Beware of the Evil Eye!

_{Close-up of a scary face with white eyes by Luna Joie from Pexels}

"Beware, for the eyes seeth but some eyes consumeth!"

I grew up with my grandmother in a very tiny little thatched hut in a small village situated in the interior part of Nigeria.

We spent our days either in the kitchen or at the farm searching for what to eat or preparing our food in an old aluminium pot.

During our free time, I'd often sit beside grandma with a stone in my hands to crack the palm kernels we bring from the mill while she filled my ears with ancient lores.

My grandma would often tell me the story of the village beauty whose womb was tied by witches. I did wonder why anyone would made a lady childless just because they felt that she was intoxicated by her beauty.

But my grandma would warn me never to show off or brag about my accomplishment. "Some eyes are evil. Some heart dark," she'd say.

I never heeded her instruction until something happened in my 300 level at the university.

I was sitted on my desk, discussing a topic the lecturer had just taught with my friend when a fellow colleague joined us. This colleague listened quietly and even asked some questions for clarification at some point.

I answered, glad to help my colleague.

A few weeks later, a lecturer requested my presence. I was accused of assisting students with their assignments under the guise of tutorials.

I firmly disagreed that I would never engage in such form of academic dishonesty. Neither do I organise tutorials either.

A panel was set up and the issue got hotter every week.

At a point, I got worried that I'd lose my studentship if these lies were proven to be true. It became necessary to find the perpetrators of the act and bring them to order.

For weeks, I investigated the issue. My friends tried to convince the lecturer to provide the name of the "anonymous" reporter so the person can testify in the presence of everyone.

When the Dean of Students Affairs threatened to suspend the lecturer if the claimant wasn't provided, it was then revealed that my colleague, the one who joined my friend and I in a harmless conversation about a class topic had gone round to feed the lecturer with lies.

The news broke me. My crime was being intelligent and willing to share my knowledge openly with my colleague.

But I was paid back with a bad coin.

The evil eye had seen this light and was filled with hate. Though they tried to bring me down, I overcame.

Till today, my grandmother's warning still rings in my head, "Beware, for the eyes seeth but some eyes consumeth!"

_{Written by @ukpono on Wednesday, 4 December 2024}