At the face of hunger

The law is enacted to guide human endeavors. There is a popular saying that a community without law is a community without crime. What this means is that even if someone murders another person, it can't be seen as a crime if there is no law in place that kicks against murder. It's very rare to see a crime that can be defended. However, one crime that I can justify is when someone steals food to satisfy his hunger at a desperate moment.

Many years ago, a clergyman preached about it. He said that if someone steals from a farm and the motive is to quench hunger for that moment, such an action won't count as a sin against him. However, he must make sure he only takes what is enough for him at that moment. Taking anything extra to serve him for another time is stealing. It was since then that I agreed with this position.

If you have never been hungry to some degree, you may not understand how hunger can push someone to do some crazy things. Instead of starving, it is more rational for one to make use of whatever he can lay his hands on to quench his or her hunger.

When I was in primary school, an incident happened that I will never forget. I was in primary 4 then. My parents used to give me money for lunch every morning before leaving home. On this fateful day, I was given 10 naira as usual. The money was enough for me to buy rice and fish and have a decent lunch as a schoolboy. The good old days when our currency was more valuable.

During the lunchtime of this said day, I went to the food vendor to buy food, but unfortunately I couldn't find my money. I searched everywhere, from my pockets to my bag, but couldn't find it. I went to my class and sat down quietly. The hunger was pounding my stomach with full force. I initially thought of enduring the hunger till the school closed for the day. After some minutes I couldn't hold on anymore. An idea occurred to me to go and beg the food vendor to sell food for me on credit so that I would pay her the following. After listening to me with teary eyes and a cracking voice, the elderly woman who was like a mother figure to my fellow pupils and me agreed to my request. She sold the food for me with the expectation of getting her money the following day.

Upon getting home, I was finding it difficult to inform my parents. My dad frowned at buying things without paying immediately. He used to advise my siblings and me never to develop that habit. After dragging it in my heart back and forth, I informed my parents after dinner that night. My dad flared up. He blamed me for being careless with my lunch money. He wondered where I got the courage from to buy food on credit. It took the intervention of my mom to convince my dad that it is better to do that than to starve.

They both agreed that once hunger is involved, a man can defy some principles to quench the hunger. I hold a similar opinion to this day. A hungry man can go to any length to put food in his stomach. If his crime is to steal food to eat at that moment, I can defend it.