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At 6am on the 30th of March 2020, I was awoken from my sleep by the sound of birds chirping and twittering at the back of my window. Annoyed and angered by the birds, I got up from bed and opened my window to have a glimpse of the charming atmosphere, the bright morning sun, the colourful flowers and the Freeman Methodist Church, also known as ‘‘Freeman Cathedral’’ adjacent to my house.
I rolled my eyes across the street and turned my head in the left and the right direction hoping to see someone passing. Disappointed and surprised at the silence I observed, I was tempted to find out the cause.
I stepped out of my bedroom with my morning coat and started walking toward the gate to have a look at what was happening outside. My cousin called me by name ‘‘Papa Yaw’’ and I responded affirmative. She reminded me of an order by the government to remain indoors as a result of a regional lock down meant to curb the spread of a tyrant, savage and cruel virus called COVID 19.
I frowned and fumed at what she said, though I was in the known, I had forgotten that the lock down begins today. I asked myself, how can animals be walking about freely, not scared of this nefarious, heinous and inhumane virus called COVID 19 while men, the crown jewel of all God’s creation, be running away from something as small as an atom? I was hesitant for a while but I decided to move outside the gates of my house to have a look at what is going on in the street in front of my house.
I stepped out of my gate and to my surprise Auntie Akweley, a bread seller who lives just opposite my house was sitting on a small layer of blocks designed to house some flowers in front of my house. She was sitting there quietly, most probably thinking about something, I asked myself what she may be thinking about.
Maybe the lock down is having an impact on her business, I talked to myself; how will she feed her daughters and how will she survive? Her left hand was under her chin, keeping her head towards the left shoulder. I got closer to her and engaged her in a conversation; she began lamenting of the dire impact the lock down is having on her and her family.
Unfortunately for her, the company that supplies bread at wholesale price could not produce enough to meet the demand. As a result, distribution van did not get to our end before the bread was all sold out. She hoped they could produce more so she could also get some to buy and sell. What I could read from her facial expression was a sad, disappointed and despaired woman who at the turn of events did not know her way forward.
I am reminded of many, the likes of Auntie Akweley, who cannot feed or will be affected most by the lock down. I shared a word of encouragement with her, assuring her that everything will be all right and I led her back into her house. As I was returning to my compound I began to get furious, looking at the impact the virus is having on the lives of many around the globe. Hmmm, I sighed and scream within ‘‘we will defeat you- COVID 19’’.
There and then, I was reminded of the story of the great mountain climber called George Mallory. He attempted to climb the highest mountain in the world called Mountain Everest and failed twice, on the third time, he was killed along with some of his team members.
A banquet was held in honour of his heroic attempt to do the impossible; at the banquet one of his team members who survived the accident was given the opportunity to give a speech. In his speech, he made a profound statement; ‘‘Mount Everest you beat us once, Mount Everest you beat us twice, You defeated us because we didn’t make it. And on the third try you defeated us; you killed us, you killed our leader. But there is one thing I know Mount Everest, we will defeat you; because you cannot get any bigger, but we can’’.
From the banquet they assembled a team and climbed to the top of the mountain successfully for the first time in the history of the world.
I tried to pull a string of hope and faith out of that story. We are in unusual times as COVID 19 tries to cast a dark shadow upon the surface of the earth, dragging people to their early grave. But we must believe in the ability of God to heal our land and we must pray to Him to give our health professionals divine wisdom to come up a cure or an antidote for this notorious plague.
By the grace of God, the world has overcome many challenges in the past and this will not be different. We shall overcome and come out triumphant bringing the arsenals of COVID 19 to its knees. We must be persuaded that tyranny, like COVID 19, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.
