By Malek Arol Dhieu
Metals rust, giants fall, beauties fade, riches escape, so whoever thinks he/she will remain what and who he/she is for the next one hundred years is a nominated liar for 2080’s Lying Competition.
However much you are immune, there is that time you become weak to succumb to infections. However much the government gives you more powers to do anything stupid and nobody, including the law, tempers with you, there is that time you will step down and thereafter, the law takes its course.
What I love the most is that you will have no motorcades and bodyguards to escort you, you will have no privileges you used to enjoy before, you will have no mercies as you are in hiding in exile, wanting to be subjected to trials.
There lies a time when the in charge of a mortuary joins the very bodies he has been guarding. Do you think the world is that merciful? The doctor becomes a patient. The magician falls sick and becomes the seeker of power to live.
The president becomes the ordinary citizen of the country he once led. The rich pretend to be blind and joins the very people he has been spitting on when he passes by. The police officer becomes the prisoner to taste how bad brutality is.
The pagan becomes the devoted Christian. The hacker joins those whose accounts are hacked. The meatarian becomes the vegetarians. The flag bearer becomes the flag tearer. The traveller becomes the idler. The decision maker becomes the decision accepter. The master becomes the servant. The president becomes the resident. The law breaker becomes the law abider. The car owner becomes the pedestrian. The landlord becomes the tenant.
Use your power for a common goal and for all people irrespective of where they hail from. Who knows what tomorrow holds for you? Tomorrow may hold a tragedy for you, but if you were cautious enough to treat people equal, that tragedy awaiting you will be lessened by the hospitality you endowed people with yesterday.
Remember you were born empty-handed, and you will be buried empty-handed. Nobody is laid in his/her grave with powers and riches, we acquire them on earth and leave them on earth.
So, let not your present status deceive you. You may lose what you have today tomorrow and the only way you may live to get other chances in future is to see everybody equal. Why can’t you learn today before tomorrow makes you learn? You are what you are today because of what you were yesterday. If you were that type who believed your status is permanent, then you are a prominent sufferer today. Treat everybody like you treat yourself because you may not know your power is lasting tonight and tomorrow may be the day of that person you mistreated yesterday.
Late president Robert Mugabe once said, treat your towel with care because the same place you used in cleaning your bottom today may be the same place you will use in cleaning your face tomorrow.
The author is a medical student, University of Juba.