MY ORDEAL✊✊
Episode 90.
✍🏼 by Miriam Edem (Miriam Eyen Efik)
We had something to eat, dressed up and decided to see what’s going on in the village. When we drove in it was kind of calm and we decided to st©p first at Benson family house.
We were welcomed and taken inside by them,
“So what happened that night? Linda crush asked.
“Where did you guys go to? We looked for you everywhere, the sister replied.
“Iyeh so we for stay make they break our head? You been no see the way the youth vibr@te come dey attack us as if we been stand on their way? E better we go o, the funniest replied.
“You don’t nee-d to ask what happened, everyone saw what their eyes has never seen before that’s why people are inside. I entered my house past 2 this morning, she replied and we looked at ourselves.
“Are you serious? What exactly happened? Did some b©dy die? I asked.
“Someb©dy? Only someb©dy you are asking? They are all dead and their b©dy is littered everywhere, didn’t you see them as you drive in? She asked and we shook our head.
“Then it means their families most have secretly took them away but they swore to bring the police to pick all of us, that’s why people are inside their houses o in case the police comes, she replied.
“Ahh if na like that we come for wrong time na, the funniest said and Linda crush angrily looked at him.
“And that’s not all, Manfred house together with the rest houses were all burned down, she continued.
“What! We all shouted.
“E no concern us, so what’s up with Benson burial? Because that is what is keeping us here, Linda crush said and they heaved.
‘With what is going on here I don’t know if I can talk with the youth at least to dig his grave, he died a painful death and I think he should have a very simple and mournful burial, an elderly woman replied.
“Yes we talked about it yesterday, the grave can be dug today and he can be buried tomorrow, his sister added.
“Anything you say, we said.
“So what is going to happen now? The villagers are scared, his sister said.
“Let’s go see their bodies, I wish I can see the ones I really love to see, I said.
“Dora you’ll throw up, the guys took time to ru-bbish them like animals, Benson sisters and.
‘Is it even necessary to see them? Like how important are they anyway when they are alre-ady dead? Uche asked and I nodded.
“Its true, I’ll go see my fathers house then, I said.
“Yea good place, the guys agreed and we stood up to leave.
“Thank you Dora, we will go see visit the mortuary later, they said.
“No problem, we will be here early in the morning to know the next arrangement, I said and we left driving down to my fathers house.
My fathers house was like a mini forest with gras-ses growing around it.
We slowly walked in using our hands to p@rt the gras-ses as I couldn’t believe I was really in my fathers compound.
I went straight to my father grave and began uprooting gras-ses with tears rushing down my cheeks, the guys tried holding me but I pushed them away.
I just knelt down in the little place I was able to clear crying at the pathetic grave before me.
They decided to let me be as I cried remembering our happy family then.
I saw my brothers pla-ying round the compound and running to my parents whenever they return.
Then my dad left, we tried fixing ourselves and were still happy until my mom followed and everything shattered.
This is a place that holds important memories I never want to p@rt it, but its looking like a jungle.
“Continue resting in peace Papa, rest in peace, I cried cleaning my tears and Uche held me up..
“Its okay dear, he said and I looked round again.
“I nee-d to do something right? I asked.
“Sure it won’t be difficult. Just pay some youths to get the place in order before you get back to £r£¢tstructures on their grave, Uche replied and I nodded sniffing.
“That’s right, i nee-d to see my mom, I said.
“Are you sure about that? Uche asker and 3 guys walked in.
“Dorathy, they called out as they approached us, shook hands with the guys and greeted me..
“You c@m£? One of them asked and they nodded.
“Sorry the house was taken away from you before, but don’t worry its yours now and no one can struggle it with you, another said.
“I know that alre-ady thank you. plea-se can something be done about this? Don’t worry I’ll pay, I said.
“No its okay you don’t have to pay, we will gladly do it as fun, don’t worry, they replied and I smiled.
“Thank you, and another thing I will love to change the doors and windows and paint it all over again, I said.
“Why not renovate it as once? Uche asked.
“Good idea, but I’ll nee-d someone here to help me look after the job but I don’t know who, I said.
“Dorothy you don’t nee-d to ask who, you see everyone here, we are at your command and whatever you say we will do, the youths said.
“Are you serious? I asked.
“Yes Dorothy, if not you c@m£ things wouldn’t have changed in this village and we are very happy you c@m£ to open our eyes to the evil going on and we have personally purge it away from us,they said.
