The enemy is outside there, lurking somewhere, hidden or in the vicinity, cocking his gun ready for a shot, sharpening his blade for a stab, bending his bow for the arrow strike, and gathering words in his tongue—words sharper than the blade, the bullet or the tip of the arrow—to provoke you into his way. With enough push—considerably effortless-- they throw us on their way and they are justified to slit our throats; we crossed their way and that's a consequence.
It's interesting finding an enemy and labelling one. Is there an enemy to begin with? Yes. Probably there is. And who is this enemy? Anyone. Everyone. Someone. Someone who bullied you in the past and you haven't forgotten their face and the antics they employed in bullying you. Someone who fucked your girlfriend and you couldn't punch them in the face. Someone who laughed at you on your first day at school. The man in a suit walking beside you who makes you feel inferior in your tattered casuals. The dog that barked at you when you walked near its master's fence; the owner of the dog who didn't stop his dog from barking. The bee that stung you when you threw a stone on the beehive. The friend who snitched you to your other friend. The landlady who knocks at your door in the middle of the night to ask for your rent. Everything is damn enemy. Every damn thing.
There is never a low supply of enemies. There never will be a less supply of enmity. There is an enemy, everywhere, anywhere. Its inevitable.
Stop for a while and ponder; who's an enemy to you? You have it there. It's just a damned word. A fearful word. A bad-assed word. It's just a word with less meaning. What's enmity? It's enmity right! For hell's sake its enmity. And it cease at that. Just an idea. Just an arbitrariness. Just a void. Nothing more.
There's more at play with words and in words. Words are words, arbitrary with nothing to do with what is described. They are a channel, a channel with something borrowed, something adopted for the moment and they cease to carry something when they are put on the light. They cease to live and we see them for what they are; a play in a play. We see the play itself and our fears are confirmed. Enmity and enemies exist, undeniable. But enemies are not outside there. Enemies and enmity exist not, deniable. They are here sitting with you. They were there sleeping with you. They will be there walking with you. They are here and they are not here. They are here and nowhere.
Inventing enemies is an inevitable necessity for everyone, for everyone's survival. It's a code of survival itself. Inventing enmity serves the chaos of comfort and certainty. Since we are always different from each other, we have to brand everyone who's opposite with us, who harbour another strange personality. We are mad, wallowing in different depths of madness and those not in our level depth are enemies. Our madness, our weirdness, is the basis of us making enemies and us being enemies to others. Our personalities are the firewood of our enmity. Opposite poles attract; not always. Like poles repel; not always. Attraction and repulsion is to some level; like attracts most and opposite repels most.
Enemies are invented when repulsion is stronger than attraction, when toleration is none to the repulsion.
Where does the worm at the center of a rotten apple come from? The apple is intact and seems healthy but upon a bite you find its rotten and the worm is at the center. The worm, like enmity is always there; like enemies, it will always be there. It has always been there germinating with the seed of the apple tree.
In scrutiny, enemies are the people we are fearful of because they hold different views and opinions, embody different perspectives and personalities.
We possess no better word to call brand the worm in the apple but to call it enemies.
Kabwere Musa
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