I REMEMBER like yesterday an account related to me decades ago` by a fellow teacher and friend, Boye Lawal, a science teacher with the mind of an artist. It occurred, according to him, during one of his trips, years back in Pankshin, Plateau State.
A string of vehicles was making its way through the often rock-lined road when the occupant of the foremost, a truck, saw some distance off, a troop of apes bounding across the road. It was obviously a whole community: women anthropoids with babies strapped to their backs, children, the aged, the sick e.t.c. They were perhaps foraging or seeking new territory.
The noise of the approaching vehicles evidently threw them into some panic and the orderly file of near-human bipeds broke into a frantic hurry amidst a billow of dust.
But it did not appear the foremost truck was going to stop for the troop. Women, children, the sick, the aged were in danger...
Amidst the confusion, a hulking figure, apparently the Chief, dashed out from the ranks of the fleeing anthropoids to rush at the oncoming vehicles. Skidding to a dramatic halt amidst an impressive billow of dust, it planted itself right in front of the foremost truck, feet wide apart, eyes blazing its defiance of man and machine.
Then, drawing itself to its full height, the ape let out a lo-o-n-n-g, deafening roar, at the same time slamming its barrel chest with both fists.
It was an angry, ugly ape.
And that was probably what the other wonder-struck humans saw.
But not my friend, Lawal.
What he saw at that moment was a glorious leader, a true defender of the weak putting its own very life on the line for the sake of its own “people”…
The noise was unnerving. It reverberated throughout the surrounding landscape.
And before the shocked humans could recover their senses, the apes were gone…
Call that ape what you like — stupid, fool-hardy, ignorant, whatever. But, like Lawal, you must give him something: A deep sense of responsibility, commitment to the welfare of his community —- even at the risk of his own life.
You’ll give him that. That is, unless you are a Nigerian politician —- perhaps.
Yet, another story. This time, from the Ogundipe And Trednigo English Grammar text books of my secondary school days.
A human hunter could hardly keep his jaws from dropping ajar when during an expedition, he observed a troop of monkeys attempting to cross a wide river. From the agitated manner of the members, the troop seemed to be in a hurry, probably some danger threatened. As in the previous account, there were also women, children, the aged and the sick.
Then as our hunter gawked, a miracle, played out before him.
A very large monkey climbed a stout tree on the bank of the river and wrapped its strong tail in a tight grip round a bough. Then a second monkey, also strong-looking, climbed over the first presenting its tail which the latter grasped. Then a third monkey climbed over the two presenting its own tail to the second monkey, which the latter in turn gripped.
All these, the monkeys did with practised speed and efficiency. And soon, a long water-soaked chain of monkeys was formed across the river until very close to a tree at the other bank. Lastly, another strong monkey climbed over the chain to the last monkey of the chain, presented its own tail then took a long leap onto the tree by the other bank.
The chain now complete and dangling some three feet above water, the rest of the monkey community—- nursing mothers with babies strapped under them, the aged, the sick, the weak, ‘unemployed youths’, the senior citizens—-now made their way over the chain formed by their stronger community leaders. Until every single member rode to safety at the other river bank.
Then the very first monkey which had its tail wrapped around a tree bough let go its grip while the last monkey on the other bank climbed higher dragging the monkey chain to dry land and safety…
The strong aided the weak for the survival of all. The mere monkeys, pooled their relatively lean mental and physical resources for the ultimate benefit and survival of all.
The strong monkeys could simply have swum to safety leaving the weak —- the women, the jobless, the sick, the senior citizens, the pensioners, the jobless youths—- to their fates to swim or drown.
But they did not.
If only some humans can take lessons from these—these—- mere anthropoids
But who am I to recommend the integrity of those lesser but distinguished primates to our perfumed honourables and excellencies—executive and legislative? After all, they are neither monkeys nor apes.
God! If only they were…
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