Facebook is fun. It is a virtual world that some of us hermits and boring ones live in. We build relationships, forge friendships and establish communities. But like the real world, Facebook can be chaotic and full of drama. And sometimes, without even knowing, you may find yourself in the middle of drama that really has nothing to do with you, and one that you never even knew was brewing. Yes, you thought it had nothing to do with you until you liked a post or commented on a particular post! Some people dislike you simply because you associate with someone they don’t like. Others despise you because you liked a particular post or dared to comment on it. Others dislike you because you said something about their party or political god. Some create boxes and neatly wrap and deposit you in the box with a bow on top. You wouldn’t even know you have been placed in a box. They categorize and label you based on their own impressions or what they heard about you or supposedly observed about you.
Some of us thrive on the belief that our friends must never be friends with our enemies. But they seldom tell you who their perceived enemies are because we all like to pretend as if we all love one another. Oftentimes, you don’t even know who is holding a grudge against whom or who is low-key beefing with who. Unbeknown to you, what you thought was just an innocent post was perceived as a missile against another and the “victim” sits and keeps vigil watching who likes the post or comments on it! Or their friends will take a screenshot of it and go “did you see what Hamlayp said about you?” If you are ignorant or lack situational awareness like me, you end up creating enemies you never know of until you say something to them. It could be something as simple as the abiding lie “yangi nice deh”, and you will think dang Len saga Ndey. And you know that is the highest form of insult to any worthy Gambian child. Say all you want, but don’t say jack about our mothers or call us a liar! We will kill for our mothers… just not the mothers of others because all that matters is ours, not yours. Importantly, if some Gambians are good at anything, it’s gossiping and incubating grudges and may the ancestors guide you to stay away from their scheming because if they even smell your presence, they draw their daggers. And boy when they unload, it is often decades worth of material they kept in cold storage. Then they will call a mutual friend and go “have you heard what I did to Chanarr?”
Mein, must life be that complicated? Must we watch what post we like or comment on because we don’t want to offend some person watching to see who likes or comments on a particular post? What I am not going to do is to try and read people’s minds to know if they’re talking about someone before I like their post or comment on it. Imagine if I were to do that with Omar Touray’s mind-bending posts! I would lose out on such beautiful thoughts. And here is the thing, I have long since been fired from my mind-reading job because I was terrible at it. You have to consult with my big brother Dawda ML Ceesay; he is a moribaa (not Kukandeh Njundu) and Dawda has his VAR and he can read minds too. So please forgive me if I cannot read your mind to know you don’t like someone or you have a political difference with another and I should not side with them. Your political, social and financial beefs with others is your beef. I have Stinky-mouth Sayyindi Jatta and Yahoo Boy Modou Mbowe to contend with as enemies. Meanwhile, I’ll comment and like whatever post I choose to. You got beef with someone? It has nothing to do with me. You simply don’t like someone for some reason, Samafoo! That is your issue with them. Your enemies are your enemies. I have my own folks that cannot stand me and I sleep with one eye open around them. I don’t want to add your enemies to mine. APRC is still a formidable bunch and that old fool Sayyindi Jatta is still spitting my name to his useless marabouts. I don’t need your drama especially this nonsensical political drama that is all about a hustle for many.
For the record, I don’t belong to any party! I know that is too hard for some to swallow because in their twisted logic, we must all have a choice in this colonial political setup but samafoo. I don’t belong to any gang; I’m not formally a member of any group, and I’m on no one’s team or payroll! I am a Kunku Wulo, I hunt alone and operate alone and I prefer to operate that way. Hana lerr na?
Alagie Saidy-Barrow
