DRAMA OF TWO AFRICANS IN HYDE PARK Part 4

Drama of two Africans in Hyde Park 

by Nzinga Nzinga

When African from the East meets African from the West, ole fiah tick easy fi ketch!

(It is easy to ignite old fire sticks.)

♪♪ I want you beside me all of the time…

Holding hands together… All in the same boat. Rocking on the same road…We got to get together. ♪♪

-- Bob Marley…Satisfy My Soul

Part 4

“My Jamaican brother, I don’t think you are arrogant though you do seem to have such sweeping visions. You seem to paint on larger canvases than other men do. You seem to fear nothing as if there is no hurdle you cannot successfully scale. If anyone can help to create our own leaders, our own presidents, our own laws, our own men of big affairs, you seem to me to be that man. Never have I seen so much confidence in any one black man. Any man who can look at the mighty combined power of Europe and America, any man who can openly challenge the stranglehold that the white race has on us through their evil racist policies of colonialism and imperialism, has to be super confident. You are truly a confident man.”

“Confidence is one of the golden keys to success. If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence you have won even before you have started. Let them bring their racist hurdles, let them boast of their racist barriers and let them parade their racists ‘do-nots’, ‘cannots’ and ‘dare-nots’. They do not apply to me. They do not faze me in the least. I am ready to challenge them because I am prepared. There are millions of others who are also prepared for our redemption even if they don’t know it yet. There are millions yet unborn who will turn the tide of this universal oppression of the black man." 

With a broad smile, the eloquent non-continental African continued. "We must never underrate the absolute necessity of preparedness. Preparedness is awareness. We Africans will fight by any means necessary and there is no doubt that we shall win, because there is something inside of us so strong that does not recognise failure and which gives us the will to survive. We are the survivors, the black survivors. Above all, good will triumph over evil. We are not boasting that we are good but we know that our cause is a good one and that of the enemy, an evil one. So we shall triumph.”

The man from the Gold Coast exclaimed, “I have to repeat myself and tell you what a great inspiration you are to me and I am sure to many others who have been fortunate and privileged to hear such goodly words as you have been giving me. This is the best thing that has happened to me since I left home; in fact in my whole life. I am totally committed to the liberty, unity and rehabilitation of Africa so your words are at this time most appropriate and relevant. They are a balm to my soul and a fiery flame that ignites my spirit and my nationalist fire. I am one of those Africans who do not feel comfortable in the white man’s backyard and am very happy when I find myself home again even though we are still controlled over there by them.”

“It’s the food, man. You miss your fufu, kenkey, tilapia and banku, not to mention your palm-wine,” the non-continental teased the continental African.

 Ghanaian cuisine 

“Okra stew, light soup and all those other sweet things that I am accustomed to smell and eat in my country. I can well believe that you are a Jamaican. I heard you call me ‘man’. That is so Jamaican. I can tell. Don't deny it.”

Ghanaian Palm wine tapping

Ghanaian Okra stew

Ghanaian Fufu & Light soup

Ghanaian Grilled Tilapia\

“I won't deny it. I was born and raised in Jamaica. I thought I said so. Oh, I see. I meant to but I was so busy laying my African nationality on the line so strongly, I didn't get to the Jamaican one.”

Jamaican Ackee & Johnny cakes

Uncooked ackees

Jamaican Ackee & saltfish, breadfruit & pear 

“You did reveal your Jamaican nationality. I was merely pointing out that your use of 'man' Jamaican-style confirmed your nationality. Do you miss your ackee and saltfish, your curried goat, your bammy and escovitch fish and white rum?"

Jamaican Curried goat

                                                         

Jamaican Escovitch Fish

Jamaican Bammy

       

Jamaican Patty

Jamaican Red Stripe beer

"Of  course I do but there are places here where they are available. I like our Jamaican food. When I go home to Jamaica, the first thing I eat is a patty and drink a cold Red Stripe Beer. Nothing beats a really hot beef patty, man." 

"Jamaican-man, you are funny. However, I have never been so inspired in my whole life. It is possible that the real reason for my coming here to Britain was to meet you and that the conference was only a side-show.” The son of the Old Great House, Africa, was pleasantly surprised by the outpourings of his articulate Jamaican brother, who was so aggressively fearless and who so greatly resembled his senior sister’s husband.

“You look a lot like my senior sister’s husband,” he said with a smile.

“And you, with your distinctively receding forehead, look a lot like an uncle of mine. It's not surprising. We are all brothers. We come from many tribes but we are descendants of the same ancestors, those at home and those abroad. Some of our common ancestors were shipped out into slavery but the rootstock has survived as a people known for their ability to survive the seemingly insurmountable. Even when all the odds seem to be against us, we pull through." He stood up and paced back and forth before continuing.

"Some of the survivors on this western side of the Atlantic hold repatriation dear to our hearts. It is the light leading us on, helping us to tolerate the ignominies to which we are daily subjected in living and dealing with a race of people who in their self-centred imperialism, use, abuse, misuse and disrespect us.  The condition of Africa and Africans abroad stands as a reality of the extent to which racist people can denigrate and humiliate a people who gave them no just cause to treat them so. Africa also stands as a reality, not an illusion, to those of us who yearn for our continent.”

“Besides being Jamaican, who are you really? What is your name? Please disclose something about yourself. I am eaten up with curiosity. You look like us. You say you are in the same mess we are in. You offer us help though I have yet to learn what form it will take. Are you an organiser of some African liberation group in the West? Are you travelling incognito? Tell me, my friend and satisfy my curiosity."

