This past weekend, I found out that the second season of Sandman wasn’t actually over, as I had thought. I thought that the Netflix show ended with just eleven episodes. Which is normal to assume, seeing how the platform chooses to release their episodes in batches, than periodically.
However, to my shock, I found out that one more episode was released. The title of the episode is Death: The High Cost Of Living. While it didn’t focus fully on the major Sandman Characters, it didn’t fully classify as a spin-off, because it was still within the same timeline and continuity as the other eleven episodes. However, this particular episode focused on Death, taking time off from her job to walk among humans. We also got to see some new characters, one notable one who is Colin Morgan, many of you would know him as the titular character from Merlin.
Well, this is not a review of the episode, but about something that happened in it that struck me. Death came to the world with little money, and she was able to get through the day without spending much. Not because she was taking things for free, but simply because people were just giving her favors. Everyone she comes across who does a service for her refuses to take her money and says it’s all “on the house”.
And boy, that’s something I would love to experience one day. You know, just buy food from the restaurant, and when I try to pay, they tell me not to worry. And if I ask why, simply because they like my face. Or when I book a ride and the driver refuses to take my pay simply because I’m such a good conversationalist. I could buy clothes, and the boutique won’t pay because of another nice, cuddly reason.
Boy, that would be sweet. Too bad life isn’t Netflix. I can’t even remember the last time I got something for free. And those times, I only got that privilege because they were my close friends or my siblings. But strangers being nice to me just because? Now, that’s not the kind of world I live in, but I would very much like such a world.
The world used to be like that. Back when I was in Junior Secondary School, there were days when I would lie when going to school. I lied that I didn’t have transport fare, or I lost it, just to get some well-meaning adults to either pay for me or lap me. I would then add that extra money either to save up for something or spend it all during break. Or periods when I would squander all my money just to start looking for who would lap me on my way home.
Those were periods when people still looked out for each other, even though they didn’t have much. How much was transport then? With N20 or N30, you could help one kid get to school. It was way easier then to be generous. But now? Going to that same school and back would cost almost N1000. And things are so bad now that people can’t even afford to be generous anymore. Hell, you could be generous and people would suspect you of having ulterior motives. After all, why would you be willing to give your services for free in this hard economy? Are you allergic to money?
Honestly, bad governance didn’t just ruin our economy. It also ruined our empathy, compassion, and generosity towards one another. Things people easily enjoyed back in the day, we no longer do that. All we know now is suffering, and anything that isn’t born of suffering must be suspect. When your neighbor cooks a meal and brings it to you, you suspect them. When you’re randomly gifted, you imagine that there must be something involved. We find it hard to understand that, as humans, we also deserve to be loved and we deserve nice things as well.
I just hope that humanity will find its way back to where we used to be. Back when people could afford to be nice for niceness’s sake and without being scared of getting labeled something you’re not. I can’t stop hoping.
