Flapping For Freedom

As I crept slowly along the riverbank, I noticed two geese that seemed to be involved in a conversation. Awed by their posture, I decided to take photos of them with my phone. In less than sixty seconds, I took three pictures as one of them flapped its wings. Satisfied with my accomplishment, I continued my quiet walk.

When I got home from the walk, I took another look at the photos. For some reason, these photos brought a lot of childhood memories intertwined with emotions words cannot express. Additionally, the birds reminded me of two people in love. Although the pictures did not need editing, I thought they looked perfect together as a picture when I used my Instagram layout. Therefore, I deleted the three photos and kept this one.

It has been three years now since I took shots of these photos, yet my heart still beats with excitement each time I look at them. Today I have the opportunity to share with the world what this picture means to me. I hope your heart beats like mine after reading this.

I come from a region in Africa that has suffered convulsions of war. In my opinion, the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) has not known positive peace since the day the first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba was murdered. Yes, there is something called negative peace in International Studies. However, I will not waste time on that because we are not in a classroom. Let us focus on what I am about to share. The DRC, my country of origin, has various conflicts that have a different impact on Congolese. This story will highlight the influence of the current conflict on a couple that is related to me, whom I will call them Jack and Jane.

Jack is originally from Rwanda, and Jane is originally from the DRC. These two African countries had a stable relationship until the mid-1990s after the Rwandan genocide. Sadly, today most Congolese are Rwandophobic due to several political reasons. As a result, Jack and Jane kept their relationship a secret even though they lived across the ocean in a first world country. They both feared how their respective communities would react to their relationship.

It is generally accepted that no matter how hard we may try to hide it, the truth always comes out. Consequently, the truth came out when Jane's parents found out she was pregnant. Usually, in the Congolese culture, when things like this happen, the lady’s family will meet with the guy’s family, and at the end of the day, they will get married. However, as I mentioned earlier, most Congolese have become Rwandophobic due to political reasons. Therefore, Jane was not allowed to marry the love of her life because he’s Rwandan. My Congolese people preferred that she continued her studies, and they take care of the child instead of her marrying a Rwandan. It was summer when I heard about Jane, and I enlisted to participate in a quiet walk by the river. As I pondered about her situation, I saw these geese. To me, they seemed to be lovers who escaped from the flock of geese nearby. Not only did these geese avoid the crowd, but they escaped to freedom.

Freedom is different things to different people. To me, freedom is escaping the pressures of society, such as other people’s expectations of us. Freedom is the unlimited, unrestricted expression of who we genuinely are physically, mentally, and financially. Freedom is the ability to contribute and make a difference for the good of humanity. Freedom is external and internal peace. When I close my eyes, I see freedom looking like a goose flapping its wings. Can you see it too? Do you see how it flaps its wings? If you can see it, you can feel it. This is why your heart is now beating like mine. However, are you FREE?