It all started out as any other Monday morning. I waited in my well ironed school uniform for my father to come out of our one bedroom apartment and take me to school on his old motorcycle. I for once was eager to reach school on time just to show off my beautifully styled hair to my friends. I bet none of their hair would be as beautiful as mine because my mama was the best hairdresser in our area.
After waiting for a minute or two without him coming out, I turned to go check on him but then Mama Sidi, our neighbour, came running into the compound like the devil was on her heels.
I watched bewildered when she intentionally untied her wrapper and fell down on the ground shouting "they have started O!" just like in the dramas shown on national TV.
God knows I wanted to laugh at her weird behaviour but when Uncle Yaya, our other neighbour, came in with his shoes in his hands and was sweating like a Christmas goat so early in the morning, I knew something was definitely wrong. "Baba, mama," I shouted at the top of my voice for them to come out.
***
People were running helter-skelter. Houses were in flames, and mothers were shouting for their children.
Everything was in total chaos and I was in the middle of it all. I stood there turning in circles in a very dirty uniform with tears streaming down my face.
I couldn't find my parents in the crowd of terrified faces running to save their lives.
Truly, they have started. But the question is who are THEY? And that was what my twelve years old self can't give an answer to.
I was pushed and shoved several times until I finally lost my footing and fell.
The pain from hundreds of feet of the scared people was excruciating. I closed my eyes, praying for everything to stop. It felt like eternity before the pain stopped and the whole area was quiet like a graveyard for a minute.
Yes, a minute. For THEY started dragging people that were unfortunate and stupid to hide in their houses into the street.
A scream almost left my mouth when a headless body landed close to where I lay still. I need not get their attention that I'm still alive. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend that I was dead but that didn't last for long. My heart stopped, when I felt a hand on my shoulder and an angry voice demanding I should open my eyes and stand up. Mama mi Oooo… I am dead!
***
"Titilayo will you get up right now before I lose my patience."
"isn't that mama's voice?" my subconscious mind asked, making me snap my eyes open.
The first thing I saw was the white ceiling, my eyes darted left and right before stopping on my mama's angry face. I blinked once twice to see if I was really in our house, lying on my sleep and die mattress with my mother standing with a hand on her waist and an angry expression directed at me and not in the street, surrounded by dead bodies.
"I don't want to cane you this early Monday morning." she warned and that did it.
I realised all that I saw and felt were not real, it was nothing but a dream, a BAD one at that on a Monday morning.
My body slammed into her and I burst out crying. "mama please don't leave me again," I couldn't help saying between sobs.
"Titi Omo mi, what is wrong?" her concerned voice reached my ears
"Please promise me mama." my hold tightened around her waist.
"Be rest assured, I'm going nowhere Omo mi. Now, clean your tears and go take your bath before mama Sidi removes your bathing water from the bathroom." her anger from a while ago has disappeared and a smile graced her lips as she turned me towards the door. "Don't go and sleep there, your father is waiting Oooo…" she called out and I smiled.
What a Monday morning!
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