The
sharp tone playing from my phone told me all I needed to know.
It was my nemesis on his weekly 'let's piss Kanmi
off' pastime. Yes, I saved a special tone just for him.
Reluctantly, I picked up the phone.
Reluctantly, I picked up the phone.
"Yep."
"Hey Baba, what's up?"
"Nothing bro. How can I help?"
"Nothing bro. How can I help?"
"Ah ah! Na fight?"
"No, just having a stressful day."
"Okay, but don't take it out on me. Anyway, I
called to check if you were still sticking to your plan not to blog this
year."
"Yep. Why?"
"Well, I read something that I am certain will
get your goat. You know that guy, Elnathan John, who you are always praising? He
has been abusing us!"
"Us?"
"Yes. Hmm…the guy has been abusing us o. He
said short people are stupid and troublemakers. He even started to boast that
he is six feet tall. Can you imagine?"
"Really? So what do you want me to do about
it? I am not the representative of short people worldwide. You want me to
return to blogging by replying him, I suppose?"
"Of course! Who else do we have? If he had attacked fat people, they would have replied by now. Remember this is the same guy who replies vehemently when people attack gays. We need to respond and put him in his place. We are a minority too."
"But no one wants to imprison short people."
"Who told you that? This is how they start. No one took Hitler serious when he started and see how that ended."
"But using Hitler as an example will destroy your case bro. He was short."
"That's what the tall media told us. The guy was almost six feet!!
I sighed heavily as I walked through to the kitchen and looked out to the overgrown garden which should have had my attention ten minutes earlier. I was about to say something before my fellow dwarf took the wind from my sail.
"Do you know he said we spend most of our lives staring at people's nipples? Can you imagine? Nonsense! And then he quoted Ian Fleming, saying all short people are insecure."
"Oh well, I am sure even he at six feet, has to stare at someone's nipples. It's relative, no? Maybe the insecurity is actually on his part. Maybe he hasn't achieved enough in his life for a tall person, so he wants to deflect by picking on short people. Maybe he has reflected on how much God has given him, height-wise and how little he has returned for that gift. Maybe you should reply on his blog and quote Jack Dempsey."
"Jack Dempsey? Who is that?"
"He was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world about a hundred years ago."
"Okay, okay. What did he say?"
"Tall men come down to my height, when I hit them in the body."
"Of course! Who else do we have? If he had attacked fat people, they would have replied by now. Remember this is the same guy who replies vehemently when people attack gays. We need to respond and put him in his place. We are a minority too."
"But no one wants to imprison short people."
"Who told you that? This is how they start. No one took Hitler serious when he started and see how that ended."
"But using Hitler as an example will destroy your case bro. He was short."
"That's what the tall media told us. The guy was almost six feet!!
I sighed heavily as I walked through to the kitchen and looked out to the overgrown garden which should have had my attention ten minutes earlier. I was about to say something before my fellow dwarf took the wind from my sail.
"Do you know he said we spend most of our lives staring at people's nipples? Can you imagine? Nonsense! And then he quoted Ian Fleming, saying all short people are insecure."
"Oh well, I am sure even he at six feet, has to stare at someone's nipples. It's relative, no? Maybe the insecurity is actually on his part. Maybe he hasn't achieved enough in his life for a tall person, so he wants to deflect by picking on short people. Maybe he has reflected on how much God has given him, height-wise and how little he has returned for that gift. Maybe you should reply on his blog and quote Jack Dempsey."
"Jack Dempsey? Who is that?"
"He was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world about a hundred years ago."
"Okay, okay. What did he say?"
"Tall men come down to my height, when I hit them in the body."
"I like it! I like it! I will definitely go to
his blog now. Idiot! He thinks he can abuse us and get away with it. What I
don't understand is tall people's obsession with us. They call us names, say we
have short man syndrome, catch all the fine girls and yet, we say nothing about
them. What is it sef?
"Can I go now?" I asked with total submission.
"Yes, but I will be back. You know the guy is
clever. He will have a witty reply and I may not be able to counter. I may need
you bro."
"Okay," I replied wearily, hoping the conversation was finished. But then, expectation is the root of all heartache.
"Okay," I replied wearily, hoping the conversation was finished. But then, expectation is the root of all heartache.
"What really annoyed me is people's reaction
to his rubbish article. They are all laughing, saying how much they enjoyed it.
It is discrimination and they are endorsing it! Apart from Ali and Mandela,
where are all these remarkable tall people? But look at us; Martin Luther King,
Gandhi, all the popes, Dai Lama, Maradona, Pele, Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, even in
the premiership today, Hazard is the best player. Where is the tall people's
contribution?"
"But they have Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic and all
those NBA players to name a few," I whispered.
The accompanying silence from his end was palpable.
Finally, he spoke.
"Do you not know basketball started out as netball, until the tall people betrayed us and raised the baskets seven foot into the air? How the f*ck is that fair? Only a selfish people will do that. Bastards! Anyway, I am off to put my reply on all his postings. If he wants a war, we will give him one!"
I stifled my laughter and managed to query him further.
"So this article, what was the title? Surely it wasn’t just about short people? Elnathan always has something more concrete to say."
The dead line told me everything I need to know.
"Do you not know basketball started out as netball, until the tall people betrayed us and raised the baskets seven foot into the air? How the f*ck is that fair? Only a selfish people will do that. Bastards! Anyway, I am off to put my reply on all his postings. If he wants a war, we will give him one!"
I stifled my laughter and managed to query him further.
"So this article, what was the title? Surely it wasn’t just about short people? Elnathan always has something more concrete to say."
The dead line told me everything I need to know.
