CHAPTER FIVE
976 Words
The camp woke before the sun did.
By 5 a.m., voices were already rising, bags being packed, water bottles being refilled, and the metallic clatter of the gate echoed like a warning bell. Even those who had barely slept were wide awake now.
A rumor had spread:
Kareem was coming early.
Chidera sat up slowly, rubbing his face. His whole body felt heavy, as if fear had settled into his bones overnight. Kayode was already tying his shoelaces. Sade braided her hair with trembling fingers. Timi clutched his small backpack like it was his lifeline. Only Musa seemed calm, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, breathing steadily.
“Today fit be our day,” Kayode whispered.
Chidera nodded, though his chest tightened at the thought.
---
By sunrise, everyone was standing in a loose line. Some men argued about who arrived first, others prayed under their breath. The air was thick with desperation.
Then the gate screeched open.
Kareem stepped inside with two assistants behind him. The camp fell silent instantly, as if someone had turned off the world.
Kareem didn’t bother greeting anyone.
“You know why I’m here,” he said. “The truck to Niger will arrive soon. I will choose the first group now.”
He walked down the line slowly, his eyes scanning faces—studying, measuring, judging.
Every time he paused, hearts stopped.
---
He pointed at a group of four men.
“You. You. You. And you. Prepare.”
The chosen ones exhaled in relief. The rest stiffened.
Kareem kept moving.
When he reached Chidera’s row, Chidera felt his breath catch. Kareem’s eyes landed on him for a moment—too long, too sharp—then moved to Kayode, to Sade, to Timi, to Musa.
But he didn’t point.
Not yet.
---
More names. More selections.
Chidera felt sweat gather on his hands.
“What if we no go today?” Timi whispered shakily. “What if—”
“Relax,” Kayode whispered back. “No spoil your mind.”
But even Kayode didn’t sound confident.
---
Then Kareem stopped again.
He pointed ahead—straight at Musa.
“You. Step out.”
Musa nodded once and walked forward without expression.
Kareem’s gaze moved to Sade next.
“You too.”
Sade froze for half a second, then stepped out, tightening her grip on her bag.
He pointed at the boy next to her.
“And you.”
Timi jolted.
“Me?” he asked, voice cracking.
“Yes. Move.”
Timi swallowed hard and stepped forward.
---
Kareem kept scanning.
His eyes drifted over Chidera and Kayode again.
For a moment, Chidera thought he would be selected. His heart thumped so hard he could feel it in his throat.
Then Kareem shook his head slightly.
“Not you two. Not today.”
Kayode’s jaw tightened. Chidera’s stomach sank.
But Kareem wasn’t done.
He pointed at a few more people and then raised his hand.
“Enough. The rest of you will wait for the next truck.”
A loud murmur spread through the camp—relief for some, devastation for others.
---
As the selected group moved toward the truck area, Chidera felt torn.
Part of him was relieved to stay another day. Another part was terrified that the delay meant something worse.
Sade looked back at him with worried eyes. Timi waved weakly. Musa gave a small, reassuring nod.
Then they disappeared behind the gate.
---
The remaining migrants slowly returned to the shade, their hope bruised but alive. Some men cursed their luck. Others sat quietly, staring at the ground.
Kayode dropped beside Chidera with a frustrated sigh.
“We don try reach this far,” he muttered. “Why dem no pick us?”
Chidera didn’t know what to say. Maybe it was random. Maybe Kareem wanted stronger people today. Maybe he saw fear in their eyes.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Chidera finally said, though he didn’t fully believe it.
Kayode shrugged. “Or maybe next week.”
That was the fear—there were no guarantees here. Time moved on Kareem’s schedule, not theirs.
---
Hours passed.
The sun climbed high, beating down on the camp like punishment. The silence between Chidera and Kayode grew heavier as they waited for news, for instructions—anything.
Then, in the afternoon, they heard distant engine noise.
The truck.
Men rushed to the gate, trying to catch a glimpse of their friends being loaded into the back of a dusty open-top vehicle. Shouts, orders, arguments—everything blended together.
Chidera spotted Sade briefly as she climbed in. She looked nervous but determined. Musa helped Timi up, steadying him before taking a seat.
Then the truck rolled away, leaving behind a long trail of dust.
---
The camp quieted again.
The reality hit Chidera harder than he expected.
Half of their group was gone.
The next time he saw them—if he ever did—they would be in another country.
Kayode leaned back against the fence and rubbed his face. “Bro, this thing no be small matter. This place fit break person.”
Chidera nodded slowly. He felt it too— the pressure, the uncertainty, the loneliness creeping in.
But he also felt something else:
A growing fire inside him.
If they made it through today, then he would too.
He wasn’t quitting here.
---
That night, the camp felt emptier. The missing voices made the silence heavier.
Chidera lay awake again, staring at the damaged metal roofing, thinking of the truck rolling deeper into the night. Thinking of Musa’s calmness. Sade’s quiet strength. Timi’s shaking hands.
Thinking of his own turn.
Tomorrow.
Or the next day.
Or the next.
He didn’t know when.
But he knew one thing for sure:
When the time came, he would be ready.
Even if the desert wasn't
- Writer
