The Realest Hypocrisy We Witness But Tears Won’t Allow Us To See It

Alpha Umaru Bah*

Nowadays, the burdens of the world rest on our shoulders. We're so busy struggling for existence that we hardly notice what's happening around us. Some people give far more than they receive, while others receive much more than they give. They say time heals all wounds, yet the poor man thinks only he is wounded, forgetting that the rich also suffer sleepless nights, figuring out how to maintain his standards or manage his finances. The cuts may be different, but the pain remains.

This topic may not bother me directly, but it surely concerns me especially the way we raise funds to bury our late friends or relatives. How quickly we shed tears when we lose them, determined to give them a "befitting" funeral. It's only after they're gone that we suddenly find the courage to write flowery tributes and captions on social media. Deep down, you may truly be expressing grief, but in reality, many are simply eager to show the world how close they were to the deceased. And those likes, comments, and pictures are they really food for thought? We already know the answer.

Have we ever stopped to think that the money we raise for funerals could have been sufficient capital to change their lives while they were alive? What's more heartbreaking than seeing people go to bed hungry, living without proper shelter, or watching their children struggle? Even when they make efforts to check on us, we often ignore them. Yet, when they die, we suddenly want them to have the best of the best funerals. We arrange for the most prestigious funeral homes, the best brass bands, food vendors and halls, not forgetting funeral attire for family and friends. For Muslims, this is often compressed into 24 hours since the dead aren't kept long.

And how could I close this reflection without mentioning the busiest people living abroad? We all know they have vacation time as no one works from January 1st to December 31st without a break. But when a funeral comes, they're quick to buy expensive emergency tickets just to attend, yet they were unwilling to send even $1 or NLe1 while the deceased was alive. I could say more, but let me remind you: this is the realest hypocrisy we witness, but the tears often blind us from seeing it.

*Alpha Umaru Bah, Esq. (A.U. Bah) Is a distinguished legal practitioner, accomplished writer, essayist, and poet. Called to the Bar in 2022, he holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and Sociology, both from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.