It was my first experience while the sunny afternoon reflected our shadows vividly.
The queue was very long, as if it were an endless rope. After standing for forty minutes, I left the queue and sat on a plastic chair under the gigantic tent, which was designed for all voters to cast their votes.
The place was so crowded that the atmosphere was lively just like a carnival and voices were bustling up with rising and falling significance in constant conversation.
People took advantage of the large turnout to run their sales, and vendors lined up in the area in rows displaying different food items for purchase.
I could smell the aroma of freshly fried snacks as it filled the air and the sellers of the fries attended to eager customers. Others moved around with coolers filled with cold drinks and ice cream advertising and calling out to attract buyers.
“ Buy your chilled yoghurt…
" Cold bottle water is here” was heard audibly.
Sitting around me were people of different perspectives who consisted of men and women who were busy arguing about something I knew nothing about.
“ When will you reap the benefits of your Labor?” a woman who was in a striped colored blouse sitting beside me said loudly asking the man in the opposite direction, the man who sounded sophisticated and I had to raise my head away from the phone I was pressing.
He was in Isiagu and had spectacles that looked like they were recommended. I wanted to know what the argument is all about;
The benefits, the labor, and what they are reaping were all the words that called my attention to the dialogue.
After raising my head and looking at the woman, she locked her bulging eyes with mine and said,
“ Young man, she uttered tapping me on the shoulder softly to get more of my attention, and continued, “My father used to make use of one statement before his death many years ago ;
Do what you want to do quickly because time is going and it is what you do that people will discuss " she concluded.
I kept quiet while reckoning with her statement when the man said, “A statement like this will make you jump into things that are not well thought out and it happened to me when I was younger” he concluded and I understood it was all about the pressure parents exerted on children and it was vivid that the men opposed while the women supported.
“For example,
If you got married at a younger age, the probability that you must eat the fruit of your labor is intact”
“Fruit of your labor” I repeated and opened my mouth in awe, although I knew it was a popular but barbaric belief so I wanted to hear the woman explaining herself and listen to what she was saying.
“Yes, having a larger share as a parent in your children's success and wealth because you raised them up is not an overstatement” she answered, looking at me with a wink before switching the direction to the man who opposed her notion.
“So you are raising your children as an investment of wealth” another man countered and the woman answered,
“ What did you expect? And continued,
“Secondly, if you got married at a younger age, the probability of you meeting your great-grandchildren is another” the woman on the other side uttered confidently.
“Oh, now I understand” I replied knowing that the topic is about the pressure by parents on marriage, and said,
“Can I give views?
“Why not young man”, an elderly man answered.
“I buy that idea of wanting to meet your younger generations but must eat from the success of your children's achievement, why can't you live your life to the fullest and let your children live their lives too so that unnecessary expectations and weight won't be on them” I uttered and continued.
“ For example, I am not saying that your children wouldn't be successful and wealthy but what if he or she couldn't meet that expectation, what would you do?
“ Why won't he or she meet up, they should do what others do to meet up” another woman suggested.
“So they should indulge in anything and anyhow” I asked and everyone stared at me.
The man looked at me as if I was talking from a distance and the woman grumbled and looked at me with a corner of her eye. I kept quiet, dropped my head back, and continued pressing my phone and the argument died as if water was poured on fire and everyone kept quiet. I noticed that sometimes, it is not illiteracy that causes the misconception even though it may be. Many parents have put unnecessary pressure on their children due to inherited beliefs, judgement, assumptions, or poor mentality which hangs on their children like a heavy burden.
" The counting is on" a distant voice said and we all stood up to join the queue once again.
I left there after the voting was done and appreciated my time out not only to exercise my franchise but also to observe much more about something that I already have ideas on.
