Isio’s Travel Adventure: São Tomé – Part IV

So, it is not a secret that I scuba-dive. Every morning that I have woken up on this island, I keep staring at this impressive bit of rock that peeks out of the ocean surface, off the coast of the Santana part of the island. From where I stood, it looked like a cave.

Interesting…

I was so drawn to it, and so, I went to one of the local PADI centres and registered my intention to go on a few dives. Imagine my excitement, when the dive-master said we could dive around the cave that I had found so intriguing! And what a great bonus, there were a few ship-wrecks around the island too.

Correct!

So I went back home to prepare. I did my lokosuna leg-kick-warm-ups in my bedroom. It had been six months since my last dive in Zanzibar, and since I was determined not to die in the ocean, I took the day out, to familiarize myself with the smell, feel, sights of these waters via swimming with a life vest, and snorkelling by the reefs. The Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, yes… I had been in those waters, but the Atlantic…? Errrrr, no. Never ever. Even though I was born in Lagos, and I live in Lagos, the part of the Atlantic that is near our Lagos is where all the locals shit and piss in, and where (in my mind) all the suck-a-way of the whole Island deposits all its yama-yama into. I am serious! There is no way in hell, heaven on earth that I shall be dipping a toe in those waters – forget diving. In fact, the thought of eating any fish caught those waters leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Ani mi o je. Ese pupo.

The next day I left home to go snorkel at the beach, something horrible happened. The currents came… they were so strong, and for a while it dawned on me that I was struggling, and I got this close to drowning.

The water sucked me in and spat me out, and when I was pulled out. God bless his soul. 

I took a moment to just sit down, before I climbed a low hanging palm and just stayed there. I think psychologically, I needed to be far away from the ground as possible. That night, I wept bitterly, and I was so overwhelmed with intense flashbacks of the smashing waves and the vivid futility of trying to grasp onto water- struggling to stay afloat. I cried some more. I took a while, but I finally fell asleep.

There are no words to describe the moments in which you are face-to-face with your own mortality. It is simply indescribable in words. You know, it takes one to experience that which you already know, for you to fully understand what knowing means. You can read about it, hear about it, talk about it, but until you experience it… nah-ah-ah… it’s not the same. Knowing things does something to you. It jolts you out of everything you think is important. It is an instant call-back to reality. Life is a gift, everything is only as important as you think it is, and every day you live, is a day closer to the day you will die. Morbid, maybe…. But true.

The next two days, I stayed still. Very still. I gave my gratitude to God, and in our moments of conversation, I would ask him why would shakara me, his padi like that… haba na.  You see, God and I, we have this relationship, and we yarnnnn well-a.

And so, I started…

Me: Ehen… (Oghene-Chineke-God) Why You go allow that kain tin happen to pesin sef. I don’t like it o.

OCG: Calm down jo. {He chuckles} Nobody is interested in killing you jo. I don’t want you to come and wahala me in heaven. Stay there first.

Me: {still smarting} I just don’t like that kind of rough play.

OCG: You are fine. You told me before you came on this trip that you needed some clarity. To be free from anxiety. You wanted to know what was best between the career and life you thought you wanted when you were younger, to what you have now…

Me: Yessssss, so…?

OCG: I gave you your answers. I caused you to experience. You are living, you are doing, you are acquiring, and yet, you are worrying. You forget to just be. To do your best, and not over-estimate your abilities, nor underestimate the ability of life itself to snuff you out in a heartbeat (which was for instance this water). All your strength, all your wealth, all your things and all your abilities are powerless against nature, which is life itself. Everything you have, is a gift. Everything you choose, is a choice. You forget that your being here is temporary. What you do, is what is “kinda” permanent. Because that is what leaves a ripple effect. And it goes on, and on… until the end of time.

Nothing you choose to do in this life is better than the other, it is simply different from the other, my little Sun. Whether you work-in and own a 50-floor skyscraper – a la Jessica Pearson style ­-  or you live in the mountains, tend to your family, farms and livestock and write books upon books- for the world to read, and paint stories after stories – for the world to see…

{He shrugs} The Isio that you will be if you face IDDS Interiors squarely, is not better than the Isio you will be if you choose the latter. It is simply different.

Every choice has its costs, and its sacrifices. Whatever the case/cost – that’s not the most important thing. The most important thing is that you are STILL here. That you are able to be. To feel, to touch, to think, to breathe, to love. Look around you. The world is beautiful. The ocean successfully did in a few seconds what books/movies would have needed a lifetime to do… Life is a gift, everything is only as important as you think it is, and every day you live, is a day closer to the day you will die.

So…

MAKE. IT. COUNT. Make it count.

And stop worrying so much.

Me: Woww. You are really smart.

OCG: {Chuckles} I know… I have to go now… the angels are calling…

I blew air-kisses and tuale-ed to my biggest, bested friend in the world.

These were the life lessons I learnt.

The next day, I got ready to get back into the water. The Mister had worried that I might develop an irrational fear of water due to my experience, but I decided it was time to squash that fear. No better way, than jumping right in.

And so, a group of us took a boat. We headed to the cave-mountains to the North-East of Santana. And, oh-my-gawdddddd it was the most gorgeoussssssss place everrrrrrrrr! And, if I thought entering the cave was magnificent, the world of wonder that met my eyes when I dipped my head under-water just sent my soul leaping for joy within my body. I can’t describe it all…

Adjacent jagged reefs of rock cut through the water in a deep, deep under-water canyon that was deeper than my mortal eyes could see. And everywhere, colourful fish swam and dazzled in their glory. And the water, crystalline blue – somewhere between cerulean and teal. Looking up, you begun to understand that the cave-mountain wasn’t just a patch of stony land, but that it rose from within the waters of mesmerizing depth, to leap out into the air, high, grand and majestic. When I was in there, I felt no fear. I just felt wonder… I felt alive, and I felt happy, and so, so lucky.

Here’s a video, kinda like a compilation of my time in Sao Tome and my underwater photos…

That was my last adventure in Sao Tome. The next day, I packed my bags and returned to Lagos. But I would never forget Sao Tome. That island was good to me.

P.S
Isio Knows Better resumes next week.

Love and xx.

Photo Credits: google.com, africageographic.com | Song credit: “xo” by Beyonce.