It was there that I over heard an old man
(Papa Christian) chatting with his equally old men friends about their roles during the Biafran War, watching them chatting and laughing over a bottle of wine, while i waited for my turn to be served of what i requested, got me fascinated, especially when the old man drunk with wine, suddenly stood and started marching while others bursted into laughter.
I was spell bound, he sang two war songs to the admiration of his friends before a left, the first song said:
I am at the compound of the coward,
pointing to the home of the brave. 2X
the lineage of the brave terminates easily. 2X
He who goes to war with a run,
doesn't realize that war is death 2X
It was an Igbo song.
The second song was a derogatory song against Gowon, sang in a mixture of Igbo and English, I can't remember all fully but it ended with a chorus:
Armored Car, Shelling Machine, heavy Artillery,
Ogbunigwe gbuerem Gowon
Nwunye Gowon di ime kwashiorkor
Ihe oga amu, Fighter and Bombers.
Lol, that Chorus with a heavy bass voice really threw me, I was laughing all the way to our house.
During dinner that evening, I asked my Dad about what happened during the Biafran war, his spoon which was half to his mouth, stopped mid way, he stared at me,without saying anything, then my Mum choked on her spoon of rice already in her mouth and started coughing vigorously, Dad asked her to drink some water, which she did and coughed a little bit more before getting back to normal, then she looked around the house from her sitting position as if someone might be eavesdropping on our conversation.
She was the first to respond with a question,
"where did you hear such?", I told her and she looked at my Dad and then back to me.
"hold your ears", she said, holding hers to demonstrate and I did same.
"never utter that word in public otherwise, you will end up in jail", She warned.
"but Papa Christian and his friends were saying it", I protested.
She looked at my father again in frustration, who was silently eating his food and said to him, pointing at me.
"Have you seen what you gave birth to?, like father like son", she quipped, left the food and walked out in frustration.
Dad looked at me and asked, "Hope you heard your mother?", I nodded my head in agreement.
"never discuss such with anyone, people are evil". He said.
"Okay Dad", I replied.
He continued his food silently, Mum joined later. The room was silent like a grave yard, each time, I can feel them watching me from a corner of their eyes.
After then I never mentioned the word to them or anyone but curiosity never left me either.
Many years after, while in Secondary School, having read all the literature I came across on Biafra, I walked in on them chatting about their experience during the war. they didn't bother about my being present, they even entertained questions from me till late in the night, in the end, Mum begged me, never to discuss the subject with anyone or risk going to jail.
I never did but I always saved to buy any literature on Biafra out of childhood curiosity. Today, Mazi Nnamdi #Kanu and his fearless army of #IPOB members have changed the narrative, not only are people discussing and debating about #Biafra on the streets. you are bombarded every day on social media with Biafra, can you imagine that even people who don't accept his style of trying to achieve Biafra and believers in one Nigeria are now celebrating Biafra Heroes Remembrance Day every May 3Oth every year as if it is a Nigerian special day.
Changing times...