The One

She is on her way now, how would I explain to her? Would she be able to understand why I accord great significance to these things? If she understands well and fine, if she does not, then I don't know.....It dawned on me that I don't know what to do if she doesn't understand. The last time she was here she asked me "of what consequence are these to you?" that was her exact question, she asked it brusquely. But, the camera, the butterfly knife, the toy car, this tea cup, the watch, the IBM 1980 computer are all individually and collectively characters that tell the story of my life. Each depicting one turn of event in my life. The toy car: that was the only toy I possessed as I was growing up, in fact, it is the only personal belonging I had after the Biafran war. It was a toy my father bought for me shortly before the war. Whenever I see it, I remember the excitement on my face the day father came home with it. The butterfly knife: also a war memento. The knife fell off my uncle's pocket as he was being pulled off his clothes because he was stung by a scorpion during the war. When he recovered from the scorpion incident he did not ask about the knife so I decided to keep it. The watch: The first time piece owned by anybody in my family. My father told me that he received the watch as a gift from the British man he was serving during his early school days. He handed it over to me on his death bed The tea cup reminds me about Mother's motherliness. It just seems right and best that her favourite tea cup should be there in the middle. The 1980 IBM computer, was a status symbol in my neighbourhood back then in Nigeria. Father was the only man in our town to own a computer then. People came from all over the neighbouring villages just to have a glimpse of the computer. This computer made me believe that I was unique and better than my peers. The leica camera: the one tool that made me who I am today. I saved hard to buy this camera then. Through this camera I have seen life, and gotten money. This camera moulded me into an international photographer. These things are memories, but memories are important to me. Memories reminds me of whom I was before this opulence. With every other things I have now, I simply cannot make do without them. The knock on the door brought me out of my ponder, that must be her, she is already here I thought. I picked my smart phone from the top of the 1980 IBM computer, slipped my three rose cigarette into my pocket. If she understands why I value these things, if she doesn't think that I am weird after this dinner, then there is hope for us.