One minutes silence.... What does it mean to you?

                                       ONE MINUTE SILENCE

…FROM THE VIEW POINT OF A CHILD

UNDER THE AGE OF 10

                                                     

                                                                     BY

                                                    ONYEUCHE GODSON

“The silence you observe for another today will be the same another will observe for you tomorrow”-Says Rabbi.  Life, what a two way express-road; which could not be easily comprehended.  The mysteries of silence breaks the cedar of Lebanon and falls the walls of Jericho; and thereby leaving man’s hands on his head.  Sometimes, I wonder what a minute silence really is.  Could it be that it’s a time when someone or people respect for no noise?  This thought gallivants in my memories with heavy reflection of desire and curiosity to understand the reason and relevance of this silence. 

In consequent times of observation, some people seemed meditating in spirit, with their souls; in one accord, while others have their mouths in motion; yet I could decode no comprehension towards the scene.  All I see is myself being different from the crowd of one thousand and one.  Should I have to meditate, move my mouth or assist my dripping eyes with my little towel?  In fact, I can’t say because am just a lad of six years of age count.  But that which is in me is like a burning furnace or oven; far more than my age can possess.  Therefore, in that scene, I only closed my eyes with little fingers of mine.  This action is taken just to know when my dad would disappear so that I could fly with him.  In a certain scary mood, though with friends, only one person suffers the pressure, while others takes it as fun and common play tool.

In forty seconds of count, people’s eyes neither shake nor drop open.  Maybe, the world is coming to termination in few clicks of the time unit.  My heart beat heavily and continuously; as though I would remain here.  In a reflective, yet little trance mood, I recalled the time in last week’s mate-play; where my friend narrated the tale of short coming of Mother-earth, as accorded to his grandfather.  The more it comes, the more the crowd meditate without cause.  In the beginning of the gathering, all I could remember is when a man in suit approached the platform, hold stiff the lectern with his broad palms, as if his hands would remain there forever.  More so, the man opened up by stating in a deep voice: “Let us all now stand on our feet, in one accord and observe a MINUTE SILENCE for the young man who passed away yesterday”.  That only I could remember, the rest had flown to the toilet.  Still in that tension of fear, though in a very well ventilated room, I resigned not to sweat like never before.  Though in me, I came to reason about the demised soul but with biased mind in the sense that am at this juncture, sitting on the fence.  One voice asked me: “Shall we remain from celebration to meditation?”  Still, I couldn’t understand because I must eat and drink the cake and wine I came for; but why this meditation in one minute, which seems two giant hours.  Irresistibly, I thought of the next “silence,” and in respect of who.  In as much as a minute silence is observed by the crowd in respect of the young man, that means; it could also be observed in respect of another; but what is this silence all about?  We are not in the church, in the classroom, or any other place that requires such silence; only a merriment assembly still, they are observing silence on behalf of someone, probably somewhere enjoying himself.  Soon after my recent thought, I was encouraged to ignore them.  Maybe, the government has changed the pattern and process of every gathering; that on any gathering of any kind, there must be a minute silence; as had been stipulated by the constitution.  Yet, am not definite.

Now, it is twenty seconds left out of sixty.  The men are seen wearing red faces and some pink.  I thought on the colour I should wear, as I managed to use my dad’s cell phone, (the one he gave to me to hold); to check out my reflection on the mirror-side; which has mirror-like cover: because, I hate being different from what the crowd point-views real and normal.  My dad next to me, I caught, stealing a look on air and such revived me to an extent.  Often than not; I adjusted my wear, my tie I sagged, and my shoe off my legs: one at the east and the other at the west.  These actions are those I couldn’t control when I nosed that things are getting out of hands.  Though, such is all I could do to beat back the stress am passing through.  The silence is too heavy for me now, I couldn’t bear it any longer and I feel like crying but something came to my thought, the movie: “Home Alone”.  If kelvin could make it all alone, I can, with the company of the crowd, even though they seemed lifeless and activated in a scary mood.  I just held-on because am somewhat relieved by the movie-thought.  Not long after I came back that I saw the end of one minute silence and the man on the platform voiced another statement I could remember: “May the soul of our friend and they that have departed rest in peace”, and the crowd chorused: “Amen!”  Immediately after the chorused-Amen; the young spirit in me told me that; one minute silence is a silent prayer observed in respect of the dead; which was confirmed by Dad.