The Nonentity!

Posted by lovehappily on

In Agbaka village, the villagers considered Ikenna a nonentity. Ikenna was a young man in his early twenties. He was always alone because no one especially adults in his community wanted to talk to him. People would make mockery of him whenever he passed by, but he never got tired of trying to make himself happy.

One day, he decided to play with some of the children in his neighborhood, but he hesitated on getting to the playground, afraid that they might chide him for trying to mingle with them. He played with them that day, but he was surprised that some of the adults that saw him did not interrupt the flow.

For the first time, he saw a loophole in a society that had rejected him, reckoning that he could live life to the full by playing with children. The next day, he went to the playground again, but on getting there he realized that there was no one.

He waited for a while but none of the children showed up. He felt sad and decided to go home. On his way home, he met the children in another playground, and he stood for a while, wondering why they left their usual arena. He shrugged off his doubts and sat beside a tree, watching them. He was happier doing that than sitting all to himself at home. Suddenly, one of the children came to meet him.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“I’m here to watch you all. I enjoy your play.”

“Yesterday my parents asked me to stay away from you. Other children were told the same thing too.”

“Was that why you came to play in this field?”

“Yes, but now we need your help. You’re the only adult here and we need someone to organize us. We want to run.”

“Okay, that will be nice.”

He organized the children and they were all happy. The next day, he introduced more games and they felt at home with him.

The news of what he did spread fast in the village. Most of the adults in the land came to the field the next day to confirm what they heard. They were delighted to see him do what they could not.

His life changed for the better from that day.

Even the nonentity has something to offer!

 

Copyright © 2016 by P. A. Owala

All rights reserved.

 

 

11 responses to “The Nonentity!”

  2. The beginning of this story reminded me of Boo in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” He liked to watch the children play and left them presents in a hole in a tree. In the end he saved their lives. A lot of people think the book is only about racism but I think it is also about something much deeper. I think it is about dignity. Putting people on trial for being different is damaging even to the most honorable person. It’s good the parents in your story realized their mistake in telling the children to stay away from Ikenna.

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    • You are right. Many people are in this situation, suffering daily because of who they are. We, as individuals, have a role to play in the world to make it a better place for all to live in. Thanks for your wise comments and for stopping by. Thanks for the follow too.

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    • You are correct. That was the real idea. Sometimes, parents mislead their children by the information they give them. Children easily forgive, and they don’t just hate. They are more receptive to people compared to adults. Thanks for the wise comment and for stopping by my blog. I appreciate.

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