NOVEMBER 16TH

It all happened in one second...

The skies were dark, dust wrapped the air, as i lay, faced up in great confusion, her wounded, bleeding body landed beside me.....


This was how it all began....




6:35am

November 16th

Feast of sacrifice




It was a cold, windy harmattan morning, mom woke me up earlier,

she disrupted my dream -it was about ibrahim - my next door neighbour and favourite playmate, i think i like him, i've been trying to force myself to sleep to continue the dream! As i dosed off i was woken with a heavy slap and it was mom, as i was gaining consciousness i realised that my bed was wet.

Oh NO! not again, not today i had bedwetted, after i made a promise to her yesturday,never to bedwet again , as i opened my eyes she was right in my face ranting and screaming displaying fury and anger in every possible gesture and language...




Oh before i forget my name is Halima Bello, i am 13 years old, i just got admitted into Federal governmant college, kaduna. I have never been happlier, i have been giving Allah praise since monday the day before yesturday. Today is the Eid al-adha (The festival of sacrifice) the end of Hajj.

oh! how I love holidays mom gets to cook all sorts of delicacy.



Today started like every other normal morning after the usual me vs. mom early morning fight, i walked to the kitchen did the dishes and had breakfast mom made 'tuwo' with 'nunu' to wash it down we all prayed and ate happily...



I freshened up, took my bath and dressed up, mom and i were going shopping at the local market to shop for the Eid al-adha holiday, a ram for the feast and more 'dawa' (millet) grains.

i had my list ready, mom said i should make a list of all the things i needed for school.

On my list the number 1 item was


-2 sanitary pad sets (i had my first flow last month, mom has been educating me)


i am just too exicted, the haramattan makes it even better, i really love haramattan, the cold wind, the dryness and the smell of dust.



As we arrived the kaduna local market the commotion was high and loud, everybody looked happy and over joyed, women exchanging joyful hugs and chatting expressly. Mom was too busy to notice Mrs. Amadu wave. I spotted the 'kilish' spot,that was my major motivation for following mom to market, as she nearly rushed pass, mr musa stopped her, greeted her politely and asked if she wasn't going to get me some, i was so happy as i winked at mr Amadu and he cheerfully winked back, mom bought #250 pack of 'kilish' for me



We had a stressful walk around the maze of the overcrowded market, as i ate the peppery 'kilish' with my left hand , mom held and dragged me speedily by right hand.A local cart full and heavily packed with our stuff ,dragged by a boy my age following us in speed.

Mom was rushing to the general abattoir to buy and butcher the ram. As we arrived, mom was really angry as her most dreaded scene was taking place, there was a huge crowd, people hitting people, voice colliding, bodies colliding...



While we stood on the long queue waiting for our turn, a man with a long, bugous, black 'caftan' robe flowing down to the tip of his toe with His head tightly tied with arabian scaff, his thick, bushy beard rolling down he climb high, stood high on top of the center abattoir table as he looked left, looked right and rushed his hands under his robe, as i watched the funny looking 'mad' man closely and laughed

he screamed in a loud voice FOR ALLAH!!!!!



And right then was a big deafening blast, i one second everything changed, the beautiful day turned ugly. His black, burning body parts scattered in the air as i ran off in fear, voices screamed high ,tables flew up,rams bleet loud as they flew up into the open sky, the force hit people and scattered the crowd, i was so confused i didn't want to think fear gripped me as the force of the blast hit me against the wall, and i realized it was a suicide booming




It all happened in one second

The skies were dark, dust wrapped the air, as i lay faced up in confusion her wounded bleeding body landed beside me, as i turned it was mom. she was torn in pieces i was too overwheld the shock seized my breath, shouts of tears and sorrow echoed above as i cried and wailed ,i thought of all our fights, and laughter, all our days of struggles since dad's death, her dream of my marriage with ibrahim, our dream of matriculation at ABU, Zaria and i wepted and gnashed my teeth in heart pain. It's all over i am now a helpless orphan.

Just because of one man's belief! What a surprising belief

For Allah's sake what is the point?

Where is the love?

Miss Mary always talks about love, the type she was taught, the type that dies for others freely and doesn't let people perish for nothing the type that took her place on the cross, all i could remember was our last argument on sunday as she said ''love never hurts anybody''




copyright(c) 2010 Okafor Makuochi