There was a time in my community where suspicion spread faster than the truth.
It started with a loaf of bread missing, people's clothes reported missing, the clothes that were spread on the general dryer in my estate.The bag of beans appearing and feeling lighter than it was supposed to be.
All these incidents wasn't a need to involve the police, it was something that could be settled within ourselves.It made people less trust worthy and uneasy. No one wanted to hang their clothes on the general dryer provided by our estate chairman through our contribution, no one was leaving their bags of food stuff outside as they normally would,The general tank was being locked.Every room had their key to the tank.There was growing tension and unease between everyone, but nobody uttered a word. Their actions spoke louder.
Not so long later, people were talking about it. In cases like this, there must always be a suspect, someone to blame, especially in this situation.
There was one person that looked suspicious, a new move-in, down the street.A man named Chinedu.
Chinedu moved in a few months earlier, he lived in a small self-containment room at the end of the street. He rarely interacted with anyone.Just zero contact. Most people say that you barely knew when he came home and left home to go where ever he was to go for that day.
He mostly seemed like he was in a hurry.He didn't ask for help when he needed something,even directions.He would just find his way. Our street was very confusing. He spent most of his time keeping to himself.
Whenever something went missing, his name would start floating around.
" I saw him hiding something that looked like that in a black bagco bag "
" He never talks to anybody, always alone...tufiakwa!! "
" Have you noticed he always looked around before entering his room? "
The rumors kept on growing. I observed mother's would tell their children not to go close to him.
When he walked by, ongoing conversations would stop. He wasn't invited to community meetings.
I admit, I was one of the people that believed all these rumors, because of how strong they were.
Around 6:00p.m one evening, a certain event seemed to confirm everyones suspicious beliefs.
I saw Chinedu leaving our neighborhood with a black nylon as he constantly looked over this shoulder.Why was he so vigilante. I decided to follow him.This was my chance to find out the truth. I was more curious than suspicious.
I was on his toes, following him while keeping a reasonable distance.
He kept on looking over his shoulders every now and then, making me more certain that he was doing something wrong.
He passed several street,then turned right to a narrow road that led to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the community.
My heart raced as I got closer and closer to the front of the building. I was very sure I was about to discover the long waited truth.
What I saw completely destroyed the reality I had believed.
Adjacent an unpainted pillar, I saw an old frail woman laying on a mattress, she looked almost dead or like someone that was in her final moments of life. She was half naked laying in that bed.
Chinedu opened the black nylon, it contained rice, beans, drinking water and a few clothes.
"Mama, here take this. I hope you feel better". He said as he handed her the first nylon that contained clothes.
"The woman nodded " I don't know what I would do without you."
I felt a huge sense of shame.One I had never felt before.
The man who everyone labelled a thief was spending the little money he had taking care of his sick mother.
I felt like going back to the community with a microphone shouting this realization to everyone while moving from street to street.
The reason he kept to himself was because he had too many responsibilities to deal with. It was overwhelming.
I put two and two together and figured that he was only up and walking at odd hours because he was working multiple jobs, he was feeding two people, his mother and himself.
He was so conceded and private about it, he didn't want anyone to know about his mother's condition.
Everything we thought was guilt and considered suspicion was all sacrifice.I would do the same too if I were in his shoes.
A few days later, the culprit was later discovered, I felt even more ashamed and terrible.
A 15 year old across the street had confessed to stealing the missing items as part of a foolish prank with his friends.
We all suspected and blamed the wrong person. It's one thing to suspect and another thing to suspect and blame someone. The term "suspect" is used when not fully sure if someone is the culprit in the situation. Meanwhile the culprit was right under our noses.
Information had spread, a lot of our community people came to apologize to Chinedu, some even offered to pay for his mother's treatment.
Although he accepted the kindness and apologies, I could tell it hurt him deeply.I put myself in his shoes.
A lot of adages, idiomatic expressions and people say that "actions speak louder than words." I sincerely believe that assumptions not only speak louder than words but hurt and go further than most words would.
Suspicion is a powerful tool, it can turn ones behavior into evidence and make innocent people look like suspects in the minds of others. It is a very bad thing. We were all judgemental in this particular situation.
I learnt two very big lesson to carry along in life.
"It is important to know someone's story before judging them". "Before believing any rumor, seek the truth, rumors spread faster than wild fire and is just as dangerous and destructive."
The person that had the most different behavior and looked the most suspicious was carrying the biggest burden. In life, the truth may turn out to be nothing like what we imagined.
#theinkwell #creativecoin #writing #inkwellprompt #community #contest #fiction
