholarship interview. One of them stood at attention deliberately, like a policeman, thinking that it would give him an edge over the other candidate. The other candidate stood in a relaxed position. Thinking that the one, who stood at attention, might be having health challenges, the award went to the one in a relaxed mood. The lesson from it is that the best way of knowing someone is to meet him in his natural habitat. The way the people dressed that night could hardly be imagined of the US!
If they were told before coming for the programme that someone would comment on their dressing, one could then say that it was what influenced their dressing. I conclude from that, that we are more Americans in Nigeria than the Americans. Their dressing, men and women, was humble, revealing nothing that should be hidden. It would have been a different ball game, if it was held in Lagos and at that hour of the night!
The amount of money realised for the family that night was much. Someone attributed it to the couple’s knowledge of people and by identifying with various associations. This might be true since I have attended such programmes in the US, and not much was realized in some of them. What was very interesting was the fact that almost all the associations that were there, seemed to identity with the Lord Jesus. None of them sang immoral songs nor did anything to discredit the Gospel. I was present in a Christian wakekeep in Nigeria, when a beloved Christian sister died and each time the band boys were off the stage, they busied themselves in smoking! There was nothing like that in Dallas that night.
Food and soft drinks were served in abundance and I was impressed by the fund they raised for the family. Something, however, kept me thinking all through. It all happened, when we were reciting the model prayer the Lord Jesus taught his disciples, which in error, many people brand, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. As we reciting it, we told God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive other people – Matt.6:12. Jesus stressed that if we do not forgive the people who offend us, God will not forgive us when we sin against Him – v14; Mark 11:26. Nobody should be denigrated or exonerated, for sin is sin. Were they not people that night, who had refused to forgive the people that offended them? Were there not some couples, who could hardly greet each other because of offenses committed by the partner? Some people delude themselves with false hope that, in spite of their deference, God in His mercy, will still give them another chance.
What use would be our financial sacrifices, denial of sleep and the long journey taken by some people that night, if God refused to forgive them because of their unforgiving spirit?
For further comment, Please contact: Osondu Anyalechi: 0802 3002-471; [email protected]
