Some children display high levels of intelligence. They do things beyond what are ordinary meant to be done by older people. When a smart kid finds himself in an enabling environment for development, the result is always amazing.
I had many kids around me while growing up. My nephews. My nieces. Even the children of neighbors. I was able to know them quite well.
Of the many intelligent children that I encountered, one was exceptional. Bolu was a neighbor's child who was highly intelligent and inquisitive. His inquisitiveness is topnotch. If you are with him, he can ask tens of questions within minutes. And when those questions are not properly attended to, you would see the displeasure on his face. His parents weren't ready for all that.
Luckily for him, he found a good friend in me. Whether the good, the bad or the ugly, he was convenient to ask me any question. This brought us very close. On weekends, he would remain with for the longer part of the day.
On a fateful Saturday, he decided to follow me to the farm. He informed his parents and they gave him the go ahead. Anything that involves Bolu and I, his parents don't have a problem about it. My mission on the farm that day was to harvest tomatoes.
On our way to the farm, I stopped at a stream to fetch water that would do us for that day. The stream was about two kilometers away from the farm. Coming back to fetch the water later in the day would be too hectic for me. I decided to go with a container to fetch the water. We arrived at the farmhouse and dropped the water.
We left for the tomato farm immediately. After about two hours, we decided to go to the farm house to hydrate. We met an empty container. Some goats reared at the farmhouse had broken the container in their attempt to quench their thirst. I was furious. I went into the bush to cut a cane that I planned to flog the goaty with when next they came around. Bolu was silent for a few minutes before coming up with his question as usual.
"What is the crime of these goats?"
I was surprised at the question. Both of us had just been subjected to thirstiness and here he is asking a question.
"By the time you run out of water in your body totally, you would know the crime of the goats."
"I am sorry, Sir," he apologized, noticing that I was angry.
I had a second and I engaged him further to know why he wasn't upset with the actions of the goats.
"Bolu, how do you see the action of the goats? Am I overreacting?" I asked him.
"I just felt pity for them. They don't have the advantage that we have. They depend on us for water and food. I don't think if they have a choice, they would choose that kind of life. We left the farm thirsty in order to come and drink water likewise the goats came around when they needed to drink water but we betrayed them by not keeping theirs for them."
As bolu made those statements, it was as if an old man was speaking through him. I was watching him talk in surprise. I was touched by his words. My intention to flog the goats was dropped. I reflected on all he said not just for the rest of that day but till this moment. It changed my perspective about animals. They are created to depend on us for survival and we must try and be there for them in the time of their needs.
From the few years that I spent with the boy, I leaned a lot from his intelligence.
