My British Past

                 My British Past
               by George Amadi

On my eighth birthday,
Taken was I to The Marina
by Nda Obinna,
grand-mother's nephew,
not because he wanted
to avail me
a rare opportunity
to see,
first-hand,
Her Majesty's Vessel
(HMV) Auriel,
roll in
to berth at
the Apapa Wharf, but
a good hiding on me to unleash
for my many misdeeds,
from mother's
prying eyes

The British 500-passenger,
sea-going vessel,
all the way,
from London to Lagos
sailed,
in all of 21 days,
and then,
in the Nigerian
erstwhile capital city 
for a few days,
anchored, stayed,
enough time,
disembarked passengers
to have their luggage
off-loaded allowing
before,
once again,
new London-bound
passengers, 
shipped out
in the same
number of days.

It was rather,
by sheer providence,
therefore, that
privileged was I 
such a thrilling sight
of immense
impact
on my psyche,
to witness, 
at such
a tender age.

That memorable day,
twenty years later,
would I recall,
when,
for the first time,
flew I
in a jet-liner
to London
from Rome.
    
From my window seat
in a non-smoking
bay
sighted had I
an Ocean Cruise-liner
across
the Mediterranean Sea
sailing,
when, there and then, 
a flash-back
had I
to the first time
that saw I 
M. V. Auriel
at the Marina.  

Painted in white all over,
the magificent cruiser,
which wore
an aura of luxury,
character
exuded
and untramelled
desire
inspired.
     
Watching it into harbour
with grace slide
was a great treat
that I would,
even now,
without hesitation,
my utmost do
not to
pass up!

The daily goings-on
at the Lagos lagoon quay,
both by
maritime staff
and a
never-ending flow
of land-lubber traffic,
suffice it to say, 
a picture
of intricate,
human collaboration,
which
a casual observer
would leave
intrigued,
painted!

As good fortune did have it,
again, was I to stand
on this same Marina Road,
among hundreds
of Union Jack-waving
school children
two years
later, in 1956,
to be precise,
with patriotic zeal,
Her Majesty,
Queen Elizabeth II,
at the start
of a two-day visit,
ushering in
whilst a pair
of RAF jet fighters,
delightful to watch,
doing mind-blowing
spins and turns,
hovered with aplomb,
overhead.

That, however, would be story
for another day.
But to get a sense
of how things
degenerated now have,
I couldn't help
recalling
that social amenities
stood one and all
in good stead, day after day,
in those
good old days
of my British past,
about which,
to say that
I'm still amazed,
putting it
mildly
is!

Lagos, Dec. 2