A story written by Onuzulike Somtochukwu
I looked into his dark eyes again and wished someone will
wake me up from this horrible dream, but no one did.
What seemed like such a horrible nightmare was in fact
reality. I prayed desperately to whomever that was listening. Not for food or
water, not for the warmth of the sun, not even for light, I prayed that I’ll
shut my eyes and when I re-open it all be a horrible nightmare. I sat there
with my eyes shut, and then I heard him yell ‘come brother!’
I opened my eyes immediately and realized he had since
left the car, and was standing on a pile of what seemed like a rock near our
fire. I struggled to stand and my head resumed its frantic pounding. I held my
head as if to steady it and slowly made my way towards him.
‘Is that light I see?’ He asked, pointing to the sky.
I looked up squinting to see clearly.
‘That looks like a star’ I replied my heartbeat
quickening.
‘Or maybe not,’ he said. The excitement I heard in his
voice when he called out was replaced by same old hopelessness. He came down
from pile of rock, and moved closer to the fire adding a couple of already half
burnt wood and a handful of rubbish. I walked back to the car and sank into the
seat, soon sleep dragged me under.
It has been quite a while now, perhaps weeks or even
months. There was no way of counting. I know because more lights or stars
appeared in the sky giving us hope. Sometimes hope is seen as weakness, as a delusion,
but it’s this hope that lets us survive. It’s this hope that lets us bend but
remain unbroken. It’s our hope that makes us human. The journey to find food
has become dreary, we go deeper exploring places we dared not go to before and
come back empty. Bello is giving up I can see It in his eyes. He barely talks
to me now, just the usual grunt. If we don’t find food anytime soon we wouldn’t
survive. I have to find food I have to explore more, and I have to go alone to
make it faster. As I made this decision, I looked at Bello to make sure he was
still fast asleep. Slowly I opened the car door, taking the huge stick we
carved out to aid in walking, the pen knife Bello had found and other
necessities. I started my journey hoping that before Bello wakes I’ll be back.
I trudged on and on deeper and deeper into the dark. The stars in the sky were
my only comfort. I had gone for this same food hunting severally with him but
it felt different now, I was free! Stopping to light my stick and explore when
I want without the older man’s disapproving glance or irritating grunt. The man
I had seen when I opened my eyes was gone. The man who called me brother is now
replaced by an old lost being, my heart contracted involuntarily. I walked on,
I had somehow stopped myself from thinking of what I was before now, who I was,
were and how I lived. The basic knowledge of things had since returned, but how
I got that knowledge I can’t tell. Where they people who cared about me? I
shook my head blocking out those thoughts.
Shfrrrrrr! A shuffling sound! I froze for a moment.
I looked around
slowly and realized I was so lost in my reverie that I hadn’t noticed my
surroundings. I quickly lighted my stick, Bello and I never explored up to
here, we mainly looked for burnt shops avoiding the main routes. Once i asked
that we go further there might be help, we might find people, he shook his head
gravely, saying ‘brother, believe me it’s just us now or maybe some creatures
of the dark but no human.’ I never
brought that up again but look at here! I marveled, I was in a place that
looked like the heart of a city. The road though big holes and cracks were on
them you could see they were different, not dusty but dark and hard. Asphalt!
My brain registered. I moved closer lifting up my lighted stick and taking in
everything I could see in one glance. Destroyed buildings; in some only pillars
were standing, metallic junk of what would have been cars by the side. Then I
heard the sound again. The first tiny niggle of fear crept up my spine, I
looked around but there was no one in sight. I moved to the destroyed houses
and climbed behind them, blowing off my light, I bent and listened.
Nothing
I tip toed on, hoping to come across food soon, my nerves
were jumpy but I continued. I walked on and on, sometimes feeling everywhere
with my hands and making a mental calculation of how many turns I had taken. Just
then I saw it! Green pair of eyes like two emerald lights was just ahead of me!
Few yards away, it was moving! I felt blood drain out of my face and a sick
knot of fear somewhere in my intestine. I didn’t realize I had stopped
breathing too until my chest threatened to burst open. My first thought was to
light up my stick, but if I did that I would be giving myself away. Maybe the
creature whatever it was hasn’t sensed my presence yet. I slowly tried to tiptoe
back, I thought of Bello and how right he was, then the creature cried.
Or rather it was a meow, I lighted my stick with little effort,
it was startled and ran a cat! I almost laughed in relief. I knelt there for a
moment then it registered, if a cat survived this, then it’s not just me and Bello!
There could be other people! I was almost sure of it. My strength was renewed
by this realization and I continued on my quest this time more boldly, I climbed
from behind the destroyed buildings and moved to the open. After I had walked
for a while, I noticed a scrawling on the wall of one of the buildings. I moved
closer.
LASTDAYS CHURCH.
no. 6 adeyopo avenue
I stood there for a while, examining it. Whoever wrote
this wrote it after the sun died not before. The scrawl was fresh and was done
hastily and it was on top of the soot. The soot would have covered it if it was
written before, energy surged through my veins, adrenaline sizzled as different
possibilities came floating in my head, I had new purpose not just to take back
food to Bello but good news! But first I have to find this address. I half ran,
half walked searching wildly for any clue. I found more of the scrawling on
different half destroyed buildings, there was no hope of food in sight, but the
joy in my heart was indescribable, I searched on, following the writings and lighting
up my stick when it burns off, finally it stopped. I had gone past four buildings with no writings.
