Humans are deeply flawed
My teacher called me out as she noticed that I wasn’t eating the bread and coconut that were shared with all the pupils.
“Where is your bread and coconut?” she asked, eyeing me.
I shook my head.
I barely talked while growing up. I always spent a major part of my life “alone” with my thoughts.
She became very annoyed and ordered me to stand before the class.
“You’re a witch,” she said, loudly pointing her index finger at my little round face.
The whole class was staring at me. I was mute.
“Why didn’t you take the bread and coconut the Catholic women brought?”
My mouth vibrated, but the words were not coming out.
My teacher loved me and often praised me because I was one of her favorite bright students, and she was Catholic and very vocal about her faith.
I don’t blame her; there were other non-Catholic primary schools I could have attended, but for some reason, my parents picked this particular one.
I’m not sure now, but back then, you were the odd one if you didn’t know how to say the “Hail Mary” prayer. I would go on to learn the prayer, and till today, is still stuck in my head.
They didn’t force Roman Catholicism down our throats, but they were not reluctant to always point out that we were adhering to a wrong faith.
The memories of the occasion are not clear at this moment, but I remember that certain groups randomly shared food with pupils in schools. The first time I ate the shared food and reported myself at home, I got a serious warning never to take or eat anything at school. Well, I would discover later on that the food I had eaten previously was shared with the school by a group of Pentecostal women.
The next round was to come from Catholic women. And as fate would have it, that was the food I refused to eat.
“When the Pentecostal group brought food, you ate. So because it’s from the Catholic Church, you refused to eat. You’re a witch; that’s why you didn’t eat. Kneel in front, let the whole class see you,” my teacher said.
I can’t put into words how I felt that day. Little me knelt and faced the ground.
This was years ago in primary school.
I remember saying in my tiny little funny mind, “These Catholic people are tyrants.”
“Why would anyone be punished and labelled a witch for not eating ordinary bread and coconut?” I queried in my mind, genuinely confused.
In all, my teacher was a very good and beautiful woman. I would kill to see her shrunken dark skin with faded kajal-laden little eyes.
Funnily enough, I didn’t hate her for a second. Rather, I was more curious to know what the connection was between being a witch and eating bread and coconut shared by the Catholic Women's Association.
This story reminds me that humans are deeply flawed and the mess religion can make of the BEST of us.
As I said earlier, my teacher was a very good person. But somehow, where it concerns her faith, she was deeply flawed.
Just like many of us are very decent humans until we learn something and become slaves to what is supposed to set us free.
As you work, as you walk through life, as you make friends, break relationships, start new ones, learn, pray, play, etc.
Don’t forget that you’re dealing with FLAWED people.
Stop being shocked that someone looked too perfect to be flawed. If you even expect such a level of perfection from me, I’ll definitely keep you at arm’s length. It is risky to be friends or in a relationship with someone who expects 100% from you.
We must all make room for each other’s flaws. If you’re too full of yourself to accept the flaws in others, you’re a dangerous person. Well, that’s also a flaw, I guess.
I rarely fight. In fact, I don’t know how to fight, even physically.
But you see, I can withstand you FIERCELY if you ever try to crucify me or someone based on their humanity.
I’m offended enough that my consent wasn’t sought before I was created, so you’re not going to add to my problems.
This does not mean you should not take CORRECTIONS and REBUKES where necessary, but when it goes beyond and begins to pick on people’s HUMANITY, such a person should be withstood with utmost fierceness.