Chapter Two : Child

Dead silence,clouds of chewable dust,frothy darkness and the sheer twilight of horror! This sounds far fetched isn't it? but funny enough this is the reality that awaited me as l set foot on the squashed door frame of my baby's bedroom. I called all the sweet names you can ever give and call your baby girl with, even the ones l knew she would respond to smilingly with her sweet baby gestures but only a torrid coldness of air replied me. It felt like l had escaped an episode of death inorder for it to theatrically embrace me at it folds in the most excruciating way possible as l saw my feet getting soaked suddenly and the water rising in a very abnormal nature. At that point l literally froze and lost my mind for a second. How could the boulders be not enough l wondered? I had already lost a house to the stones and land slide and the water was here to flush and finish the job l lamented. The worst part was that l was possible standing on my child's souped and minced body and there was nothing l could do about it if that was the reality.

Whatever ever happened next l was ready to embrace it. There was no shame,no time and no honor in such a death. As the water rose,the land seesawed on the ground and the sounds from the exploding mountains got louder, l saw my life from the beginning upto now in a flash. They say when you are about to die,everyone sees atleast a segment of their lives in slow motion or fast forward depending on the type of death that awaits you and l believe it! In that flash, l saw all my failures as a father,as a son,a husband but most importantly as a man. You see dear friend, humanity is guilty of complacency and that was one of the things that led for Adam and Eve to fall in the first place! We don't see beyond our own purpose of life and so when we get comfortable at something we assume is rightly ours and feels good, we fold our hands and call it a day! This was what l was prepared to do as l had accepted my death.l couldn't see beyond the situation that l was in and as fear crept in,l found a corner of comfort and closure in my mind and heart and tucked myself in nicely as awaited either a boulder to squash me or the water to flush me away!

"Baba baba!"(Dad..dad!)followed with a high pitched cry of severe pain brought me back to life. That was my daughter's voice and cry for help beneath the rabble that was near the big mangoe tree! If l had no strength any more then there was no better motivation for digging in the last reserves of what ever energy l had left because for my princess l could fight the whole world itself and win! Rock after rock,l rolled them to the side trying to get nearer to the cries of my baby and l finally did. Miracles do happen dear reader! You see my baby girl was saved by the same big mangoe tree l wanted to cut down.When the boulders hit our house,they pushed her bed to the side of the garden that was near her room and she crawled ouside to the tree for cover. This is how she survived although she lost 2 fingers in the process! I have never liked mangoes but only tolerated them for the love of my family had for them but if you ask me today about mangoes and how to eat them properly, my answer would be this! Before you eat one,pray that the fruit enriches your body and soul for the known and unknown and appreciate the deliciousness that comes with the belief that indeed it will boost your health and save your life! So when l made it to my baby girl,l took her in my arms and we escaped before the water and boulders consumed us!