“I heard what you guys did, is it not risky? I asked.
“We don’t care and we are waiting for the so called police to come, we don’t mind burning them alongside with that idiot b©dy that is coming today, we are prepared waiting for them, they replied and I heaved.
“Its alright but plea-se be careful, I said.
“Sure, so about the renovation stuff we will talk about that later right? I asked.
“Anytime Dorothy, okay we will go now, they said bowing their heads to the guys and left and i was so happy.
“Dora look at snake, look at snake! The funniest shouted pointing at the gras-s and i shouted falling on Uche while they bur-st out laughing at me.
“See you, come let’s go joor, Linda crush said and i ran after the funniest…………..
We got to my mother grave and just like my father grave, gras-ses was just growing on it.
We saw chains around it with a cross stick that has fallen over her head.
I didn’t find the tears to cry at what my eyes saw, but I just gently took up the stick and tried ma-king it to stand but it was too weak.
I saw the guys drawing the stick with chains from the ground,
“God punish Una there! Linda crush said throwing it away leaving my mother grave n-ked in the midst of the bushes.
“Don’t worry we will come do the right thing here soon. But do you know, your uncle properties now automatically belongs to you and your brothers? The guy who saved us said.
“I don’t care about his properties, i can get mine, I said.
‘Yes you can get yours but that’s how God punished him. He used his hands going after wealth forgetting he has no child of his own to inherit it. His two houses are burned down, see God punishment, Uche said and we began to hear noises down the village.
“Something is going on, I said and we ran out of the bush in a Hurry……
A black car in an ambulance form was coming with 3 expensive jeeps, while the villagers were busy shouting raining curses at it behind.
“No place to bury am oooo carry am go because we go burn am o! The youth shouted blocking the cars.
Hefty guys c@m£ out from the car to address them but they refused hearing them,
“Make Una respect yourself carry am go o! We swear if you bury am we go comot his b©dy for ground this same night burn am. As we dey respect Una, carry am go oo oo oo! The guys shouted while we just cornered ourselves laughing at the show.
A big man c@m£ out with a briefcase of money probably to appease the youth and we watched to see their reaction..
They bur-st out laughing at the man,
“Oga eh, this money no go bring back our youths wey don die for this man hand, abeg no allow us talk again o, carry am go o! A guy shouted and one drew a machete violently on the ground that made the man raised his hands up in fear despite his b©dy guards are around.
“Okay okay fine, but no one told us about this development and this is so embarras-sing, no matter the wrong he has done just forgive him plea-se i beg you and let’s cover him in his land, another big man said.
‘we-tin dey to forgive am? As he become s£nator or whatever he been dey hold for lagos, which thing he don do for this village? You don see road? You don see light or water? No clinic sef yet we get person like Manfred. The only handwork he sabi na to carry our good guys to run errand for am as the only employment, most of them don die in the process and he go come back lie cry crocodile tears give us. No vex us o oya start to go sef, a youth said.
“If land no dey for cemetery again to bury am, throw am for water na or dash medical student to carry do practicals, no too stress yourself because we don offer am willingly as sacrifice to any gods you wan give, the funniest shouted.
“Correct talk there! My friends concurred and I was busy laughing.
“Okay if you say so, the men said looking around confused, shook their head, got into their cars and drove off while the youths cheered themselves happily and Linda crush went to the front to speak to them.
“My guys Una dey give me joy overflow and i love the courage una gather, if every youth dey like una, Naija for better i swear! Eh I no be politician wey go give sweet promises but i no go forget Una at all, but i get advise for Una. Now wey bad bad things don go, e go bad if any person climb say e wan rule then bring wickedness come after all this stress, e no go sweet. This village nee-d development and only better person wey love this village go carry am out.
Make Una try help yourselves to improved wella, but if any heavy bar enter our hands as we wan go hustle, we go support Una to push this village to the next level, Linda crush said and they happily cheered at him.
“To add to what he said and as a proud youth of this place, i will be back here again and i promise to do something no matter how small it is, I said and they cheered at me and thanked me for things i didn’t even do.
We used that opportunity to talk about Benson burial, and they happily agreed to get to work for tomorrow…….
The guys in that happy mood bought crates of beers,wine and gallons of palm wine for the youths as merriment for what they have done.
In the process few youths were alre-ady bringing down the forest in my fathers compound, and i was so happy that day as we retired to our h0tel that night so free to return for Benson burial tomorrow morning and take off immediately he’s covered………….
Tbc