I
was born in Lagos and I have no regrets that I have spent my entire life in the
city. When I was a boy, I had so many dreams, which shaped my life. I have
accomplished some. Others are completely out of my reach. If I could turn back
the hands of time, I will certainly do some things differently. For instance, I
won’t venture into writing and publishing. I will join the military and save
myself the nightmare of an ordinary Nigerian who is constantly at the mercy of
a system that has little or no value for life. It is easier to die and harder
to live.
If I have a gun as one of the drunken policemen,
I have power. To a large extent, my safety is guaranteed. I will sleep at night
with eyes closed. Those who know I have a house full of death will avoid me. They
won’t want to have anything to do with me. Barring unforeseen circumstances, I
will live longer than the man who has no defense, for he has everything to lose
including his own life.
One
of my dreams as a little Lagos boy was to secure my future and enjoy the
beautiful earth. Go to the beach. Embrace nature and pleasure my good soul
under her watchful eyes. Life is good. A man can hardly have enough. Pursuing
my dreams has put me at odds with many people. I lost some good friends. I
doubt if our paths will ever cross again. I was sincere. I sacrificed a lot to
make the relationship work. I worked longer hours for free. Put my poor soul on
the line to be trampled, sucked and squeezed like an orange. Yet, things did
not just work out.
Lagos
gave me everything. The city gave me hope, hell and life. Every morning that I
open my eyes upon the light of the world, I feel the freshness, warmth and
toughness of a city in the hearts of men.
Growing
up was tough. It’s never easy to hold your ground in a world dominated by
sharks, wolves and the devil himself. They feed on the weakness of others. If
you don’t want to be wiped out, you must learn to stand above them and stand above
hate. To survive in my world, you must be tough. When I say tough, I mean you
must be as hard as the back of a turtle. Your life is yours to lose.
I
had my expectations each passing day. They were inscribed on the palm of my
hands. I was a curious little devil, spoilt by the toughness of a city that
doesn’t forgive mediocrity. Your mistakes will eventually hunt you down if you
don’t act fast. That is the nature of the world. It spares no one. People are
hunted down like a dog if they lack the necessary ammunition to survive. If you
wish to survive public life you must hide your imperfections.
I
love fried fish more than anything else. The people in my life never that I
was obsessed with fish. It was my little secret. There are things you just
cannot tell people no matter how close they are. I grew in a world where little
means was exaggerated. It was real. I could feel the heat on my face. No one
had a better explanation of poverty because he was our noble visitor. Once your
rations are over, they are over. You must accept the defeat and move on. Go get
a life! There is nothing you can do. It’s like a door that is shut against you
and the key tossed into the deep blue sea. You either wait for another chance
few hours later that seems like eternity or you take laws into your hands.
My
curiosity led me to the street…
About the Author....
It is a tragedy to remain in a world you cannot control and all the more tragic if you do not have control over your own life. People who have surrendered leadership of their lives to others are always at the mercy of those they serve.
Omoruyi Uwuigiaren is a former cartoonist turned writer. When he was a kid, writing was the last thing on his mind. He loved music and composed rap songs for his high school band. After school, he wanted to pursue a career in music. Instead he embraced writing. Thanks to a pastor who encouraged him to write little books and make them available in bookstores.
Ruyi lives in Lagos. Next to his family and friends, writing is his passion and happiness. Today, he writes middle grade adventure fiction and picture books. Some of his published books include The Adventures of Nihu, The City Heroes and other stories from the heart of Africa, The Mystery of Taiwo Da Silva, the Promised Land; I am Jane, Jane the Good Girl, Shadows in a River, Little Okon and the Outside World, Giant in a Hut, and the Little King.
He is the founder of Ruyi’s World of Books and Stories and Human Change Communications Company. His literary works and short stories have appeared on Moronic Ox Literary and Cultural Journal, San Francisco Review of Books, QWERTY Thoughts, the Story of a Writer, the Guardian Newspapers, and the Vanguard Newspapers.
Most of his books are printed (in-house) on either 60 grams or 70 grams bond quality paper by Human Change Communications Company. Covers are printed in full colour on pelican or FBB paper (thick and durable) and laminated.
The little books and pamphlets are moved to his trimming station where they are folded and bound (by hand) using a commercial-grade saddle stapler. Each book is carefully trimmed using an electric trimmer, making the outside edge crisp (just like perfect bound books have). Every book is neatly packed and new-looking until they are sold. The extra effort means his books are more expensive to produce, but beautiful and highly collectible. Most of his little books are produced in large numbers from 300 to 1000 copies and are usually sold out in three months or less. His books are distributed to primary schools in Nigeria. Quality is key. He builds his books to last.
You can buy some of his eBooks here. Apart from his blog where you can read his books, articles and short stories for free, you can also download his free books in PDF, Epub, Kindle and TXT formats here.
Reach him at: Ldsomoruyi@yahoo.ca