Wednesday 2 September 2009

Whispers from the Niger Delta


As the bullet tore into his flesh, Efemena gave a loud cry, “my children! my children!”. He slumped to the ground where his fellow village elders’ lifeless body lay. As he stare at death’s gruesome face, his thought wandered to his soon-to-be orphan children who had lost their mother to cholera, two years ago. He couldn’t stop the tears from pouring.


Another bullet pierced his sides.

His face contorted in pain as thick balls of blood drip from his lips, impeding his speech. His assailant – one of the uniformed men, trampled on the corpse of the slain elders and stood over him with a pointed gun. Efemena could only whisper through a splutter of blood, “God save my children” as his brain exploded.


Onanefe’s scream cut through the lone night like a bullet, puncturing the once serene ambience and frightening the feasting mosquitoes away from their nocturnal preoccupation. A greedy blood-drunk Anopheles whose tiny legs could no longer sustain the bulging thirty-three litres blood tank meant for an abdomen was squashed to death as Edafe wrapped her frail arms around her trembling brother, reminding him that it was only a nightmare. But Onanefe never got over it!


From the chink in the town hall, he had watched those uniformed men massacre his father alongside several village elders under the guise of national dialogue. That morning, they came beaming with smile, with their guns dangling from the side. As they converged at the town Hall, the village elders wore faces brightened with hope. They chatter away like excited kids until the guns put them to sleep. They muzzled them to death with rains of bullets, leaving the villagers fatherless. No doubt, the uniformed men were national assassins!



For years, Onanefe was haunted by that gory sight. Not even the intense African sun could heal the wound caused by such treachery. The seed of hostility evoked by that act of betrayal and nurtured through those nightmarish nights, awakened some sort of dissent – a quest for justice.


In the creeks, small groups of angry youths, without a home to hide when dusk settles have started gathering - learning to trigger the gun!



14 comments:

Straight from the heart said...

Wow! I like this, reminds me of things fall apart, did you write it? Nice

Olufunke said...

Dammy, Dammy
I excited when I saw on my dashboard that you had updated, I hurriedly came to your blog.

I loved the way you wrote this, though sad, but its a true reflection of one of the numerous current evils happening in our society...talk of man's inhumanity to man.

Nice one

How have you been?

Buttercup said...

I'm such a huge fan, it's not even funny!

The Activist said...

Hmmm God save our Iand

Hootin Anni said...

Wow....this is so poignant. What a talent with words you have.

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me today.

Mari said...

You are such a talented writer and artist. Thanks for stopping at my blog today.

steveroni said...

Glad to meet you today on my blog. You sure know how to paint with words

Maybe you blog more frequently on your other one? I'll go find out.
Peace.

Parakeet said...

He finally writes and as beautifully as ever. I hope I can come and take lessons from you one day.

Thanks for checking up on a sis. Are you are gonna continue this piece at some point. It's such a shame how people lose their homes and loved ones because certain people in power made the wrong choices. May God help the helpless.

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

hope all is well. Came by looking for an update...

m1ke said...

this cool. please why have u decided to be a on and off blogger, hope ur alright

Miss Definitely Maybe said...

as ever love your stories, when are you going to update again

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

Unknown said...

@Anonymous: Thanks. I try to be better.

Unknown said...

sad
the niger delta plight

i pray God has a plan
that will change things soon

I pray those affected are comforted
by the holy ghost.