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OH MAMA AFRICA


The soil of Africa has drunk enough blood of innocent people, all in the name of political and tribal wars. The story of Danladi was one of its ingredients. How I wish the story of my life could be rewritten and started afresh on a clean slate. 
It was a loud scream that penetrated my ears and almost made me deaf. “Who are they? She asked herself. Danladi was totally lost and confused because it was dark. She ran towards the one and only window in the house to see what the problem was. He heard the ground vibrating like a battalion of soldiers marching on a parade ground. “Jesus!” She exclaimed. There and then, he knew that the worst was about to happen. “What is it Mama?” He asked his mother. He tried moving to the window to see for himself but she drew him from behind, holding the collar of his shirt like a fierce lion holding its prey. He was lucky to fall by the side of the bed. “Where do you think you are going?” She asked him. 
She carried her big mortar and placed it on the door as if it would prevent one gaining entrance into their house. There were cries of sorrow and pain outside.
A few minutes later, three heavy knocks were heard on the door. “Open the door,” the angry voice said. Danladi could hear the sound of his heartbeats. He saw the way his mother was shivering in fear and confusion. She took and hid him inside her big box. He nearly suffocated and was tempted to come out but he had no choice than to remain there because the last order from her before closing the box was: “Don’t come out until I say the contrary!”
Danladi overheard how the door was forced opened. “Where is your husband? One of the men asked. “My husband is dead long ago!” The poor woman replied. “Okay, you don’t want to tell us where he is. Don’t worry, we will give you what we supposed to give him,” another different voice said. 
“When you get there, send our greetings to him,” the voice said. “Please don’t kill me. If you kill me, who will looked after my son for me?” She cried aloud. “Oh! You even have a son. Where is he?” 
Things were be thrown here and there, like one angrily searching for a missing item. They were searching for Danladi. Luckily for him, they never came close to the box where he was.
 “Bullet finish her let us go, there is no time to waste” the voice said.
Later, the whole room was quiet. The sound of the gun vibrated the entire house. He decided to go against the order. He forced himself out, only to see his mother, lying on a pool of blood. Her hands were still shaking. As he moved close to her, she stretched her left hand and held him on his thigh. “Son I love you.” These were the last words Danladi heard from his mother before she gave up the ghost.
OH MAMA AFRICA YOUR CHILDREN ARE MOURNING

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