NOT DEAD YET… (VIII)
As though the death of the farmer was not enough, the gunmen also opened fire on the pigs, destroying the livestock in their hundreds. They also proceeded to set the farmer’s hut ablaze, watching amusingly as the flames consumed everything the man had laboured for.
I fought back tears, waiting patiently until the men began to retreat. They left the scene in a rubble and returned to their trucks, brought their engines to life and zoomed away.
I remained at the spot, unsure of what next to do. The possibility of now making it out of the forest was almost zero, and the once glimmer of hope was no longer in sight.
My thoughts returned to my parents once again, the grave psychological trauma my absence must have caused them. I kept having this eerie feeling all wasn’t well back home. My instincts don’t lie
I was still bemoaning my fate when I suddenly felt a brief vibration on my right thigh, I slowly sank my hand into my pocket and felt an object, I reached for it and behold, it was a phone. It was the phone I had stolen from the cabin at the course of moving the bags to the truck, prior to my escape.
I painstakingly crept out of hiding and found a safe spot where I began operating the device. On it’s screen was a missed call icon as well as several unattended messages. I quickly punched in some numbers and began to dail.
After a couple failed attempts, the call went through and the receiver picked up.
“Hello, Ken… Ken!” I spoke apprehensively into the device “This is Brenda, Brenda Adams…”
The line immediately hung up. I tried redialing but it couldn’t go through. The device was out of airtime.
“No!!” I exclaimed bitterly in an attempt to smash the phone to the ground. I was livid.
I became very devastated and hoped Ken would return the call but he never did. I waited several hours at the spot until the sun began to travel homewards. Darkness was slowly setting in.
I was also very hungry and thirsty, but there was literally no way I could hunt for food in my pitiable condition. I couldn’t even move my limbs, talk more of walking… I was partially crippled.
And for the first time, I prayed to die. It was by far the surest escape from this untold torment.
Suddenly, the phone began to vibrate. I lazily reached for it and peered into it’s blue screen, behold it was an incoming call. It was Ken.
I received the call and a long conversation ensued between us. Ken is a childhood friend of mine whom had played the role of a big brother in my life. The brother I never had.
He was also my coursemate back in college and had sincerely helped me in several ways than one. He was also fond of helping my aged parents run errands whenever he came around. He was indeed a jolly good fellow.
“Where did you say you are now?” Ken asked me as our conversation lingered “What’s your exactly location?”
“I really don’t know” I voiced in a helpless tone “I am lost in this forest with my assailants constantly on my tail…”
“Alright, you just have to stay still and safe, at least until help comes” Ken began “I will get someone to track your location through this number tonight, and I’ll find you tomorrow…”
“Ken, i’m afraid… I have this feeling I might not even make it before morning”
“Stop that, Brenda. You can, and always will… Keep faith alive”
“How about my parents? How’s Mama? how’s Papa?”
Just then the call hung up. I returned the phone back to my pocket and began to sob. I soon fell asleep at the spot and had a dream.
In my dream, I was in a colorful ceremony that had several dignitaries in attendance. There were loud music, talented dancers that wowed the crowd and lots of food. Soon, a lady approached my table bearing a large tray of food. The tray was covered so I couldn’t see what food it was. But when I had unveiled it, I was shocked to find Mama and Papa’s severed heads in it.
I looked up at the lady that served me and behold it was Irene. I screamed all the way to reality.
I woke up to the brightness of day. The chirping of birds hovering on the tall trees above me. I was soaked by the morning dew, and my stomach began to rumble.
I remained at the spot until the sun sprouted up in the sky, and till it began to set westwards again. I was patiently waiting for both Ken and death – Whichever came first.
The phone soon began to vibrate again, I reached for it and took the call. It was Ken. He was now in the forest and was trying to locate me.
I could hear his motorbike revving in the distance as it drew nearer to where I sat. He finally spotted me after a tough search and helped me to the back of the bike. We then rode carefully through the woods and finally out of the forest.
We had arrived ken’s place after about three long hours in motion and I instantly grew sick, my soul slowly leaving my body.
Ken invited a nurse to look after me and by morning of the following day, life gradually started to return. I felt a lot better.
“Can you please take me to my parents? I want to see them” I asked Ken
“Get well first…” He replied me
“Okay, dail them at least, so I can speak with them… Please”
“Brenda, I am more concerned about your health now. Your full recovery is paramount before anything else”
“Please Ken… Please”
Ken stood up from where he sat and slowly walked across the room. He soon stopped and stared into a mirror hanging on his wall. He exhaled and looked to the ground.
“Brenda, your mother had a heart attack and died when news came to her that some returning corpers were abducted alongside other passengers on their way back from camp and their whereabout was unknown…” Ken voiced bitterly “Your dad developed a stroke afterwards. He is currently fighting for his life in the hospital”
I couldn’t properly process what I just heard. My head was beginning to swell with my brain threatening to explode from within. Death or Insanity, I didn’t know which was coming, but I was certain I wouldn’t escape either.
The Story Continues…
Úncle Nnamdi wrote it ✍️
