CAPTAIN EMEKA: The Civil War

CHAPTER THREE

The distinct chatters became louder and clearer, but he still couldn't make out what they were saying or who they were, neither could he open his eyes to see who they were, he dreaded his fate. Their voices were different from any other he had heard before, so he was sure he was not in a hospital back at home and besides there were no beeping sounds of heart monitors. There was something about the voices... It had that very deep African accent.........An African accent that brought the memories flooding in.

His survival instincts kicked in immediately. He tried to fling himself up and back into the action but couldn't move a limb.

"Damn" he thought.

His struggles didn't go unnoticed. A soft hand laid on his chest. Even if his limbs were in perfect shape. A hand as soft as that would have easily eased him. He was calm again and the chatter continued, now he could make out what they were saying. Some occasionally spoke English. The language they spoke sounded so familiar but he couldn't make out what they were saying.

According to his calculations they were not more than four in the room.

Finally he opened his eyes. No sooner had his eyes flown open than he had scanned the surroundings, it was embedded in him, instinctively he was always on the alert.

It was a really small hut, most men would have to stray back and neck to stay in the room. Vigilant as always he searched for possible escape routes.

"I can sense you are not from here. Very few of us speak English as fluent. Do you speak English.." . A lady, looking so shabby, sat beside the bed where he was laid. He looked at her with serenity, he never expected a lady with such soft hands to look so shabby, her hands was still on his chest. She looked like she was in her mid forties, her face was darkened like someone that had just escaped a fire outbreak. But he could sense the youth in her. He couldn't see color quite well yet, he closed his eyes and reopened it to adjust his vision to see right.

Slowly but firmly his vigour started coming back to him, less than a minute later he had the fortitude to lift his legs off the mat to the ground and sat up. He looked around but said nothing. He stood up and tottered towards the door. The others in the room had left and he thought that was strange. it had taken up to five minutes for his sight to straighten up, enough time for the other ladies in the room to scramble out. The last lady watched quietly until he got to the door.

"Don't.. you won't go far like this.. it's not safe". The lady said. She stood up and walked towards him.

"I think I can handle myself from here on..... thank you" He said. He stopped by the door feeling really dizzy, it was like the whole world was about to crash on his head and just for second his life flashed before his eyes. Maybe he took it too far, he thought.

" Oh you do speak English huh..... I'm not going to let you leave just like that......You were battered when I saw you. I thought you were dead, until I came close and saw that you were still breathing.... With the current happenings I should have left you there but, you know what they say, Doctors never overlook life....."

Argggggh..." Emeka groaned as his head began to hurt so bad. Her eyes widened as she heard him groan.

"You really need to rest.... Anything that would make you be in coma for more than two months must be a really severe one."

Emeka looked so perplexed but that wouldn't describe his state. He was flushed.

"What.... You mean I've been out for up to two months".

"Well it's could be more.. I mean I saw you two months ago, I don't know how long you have stayed there"

"Damn.. what Month is this?"

"It's February"

"February...... So... I've been out for almost a year.... Wait what year is this?"

"Year two thousand"

"Year what?..... You've got to be kidding me "

She threw her head back and laughed so hard it would have been very compelling to join in, but with his current state of mind he just couldn't. She left her head corked at him.

"You needed to see your face right now... I was joking... It's 1968." Her head was still corked at him, this time she just smiled.

"That can't be true. Where is this" He asked still bewildered

"This is Nigeria. But you are in the Biaf......"

He cuts in

"Did you say Nigeria?.. That can't be" .

"What you afraid of a little war". She teased

"A war... I thought Nigeria just gained independence".

"Independence?. That was eight years ago"

"That's exactly my point. All I can remember apart from what had happened before then. Was that I was in Katanga on a mission and we were ambushed and I feel into a pit. In Nineteen sixty one." He said spreading the syllables of the words Nineteen sixty one.

She paused for what felt like a minutes

"Well then if that's true, you've been out for seven years...... You must have really gotten a knock on the head". She smiled at him

"Oh this is no joke... It's either you lying or I'm in a dream right now.... Could I get a radio, I.... I need to contact the US government, there's a big mix up here"

"You said you were a soldier right?" She asked after being quiet for a while.

"Yeah. Why......... No no no I'm not getting my hand into this bloody war of yours not a chance"

"I never asked you to fight for us........ But you are here now... And there's a war going on right here right now. You'd have to protect yourself one way or the other." She said grinning at him.

"You snitchy little b***h"

"What....... You owe me that much.... I saved your life remember" She said, the grin never left her face.

"Blackmail...... Classic African woman" Emeka said fuming and added.

"Well I'd have to protect myself somehow.. And..... The devil you know is better than the angel you don't". He stood up from where he sat.

" So you calling me an angel.... That's really nice...."

"How do you mean.... I didn't call you an angel .... In fact I called you a demon."

" Yeah yeah what ever you say. "

" Wait why should I trust you I don't know your name" . He paused, then he added

"My name's Sargent Emeka Johnson...."

"Wait you're Igbo ... So what's all this fuss about"

"Well I left Nigeria at twelve and I don't know anyone else in the country so I never came back" He said already on the alert again.

"It's gonna be easier to convince my father to let you join the soldiers in training, of course that would not be until you've started feeling better".

"No one said anything about joining an army.... Besides I'm not authorized to fight here.. If I'm found out there'd be capital punishments".

"That would be for later, for now you need rest". She said trying desperately to sit him back down

" You don't know what I need... I need strong radio transmitter so I could communicate with the US Government"

"My father could help you with that". As she still spoke the alarm went off. They were under attack again. There had been peace for the last few months. But they all knew that it was nothing but the peace before a storm.

"Can you move... Like right now.... And very fast.. We are under attack again". She said offering a helping hand, but he wouldn't take it.

"I don't need your help.. I'm perfectly okay". Somehow that was the truth, all the dizziness had left him and he was feeling so full of energy and high spirited. He had never felt this energized and high spirited before.

He loved it.