When I Finished Secondary School (Short Inspiring Story) – Emmanuel Noble Okereke
When I finished secondary school. I went to stay with my father’s brother in Enugu state.
He was staying at Nkanu west LGA, Enugu state.
A LGA that hosts the Enugu State University of science and technology.
I was also aspiring to study Civil Engineering at the university then but it didn’t work out as it pleases God after I had gotten admission in the university.
When I then got admission in Ebonyi state.
My uncle gave me some amount of money to buy major things that I will need in school. I heard people in the university must dress well to attract the girls of their choice.
Now here’s the story.
I went to Ogbaete market, popularly known as Holy Ghost, Enugu, with the money.
While I was entering the market. I heard a screech. It was loud. An 18 seaters bus has hit down one girl who was hawking “Okpa.”
“Okpa” the most desired food in 0.4.2 then with chilled coke.
The driver of the bus jumped down and ran while some people pursued him. The passengers ran too.
The girl, who was now under the bus struggling with life in her own pool of blood was left.
People thought she was dead. Yes. The bus ran over her. She was the wage to the bus. She was under the bus with her tray of “okpa”
A keke man stopped and went under the bus. He called for help but no one came.
I learnt long ago that we’ve what makes us humans the day some group of people burnt a man who stole a cube of maggi to death with tires.
How can they help? Ogbete market that is full of men from the underworld.
This keke man begged.
No one came to help him.
They also said police will question them for the death of the girl.
Police?
My uncle was the D.P.O at Nkanu west police station. I can’t be arrested. Even if I get arrested for a crime I didn’t commit. He will be there for me.
I was crying then. The girl was of my age. I rushed and joined the keke driver to bring out the remains of the girl.
Have you seen an accident victim before? I pray you won’t. I have seen a lot. I’m a traveller. That was one of the worst I have seen in my life.
“Is she dead?” I asked the Keke driver.
He looked at me and didn’t talk. I could see tears in his eyes too. He can’t pretend not to be crying.
People came. They said he should leave her for the police to come with an ambulance and take the body. They said she’s dead already.
The Keke driver said “No. She’s not dead.”
“She’s dead already. Accidents do happen and people do die. It’s her own time and we can’t do anything.” one man said.
“Are you God to decide over her life?” the Keke driver asked him.
I wondered who the girl was to him. He said I should help me put her inside the Keke. I did. Another two persons joined us and we took her to the first hospital.
I can’t remember the name of that hospital. It’s near Ogbete. Close to a bank. The last time I visited Enugu they were not operating again.
The first hospital rejected her and said she’s dead already.
The second hospital did too.
The third one admitted her. You know Nigerian hospitals. You must deposit before admission. No one had money. She was dying.
I paid her admission bill with the money my uncle gave me. They took her into the theatre. I was so proud of myself for the first time in my life.
What about the girl? She never breathed that day. She never opened her eyes. They said she might not survive because the bus damaged her vital parts and left her lifeless.
We never saw the bus driver near the hospital. They said he settled the people who ran after him. He gave them money and they left him.
Only the family members and the keke driver who was in no way attached to the family came visiting.
I was visiting every day.
I had no choice.
I can’t close my eyes without seeing her. I see her in my bathroom. I see her while eating. I see her in everything I do.
She was in coma.
My uncle never asked me for what I bought with the money. I didn’t tell him about the incident so that he won’t ask further questions. I heard one of the officers telling him.
The family kept pleading that they will pay me back. I don’t need them to pay me. I told them.
After two days.
She died.
In the morning hours.
I was there.
That was the first time she was opening her eyes after the accident. She opened her eyes. Coughed. And died.
The hospital said the family should come and take her away. The Keke driver said she’s not dead. He argued and argued with the doctor. The doctor said they will only allow the body to stay till evening.
This happened around 9:45am. By 5:16pm. She coughed again. She came back.
She was then moved to the University Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Enugu. They said after UNTH she will be moved to National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu.
Her condition was so critical.
They started raising funds for her. On radio. On the road. At the park.
I begged my uncle for money. He gave me. I donated. I lied severally to get money. My friends helped. I wrote about it on Facebook too. People sent money. That’s how I started writing on Facebook. The post got 21 likes and 4 comments.
My highest likes then after getting 16 likes on my birthday picture.
The total amount of money I got then was N2,300. Two thousand three hundred naira.
I sent it to them.
She started recuperating. She began to eat and take her drugs with several surgeries that went down with it.
Her mother stopped selling “okpa” and started sweeping UNTH compound in order to cover the bills.
One of those days. The Keke driver didn’t come back again. No one saw him. No one asked him of his name. He disappeared and stopped coming.
I never saw him again too.
It was after two weeks that he came to visit them. He was among the lecturers that ESUTH sacked then and he started driving keke to help his own family.
Do you know his wife died during child birth a week before that day?
The wife died with her baby.
A man who lost his wife, first baby, and his job. He would have been hanging dead somewhere. But, Nay!
That’s why he didn’t believe that anyone or anything else can die in his own hands again.
The girl is alive.
She’s a graduate.
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Pharmacy.
She is among the people that went for National Youth Service. Batch A 2021. Rivers State.
What about that Keke driver?
Someone helped him.
He got another job.
Not in Nigeria.
He lives in London.
With a new family.
He is lecturing in more than two universities abroad. He is the same man that sponsored this very girl throughout her university.
He was the man who sent a mail to me last night. A mail with a vow. A vowed to surprise me.
I returned to Kano by faith. I have not figured out where this life is taking me to. But God visited me few nights ago. And that mail is one of the promises.
I have written much.
Light has come. After 10 years. I was just in my late teens when I saved a life with my first money. And today. I see someone saving me. Just like Christ has saved us from darkness into his marvelous light.
No story ends.
Unless you end it.
March 14, 2021.
Written by Emmanuel Noble Okereke
Kano, Nigeria.
#OpraDre Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School Secondary School
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