This is a conversation I was having with my brother, while watching John Wick: Chapter 2.
Brother: Olavi, what will you do if someone walks through the door with a gun?
Me: Probably punch him in the face.
Brother: (Laughing out loud) what if he shoots you?
Me: (laughing in quiet) Then I die bra that is the end of me.
Brother: That sucks. What if he is pointing the gun at me? What will you do? Will you die for me bra?
You do not want to know how I answered to that. That exchange with my younger brother has been stuck in my head ever since. Such an innocent question, the more I think about it the harder it becomes to answer. If this question had come some years earlier, the answer would have been either my girlfriend at the time or one of my close friends. The rest I was willing to sacrifice a lot for, my parents, siblings even material things, but not die for.
That was back then. A lot has since changed and a lot has happened to a lot of people, me too included of course. The girl I was willing to die for, we do not talk anymore, the homies I was willing to kill for, not anymore. It is probably the same from their side. With what I know now, it should probably be easier to come up with an answer off the bat, but for some reason it just seemed much harder the more I try to find an answer. Maybe I am selfish or greedy with my life, I mean how could I not be able to die for someone.
I wonder if I ever really loved someone to death to the point where I would be willing to give my life for them. I would give my kidney, liver, etc.; to those really dear to me, but my life, I do not know man. This needs more thought.
The friends who I have asked about this gave different answers, but ‘only my mother’ popped up a lot. It is too bad I never really felt that strongly towards a woman or had a ‘mother figure’ that I could share that kind of special bond with.
It is a cold world outside this room, every man for himself. People are out there only to look out for themselves. Anyways until something drastic happens in my life or emotional circuit, the only person I would die for is myself!
Me: You know I would do anything to protect you man, but if I got shot protecting you, and get stuck in a wheelchair, will you push it for the rest of my life?
Brother: That’s kinda f….up.
Me: Will you do it?
You don’t want to know how he responded to that.
Say less- think loud!
* Olavi Popyeinawa has a Diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is currently studying law, LLB at the University of Namibia (Unam). He will weekly contribute this column on youth matters. Instagram: niceguy_olavi Facebook: Olavi Longfellow, Twitter: @OlaviPopyeinawa