You Have To Read To Get The Gist

I felt lucky to have finally found hand sanitizer at a pharmaceutical mall.

I had gone around all major shopping malls that I knew of within Enugu city in vain search of the latest rare fluid.

Apparently, it's become like hotcakes, and sold off even before they got the chance to sit on the shelves, such that my once accessible must-have item has become hard to find.

"We just sold out the last one", or "we're out of stuck" were the two likely replies I normally received from somewhat enthusiastic shop assistants, not sure at first what the triumphal air around them was  about, but certainly annoyed by their expressions of deep-rooted self-importance, which often struck as unresponsive and selfish.

In a particular mall, I guessed they had created a form of entertainment, a gamble probably, to cope with their state of boredom. Their unified exchange of knowing smiles after I had enquired about hand sanitizer reeked of victorious whispers of "I KNEW IT"! Why else would the Antiseptic section be their hang out spot every time?

I mean Ebola is probably the deadliest virus, scary enough to make me give up my sumptuous street food--

Oka ahul'ahu n'ube (roasted corn and local pear)

It is not funny!!!

Perhaps, my frustration was the least of their problems.

Anyway, I greedily rounded up many bottles of Purell displayed on the cashier's desk, a bottle for each person that I wished to put a smile on his or her face. Funnily enough I had come in to buy something else.

P.S. You may want to know that a bottle of hand sanitizer is the best gift you can give to anyone now.

Quite similar to the shop assistants that I encountered in the other malls, this one also appeared amused and eager, but patient enough to wait till I finished my compilations and moved closer to the cash box. "N650 for each bottle", she said, casting a probing look at me, trying to weigh my reaction maybe. As a Nigerian, who lived all her life in a society where shrewd dealers used unfortunate situations to milk on others, I couldn't say I was surprised. However, more than 100% increase was shocking to me. Before Sawyer's unpopular footprints, I bought same 59ml bottle of Purell for N300.

Of course, I paid for the much that I gathered, but disappointed at some people's cruelty. "What if I couldn't afford the new price"? "How about poor Nigerians who can't live up to N650 a day, but still need to guard themselves against Ebola"? "Where is your patriotism"? I ranted more about how our inhumane, selfish, greedy and corrupt tendencies thwart our advancement.

One of them went economic with the "higher the demand, the higher the price" theory, which normally made some sense, considering a possible increase in the cost of production, in which case a slight reasonable inflation was understandable. Still I didn't buy into his reasons, because I just couldn't get past the "Not For Retail Sale"inscription on the bottle. Something's gotta be wrong somewhere. But that wasn't even the issue.

The other shop attendant on the cash register made the most stupid comment which I had heard a million times from other people, often guilty or called out for either flinging a wrap of rubbish through the car window or peeing by the roadside or presenting the wrong date of birth or slipping a N50 note into a policeman's hands, and a host of other evil deeds. "This is Nigeria", she said. I felt the need to yank off my arm just to have something to throw at her. Instead, I said to her, "It's better if you didn't speak at all". She let off a guilty laugh, but I wasn't amused.

Rather, I came up with an idea to run series, ("I Pledge To Nigeria") on this blog that I hope will change thousands who are like-minded Nigeria who think Nigeria is a junkyard. That change begins with me-- my mindset.

Meanwhile, I wish to introduce you to a friend of mine, who's been towing same line of positive change. My next post is authored by him and titled "Climate Change: Loose Policy of Nigerian Government". It's funny though how he never visited my blog before but now needs me to publish his article.

I hope you've been great.

Remember-- stay Ebola free, always wash your hands with soap and water, avoid body contact (not even sure how that is possible in our society), keep your environment clean, take your own clipper, comb, towel, ear plugs to the salon with you, NO to bush meat. Add salt when you wash veggies and fruits, not in your bathing or drinking water. More information one click away here.

God will see us through.