I’m always the cynosure of all eyes when I walk pass. I get mocked or bullied often which made me a scardy little cat. Some view me as an ‘ Ebora’ as my yoruba folks will say or spirit; others see me as a curse while others see me as a punishment meted out by the gods of the land. I just thought I had that ‘ X’ factor. It took long to accept who I am and who I was. I was always low in confidence, isolated, lonely in my own world. I found solace in my fantasy; a world full of ordinary people with no discrimination. I was just one of them; a normal human. And then I came across a news where people of my kind were used for rituals and instead of fear I felt something strong, something new. A fire was lit in my inner self; a volcano more like it. I felt alive. Comic books always speak of X- men; the most popular mutant story out there. Stories about Wolverine, Magneto, Storm and all other mutants and I wanted to be a hero fighting all these injustice. Renewed with this new found power and vigour; I walked past people filled with confidence and they stared hard wondering who this pompous ass was (pardon the language). No one dared accost or mock me for a while. Until someone ignorant did. ‘ Hey afin’, the tout called me and I ignored but he persisted, ‘ albino’. I stopped in my track and the normal me would have ignored him but the fire blazed in my eyes. ‘ Don’t you ever call me that’, all words laced with ice. He was shocked and backed off. I continued walking with a smile. But what do I call myself?, you’d wonder. I was born to stand out, to be different, the real X-men and not some comics, I was born superior to all men (no pun intended); I am……Mutant….. www.realyans./2016/04/14/i-am-mutant/

Baba alaja..I dey feel you