From The K-online Reception Vn: Reports In Arrears

[Waziri]

"This is a gathering of  ppl YANKED from cyberspace". Yanked is the word and everybody is smiling. You can guess who is speaking. The articulate Prof again.

The meeting starts around five o'clock with many being registered kanoonliners and others, kanoonline friends. But we don’t know who is who. I was dying to meet Nuruddeen(AbuMujahid) face to face. I was also hoping to meet DymeQueen my fighter-friend whom I learnt prior to the reception was in Nigeria enjoying a break. I was introduced earlier to the meticulous and kind mannered fulanicious because we all came early. She is tall, light complexioned and charismatic. There also is Ibrahim Aliyu: Ibro2g and Abdulmaleeq: Maleeq. Everybody is looking lively and inviting.

There is a guest book, which everybody coming in will sign. Ibro2g and myself will frequently go back and check the guest book in order to see who and who is there. Gotcha!  dfynest is around and gogannaka! Yes, Talle too is there!

"UHM, Uhm", a rumble from the speaker, Prof is speaking as everybody is adjusting and those who are not seated are sitting. My self, Maleeq and Ibro are somewhere at the back sitting and chatting slightly above whispers. Where is Ummita? As some ladies where coming in; where is DymeQueen and Ihsan? Where is Hausa Error, kk, Barde 1/2fsy, MuhammadIbrahim and... where? Where is everyone? We keep asking ourselves.  

"Uhm!!" an adjustment from Profs mic, "every body is welcome to the first meeting of cyberist down here, a meeting of ppl Yanked from the cyberspace". Everybody smiles as he moves further to outline the objects of the meeting "we honour one of our members".

Fulanicious is there on the high table, Ibrahim Ado Kurawa also there, Dr. Yusuf Adamu the President of Association of Nigerian Authors, the Secretary Ismail Bala Garba, And the Vice President are all on the high table. Salisu Usman Danyaro also is moving in, out and around with other many ppl snapping pictures. There is also the man from The British Council with other electronics gadgets doing his own coverage for the British Council, Mhm na big tin fa!!!

Prof is going ahead to give us a little history of kanoonline.com, how they started every thing with some moral support from Kano State Government, he speaks about the three dwarfs who where later known and addressed more appropriately as three giants that is Ibrahim Ado Kurawa, Prof himself and Salisu who conceived and hatched the idea of kanoonline - the fruit of which we are all enjoying and finding pride in -  to being.  In it we learn how ideas change the world. How just some three intellectual giants could just sit down some where in some corner probably chewing cola-nut and humouring, think out something, with no money, just the mind, that will cut across the globe and bring or is it YANK ppl of similar identity     to place where they socialise, interact and love one another more. It is really unbelievable!

We also see in the story how some good ppl in the present generation of Nothern Nigerian youths are working hard to see that they help those in the lower cadre (my construct pls) of the northern youth to achieve excellence and recognition in whatever field of endeavour they take. It is very interesting.

Every now and then Prof will spice his articulation with humour in his characteristic professorial grammar. He is always accurate and at the same time spontaneous. Then Nafisah (fulanious) picked the mic and said something nice about everybody on kanoonline she being the lady of the honour and the organiser of the poetry contest.

Dr. Yusuf Adamu is struggling with the mic since the next item is da poetry competion and the Dr. is the president ANA. He speaks now introducing ANA Kano branch to us. Some members also were being introduced to come and give us a heart-smoothening recitation from their work of poetry. Copies where given to us earlier. They now come and recite. Works that are elegantly written and emotionally appealing are resounding in the halls. The rhythms... the cadences, the rise and fall of their voices, Phrases are juxtaposing   to bring the inherent beauty that is in language... Wao!!! Every body is enjoying the poems. Tis s a real knock out! I really am wondering at a time as to where did Kanawa get the sagacity to pen down these intellectual masterpieces until when I learnt later that there is some body from Zaria in ANA kano who is very influential in the name: Dan Masanin ANA kano, Mallam Sulaiman Zailani.

It is then we move unto the session that calls for reading from the Kanoonline.com Poetry Contest winners. It is here that Ibro2g give us his The Call: Prayer, a poem, which everybody loves. Then came Maleeq with his Cry Of thousand Years, though a mix up somewhere picked a different body for the original title of the work. Instead, another poem, The Village, came under the original title of the winning poetry. It too is good, u can trust maleeq all his write-ups carry fine savours. Uhm there I am, I am reciting my Inevitable. Ppl courteously clap for all of us for earning the feats as cameras from all angles are flashing. We are at our seats again.

Every body is happy. I was even wondering at a time if grief and agony are dead forever. Nobody seems to have experienced despondency for life. Then comes the session that gives us all the opportunity to introduce ourselves. " I am Engineer Mahmud Tukur Lawal am from Katsina State I am with Ashaka Cement Plc, and my screen name is EMTL".   Ahhh!!!! The house is picking, " so he is the one, Ok he is the one". The mic is moving again right-wise and ppl are introducing themselves one after another. At any interval u here the cheers and exclamations "Ahhh!!! So he is the one", "so she is the one!!!"

Whenever any Bakano or Bakanuwa picks the mic she/he tries to prove his HADUWA over Bazazzagi and whenever a Bazazzagi picks the mic he only smiles and subtly retaliate appropriately. The jokes are delighting and the moments are gracious. Moments we treasure forever.

Engineer says the words of closing prayer before we move out to the premises of the building snapping pictures in groups. Flash here, flashes there are flashining with smiling teeth of onliners. Oh!! My God im growing short of words to report...

May be we should rewind the events so that all can come around, that I may meet this AbuMujahid and my fighter-friend, DymeQueen. May be we should turn back the hand of the clock that delightful pleasures can visit u too... May be...Maybe... Maybe... we should re-do it again if we cannot rewind the hands of time.

   
 

[Anonymous]

Congratulations all. Maybe I'll get to one.

[gogannaka]

Waziri i dont recall u taking the minutes of the reception..................your description of the recepton is the best i've seen so far.......the event remains a pleasant memory that will never be 4gotten.......

[Waziri]

Gogannaka did'nt u see the one by Jameel in the Weekly Trust Newspaper last week?

Ah Mr David, we will be glad to have u around next time.

[Ibro2g]

It waz d bestest of all times!