It was a very scary night along the coast of Libya it started with a howling wind and claps of thunder, the serenity of the coastline suddenly gave way to a heavy storm that’s about to capsized the overcrowded ferry, it’s been five weeks since they left the shores of Casablanca sailing towards Eastern Europe, in search of greener pastures, having come this far, the journey had been on a smooth edge since setting sail.
Navigating and linking several African borders together, encountering pirates along the way and having to bribe their way through each border’s Sea-Dogs(police of the waters), all these, has not come without a fair share of resoluteness and shear determination on the part of the traveler and the ‘daring sailors’. But on this particular night their journey was about to experience an entirely different outcome, the raging tides had caught the sailors off guard, no one saw it coming, the travelers knew all along that it was going to be a torrid adventure having decided to take the risk against all odds, avoiding the threat to life that ensues from having to ply this dangerous route to Europe but the reality that be-faced them at the moment was nothing compared to what they had imagined, the refugees and the migrants who had made the desperate attempt to cross the Mediterranean sea to Europe were all crippled with the fear of the fate that is about to befall them, except an intervention that’s divine comes there way, chances of surviving this is very infinitesimal.
Experiences such as this are the kind of tales that describes succinctly the risky adventures that betides many sojourners across the Mediterranean seeking an easy access to the western world. This is a journey that promises not a smooth sail or a safe landing, its is a journey that can be tagged the journey of no return, a trip, i would like to believe no right thinking human being would love to experience, yet having said this, it is so shocking that the statistical numerical progression at which African immigrants and refugees ply this route every year just to improve their standard living, as they supposedly think, is bewildering to say the least. It’s also rather perplexing, that a select group of human race at this age would still defy the odds and embark on this deadly journey. Take the case of Samuel John a Sierra Loanean for an instance, the unstable economic situation especially the pockets of several civil unrest that had plagued his nation for over five years had seriously taken it toll on him, having tried all he could to eke out a living for himself and his immediate family, he still finds it difficult to make a financial breakthrough. He, for one, had heard of the testimonies of how the economic situation of the Western World had bettered the life of its citizens and some other immigrants, so he felt he could better his option by taking his chance out there too, but this doesn’t just come on a platter of gold, it comes with paying a price and a gruesome one at that. Though it’s a very cheap option to coming out of his obscurity but it’s yet dangerous enough to cost him his life. But the only obstacle to getting over to the western world to achieve is dream of changing is fortunes no matter what it takes is the ‘the unpredictable dangerous waters of the Mediterranean’. It had paved way to several for a successful journey yet it had also swallowed many aspiring to do the same. Here the odds are either against you or for you. And when it’s the case of the former the story is never a pleasant one to tell.
Many that takes the journey are definitely aware of these odds, but one seems to wonder as to why they still obstinately proceed with this sort of journey, it either they are blinded by how cheap it delivers to them their dream of getting to the western world or they are so desperate to the extent that staying back in their country would stifle and strangulate out their very essence of existence. But on the other hand, taking a look at this on a rather positive perspective, one could identify a very serious part of the human nature that envelopes a trait of survival. It further unravels a side of humanity that has characterized the reason why it had survived on this side of the divide(earth) for million of years, despite the challenges it faces every day.
The Mediterranean literally might be a region that’s part of the earth’s hydrosphere which may serve as a route enroute many intercontinental borders across the atlantic but from a figurative perspective, it would not be wrong if we conclude that many times as humans, we try to navigate through one life’s trials to triumph, when difficulties and challenges throws us off balance, its like coasting through the Mediterranean sea. From the cradle of life to the metamorphological processes we experience to get to whatever stage we are in life today, it won’t be an understatement to say that life’s coastline hasn’t been clear and smooth. It’s like journeying through the Mediterranean.
Many had survived the tides, while some can’t just afford to pass through because of the risk involved, some would rather not try than to die trying. Though coasting through the sea of the Mediterranean successfully doesn’t assure and guarantee reaching a goldmine of some sort but it could pass for an attempt characterized and lazed with several elements of guts, bravery and courage. In life the journey to the top is not for the chicken hearted, if one Isnt very sure of his conviction, its very easy to be swept away by the flurry and the fast paced frenzy that betides our world. The strive for excellence and the urge of wanting to be the best doesn’t come easy, a plethora of different challenging adventure that seems to test our resolve, success and fulfilment in life is a journey, and checking the path of greatness only few have their footprints etched on it. The pyramid of life, has only few at the top and many languishing beneath, the reason for this is actually not far fetched, only few has the guts to defy the odds. Rising from the cadre of nothing to something is a daunting task has herculean as navigating the Mediterranean successfully.
Checking the archives of history, tales of great men written in gold exists of extraordinary feats achieved by ordinary men some of a very humble background yet used the zeal and shear determination they have to cause the changes they desire to see in their lives, community and nation as a whole though others can also do the same but the fear of failing hindered them, as obstinate as a decision of plying the Mediterranean sea looks, it seems to be the option available to the calibre of the kind men that plies it, a wealthy man can’t take such a route because he has the needed resources to access better platforms to get him to his destination. But the Mediterranean journey characterizes the fact that when the ships are down and the options you have are limited, what do you do, do you quit and maintain the statusquo, or dare the odds and change your circumstances even if it will cause you tears sweat and even blood.
