Lord, Charlie land reminds me of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Dear Father:

You know, there is this novel that I have always loved to read-it’s titled- Uncle Tom’s cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It does not only narrates the story of slavery in America, but also points out an important aspect which some say brought about the American civil war.

In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which sets in the Southern part of the USA, the southerners were accused by their northern compatriots of their treatment of slaves, but yet could not stand the sight of one slave nearby.

On the other hand, while the southerners bought these slaves and had them working on their farms, many (slaves) were allowed to stay in some of their masters’ homes as part of the family and their white masters had no problem.

This was a source of an often fierce debate between those living in the South and North. The Southerners were angered by the fact that those in the North would accuse  them or to put it simply- cruelty, but yet could not allow one person of color in their sight.

The northerners exploited the plights of the slaves to condemn the south-but could not buy back their freedom and let them live among them as free people. They would rather choose to send them back to Africa, to our village in particular and enjoy whatever came out of such arrangement sooner.

So, my son, what this has to do with Charlie Land now?

Father, it has a lot to do with this our neighbouring village. This our neighbouring village is not really in sympathy with  us for our plight, rather it is just seeking its own interest. And Father if you were to asked me what kind of interest the people of Charlie land are seeking-I would say business!

In the first place the people of Charlie land as we speak consider everybody from our village presently residing in their village with any normal sickness like diarrhea to be carrying this bid sickness that is killing our people.

In fact, they were among the first group of people to stop people from our village travelling to their village before the rest of the hypocrites who considered themselves to be in sympathy with us but in reality don’t want to come near anyone from this place could join in.

Okay, yes, they somersaulted few days later out of shame to say no, we have not stopped your people from coming to our village.

Now, when they heard that money was involved and that the white people, who for the sake of this argument would consider the Southerners in Uncle Tom’s Cabin-out of business interest their leader trotted our region-the three villages affected by the sickness under the guise of solidarity when in actual fact, he was on a business trip trying to convince the world body to consider their bid to host the Ebola center.

His intention was manifested in the other neighbouring village where he intentionally avoided shaking the hands of the local leaders there but chose only to shake the hands of the strangers there.

Father, quite frankly, I can tell you that the people of Charlie land did not make this offer out of sympathy for our affected villages but -simply put for their own business interest.    

Left with them alone, this is our problem and their prayer is that it should only remain at our doorsteps and not even cross over. They are not concern about our villages like Uncle Sam and his cousins.

You know there is a common saying among some of the young girls in our village these days-if they see a man who they perceive to have some cash but is not good looking- they often say “take the content and ignore the container.”  In reality they are saying-just close your eyes to his look and think of what he has to offer you at the end of it.

Father, to be frank with you some of our neighbours because of the economic benefits they stand to gain from our crisis would wish that this menace continue. I can tell anybody I know from whence I speak because our region have been down this road before. All I can say to the people of Charlie land is congratulations-your business deal is done! I just hope the benefit is translated to lift some of your poor and needy.