*The Bad Ones are Not Dying*

I’m, these days, a fancier of TV shows that highlight week-end events of which burials happen to be the endemic. I’ve seen the closedown of military generals; the phaseout of politicians; the shutoff of justices; the interring of lawyers, high calibre police officers, poets, rhymesters, doctors, business moguls, distinguished professors, chiefs, kings, and priests; to mention but a few. I’ve witnessed the entombing of murdered youths, those who died in an accident, the ones that submitted to illnesses of various kinds, and those that died of causes unknown till date.

Aged people die every night and day, the educated and the unschooled alike, females and otherwise, the well travelled, and those that never left the village. I’ve seen coffins made of seasoned wood, and unrefined tombs. Some crypts cost an arm and a leg, and some others, two bits. I’ve seen muslims buried on the very day of their death, christians in covenant with their religion, and traditionalists buried amidst chants. Some burials were graced by big names- presidents, governors, ministers, senators, and their likes- and some others by peasants. But, I’ve never seen the burial of a bad man. Not only one have I witnessed.

In short, there have been differences in the socio-economic status of the dead; and dissimilarities in the fanfare that ushered them into the grave.There have been diversity in their religion, denomination, colour, profession, party affiliation, gender, etc., but not in their character. It has always been “Paradise is your reward,” “The legacy of your good work will forever remain in our hearts,” “Heaven has gained an angel,” “The vacuum remains but we shall meet at the Lord’s bosom,” “Your good heart is unequalled,” and their likes. Say pastors tell pleasant stories about every dead body that manages to get into their churches; some even vouch their straightaway entré into heaven.

Choirsters sing the best of hymns, suggesting the canonisation of every single body laid in the box. Children have all-good stories to tell about their dead parents. Spouses write heart-tearing tributes in honour of their deceased loved ones, friends do likewise. Every dead man used to be good. Every dead woman used to be meek. Yet, the society we live in presents cases of armed robbery every now and then, assassination, terrorism, kidnapping, ritual killing, political killing, rape, lying embezzlement, election rigging, vote buying, fraud, impersonation, cultism, cheating, infidelity, injustice, and all sort of ills.

Where are the perpetrators of these evils? Don't they die at all? Where are those who have been making life unbearable for us over the years? Those who looted our money in the 60's and 70's.Those who have made us shed tears day after day. When would we beging to end tributes with such words as "May you rot in hell," "May the angels of darkness start flogging you from now on," "May we never meet again," and "A devil has left us for good," among others? It seems the bad ones are not dying yet, or we can't just but call a spade a shovel.   

Ayeni Faith Damilola is a writer, public speaker, and eulogist.
faithdamilolaayeni@yahoo.com