JAN. 29—Before the set time 11:00 am for the reception event for residents at Ebedi International Writers Residency, Tunde, the Manager already arranges seats and tables under the dogon yaro tree within the compound.
I take a quick bath just some minutes to 11 as I had to leave what I was writing on my laptop to attend the reception.
When I step out from my room, Lamin B. Fatty, the writer from Gambia, is in conversation in the dining area with two Iseyin elders, one in an agbada, the second in a free-flowing lace caftan.
From the kitchen, the flavour of our Housekeeper, Mrs. Cecilia’s cooking wafts to us.
I greet the elders; they shake hands with me warmly.
As I introduce myself as a Nigerian from Benue state, the elder in agbada, Prince Olalekan Olawale, who later impressed me with a most haloed presence at the gathering, registers enviable nostalgia in his mien and says, “Ah. Your place in those days was the state known as Benue-Plateau before it was separated into two states.”
Where the seats are arranged, a schoolgirl, Pelumi, I recall from Iseyin District Grammar School, is present. I join her and the two elders and take a seat, waiting for the arrival of guests.
I ask if a play has been written about these places but no one hears my question. I say to myself: I must see these places and write a poem about my experience
When Mr. Bode Akinola, PA to Dr Wale Okediran, the Residency Patron arrives from Ibadan in an SUV, with the journalist from Tribune Mr Wale Oshodi, and our guest of honour for the day, Mr Tade Ipadeola, I stand for handshakes.
I tarry a while with Tade and we talk a little about poetry; I mention Amatoritsero Ede’s latest poetry collection Teardrops on the Weser as a fine book and Tade calls Ede a spirit.
A few minutes past 11:30 am the reception begins with a total number of fourteen attendants.
Bode Akinola introduces himself and makes known the reason we have gathered.
Afterwards everyone introduces themselves.
Then Tade Ipadeola gives his opening address which sets up a most unexpected, genial atmosphere of conversation lasting throughout the event.
Tade’s speech says a lot, but the overarching message in his words is on our place as Africans in the world, which he gracefully links to the importance of Ebedi International Writers Residency as a home front where writers, being participants in the shaping and preservation of identity, history and culture, must rise to do the work.
Why? Not because we had not always had writers, but where our forebears were oral litterateurs, we have the blessing of recording in more concrete forms, especially our writing.
This arouses a general consciousness on the importance of cultural identity and history, so that after I introduce myself and speak about my plans while at the residency, and after Lamin B. Fatty introduces himself as well and narrates his six days long trip from The Gambia to Nigeria via road, Dossou Kokou, the Togolese writer, before introducing himself, asks for the meaning of Ebedi.
To know the meaning of Ebedi, we enjoyed a most memorable tale of the founder of Iseyin himself, by the name of Ebedi, told in reenactable pace by Prince Olalekan Olawale.
After our introductions, the reception, already proceeding warmly, relaxes into a warmer atmosphere as questions are raised and answered and as a delicious meal of boiled yam and egg sauce and drinks greet our tables.
As well, more guests arrive, intermittently.
Mr. Debo Ajibade, a poet who came from Ibadan, reads a love poem to us. (He also gifts we resident writers each a copy of his book Dance & Dance Drama.)
Next, Dossou Kokou performs a poem in French in honour of Ebedi.
A more interactive session follows. Primary Four Jedidiah expresses his joy for knowing what Ebedi means.
Mrs. Adedeji, the teacher from Saint John’s Grammar School, makes her plea a second time for resident writers to visit her school to interact with the students.
Bode Akinola comments that the reception has been his liveliest, most engaging of all he’s witnessed, but this eats into the time spent, too.
It is as if nobody wants the event to end. Certainly. But it had to come to an end.
Prince Olalekan Olawale gives a closing remark, followed by Tade Ipadeola. Prince Olalekan Olawale gives a closing remark, followed by Tade Ipadeola.
Before we finally call it ends, however, Olona, a young bearded guy sitting next to me, a neighbour close to the residency, who gave me a lift on his bike two days ago, who had not said a word throughout the meeting, raised his hand to speak.
Of course, he was inspired by the good words of Tade who spoke about the specialness of Iseyin in his closing remarks.
Why not? Iseyin: home to an international residency in the whole of West Africa; owning a private library; and producing some of the best mathematicians.
This last detail must have spurred Olona; he is a mathematician himself. He tells us he graduated as Best Graduating Student from his department at Ekiti State University, which privileged him for PG studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a Masters completed, and a D.Phil. on hold due to the COVID situation in South Africa.
It is great news, testifying to the greatness of Iseyin once more.
It is 2:34 pm. We finally wrap up and gather for group photographs.
Our man, the journalist from Tribune has been extremely mute—is a journalist’s job that detached……?
Mr. Tade Ipadeola has to be on his way to Ibadan, so we quickly get together after our photo session, we resident writers and him, for a mini writing workshop.
I silently admire his ebony complexion. He smiles. He is animated. He gives us some ideas about his writing process: he writes in the morning and at nights. Midday is for play, going out, meeting people, interacting, having fun, because these are the things that fetches material for the writer and make his work solid.
“It is not how much you write,” he says, “but how truthful and powerful.”
Somehow, we start talking about Iseyin again.
Prince Olalekan Olawale has come around too. He says he’d love the resident writers to see the Ikere Gorge Dam, somewhere in Iseyin.
There is also a suspended lake here, too, Tade says.
I ask if a play has been written about these places but no one hears my question. I say to myself: I must see these places and write a poem about my experience.
On my way from Ibadan to Iseyin I’d written three lines on sighting the vast vegetation that stretched before me as I sat in the bus:
It is a perfect start, I imagine, to weave a tale, a poem, out of my stay in Iseyin.
Tade Ipadeola is done and has to leave. Prince Olalekan Olawale has left too.
We have, all of us now, almost all dispersed and the residency gradually regains its somnolent character.
* Carl Terver is a Fellow of the Ebedi Residency, Iseyin
