Thresholds
My Name is Andrevn /an:dr£vin/. I like to think I am of mixed roots – Greek/Scottish born (lol). Today is my twenty-first birthday. And this is not a story.
I had my first frottage at age three, and munched on my first sausage (elder brother the second) at age five (a conscious act, mind you).
Growing up was hellish; I had to fight the demons that plagued my very existence. Being a pastor’s child, you’d think that everything about my sanctity had been taken care of. But no! It could not be taken care of by the Holier-than-thou persons that were around me.
It turned out to be the perfect irony that Mother Nature could ever conjure – me, as who I am, and an offspring of a Christian home. An existence that came with beautiful lessons to be learned, bearing in mind how my pain and hardship has helped shape my perspectives and curbed my excesses.
Growing up, I was the bright eyed kid with a plum cherubic face and perfect sets of white enamel teeth that sparkled anytime I guffawed my trade-mark laughter (earning me the moniker ‘teeth sunner’). Ah, that toothy laugh, one which was admired by men and women alike, and sparked sibling rivalries. (Remember Helen of Troy and what her beauty did to kingdoms? See, I told you I had Greek origins)
I was happy on the outside, bright, with a life I was sure I had figured out. The Sciences? No! Advanced and too many complex calculations were a bore. But novels, stories – anything with an element of literature, whatever genre, which held the shimmering allure of ink – was pure bliss, heavenly blessedness.
I transited from childhood to being a starry eyed eleven-iner, who naively but slowly became fully aware of who he was, with surging emotions that begged to be set free and let to rampage.
Secondary School was not far in coming, and for the first time I heard the G word, it was from a friend, who had spoken the word softly while craning his head this way and that to check the bush pathway we were trekking on, checking to see if any other student was within earshot, afraid the wind would snatch the word from his tongue and blow it away to undeserving ears.
“Huh?” I said with a quizzical expression.
“G as in gay, what we are and do,” he explained.
What we are and do? Wasn’t ‘gay’ that other word for ‘happy’ and ‘festive’. I had to be sure. I checked it in my trusty dictionary, and sure enough, there it was. That was how I came to know I had a label.
I was the poster child for teenage perfection at home, because I could cook, clean and put everyone else’s comfort first. All that perfection began to disintegrate with my first kito experience. The cracks began to appear on that seemingly beautiful façade I’d created, first like a fine network of spider-web starting from my very core, until it spiraled through my entire being. It gave my siblings more armaments to haul at me. Father and Mother resented me. Everything became an agonizing blur.
I became stoic, withdrawn, developed killing stares set in moulds of clenched muscles. My anger smouldered and brooded, until it choked me and over-flowed in torrents of invectives towards whoever was unfortunate to be in my crosshairs. I became unpredictable, honed my spontaneity, all in a bid to hide my tracks, to leave no breadcrumbs for my persecutors to follow to my true self.
And all this while, they came. They always came. And when they were done, they walked away, leaving me in pieces, antagonistic yet hopeful, afraid that the next one I turned down might be Mr. Right. So they kept on coming. And I let them.
A very wise psychologist once said: “Homosexual, learn from your experiences. Set yourself free from the chains of society. Embrace your ignorance, and you will come close to truth.
“Let the conviction that determines your action come from what you know deep within your heart, and let it be true and not what has been parroted from progenitor to progenitor through the ages.
“Your sexuality is a gift, an open door into a new world of fresh ideas, true perspectives and honest inquiry. It is not a curse! It’s a blessing. Hate yourself no more, embrace who you are, accept it and prove yourself a true Homo sapiens.”
So my sexuality opened my eyes to the beauty of free thinking, to the power of this beautiful soul who flows across the paths of the Homo sapiens in fluid motions, like a brief spell of rain in the Sahara; a cool soothing breeze in the scorching noonday heat of the Harmattan. A rare sub-specie of the Homo sapiens, beholding in awe and wonder within me the imperfections of nature, its marvelous intricacies webbed within our day-to-day living.
I sought for and found my peace.
And now, I’m on a threshold, wondering what yonder holds – the future, I mean. There is fear mixed with a tinge of hopelessness and a splash of foreboding. There is pain that I let those jabs and slurs get to me. There is anger at the institution that I grew up in, which was supposed to show me light and protect this hungry soul. There is sadness at their lack of understanding, their need to explain everything away with demon possessions and bad habits.
I am twenty-one today. And I’m on a threshold, wondering what yonder holds. There tears from times past, and there promises to be happiness in the times to come.
Written by Andrevn
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36 Comments
JustJames
April 07, 06:30Happy birthday Andrevn.
The part about seeing being gay as a blessing and not a curse.. That got to me. Nicely done.
Dennis Macaulay
April 07, 06:31Happy Birthday love!
21? Oh dear! I feel ancient
Colossus
April 07, 06:48Happy birthday brother. More blessings lie ahead
Andrevn
April 07, 06:49Hehe!
Thankyou Jj
Hey DM,i thought you loved all things ancient and antique?….thanks anywho.
pinkpanthertb
April 07, 06:50Touche, Andrevn. Nice dig at Dennis. LOL!!!
Dennis Macaulay
April 07, 06:56Lol! Good one
Ruby
April 07, 06:56H̲̣̣̣̥ɑ̤̥̈̊ρ̥̥ρ̲̣̣̥ÿ̲̣̣̣̥β̣̣̥ɪ̣̝̇я̩̥̊†̥h̲̣̣̣̥d̶̲̥̅̊ά̲̣̥ÿ̲̣̣̣̥ Andrevn
Wow! 21! I’m beginning to feel ancient.
Enjoy your day
Absalom
April 07, 07:00At 21 a friend held a mirror to my face and showed me my flaws. I will always remember that age.
My head haff cool small now.
Happy birthday, Andrevn. Many happy returns. 🙂
Mitch
April 07, 07:03Happy birthday Andrevn.
Don’t stand on that threshold too long. Take that step and who knows, you may find that peace that passes all understanding. Just remember that you’re loved by us all.
Max
April 07, 07:13Happy birthday.. Nice write up.
Wish I can be 21 again..
Mercury
April 07, 07:27Happy Birthday buddy
trystham
April 07, 07:28Happy Birthday bro. A kito b4 21??? Y’all bitches av had guts tay tay. I bow at ur seniority. You really do sound much older than ur age even more with this post
Free thinking tho…I’m not foggy minded with the whole religion stuff like some, but I really think ppl need an anchor and there are some things logic will not just explain. #justsaying
Pete
April 07, 07:34Happy birthday, Andrevn. Many happy returns.
simba
April 07, 07:48Happy birthday dear, each day gets better.. have faith,and allow fate to put ur feet right.. joy abounds in free minds..
Andrevn
April 07, 07:51Thank you all
*Now i’m just sitting here with the wind on my face waiting for a certain someone to whisper to me HBD.
ocee77
April 07, 09:07Happy birthday Andrevn and may you live in interesting times.
MacArdry
April 07, 10:15Hey,that is somewhat a curse,you know.Wishing someone interesting times
ocee77
April 08, 09:31Really?????????Please enlighten me.
sinnex
April 07, 09:19Nice piece…HBD!!!
s_sensei
April 07, 09:56Happy birthday, Andrevn. I sent you an email two months ago?
Andrevn
April 07, 11:38Here people is that wise Psychologist i talked about…….Hello Sensei!
About that email?….i’ll start digging right away….thank you for inspiring this piece,thank you Adol.
ishowrite
April 07, 10:47Happy birthday Andrevn.Wishing you long life and prosperity.Age wit Grace dearie.
victor
April 07, 11:13For every experience in life there’s a lesson learnt,never regret ur past cos u might regret certain actions but they helped in shaping u to be the man that u are today
I feel so proud to be associated with you because you are such a strong,intelligent and humble young man. keep living your life,fall if u have to but never forget to learn cause u are such an inspiration and I believe you have a great future ahead.
Keep rocking da lyf h** lols, happy bday!!!!
Andrevn
April 07, 11:51Hope you know dat you are a bitch @ Victor.(lol)cos i saw what you did there
Labelling me as such on this Hoe-ly day…..hehe.
You ain’t getting any birthday cakes and i’m damn serious *straightface*.
Anywhoo,thanks buddy i owe you one, a big fuzzy ball if you like!
lluvmua
April 07, 11:45Andre my name sake…. happy birthday dear…… nice write up….. nd we do hve a party to organize oooo. Lol
Andrevn
April 07, 11:57Definitely dear,definitely……..
That parrty is going down…..just me,you and Dennis……hehehehe.
And shifu you are invited as well.
Dennis Macaulay
April 07, 15:42Did hear my name?
***swings in on a wrecking ball***
Ace
April 07, 11:46Awesome work! Happy birthday!
Teflondon
April 07, 12:35Interesting read.. Some of the grammatical usage was outstanding. **I’m jealous**
21 year old?! Really??
Happy birthday Andrevn!
Long life and prosperity much
JArch
April 07, 13:07Andre!!! Happy birthday man…. Now that you’re 21, I now pronounce you legal to drink bear and watch porn hahaha ***flees***
Seriously though! you’ve come a long way and there’s still more beautiful experiences to come your way, love hard and love deeply, if you fall 6 times, make sure you’re up 7 times, try not loose out on all the best thing life has to offer, if Mr right comes this year, good and fine, if not, try not to beat yourself up about it, you’re special I can tell and it would take a blind man not to sense just how amazing you are.
Have a good one, and don’t do what I wouldn’t i do hahaha
Andrevn
April 07, 16:12Hey thanks Jarch…….and now that you’ve mentioned Mr Right,how abt one of those your numerous Daddies?
That’s if you are up for it(you knw hw to reach mua).
iamcoy
April 07, 17:28Frottage… nice!
Live Long Dre
Gad
April 08, 09:16“God teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart unto wisdom” Happy birthday. Free thinking? Is that concept real or an illusion? Can one honestly be a free thinker? I don’t know the facts you have that directed you to the cause of free thinking but I will only urge you to look @ things on a template of truth. You owe yourself a duty to be true to yourself. Philosophy sounds like wisdom but is usually not the truth. The truth is as plain as anything could ever be. Only you can find it for yourself. HBD,again
Andrevn
April 08, 17:30Thanks Gad!
I was expecting you to debunk that…….i guess you know what ”Tropes” are?
That there -free thinking-is metaphoric…..it means that i do not cling to every word that’s waved or trumped from high pedestals all in the name of religion…….
I believe in the existence of The Divine Being (God),His awesomeness is evident everywhere and i’ve had experiences not to doubt that.
Thanks once again.
Gad
April 09, 06:01You just calmed my fears. Thanks. My mind is now @ rest.
Stickysly
April 08, 19:52Very happy birthday to you.
Gud to still hv 21 year olds that can convoy their thoughts excellently n lucidly on paper.