“Think of me as one of your African brothers in the West, outside of Africa. Millions of others like myself are a consequence of the abominable African-European Slave Trade. We must be honest and not forget African's part in it. You are obviously aware of how our mutual ancestors made a grievous error in participating in a trade of human flesh, the flesh of their own people with at first the Arabs and then the Europeans from all over Europe." The Jamaican took a deep breath.

"Don't stop, my brother. Please continue." The man from the Gold Coast said.

"Slavery, any slavery is iniquitous but the European Slave Trade was for us African peoples the most iniquitous of all because it was done with the connivance of Africans and the captives were sold into slavery to an alien racist people totally different from them. The very merchants, who carried off our mutual ancestors, are the ancestors of those who are illegally trespassing on our continent and acting like gods, as if our continent is theirs to plunder while our people suffer deprivation. They are no longer called slave traders but now colonialists, capitalists and imperialists. No matter what titles they assume to carry out their wicked agenda, they are the same white racists. A change of name has not changed and cannot change their reprehensible character.”

“I must return to my question of your identity. You must reveal to me who you really are when you are home in the West.”

“My home is not in the West. The West is but a temporary place of residence for some of us dispossessed children of Africa. Even though I was born in St. Ann, a country parish in Jamaica in the Caribbean, my home is unquestionably Africa. I long for the opportunity to go home and find rest but as long as others occupy it unlawfully, there will be no peace or rest for such as you and me in Africa. I may never get there in the personality in which I now appear but I firmly believe that in the same way that I was once there, long ago, I will return. Indeed, I shall return. No force can stop that. I will return to my ancestral homeland in some form or the other. I am an African whose only mission in life is to strive for African liberation and unity by any means necessary. My wife and children will attest to that since I have sacrificed my nuclear family for my universal African one. Rest assured that I will return to our continent when the right time comes.”

“You are certainly a man of mystery. I still know nothing personal or professional about you except that you are Jamaican and have a wife and children, that you like Jamaican patties and are totally committed to the cause of African liberation, unity and independence. As I said, I am very curious about you.”

“I am not just a personality. I am a history. I am and will continue to be the history of the many sons and daughters of Africa who are scattered and peeled outside of our continent. Ever heard of the Wandering Jew? I bet you have. But have you heard of the Wandering African? That’s me. Suffice it to say that I am a defender of African liberty and meaningful independence at home and abroad. It is essential to remember that the two sets of Africans ought to be considered together as one unit. Yes, my Gold Coast brother, I am a defender of the African faith and so shall I continue until I draw my last breath and even after that. I have pledged my life to the African cause. I know no greater commitment. I know no other commitment to which I could be so devoted and dedicated." He paused to take a deep breath. 

"As I said, my family will tell you that I have subordinated all else to the African cause and that is unequivocal truth. My wife is not only a defender of the African cause but my defender also. Blessed be her name among women and among defenders of our African faith! I am what the foes of African liberty brand as a terrorist, an incendiary, a racist, a rabble-rouser and the one they exceedingly hate, persecute and prosecute. I am the ugly, big mouth blackman they love to hate. I am the one against whom they suborn our own people of African descent to entrap me and to publish all manner of vile propaganda and calumnies against me and the methods I use to defend our African cause. I am all of those things and more to them and shall so continue until I no longer can in the flesh and until Africa is free and able to rule her own destiny.”

“You are what Africa needs. You are an inspiration and I am sure that you will inspire many of our people to correct action on behalf of our homeland. You have certainly inspired me. I want you to know that whatever my contribution in the future towards the meaningful liberty, independence and unity of Africa, I owe in great part to you.”

“Thank you.”

“But are you really not worried that they will try to stop you?”

“They never stop trying to muzzle, suborn or destroy defenders of the African Cause. Let them hate and oppose me. Let them point their big guns at me. I have no fear for atomic energy for none of them can stop the time. Let them suborn my own people to manufacture all manner of slanderous lies about me. Let them publish their lying propaganda against me. I have nothing to hide. What I tell the world is God’s truth. Africa for Africans at home and abroad."

“Hear! Hear! How sweet are your words to me and will be to my beleaguered people in the Gold Coast.”

“The white man has no legal or legitimate rights in Africa. His presence there in the capacity of ruler or over-lordship position is a clear manifestation of his racism, bigotry, prejudice and discrimination that he uses to entrench himself as supreme ruler of the world. Let them come in the morning. I shall be ready. Let them come at noonday. I shall be ready. Let them come in the dark of night or at dawn. I shall be ready then too. Let them come with their law enforcement agents, their injustice and their dogs. I shall be ready and waiting, knowing that they must come for the reason that they do not defend truths and rights but wickedness and destruction. They must stamp out truth and righteousness because they are opponents of those who defend those virtues."

"That is so true, Please continue." 

"Let them come with their atomic weapons. I have no fear for atomic energy for none of them can stop the time. I have no fear for their weapons of destruction because though they destroy the body, they still cannot destroy the truth. Others may get faint heart and change sides or hide, but as for me, as for me, I will serve Africa and the God of Africa from here to eternity, come what may.”

Jamaican Sunday dinner

Ghanaian Palm wine

“My African brother from Jamaica, you are fantastic! Your words are therapeutic. I know that you will be faced with many obstacles but I believe that you are really and truly prepared for every contingency, even the worst. May God bless and protect you.”

"Thank you."

To be continued

All the images were taken from the Internet and I claim no copyright.