REMEMBER EKPAN FLY

 

I was thinking this morning..... It was one of my periodic visits to Warri some months ago. I was craving banga soup served in native pot and contacted my sister who took me to a 'joint' at Ugbuwangue. As we drove into the spacious compound, I was surprised by the simplicity of the facility and wondered what it was that attracted so many people with exotic cars. We stepped down and was ushered to a table for five.

My team settled into the plastic chairs around the table and placed our order. As we watched the food being prepared about 20m away, we had no doubt that we will get value for money expecting nothing less than high quality cuisine. We were served drinks while we waited for our food.

After a short wait, the waiter appeared with our food. Before I could put up the sign 'Men at Work. Do Not Disturb,' I noticed some unwelcome guests. A number of flies that had been lurking around accompanied the waiter to deliver our steaming banga soup. While the waiter departed, the flies stayed back. With frantic waves of my hand, I made it clear to the flies that they weren't welcome, but they wouldn't budge. I doubled down by using the menu board, but the message I got from the flies was 'We die here.'

As my battle with the flies continued, my food was getting cold. I decided to fight both battles at the same time. Eat my food with my right hand and fend off the flies with my left. This I did until I swallowed the last ball of starch. It was a fervent finger-licking experience, after which I sat back feeling like a winner.

As I observed the flies buzzing around to have a piece of whatever was left on my plate, I recalled one of my favourite lines about someone pestering me, was 'You worry pas Ekpan fly.' Ekpan is a community in metropolitan Warri, close to Ugbuwangue. Phew! Those flies, which I am sure had migrated from Ekpan to Ugbuwangue, gave me a run for my money.

Since that raw encounter with Ekpan flies, I had learnt a lesson that persistence will always deliver value. Whenever I am getting weary of a service or a project, all I do is just remember the Ekpan flies. Refuse to be discouraged by what you are going through. Hang in there knowing that, the fact that others are succeeding does not mean you are failing. Stay the course, finish the race (2nd Tim 4:7). When you feel weary, just remember Ekpan flies.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey