Time Changes Yesterday

One could begin with the quietness of the evening; the blithering cold that promised to steal the night; or the dark clouds that have almost stolen across the sky, bringing to many a child indescribable horror that wouldn’t go off their mind until morning came chasing the dragging night with its Legolas-like bow and arrow.

Seyi sat quietly with his back reclined against a neatly engraved wooden chair that bore stories of the rich culture of the old Oyo Empire and its ‘ise ona’ craft. That chair, apart from being a prized asset, was a reminiscent object of historical and familial importance.
Seyi’s grandfather, Ajao Okin, was said to have specially ordered the masterpiece all the way from Oyo Alaafin, from the most famous ‘Ise Ona’ Craftsman then, ‘Olonade’. He sat on that chair when he became the ‘Balogun Awon Agbe’ of Ayepe town as the lore was handed down.

Seyi was in a pensive mood not only because he is the ‘Daodu’ (first male child) of his father, and therefore should live up to certain expectations and responsibilities thrusted upon him. No! He was sad because ever since he had come in contact with formal education, his eyes had opened and he no longer wanted to succumb to his father’s choice of him being his farmhand as an apprentice — an expected build-up to his own farming career like his forebear.

When Seyi’s father, Akinwale was growing up, a child had no other choice than to succumb to their parents’ desires on the child’s choice of occupation. If not for this, Akinwale’s wit and ingenuity would have seen him through a Legal or Medical degree. He, unfortunately, toed the path of his own father, Ajao Okin, by becoming a Farmer.

As Seyi gradually became of age, the path to becoming a farmer became clearer as every conversation he had been having with his father only pointed towards this trend. Even when the white men came to Ayepe village, Akinwale only allowed Seyi to go to school as a mere display of wealth as well as subtly daring his competitors to follow suit if they could afford such.

‘No, I won’t be that!’ Seyi shouted as he jolted back to reality. He had long been brooding about his fears and had been daydreaming about the lofty perks that education brings that he didn’t realise he had been muttering to himself.

Ever since he tasted the exposure therein formal education, he had been enjoying the liberty thereof. He knew what he wanted and was resolute about making his dreams come to pass. The kind of liberty he enjoyed has made him so bold that he had been able to defiantly tell his father that he was no longer interested in farming.

Rather, he wanted to study mechanical engineering so he could design machines that would ease the stress of farming, yet boost production.

Though his father couldn’t particularly place Seyi’s confidence, he unmistakably realized that ‘time changes yesterday.’