The Queens Vengance

Chapter 2

 I don't know how long I hid in the bush but it felt like hours. It wasn't until I heard silence before I came out of the bush. I ran like a madwoman towards my village. If not for the famous Umbrella tree that welcomed guests to the village I would have sworn that it was not my village, there was fire and smoke everywhere groanings, wailings I saw decapitated bodies and my heartbeat became loud enough to my ears,  I had to be careful not to step on the bodies and body parts that lay carelessly on the floor, the ground looked like the clouds had cried blood. My once peaceful village was in ruins.

I held back a sob as I tried to cross yet another body I stopped midway when I saw the person stir. It was Mudasir my brother Sadiq's friend he held his intestines with one hand the other hand was cut off there was nothing I could do to help him I said a prayer for him and left him there. At this point tears were threatening to spill and I feared the worst praying selfishly that mama, Mariam , Yusuf,Usman and Sadiq were ok. when I rounded the corner to our compound and saw Mariam on the floor her neck twisted in an inhumane way the tears flowed freely I found Sadiq, Usman and mama's bodies in the mud house, their bodies were sprawled on the ground mama held Sadiqs hand in one hand and her other hand seemed to be reaching for Usman but he was far from her.

Even in death, Mama was looking after the safety of her children. Grief shook me I rolled on the floor shouting for help anyone who could help me at this point I needed a miracle and I was desperate

" somebody bring them back" I shouted

no one answered me as everyone was counting and weeping for their losses. Mama is gone I have come undone heavy tears rolled down my eyes what would become of me now, how could I go on without their constant bickering, teasing and ridiculously loud laughs, why did it have to be them? I cried beside their bodies I cried for Mariam how she would always dream about marrying a rich man and having beautiful kids, I cried for mama I  cried because she'd always call me stubborn, unladylike, ill-mannered, strong-headed but I don't know if she knew how much I loved her I don't know if she only saw me as stubborn or as careless did she know I loved her regardless now I'll never know.

I cried for Usman who was too shy to approach Nneka the beautiful girl he admired from afar. I cried for the injustice done to me, I cried because now I wanted answers from God and he was silent. I cried because I don't know if I would have been better off dead. I cried because now I don't know what next to do, I cried.I don't know how long I sat there but the sun was going down and I did not know what to do.

   When the sun was down I heard a few people calling for survivors,  ambulances didn't come to save the people no, instead, some men brought a few medicine women to attend to those who they could help. Limbs were laying carelessly on the floor people were spralwed on the floor with their bodies twisted in an inhumane manner , smoke wafted thick in the air .

People called out for survivors to gather and find somewhere else to stay but I wasn't ready to leave just yet, where do I go to I had only known my village all my life. When we finally gathered those of us that agreed to leave People whispered their fears " what if they come back" I felt rage at that I wanted them to pay for what they had done and tell me why but I knew I wouldn't get answers from them just yet so I left with the others to only God knows where.

Some refused to leave and stayed back I remember a woman who was clutching her dead son they tried to get her to leave with us but she refused saying she would die with him, he was all she had left"what do you want me to llive for again? my only son my only child the apple of my eyes has been taken from me, the herdsmen that did this may the gods visit you and your family with curses " she lamented " just let me be" she said amidst sobs .

Before leaving I opened Mamas little box she always cleaned every day she said her mother and grandmother had gifted her the small box full of jewellery. I took a pendant and a ring with me  along with some of mamas wrappers vowing silently to never forget them. They say dreams live on as long as you remembered them and I vowed to do just that to remember all their dreams so that they live on even if it is only in my heart.

Men went round asking survivors to come out men were weeping, women were weeping, children were weeping .

We walked that night for hours a few women had their children on their backs and carried their luggage on their heads. The men assisted as many women as they could but there was only so much they could do since they had their own luggage to carry as well. As for me, I didn't carry much I picked a few of my clothes not that I had much to choose from anyways, I took mama's wrappers her favorite ones and the top she had on the day she stood up to Baba I dont know why I carried it but when I saw it something in me yearned for it I knew I had to take it with me.  I heard police sirens some minutes after we had left, and I will forever be grateful for the moment I stopped and hesitated. I was at the very back of the group when a police car caught up with us and asked us questions after discovering that we had nowhere to go they offered to take us to some IDP camps in the city. I didn't say no.