SEIYEFA, THE CASSAVA BOY by Siloko, Oyintari Ben.

SEIYEFA, THE CASSAVA BOY by Siloko, Oyintari Ben.

It was 1994, 24^th November, a cold afternoon under the Udara tree. I heard the voice clearly from afar, Seiyefa!!! Seiyefa! I didn’t bother to answer because my parents told me a very scary tale about spirits calling people sometimes, and if you mistakenly answer by error and you didn’t see anyone, you must quickly say Ine Teme Waibo [My spirit come back].

The voice kept calling Seiyefa!!! Seiyefa! I could hear the thunderstorm loudly each time my name echoes, which made it more frightening. The braveness in me ignited, being among the best wrestlers in my community. I moved towards the voice with courage. 

Just then, I saw Kurotimi, the greatest wrestler in my community – famous with the name, ‘the power house.’ I hailed him – Power! But the look on Kurotimi’s eyes wasn’t pleasant. Immediately, I yelled at him, Tei Ke Pama [what happened]; he was silent, I yelled at him at the top of my voice, Power!!! Tei ke pama. [Power what happened]

Kurotimi looked into my eyes, hugged me tightly and whispered into my ears, General don go battle field and him no da come back. It was as if a different spirit entered me, I held kurotimi back, as if I was about to shake myself off his grip, I shouted louder at him this time, Power - Ye gba ni dia eh, gba! Gba!! Gba!!! Gba!!!! [Power tell me something, say it, say it, say it] I can see tears rolling down the cheeks of Kurotimi, then I was convinced something was wrong.

Ine dau fide [your father is dead], Power said in awe, it was as if the rains were waiting for the news to be broken to me. It poured down heavily on us. I wrestled Kurotimi to the ground, just to gain my freedom of expression. 

I raced like never before. The moment I got home, everyone in my compound was mourning. Seeing me, some people ran to console me, alas,  I pushed them aside and ran straight inside the house, seeing the lifeless body of Chief Timipre Ngekpu Waibo, I lost consciousness. 

When I regained consciousness, I was at a corner of our beautifully made thatch house, surrounded by the youths of our community led by Kurotimi. I broke free from them and started searching for my mother and younger bro, Embelakpor. I found them at the back of the compound, surrounded by women. I advanced closer and wrapped them in my arms, consoling my mother.

[TWO MONTHS LATER, AFTER THE BURIAL OF MY FATHER]

Mama, things go better, wo dau ogono emi owei, blessings sai bo emi [our father in heaven is bringing us blessings]. Amen ine tubou, Ine koro bi di, kor kor, ari ine dau tubou eh [Amen my son, look at your face, indeed you are the son of your father].

I began farming on the cassava farm left behind by my father. The little cassava farm became so large. I harvested the cassava, peeled it, washed it and took it to the grinder. After grinding, I mixed it with palm oil, since mama and papa love yellow garri so much. After mixing, I bagged it and left it there, for the grinder to make it dry.

I enjoyed fryng garri so much, it was something I learnt how to do from my father. 

The interna-sunal [international, pronounced with our local accent] fryer, my mother teased me like my father did. After frying, mama called me, and started praying for me. 

One thing I know my mother doesn’t joke with was prayers, even though my father never believed in her prayers.

You no go lack anything for this life, I responded Amen

Your hard work go bring plenty blessing come anywhere you da, I replied Amen.

After series of prayers, I took the garri to the market to sell, so we can have some money for the family upkeep and Embelakpor’s school fees.

It was 4pm, that Monday evening at the market. I was hearing a different accent Saifar! Saifar! In my usual way, I didn’t respond because of the fairy tale about spirits calling. Aside that, I said to myself, my name no be Saifar, my name na Seiyefa. Maybe na all this 'i too know English' township people when don come market to buy our correct village product.

As I was meditating, a customer came to me, requesting for two rubbers of garri. The moment I was about putting the first rubber into the nylon for the customer, whom I had been admiring her daughter for years, someone held my hands, and in shock, the bucket of garri fell to the ground.

Bei ma teh ese ah [what kind of trouble is this], I said as I was raising my head to see who had touched me.

