That Penawou Poised for a Sail in a Season of Smiles and Sulk - Ekanpou

By: Enewaridideke Ekanpou

Have arrogance packaged in padded  'Ekuwe' leaves like live grubs;
Penawou must know when he sees the wiggling inside the Ekuwe cage;
Have sulk caged in fyke nets; Penawou must know when the nets yield to splashing from the fishes.

Sadly, sulk has shushed you, Penawou.
We know you
You were with us for 104 years on this island
We cannot fall for your tricks.
You are still asleep, full of sulks, smiles banished...
You who always wake up early to count the fruits of the coconut tree to detect any plucked one?
Penawou, carve no heroism out of your marked sulk and sail because you are always a man of smiles, easily scalded by any act of arrogance and sulk.
But you are today full of sulks like a riverbank brimful of stagnant waters.

A journey of decades of wisdom began from this island of Aku and later merged with Akugbene.
Akugbene journeyed some miles and merged with the Aku island of Penawou after years.
For 104 years Penawou's  wisdom and smiles ruled this Aku island founded by him as a thick virgin forest.
He was the Jesus of the  island to whom everybody flocked for wise words.
From his cavity cascaded the words of wisdom down to all to gather, each according to his measure and desire.
To every homestead in Aku and Akugbene, Penawou's wisdom journeyed like 'okilolobeini' (fast flowing waters from a promontory).

The smiles and wisdom  the people of Aku worshipped on the island wordlessly walked away on 8 April 2026.
Penawou sulked in his room and ignored all.
His 104 smiles stood smothered by one sulk.
The man nobody could shush now lies quiet like an alligator  trussed up by a vagabond forester.
Without defence Penawou lies in his bed, imprisoned by sulk.
His eyes wide open, cast upon all, yet sulky without gestures.
Penawou cannot say anything again; he is powerless like a punctured balloon.

The sudden sulk is Penawou's camouflage for powerlessness.
We cannot be tricked .
Your sulk is not your own imposition
Penawou, you sulk because death has summoned you to a durbar in the underworld.
Penawou, don't therefore turn this sulk into another prepossessing story and carve a mystique for yourself.
Penawou, you  have just paid your demurrage of 104 years at the Akugbene Port;
So you can sulk and sail home without interruption.
Penawou, we know your tricks.
Your sudden sulk is a camouflage for you to set sail on 15 August 2026, away from Akugbene and your Aku island.

Penawou, we know what you are up to.
Your sudden sulk at which your own children are angry is your own trick to rest well and depart without disturbance on 15 August 2026.
You are not an arrogant and sulky person who ignores people.
It is death who has reduced you to this sulky status.
People who know you know this hidden truth;
So we understand your camouflaged sulk that only worries the ignorant ones.
We are also ready to bid you final bye on 15 August  2026 because your 104 smiles on earth were comforting enough.
One killer sulk from you is nothing before 104 smiles on Aku island and Akugbene.


Dr. Ekanpou writes from Akparemogbene, Delta State.