by Eketi Ette
I was about twelve or thirteen years old when I went to check on water I was boiling with a heater. Just as I was about to insert my finger inside the pail of water to check how hot it was, my mother espied me through the kitchen window that was directly opposite and let out a yell. I reared back and listened to her tell me I was about to do a dangerous thing and could be electrocuted; that I should first unplug the heater before putting my finger in. I assured her that I had checked the water’s temperature many times before by just sticking my finger in and that I’d never gotten a buzz, not to speak of getting electrocuted.
While she was still speaking, I decided to prove her wrong; I stuck my finger in that pail of hot water. Meeehn! The shock I received was out of this world! My head expanded, my mouth went dry, and my body was a mass of painful vibrating tingles. My heartbeats went from seventy to a hundred and fifty in a nanosecond and I thought my heart was going to rip its way out of my chest. All these were accompanied by the echoes of the bloodcurdling scream I’d let out as the currents shafted through my body. To this day, I don’t know why God didn’t allow me get shocked on the previous occasions. But I can tell you this; at that moment, knowledge brought about the loss of protection. What I didn’t know didn’t hurt me….until then.
Kind of like Adam and Eve. There they were, strolling around the garden and doing some light agricultural work and staying away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Then Eve decided to go stand under that tree, doing what I don’t know, until Mr Serpent passed by and stopped to ask her JAMB questions. Until those moments before she and Adam ate that fruit, they were safe. But the moment they ate and knew, their knowledge became a source of harm and pain.
But is this saying true for every situation? Let me use another incident with electricity.
As children, my siblings and I often visited our grandma. She had this neighbour whose children were our age and used to come over to play. The older boy was a real hellion and used to play lots of pranks, the likes of which my parents would’ve gladly slaughtered us for, if we’d dared to do them. One of those days, he decided to stick his finger in an open electric socket. Of course, he got shocked. Then his two year old younger brother Udo*, who had a habit of sucking his two middle fingers, saw his reaction and asked, “Bassey*, enem? Ntiene nsin ubok? Bassey, is it sweet? Should I also put in my finger?”
Of course Bassey answered in the affirmative and we all watched with suppressed mirth and anticipation, as the hapless toddler stuck a wet finger inside the socket. His ensuing scream reverberated round the room, generously mingled with our uncontrollable laughter as he pulled out his finger and wailed. (I now get goose bumps when I think what would have happened to that child if he’d not been able to pull out his finger immediately). Unlike me, Udo’s ignorance did not protect him and what he didn’t know, almost got him killed.
You see, more often than not, ignorance is a killer rather than a protector and since this is the case, one has to protect oneself by acquiring knowledge. In the Bible, the book of Hosea chapter four, verse six says, “My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge.” (Easy-to-Read version). Many a teenager has dabbled with unprotected sex, unaware that pregnancies are a consequence of such acts. You cannot continuously take hard drugs and then don’t expect to become addicted. Some commit a crime, unaware of the consequences and at the point of prosecution, claim ignorance as a defence. Some go a step further and name the devil as their accomplice, director/puppet-master.
You cannot depend on your ignorance or want to experience something for yourself before you learn. Let the knowledge acquired by others and made readily available to you be your armour. This is where Adam should have said to Eve, “You mean you’re naked? Describe what it is like. Uh-huh….yes….really? Breast? What’s that? I don’t even understand what you’re talking about!”
And when Eve would’ve said something like, “Come on; eat it so you too can see too!” His reply would’ve been, “Naah….I’ll pass! I’ll just wait till Father comes and explains it better. He did say it’ll bring death and you do know Father means every word He says.”
If knowledge isn’t easily accessible, find it for yourself. When you do acquire that knowledge, like my friend Grace would say, OWN IT! Be convinced that what you know to be the truth is indeed the truth. Don’t just toe the line because many before you have, but because you understand why you know what you do and can stand by that knowledge.
Having said that, not all kinds of knowledge must be acquired. You don’t need to become an occult grandmaster to know that the devil exists. You don’t have to drink poison to believe in the afterlife. You don’t need to call a Nigerian soldier a blockhead to know that the difference between a slap and a dirty-slap.
Be wise. Pick and choose. But above all, protect yourself!
CAVEAT: Author is not liable if this piece does not make sense. It was written while she was half-asleep.
Eketi Ette is a barrister. She writes from Abuja. Connect with her on Facebook HERE
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
