Certain things are happening in this world and they seem difficult to believe or imagine. A man was reputed to have been jailed in 1988 in Colorado, US, because a woman accused him of beating and raping her in her dream. Dream? Yes. Imagine! After spending 28 years in jail, the case was retried and he was discharged and acquitted. The Attorney General considered his imprisonment as travesty of justice. Uncle is now happy, for becoming a Millionaire, resulting from the compensation paid to him for wrong imprisonment.
It is unbelievable that the initial justice was based on a dream. Is it possible for a person to control what he does or does not do in the dream? One of the greatest Ministers of God today in Nigeria said in 1976 that he had nothing to repent from, should he commit fornication in his dream. He was right. The exception is where it is lust that drives such dreams. Dream is dream and real life is real life. On January 4, this year, I wrote, how my mum, once antagonized a barren lady because she brought a baby to her in her dream, but the lady was not at home. I disagreed with my mum.
In the story above, could it not be a mere allegation that the man raped her in her dream? How did the court verify that the accuser dreamt actually? Who were her witnesses? How would she feel if her husband files a divorce suit, accusing her of sleeping with the accused in her dream, whether she consented to it or not? What was she thinking about the man that made her to dream such a shameful dream about him? Should she not be the person the man’s wife should sue and punished by the court for sleeping with her husband in the dream? I thank God for the US, a country, where wrongs can be corrected, irrespective of the personalities involved or the duration of injustice.
I read a story, how a 17-year-old teenager sued his parents for $20,000, for being born White. He claimed that he has suffered much shame for that. His suffering, according to him, started when he was young, and he would spend hours on end in the bath, trying to wash off the white out of his skin but it could not go out. His parents were alleged to be in shock over his weird suit. His lawyer claimed that he has suffered ‘severe psychological distress, symptoms of depression and suicidal tendencies’.
This is strange, when some Black people, on the other hand, want to be White. Many of the make-ups tend towards making someone to look white. Many youths speak as if they were raised in the Whiteman’s land, though some of them have not entered the airplane before. There are many Blacks in the US, in particular, who may not return to Nigeria again, all in preference to the White people. Apart from the Missionaries, who came to our country in those days, and lived sacrificial lives to propagate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am not aware of any Whiteman that decided to live and die here because he preferred Nigeria to his country.
If this strange suit succeeds, it may be imported into Nigeria, since we are experts in copying the wrong things. We find it difficult in copying the good things we see in foreign countries. I will not be surprised if a youth, who is short, sues his parents because of his height. He may claim that his height has caused him much embarrassment and deprivations. He may cite how a lady he wanted to marry rejected him because of his height. He may mention also, how he was rejected when he went for Police selection. Nothing will prevent a tall youth from suing his parents also for his height. He may claim that his height makes people to believe that he is older than his declared age and how he was denied admission into Army Secondary school because he was taller than their tallest tutor.
A youth may sue his parents for sending him to school, claiming that education has revealed his ignorance to him. “I would not have gone to school, if you had not compelled me to do so. Now, the more I study, the more my ignorance is exposed to me. Education causes me mental torture and has affected me psychologically. It makes me now to know that I know nothing, unlike my illiterate mates, who live happily, contented with their illiteracy.
A youth born by rich parents may also sue them for being born in a rich family as it has exposed him to wealth. He may detail his distress for having too much money and how it has been creating problems for him in making choices. “It makes me to spend time and effort, before I go anywhere, especially for parties, in choosing which dress and shoe to wear and which car to drive. It would not have been so, had I been born in a poor family. I will have only few dresses and shoes to choose from. A youth born in a poor family may sue his parents for the shame and humiliation he suffers for not owning a car like his mates because he was born by them.
A youth may sue his parents for forcing him to be their child and also belonging to their village, detailing how he has been mocked and has suffered deprivations for being their child. “Whenever I am with my fellow youths, once they know that I am from Akogo village, those sitting close to me will move out. One day, I went to urinate and I changed my seat deliberately when I returned. I was surprised that everybody left the bench. Such things happen to me always,” he will cite. He may narrate, how one day, a certain man told him that their village was notorious in the past for poisoning people. “This is why we are not comfortable in relating with you people,” he told him. “Why should you give birth to me in such a village?” He may challenge his parents.
Reinforcing his suit, he may explain how he attended an employment interview and was excited that the Director of Human Resources, handling the interview, is from their State of origin. He will narrate how his performance impressed the man, making it obvious that the job was his. “Are you the son of Dr. Sunday Jude, the Surgeon?” He asked me and with excitement, I assured him that I am. His countenance fell immediately. Frowning replaced his smiles. “I lost that plum job because you are my father,” he will claim.
A youth, in suing his parents, may claim that most of his fellow youths always mention their dad’s profession. “You will be hearing: Chartered Accountants, Engineers, Lawyers, Pharmacists, et cetera. With their pressure, I told them one day that you are a tailor. Imagine the humiliation,” he wept.
For further comment, Please contact: Osondu Anyalechi: 0802 3002-471; [email protected]