I traced back to the last one, it was a huge building that looked like it had
either been a bank or a huge store. It stood stronger than the others but also
burnt. I walked in, nothing, no one was here. I called out, no answer.
As I turned to leave, I caught a movement; a figure was
half hidden in the shadows. I felt the icy cold fingers of fear again gripping
my heart, and my heart in response thundered loudly that I feared the empty
hall would echo it.
Hello! I called out again.
The figure came out from the shadow, male from the shape
and size of it. Fear won me over, my knees became weak. As the figure made its
way towards me, I clutched the pen knife. Subsequently the light started going
dim, it was burning out. Panic seized me I dropped the pen knife to reach for
the lighter in my pocket, just then a powerful light flashed, torchlight. The
figure spoke.
‘Who you be?’ he asked in a fluent pidgin English.
‘I amm am sorryyy,’
I stuttered. ‘I saw the address.’
He came closer, with my light gone I couldn’t see him,
the flashlight blinded me.
‘Oh sorry’ he retorted noticing I was uncomfortable and
pointed the beam upwards.
Then I saw him, he was young, a pallid face without
emotions, his eyes didn’t seem to suit his young face, it told a tale of
anguish, suffering and pain.
‘My name is Tunde’ he said. Not waiting to hear my reply
he moved and beckoned on me to follow, I did relieved that I didn’t have to answer
him. How was I supposed to explain that I don’t recall my own name? As we
walked down a flight of half destroyed stairs, I noticed he had a limping gait.
Then we arrived in front of an iron door. He dragged it open, there was more stairs
beneath like we were going underground.
Then he stopped
abruptly and asked ‘did you see any other survivors?’
‘No’ I replied in a strange voice I hardly recognized as
mine. Then I told him about Bello and the journey /quest for food.
‘We are around 20 here’ he replied pushing another iron
door.
We were ushered into a big hall, bright as I haven’t seen
in a while. Candles were lighted everywhere, and people sat around in a circle,
laughing, talking. Soon silence ensued as they acknowledged my presence, a
woman stood and moved towards me, she looked young but motherly, and without
asking questions she took me in her arms. Before I could blink, they were all
around me, handshakes, hugs, laughter and a million ‘you’re welcome.’ My heart
warmed the feeling was strange yet oddly familiar. The woman grabbed my hand ‘When
was the last time you had a hot meal,’ she sang.
Soon a hot plate of food was placed before me, I hadn’t
realized I was crying till I tasted salt in my mouth. Here it is! I thought people
survived!!! Oh Bello will be so glad. While i devoured the food, they all sat
in silence watching me. Tunde was standing by the corner his little red eyes
fixed on me. I told them a little about Bello and i and how we’ve survived. Two
young men volunteered to go back with me immediately and get Bello. I hesitated
wondering if Bello would approve, the woman came to me
‘God loves you Nnam’ she said, ‘We are survivors like you
and your friend, and here we stick together. We don’t live in despair, we know
help will come, we survived for a reason, I joined them awhile back, others
likewise. I was a registered nurse working in Enugu General Hospital before all
this happened, I lost my family, but I haven’t lost my faith. Go with them and
get your friend, we are stronger together, help will come my child.’ I looked
into her warm eyes and for the first time I felt safe.
We got ready,
taking flashlights and batteries, water and food and soon embarked on our
journey to where Bello and I camped. As we walked, the men hummed in deep low
tones.
We were now closer to where Bello and I camped. I felt
light headed; I held a certain respect for the older man, after-all he did save
my life.
We walked on, the
men humming songs that were familiar and yet strange, finally we got there. The
fire had since died, with the help of the flashlights we had I could see Bello was
still sleeping in the car, I ran to him with joy.
Bello! I yelled as I climbed into the car.
He was motionless. Still in the same position I left him,
I nudged him lightly to wake him up
No response
I called and nudged him over and over.
Nothing
Bello! Fear seized
my heart again, I had gotten used its iciness. I pushed him more violently now,
he was out, cold! I felt my head growing big ,my knees melted away , my heart
palpitated , I was trembling , I heard myself groan but it didn’t feel like me,
it was an animalistic groan! My mind was befogged, I saw the men rush, I saw
them push Bello, I saw them reach for his pulse, I saw them shake their head
sadly and cover him up, they were
talking but I wasn’t listening, one touched my shoulder and said something, I
nodded . All I could see was Bello’s face, his dark eyes, his crooked smile, I
could see him dab my forehead nervously, I could hear his awkward grunts. I sat
in the car for what seemed like hours, finally I was getting over the shock.
Bello is dead. How unfair is life? He survived the worst only to die still. It seemed
surreal. I looked around noticing that the men were still standing near the car.
‘There’s no means of burying him,’ the taller one said.
‘No shovels and there seem to be no way of improvising,’
he continued, we have to cover him up him here.
I packed the few necessary things we owned, stopping
momentarily to look at him. I felt numb, it was obvious he was dead, and had
been for a while too, was he dead when I was here I thought, and fear slid
through again. I covered Bello completely, and closed the car door. I left the
pen knife and lighter in his hands, and we prepared for our journey back. I
still felt numb as we continued our journey back to the last days church.
Perhaps
there was still hope, perhaps we will all die just like Bello but the resilience
of humans is what keeps us from perishing.
As we got closer to the last days church the tall one
spoke
‘You know you never told us your name,’
‘Bello,’ I replied.
‘My name is Bello.’
(image from instagram)
(image from instagram)
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