Another episode begins...
Read below..
When we moved to Kaduna state, mother promised it would be fine, she
said it was for the better, she said a lot of things. I was hurt
though, I loved Enugu, the topography , the serenity, the school, the
friends, the neighborhood, the food, I could go on , but, we had to
move, father says we must .
Father was promoted at work, promoted and then transfered, now, he
would get a car and a house on the company's account, we would be rich
, our dreams would come true. Truth is, I never wanted to move, I
didn't like Northern Nigeria, I have heard too many evil stories, why
would I want to live in a place where terrorism is the order of the
day? Mother said , " Don't judge a book by it's cover, this people are
nice", who am I? Who am I to challenge mother? So, I left Enugu in
tears and a little of hope, but, my hope wasn't just dashed, is was
smashed. At first Kaduna was great, I found the place calm, amusing,
until yesterday……
Yesterday, Mother went to buy something, she ran back home without
her slippers, her wrapper was falling, Father jumped up when he saw
her bolting the door like we were under attack.
"Nwanyi, isi onë mebi gi?" Father was angry at first but, he calmed
the minute he saw mama shaking and gathering Kene and
Tobe in her arms, Kene is our second -to- the-last born and Tobe is
the family's baby, the last-born.
"They just bombed the market, those terrorists are killing people,
let's spend our time together, please?" Mother was talking to no one,
she was looking at no one, she rushed through her words and then
looked at me, tears flowed from her eyes.
"Terrorist?" Father ran to the window and shook his head, "Why did we
move?" I wondered who he was asking, it couldn't even have been me.
"Take the kids inside, hopefully, they wouldn't come here before the
soldiers get here" Father's problem was, he trusted in the military
too much, one would think he had them at his disposal, we could have
ran, but , no! The military would come to save us, they didn't, they
never did!
It was just getting dark when noises of gun shots rang in the air,
fire was everywhere, shouts followed, cries of babies, women wailing.
Mother ordered us to sleep, but, I didn't even lay down a minute, I
stood by the window and starred into the night, I saw a man in black
cut Mama Musa into bits, yes, I saw it. In all my nineteen years of
living, I have never seen such hate, such blackness, such evil, I
shook with terror and looked at my siblings who laid down with eyes
open, the twins were starring into space, Ebere the fairer of the twin
was saying something no one could hear or rather no one wanted to
hear.
The knock on our door was sudden but, I had expected it, they were
going house to house, where were the military? I urged my siblings to
follow me to the living room, Father and Mother dragged us all to the
back door, mother kissed us , father didn't do or say anything, he
only looked me in the face , I knew he meant to say "if you survive
this, be a better man than I was" . Mother smiled at me , urging me
to run with my siblings, "run till your last breath is sapped, we
would meet up with you, if fate allows" she whispered.
Gbammmm, our door fell, we heard it, I shook in pain, so, this was
life, this was fate?
"Kill them" The words we heard before father told us to run out the
back of the house, I and my four siblings, he and mama would stay back
and fight. As we ran , headed for nowhere in particular, I wonder if
we would survive, its finally our turn to be attacked, I knew we would
never see mother and father again, we weren't the first to be
attacked, we won't be the last.
"Run!" We heard as we ran , it was Mr Chibuzor, he was our neighbor ,
he held his children as they ran ,we decided to join them , I grabbed
Tobe and Kene while the twins held hands , together we ran, as we ran,
we heard gunshots, saw dead bodies cut open with macheté, we ran and
kept running .
"See, see those ones, kill them" one of the men on black said,
pointing to our escaping party. Mr Chibuzor left his family and ran
off, one man for himself, this was real life, in real life, heroes
die, there aren't heroes , because, no one likes to die.
"Run!" I said to my siblings, "Run until you die" I repeat as I let go
of Tobe and Kene's hands, I turned , I wanted to hold this men off
while my siblings escaped , I am not father, I am a better man. I
picked a big stick and looked back at my siblings, knowing i would
probably never see them again.
The men on black laughed as they looked at me , holding my stick for defense.
"Hero!" One of the men said as he looked at me, little me, holding a
stick for defense.
"Heroes die" another one said, looking saddened at my bravery.
"We shall I die" I whispered with so much pain as I looked at all the
bodies, the stream of blood, it gave me shivers, cold shivers.
"What's your name?" One of them asked smiling, maybe at my
foolishness, maybe because he had never been confronted, not even by
the giant men.
"Emeka " I said , my brain waves communicated something to me ,
instantly, i turned to run , I am no hero , I know I would die but, I
better give life a shot.
A hand grabbed me by the heel,
"We shall all die" I whispered and awaited death .
Written by Duruem Gory Ada
Psalmadaobi@gmail.com
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