For an African, life is generally tough. Due to poverty brought about by many factors, the lot of the African is not nice. I sometimes wonder just what it is Africans did to deserve this kind of life. If it is not drought, then it is war. If it is not dictatorship then it is corruption. Often, it is disease and silly tribal bigotry. All these things contrive to make life in Africa an unpleasant experience. Granted, there are pockets of order and prosperity but in the main it?s doom and gloom. Perhaps I am being too harsh because things are getting better. I mean just a decade ago the situation was much more serious.
Nowadays, there is less strife and only a few governments are still inclined to throw their citizens in jail for speaking their minds. Life is becoming bearable. Nevertheless, even in the face of so much adversity, something always shines through. There is nothing that beats the African community spirit. I suppose it is because of growing up in large extended families. Unlike other race groups where they have words like introvert in their lexicon, such a word does not exist in Africa. There is just no chance of ever being so alone as to end up an introvert. Right from the day you are born the din and cacophony of the community unfolds around you. I doubt if there is any other race where the upbringing of a child involves so many people.
But from birth, the grandmother is central to the upbringing of the child. And she will not be alone. There will be all manner of assorted relatives and other community members giving a hand. The child plays and starts school in the company of age mates from the same community. I doubt if there is a single, proper African who has ever gone through an entire day without talking to anybody. By ?proper?, I do not mean Africans who play at being white and have denounced the community spirit.
For contrast, in Europe, so many people can go through a whole day without talking to anyone. A person can simply walk out of their house and choose not to greet anyone. In Africa, if you do not greet people in your neighbourhood just make sure you never suffer any calamity. If you do not attend their funerals make sure your mother does not die because they will boycott the funeral.
That is why proper Africans run large households. Be it in the village or in town, the households tend to be characterised by continuous human traffic, coming and going. An aunt can send their child to go and live with a relative in town because the schools there are better. An uncle can send a son to stay temporarily with another relative in the course of looking for a job. Protestations that there isn?t enough room are dismissed with the response that the boy can sleep in the living room. This temporary arrangement can turn into years because the nephew is too lazy to get a job. If the lazy nephew is kicked out and word gets to the village, the mother of the ex-host starts drawing nasty glances and remarks. So proper Africans cannot afford to be selfish. The whole set up discourages self-interest in favour of the common interest. I am yet to watch a movie or hear of any white family that had two distant nephews coming to squat for years whilst job hunting. I suppose it is this community spirit that prevents proper Africans from using old age homes. There is just no way a grandmother is going to be consigned to a home just because she is no longer useful. All things said, this community spirit is a positive virtue. I mean, a chap will go away for years enjoying life in town but when he dies he has to be brought back and buried in the village. So in a quaint way, life in Africa begins and ends in the village. That brings me to Barack Obama. He is the man who wants to be the next and first black president of America. Folks, it is important to monitor American politics because the man who becomes president can be the difference between being invaded and remaining free. Who resides in the White House can be the difference between hanging and staying in power.
An example is Saddam Hussein. Smart people, therefore, monitor American politics. Even Old Man is watching the presidential race carefully. For him it?s the difference between keeping Pretty Face and losing her. Back to Obama. Apparently, his father was from Kenya. So a few months ago as part of promoting his campaign, Obama paid a visit to his ancestral village. I saw him on television embracing his tearful grandmother. I watched and smiled. Obama was obviously having a good time and enjoying the photo opportunity. Like a proper African, he greeted and embraced battalions of relatives.
Now, for the rest of his life Obama will either cherish or regret the day he went to visit his relatives. Should Obama make it to the White House, he will understand what it means to be African. His grandmother will be the first to move in. African grandmothers are never alone. She will come accompanied by a few elderly ladies of the local burial society. Soon, other relatives will show up at the White House. The aunts will send their children over for the president to find them schools and jobs. It won?t be confined to Obama?s relatives. Other villagers will raise the money to visit, enjoy the ample food and decide to stay on for a couple of years. A son of his father?s brother will suddenly re-appear in threadbare clothing and ask for money in lieu of the cow sold years ago to enable Obama?s late father to go to school.
One or two uncles, with wizened faces and grey hair will arrive from the village dressed in heavy, but tattered Second World War overcoats, complete with their medals for serving King George. Worried about their brother?s son they will decide to stay for Obama?s entire term in office. Having arrived right from the village, they will proceed to dish out advice on how to rule America. They will also bring strong traditional medicine to strengthen Obama and protect his office from being bewitched by rivals. The main White House will be full. It will be so congested Obama will have to get the guest wing extended. More relatives will come.
On being told there is no more room they will offer to sleep on the lawn while arrangements are made for them. Then one day Obama will return from a foreign trip and find that the uncles have slaughtered a goat on the White House lawns to welcome him back. Tourists visiting the White House will be appalled. So will animal anti-cruelty groups. And when his wife, the first lady, looks at him in exasperation, Obama will regret the day he went to Africa for that photo opportunity with his grandmother and the battalion of relatives. I look forward to the day Obama becomes president of the USA.