John Bosco, I shouted in excitement ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[Next episode to be released soon]

UNPROFITABLE GIFTS FOR YOUR CONSUMPTION --------------------------------------------------Siloko Oyintari Ben

Often times, people always discourage others from pursing their dreams. They look at you and ask, “What do you stand to gain from this society that is full of CONNECTIONS? They will even go further to tell you to your face that you will never succeed. The moment you listen to them and succumb to deviate from your mission in life, you will forever live to regret the action you took. At that point in life, you have stopped living, but because of your breath, you will start existing without dreams.

Using myself as an example, publishing my second book, “Fulfilling my Dream” wasn’t achieved as a free drink, or a platter of gold. It required focus and determination to fulfil the dream of publishing the book. Moments came when quitting became a best option for me due to the setbacks, but determination brought me off the floor, so I won’t eat the dirt thrown at me.

People are permitted to throw dirt’s on you, but the question is, ‘WILL YOU EAT IT?’ The reason I refused to eat dirt was because I had a vision, with a great strategic mission. My drive for my publication continued until the book, FULFILLING MY DREAM’ was published.

The story above can be likened unto a high level of commitment, not the kind of commitment that you speak with your mouth, and back off when challenges come. Christopher Columbus asserted that you can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. There was a success story attached to the book fulfilling my dream. If I had given up, the success story wouldn’t have emerged. Sometimes you have to tell that negative thought an upper case letter NO, not a lower case no. 

There should be power in your determination. Within the first month of publishing the book, a school requested for a thousand copies, because they saw the potential in the book to transform their students; State Governments approved for schools in their various states.

Siloko Oyintari Ben said, “Never give up because you don’t know which phase of your life will unlock your success story.” Can you be traveling to a particular destination and stop thirty minutes before arriving at your destination, after travelling for nine hours and say you are going back to the exact point you started your journey simply because you were impatient. If you do that, you are only putting more burden on your shoulders.

Don’t let people know your weakness, because they will constantly buy you those things that make you weak, knowing fully well that you can’t resist accepting, which in turn tears you apart.

GET UP - IT'S SUNRISE by Siloko Oyintari Ben.

Those who start working before the sunrise always end up becoming professionals in their chosen field. Dreams might not be fulfilled in a month, a year, or maybe sometimes in five to ten years, but it will definitely be fulfilled. The basic necessity for you is focus. You have to focus on that one thing which makes you passionate about your goals.

Don’t ever compare yourself with others, rather dominate your society with your skills. Some people have sight but don’t have vision which is why they end up looking without seeing. Not everybody that looks at a particular direction see every object around there, the blind man can look and not see, because physically he is blind. That is the same way a man without vision can look and not see the potentials required for him to succeed.

Some people who have vision and don’t end up being successful fail because they lack target. ‘Vision without mission leads to illusion – Siloko Oyintari Ben.’ How can you play football without a goal post? Will you pay to watch a premier league game without a goal post? Most times, the beauty of the game is the goal they score.

The potentials in me would have died long ago if I had no vision, coupled with my mission serviced always. Your mission should be like a clock that ticks every second, it is either you are working or thinking of new ways and strategies to actualize your vision.

Nobody was willing to support my first publication, but I told myself I was going to keep on writing, even if nobody approves to assist me in publishing my books. You are the only one who has the vision, those who refuse to support you don’t know how great that vision is until you put your mission running effectively, only then they will begin to see the greatness of your apotheosis.

I published my first book during my NYSC [national youth service scheme – a one year compulsory service to the nation for every graduate] days in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. My friends were dressing their bodies with their finances, while I was saving my finances to dress my destiny. To summarize the whole story, I finally published my maiden book, ‘CREATIVITY FOR EXCELLENCE’ before my passing out parade from NYSC, for a sum of a hundred and fifty thousand naira. At the time, my take home pay was nineteen thousand eight hundred naira only, I had to look for extra jobs, like private lessons, and also engaged in running transport services. I was aware that I needed an extra income if I want to publish my book. That was how a mission gave birth to a vision. I didn’t see the published book alone, I had to work to hold it in my hands.

Photo Credit - https://www.photopills.com/articles/sunrise-photography-guide