The Cry of the Deprived

A cry is heard from afar.
The cry of the deprived is not to be confused with the cry of hunger or the cry of pain. It is a cry so desperate that it can only be compared to the cries of an animal in a trap.

Who are we to blame for the cry, and who are we to blame for those tears that drip down the cheeks of the innocent?
We have all heard the cry of that deprived. It is loud and demanding, it is siren-like in its urgency and it cannot be ignored. It’s a cry for attention, help, love, and for care.

This is not the cry of a newborn or even a toddler who has fallen and gotten hurt. This is the cry of an adolescent, a wife/husband, a son/daughter, or an orphan deprived of their share of love, care, and attention.

Who will help stop the tears?

Who can confidently say to the deprived, cry no more for I am here for you, you can count on me?

Your wife/husband doesn’t want your time if you are tired after a hard day at work or preoccupied with your smartphone or laptop. She/he wants your undivided attention because this means something to her/him.

The cry of the deprived is a sound most of us dread. A cry of frustration and desperation is still looming high.

It is a strong, piercing scream. It occurs when there is distress as a response to an emotional need not being met. The cry can be heard over long distances and is often described as noise from that man/woman.

Can you keep silent for a minute just to understand the meaning of the cry?

The cries of the community are nothing but a joint cry of all its members. Christians, Muslims, and the Traditionalists are supposed to be the ones who know what their cries mean, But…
They are unable to control the volume at which they cry so that we can hear them better,

But still, we pretend not to hear their cry.

And now,  there is a new and disturbing sound: the cry of the deprived who has everything and feels unloved, rejected, and not respected.
This cry is heard in most homes across the country. In fact, it’s heard everywhere, even at the last end of the earth.

The cry of the deprived is a cry for help, care, love, and affection.

Yet what about the wife, the husband, sons, and daughters whose cries for love and attention are ignored? Or worse yet, what if caregivers respond by yelling at them, punishing them, or ignoring the cries altogether?
What happens when caregivers fail to respond consistently and warmly?
What if they don’t respond at all?

Your guess is as good as mine

By: Stephen Adzasu