And Isreal Jumped

When the alarm woke her around 2,30 am, it wasn’t for her,she had set the alarm because of Israel, her two year old son. His bed-wetting she thought to curb now before he grew older. So for some days now she’ll wake up at 2.30 am with the help of the
alarm and wake all of them, all four of them to pee. Onyeka and Ngozi don’t need waking. At 12 and 9 respectively they stopped bed wetting since they were 3 years old. When she got into the kids room,she went to his corner of the bed and shook him a little. As he turned she noticed he had already peed on the mattress, still she woke him up and led him half asleep to the toilet. Still the 2 year old peed the remaining urine in his bladder. She did same for all four of them. She was about to go back to bed when she remembered she had a dream. She was not really sure. It must have been a dream. Slowly the scenes from the dream play out in her head.
In the dream, she had woken up to meet people in her living room. Her friends from the Town’s Meeting, Her Women’s Club Members,Neighbors, Husband’s Friends and relatives. She didn’t know what had happened. May be the dream would have continued but for the blaring of the alarm. As she made to go back to bed, she remembered what the Prophet she had gone to see the day before told her, “every 3am for 7 days you should wake up and pray fervently. Pray and ask for protection”. She starred at the wall clock. It was 2.47am. She decided to wait till 3 am. As she laid there sleep took her on his wings until she suddenly snapped up around 4.15am. Her husband’s alarm had blasted off. He got up and rushed to the bathroom. The military bus will pass in front of their house by 5am on the spot. If he missed it he’ll be late for work. She had missed the vigil. She went into the wardrobe and brought his uniform. When he was about to leave for work she followed him to the staircase quickly as he rushed out of the house ” You know the kids have resumed at school, why not give me some money so I can buy them books and school bags”. He looked at her for a while and murmured “how much do you need?”. Before she could come up with an answer he dipped his hand into his pocket and gave her 10 thousand. “That’s all I can afford, if its not enough add to it” . He ran down. It was alrdy 4.55.
She went back into the house and started preparing breakfast. When it was 6 am. She woke up the two eldest children and they got to their house chores. When it was 7 am Ngozi woke up the younger ones and the mattress was taken to the backyard balcony where Ngozi spread it on the railing. By 7.30 the kids were prepared and ready to go to school. But not Isreal. He was running temperature again. His body burning hot while he complained of cold. The mother had thought he should stay home so she can take him to the barrack clinic. Ngozi had taken Rachel and his brother to school while she prepared herself to go to the market. Isreal had just barely finished eating his indomie when Nnena’s school bus horned for the kiDs. She quickly grabbed the kid’s food pack and led her down their three story building apartment. The lived on the topmost floor She was with the bus driver complaining to him that Nnena had been reporting a bully to her and she would not take it likely if anything should happen to her daughter. As the bus drove away Mama Fatima, the woman who lives on the ground floor ran out of her house screaming, running to the backyard. She wondered what must have happened, but she went upstairs to meet Isreal. When she got in and called his name he didn’t answer. She checked the bathroom, then the kid’s room. Then she went to the backyard and saw people downstairs screaming. Isreal was in Mama Fatima’s hand. She was screaming. She felt like jumping down. Her mind leaped! What must have happened?How did he get down there? Ha! It can’t be? She was doomed! She raced down, before she got downstairs Isreal had been rushed to the barrack clinic. She ran behind the crowd screaming. Baba Fatima started his Benz and chased after the women. He would have to be late for work.
When the women got to the Barrack Clinic they had not opened. It was just 8.13 so she and Mama Fatima and Isreal jumped into Baba Fatima’s Benz and he drove off to another private hospital close by. When they got there, the nurses took the boy from them but the Doctor had just closed from his nightshift. A call was placed to him to please come back and rescue a two year old who had jumped from a 3 story building. He swerved his car round egbeda junction, but there was traffic. He looked for somewhere and parked his car and alighted an okada to the hospital. As he received the boy into the theater he died. Died. Foam in his mouth and nose. His head swollen. He had landed on his back. Mama Fatima had heard a loud bang on the floor from her room. She heard him cry so she went to her backyard and saw him laid there, begging to move,Begging to shake. Mama Isreal knew. She knew he was gone. She started rolling on the floor. Though she’ll be left with 6 children she’ll prefer her 6! All 6!. She tore her clothes, punched, bit, pushed everyone that tried to console her away. All the women hammered her down until the Doctor was forced to sedate her. It didn’t work. Then she gave her another shot. Slowly she fell asleep and was taken home in Baba Fatima’s Benz. Fate had been on her side fairly though, because normally, Baba Fatima’s Benz had been faulty. The kick starter would not work unless if the car was pushed a distance. But today it started once. But fate had robbed her. He had playfully jumped on the mattress he had peed on on the railing where Ngozi had spread it to dry. He slipped. Fell. If the husband returns from work he’ll know. He’ll try to be a man and support his wife. But deep down he’ll question God.He’ll think through. He’ll want to know what he has ever done that Isreal had to pay for. He’ll never get over it. I wiLl never too. Because as Mama Fatima ran to the backyard screaming. Though I was going to work I ran with her, when we got there I saw him. Foam in his mouth and nose. Head swollen trice its size. I couldn’t move. I asked God “why?”

Postscript: This morning the 6th of October 2011 a neighbor’s kid fell from a 3 story building. All I wonder is. What force. What was behind the force that made him jump on that mattress? Who was behind that force? What is God trying to tell us (me,the mother,the father and all). I’d never forget today. I’m gravely sad and disturbed!iv not cried. But tears have rolled down(sorry…tears poured and I cried it heavily). I picture his chest crashing into the earth.broken,his intestine twisting,locking,unlocking, his kidneys matched. Squeezed. Blood rushing into his head. I’m sorry. Good night. Like Steve Jobs said ” Death is the only Destination we all share”.

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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