I have this painting hanging on the wall of my office. You see it from afar, it’s a blaze of bright reds and browns, with streaks of yellow. You come closer
or descent to Hades? Most baffling is that in the forefront are men in firefighting gear, sitting and watching helplessly, with no effort to engage the inferno. On the backs of their uniforms is emblazoned FDNY, the Fire Department of New York, and the hardy, renowned, heroic first responders – the best of the best! Why are they looking on idly, reduced to mere spectators? The painting is a frequent conversation piece for my visitors and I have gotten some interesting reactions.
Once in a while, our equilibrium is destabilized and that’s when our psyche/mettle is put to the test. One remembers icons like Mandela who left a lucrative and prestigious law practice to spend 27 years in jail, a lot of it in solitary confinement, mostly because of trumped-up charges. He came out triumphant and not bitter to lead his people as the first Black president of South Africa.
There was no way she could be effectively managed in Nigeria at that time. On top of it, one the boys came down with a severe infection. It was left to the oldest child, all of 14 years old at the time, to assume the leadership role in the family. I therefore decided that I would return to Nigeria immediately. However, good counsel from friends prevailed that I could be more useful to the family by remaining in the US.