PROF. AKPAN HOTEL

Every day I pass this path, either going home or seeing someone off from school, I see clusters of people daily in different postures in front of this building. Even though there were no seats to provide this constant crowd with comfort, those who were sitting sat on anything that could hold their weight, even the drainage edge that surrounds the building was no exception.

Though I walk this path daily, I recently paid attention to this hotel when I had the opportunity to see what was happening on the inside.

It was silent on the inside; it was lifeless, except for some few steps, steps of the few workers that were saddled with the responsibility of making available the customers when they are requested by their visitors. The visitors constitute the crowd at the building entrance.

These people were present to see any of the customers that had booked a room in Prof. Akpan’s hotel. There are lots of stuffs that these daily crowd have in common and there are things that I have never found them do!

Crowd at the frontage never SMILE. People don’t laugh here, infact, what you rather hear is shouts, not of joy but of pains, and sadness. They are arrays of people who have never dressed to impress, but rather looked unkempt and unprepared for who they are meeting.

Unlike the way many hotels are operated, not everyone can book a room here! Professor Akpan, the head of this hotel must certify with a signature that a potential customer has the right to book a room in the hotel. 

Who is a potential customer of Prof Akpan’s hotel?

I am, you are, we all are!

Phone conversations and comments like “it has happened o!,” others like, “so I won’t see her again” were very common at the door step of University College Hospital, Ibadan morgue - a place am referring to in this article as Prof Akpan’s hotel.

We all are debtors of death and this thief called death hardly ask for permission from a person before making the person an occupant of Prof Akpan’s hotel.

The problem is WHETHER the occupants who can NEVER receive any affection again RECEIVED enough before they became occupants of the cold rooms in Akpan’s hotel? 

This fact; that who I see today may not be available tomorrow; that I am a potential customer of Akpan’s hotel make me want to  trend with caution;  spend time with people, respect people, appreciate people, render help to people and love people. 

When it is difficult for you to say you are SORRY even when you think you are right, remember the above fact, when it is difficult to help a neighbor, remember this fact, when you do not like that face, remember this fact, when it is difficult to tell YOUR PARENTS YOU APPRECIATE THEM,  remember people WITHOUT  PARENTS.

Remember, you can be the last face seen by that woman, remember, you can be saving a life by your smile, remember this before you abuse that bus conductor, that driver, that banker, that friend, that neighbor. Remember!