Chapter 5. The End is Just the Beginning; The Crude Ocean Waves

The stars seemed to have lost their luminating colours. A foul stench of the apocalypse violates the biosphere. Two months since the ordeal where we had last seen papa. the community is unreasonably quiet, the soldiers have returned in their multitude to restore order in our community. They came back prepared. They had modernized weapons such as an armored truck and sophisticated guns which sounded like a granite. 

Hunger had torn down homes. Sicknesses were prevailing in the jurisdiction, we were cut off from the outside world, the media could not project our situation.

They projected us as enemies in their daily news cast, projected us as anarchist and terrorist who can only be quenched by violence. 

Everyone had failed us; the media, the government, the outside sources which my father had believed could protect us. We were not only subdued but forced to watch hunger and death tear through our vanjing  homes.

We were eaten up by kwashiorkor, measles, too many sicknesses to comprehend, too many that we could not cure, we had to the last century where there were no existence of hospitals nor any atom of civilization. 

The rate of crime was at the apex, death was no more a stranger, a blind eye has been cast on us, the spread of disease was epidemic.

Yet we could not receive any assistance, not a single form of aid except the security who parries the community at night, innovating much more destruction. The soldiers were involved in such evil acts such as rape, murder, burglary. Our salvation has transcended to a medium of destruction. 

How much does one have to endure? How long before our ethics dies? How alive do we need to defeat death?

We were in desolation, desperation, depression and in dire need of aid, a panacea to overcome this societal affliction.

The vultures were familiar with our surroundings, preying and feeding on those corpse lying on the street. People who could not even attain the status of being buried but just left as ashes to decay on the path.

Our crops had died, our fishes were gone, our money had no value… some people had turned cannibals, hunting for any flesh just to stay alive. Most of us had given up, this was the apocalypse which had been predicted thousands of years ago.

We were very careful not to step outside, it was not just about being scared of the soldiers but being cautious of the zombies waiting for a prey. This si what the government had turned us to, a living fragment of the “walking dead.” A fragment of life which had died years ago, biosphere cut off from the spherical world. How much longer would it take before we became them?

Our boiling hatred, desperation to breathe in another oxygen in each light that transcends. A piece of rejected people left to fend for themselves against a lion with no weapons. We were left porous to the howls and preys of Hades. 

Each sleep that one takes seems to be the last eyelids to close, we wake with a sigh of relief through our belief has been shattered. What’s more to dream when we had been deserted by those we saw as role models.

The rich and affluent have bought their way out of tragedy, they had forgotten their relations, they had gone to start a new life in a distant environment anesthetic to the tears of distant family.

The soldiers cart away young girls promising them that they would live once they obeyed them, they did such unspeakable atrocities to these young girls redundantly. 

We had fury in our hearts but the fear of dying was more than death itself. We were going to allow ourselves to be pushed towards any cardinal point without action.

Ikem had gotten sick, a high fever, Mama would always try to keep his temperature low – it seemed to be impossible since there was no drugs. I had decided to take a trip into town, I couldn’t just let my brother die slowly without acting. I’d rather die to seeing my brother suffer that kind of fever.

I was not going to allow myself stay in chains.

“Eze, do not leave this house” Mama warned I could see the fears encrypted on her face but I had to assure her that I needed to go, I needed to save my brother, no mountain was going to stop me.

“I need to do this “ I tried reassuring her but she wouldn’t listen.

"I'm going to lose you too” she cried the desperation written all over her face, she had lost hope, last faith in all justification. She had been broken by the turmoil’s life sent on its way. She had been shattered by the bombardment of tragedy. I came closer, placing my hands on her shoulder. I was the man of the house now, this was my job, I would protect my family through any possible means after all the end justifies the means.

  “You will not lose me, Mama” I pledged though I sensed an atom of disbelief in my factual words, I still needed to say it – maybe, she was right for a moment, I might not make it to town but watching my brother slowly give up the ghost was not an option. I have to save Ikem” I paused for a while, assessing the validity of my words, “He needs some drugs, Mama!

“We don’t have any money” she cried. 

I had not thought of a medium to get the drugs yet, I just knew I had to get it. “I will find a way I replied trying to brush off her confusion. Her gaze on me was like “You’re not going to steal."

 I didn’t need the question, she didn’t ask though as I thanked my stars.

I was not ready to live again, she deserved the truth. I took the piece of paper which inscribed the names of the drugs needed.  I took a quick glance at my brother who seemed to be shivering fervently, he seemed to smile but I knew quite well that it was only my imagination. I left them to embark on a dangerous mission which had always been safe in the prior times.

My stomach ruminated, signaling the actuality of my hunger. I had lied to mama when she had gotten bread in the morning. It was only a small piece and seeing them eat seemed to quench my hunger.

“I can do this” I tried reassuring as I stepped outside, the darkness has swelled the environment – total darkness which shielded every atom of light a pictograph imagination of darkness had taken over our community.

I took quiet steps to the store. Most times I would hear low voices, I could only imagine them saying abysmal things, I wasn’t curious, I just wanted them out of my way.

It took longer than I had anticipated, I was quite meticulous, taking quiet steps, avoiding noise so as not to be noticed. I had nearly spit out my heart when a soldier had been real close to me, he was just one gaze before he would see me shaking like a lizard.

I thought he has seen me as I stood frenzied, paused on that particular spot, seizing my breadth. He just went past me nearly brushing my skin. I breathed out in relief, I had nearly been terrified to death, my heart thumping aloud, hard as a rock. I continued walking on though I was extremely scared, I seemed to have consolation in the thought that my brother would be alright, this was a mission possible. 

I was relieved when I saw the water in front of me… Just one more step to fulfill my mission, I took a quick glance surveying the whole area, I could see two patrol soldiers in front of the canoes. “good news, I can’t travel with the canoes” I stepped backwards, took off my shirt then tied it round my waist. I might not be able to row to safety but I could swim to safety. The effectiveness of learning to swim after I had been forced by Ikem who unceasingly tortured me in the village stream. I feigned a smile across my face, as a flashback of my ordeal with Ikem in the stream seemed to amuse me. I slowly leapt into the water avoiding a splash, the depth of the water was quite deep, I tried to maintain my balance with a gentle striding of hands. It only seemed to get more complicated, the depth continued to grow tending to swallow my existence. I struggled to keep afloat, the water seemed to be tugging me under, I took the first gulp of water, managed to keep my head above. Not kidding this was no village stream. I knew for sure I was going to drown if there was no flash of miracle.

What was I even thinking? 

Swim to town… I went down again, then came up trying to keep my stride alive. Stream water was a hydro-oxygen sodium chloride.

I just kept on struggling, somewhere from a distance, I could hear Papa's voice saying “Keep on struggling son, it’s not over” his comforting words trying to erase my misery. He always had words to motivate a drained spirit. I just kept on striding though I knew that it was of no use. I went deep again my eyed closed as enveloped my ears. I gasped for breadth but caught none in return, by body shivering in response to the cold water, my eyes were becoming hazy, probably diluted by H20. I strode once more, this time I caught a hand which pulled me off the river. 

 "Are you okay?" asked the voice.

I nodded my head then slowly drifted into hallucination. I could feel the hard hand hitting on my chest, electrocuting my heart as I gasped out more alive than dead.