Someday I'll Sing Again

One bad day In church

Those days you felt you owed God service of all kinds whether or not you were cut out for such service.

Flashback Ebenezer Baptist Church Saki.

I had attended choir practice sessions for a record 2 months in a row, not missing any. It didn't matter that a toad could outsing me. It amounted to nothing that I couldn't string doremifasolah on a mouth flute much less an accordion. I was that useless musically.  But, I wasn't deterred. It was all in the service of the most High.

But I need add despite my dogged fight to be counted with the choristers, I never got called to robe. I wasn't good enough and I never questioned the good judgement of the master Singer. I was useless, plain and simple.

Those days, songs were instrumentally intro-ed  by an instrumentalist with 2 wooden contraptions. You hit it in rhythmic pentameter as the song may require. Kon Kon kon/3. Kon/kon/. As the spirit may direct

Hmm. I guess the Choirmaster drank a bucketful of burukutu that morning. Yes he did. If he didn't what followed would never have happened.

He handed me those wooden things and asked that I lead the Choir on.

Emiiii? Me? Ehen. Me? This me? Today is today. The day of redemption. Tayo, the girl for whom my singing career was forcefully made to blossom, must finally see and respect me. Pa DM Durojaye must be told too. Uncle Kunle Kolade equally must hear.

I was in these thoughts when I was nudged to start.

Startled. I gathered myself together and strung the first few meters perfectly. The song got on the way. It was  a success. I was on my way to becoming the next Sunny Ade.

Gradually, I saw myself with a huge guitar around my neck I was twirling and strumming the best chords KSA couldn't even dare. I was on top  of the world. I could see Tayo running to me after service to congratulate me. I saw my next engagements and I was pleased.

Hmm.
All this while I was lost in my own thoughts, my wooden gong had lost rhythm.
The choirmaster had beckoned and shouted at me to stop. For wia!! Some Deacons had stood up to stop. Kilokanmi. .
The song had finished I was still knack ing on jejely.

It took one 'iko' to reset my mode to home default mode. Iko is a well placed knock on the temple.

Needless to say my musical career met its  timely death on that day.