THE FIRE INCIDENT (FICTION)
“Okay Sir”
It wasn’t yet 7am but Mama Ebuka had already pitched her tent at her regular spot, with quite a number of homo-sapiens clustering around her like a swarm of bees, trying to buy some of the fried snacks before the tray becomes empty.
From behind a fat, light-skinned woman came and almost knocked me off from where I was standing.
"Mma-Ebuka give me 200naira akara and 100naira ogi, my children don late for school"
"Madam but you met me here” a lanky man with a grumpy voice, too deep for his size echoed from my left.
"Oga na lie, you met me here” the woman snorted.
Their voices increased as other buyers joined in the argument, trying to separate the duo and I was just standing there like someone in a trance, unperturbed, like someone who is communing with a supreme being which no-one else could see.
My gaze was fixed on the bright red fire that rocked the bottom of the gigantic pan in which the next set of bean-cakes was frying.
I was at it again, for the third time this week, reminiscing on an incident that makes my heart shudder each time I see fire. One incident I will never forget, not in a hurry, in fact, not for generations to come.
30th Of July 2010, on the eve of my dad’s birthday. It was going to be his 60th birthday so we were all excited. My mom had everything planned out already; we were going to give dad a surprise birthday party. Everyone was home because of this event. Ada my elder sister and the first born of our family was home with her daughter Daalu, my only niece. Bobo and Bubu my younger brothers who were twins also came home from school-Unilag that evening. All, except Didi my immediate younger sister. Call her the prodigal daughter or the one that no-one could caution, Didi was such a handful for the entire family at age 22.
"Hello Didi how are you” that was mom on phone that evening, calling to make sure that Didi was coming home for dad’s birthday.
"I’m fine mom"
"Hmmm-mm where are you? Sheybe you know that tomorrow is your dad’s birthday"
“Mummy I know, I’ve been very busy, in fact mummy lemme call you back”
“Hold on my frien….”
The line goes dead before she could finish her sentence. Mom looked up at me; I was sitting on the sofa adjacent to her.
“Mummy what did she say? Is she coming?”
“This your sister ehn, God will deliver her, I don’t know, she even hung up on me before I could say anything”
I let out a deep sigh as I continued chatting on my Blackberry bold 1.
We had an early night that day, had dinner at 8:30pm, did our daily family night devotion and by 10pm we all went to bed. I must have slept for about 4hrs when suddenly I was awakened by the frantic voice of my mum.
"Joy wake up, wake up!” I was startled by a mixture of the terror in her voice and the few slaps she gave me on my arm.
"Mmmmm" I mumbled half awake, half asleep, it was about 3am.
“Our house is on fire!!!” I heard my mom say.
“Jesus!!!! Blood of Jesus, Blood Of Jesus!!!” I repeated.
Fear and panic gripped me, taking away the sleep from my eyes. When I eventually opened my eyes I couldn't see properly, the whole room was filled with smoke. I could hear echoes of voices from outside. I was still panting in confusion when my mom, in no time pulled me by the arm along with her. We quickly raced out of my room, passed the living room which was already drowning in thick smoke. The fire was from the kitchen. The living room was a small passage that connected all the five rooms in our bungalow. At that same time, my dad was already in Bobo and Bubu's room to alert them. Ada too had woken up and exited the house with her baby. My mom and I came out of the house almost the same time my dad did with Bobo and Bubu. Little Daalu was already choking, coughing and crying from the smoke despite the fact that a blanket was used to cover her face.
Is everybody here?" That was my dad asking to make sure. Our house has two main entrances, the kitchen and the sitting room. So it was the sitting room’s exit that helped our victorious escape.
"Yes" Bobo replied.
Mum, dad, me, Ada, Little Daalu, Bobo and Bubu.
Check! Thank God!
"Thank you Jesus" my mom was saying.
We were all outside the gate of our building, with our security guard and some neighbors around who had been alerted by the smoke, watching our house go up in blazes.
"Oga what of Didi?" Our security guard asked
"She's not at home, she didn't come home last night" Mum replied
At that point my heart skipped, not just one but several beats.
"Ah madam I see Didi last night, Abi?" He scratches his head, looking puzzled.
"She come very late" He continued.
Pandemonium struck amidst us, only then did I begin to recollect. As at 11:45 we were already asleep, my phone rang and I picked it up answering drowsily, it was my younger sister Didi. She was calling me to come open the door for her. I got up and sluggishly went to open the door; I remember she smelt of alcohol.
"Make sure you lock the door after you" I blurted, staggering back into my room to continue my sweet sleep. The last sound I heard must have been the shutting sound of Didi’s room door, before sleep finally carried me off.
"Aaaaah! Yaaaay!" I screamed
"Oh no! Mummy Didi came home, she....c-c-c-called me to open the door f-f-f-f-f-for her" I continued, stuttering.
My palms were already sweaty, my feet, cold and heart beat, increased.
"At what time?" Dad yelled
"Around to 12 or so" Tears were already trickling down my eyes
"Heeeey! My daughter is inside ooooo!!!!!! my daughter is inside help meeeeee" my mum flung herself on the ground wailing.
My dad started making his way into the house but was stopped by the crowd
"Papa Ada don't go in there" it's too dangerous!”
"I can still save my daughter! I want to save my daughter!!!!" Dad yelled, struggling to get off their grip.
Bubu and Ada were already crying and also trying to console mom. One of our close neighbors had taken Daalu away from Ada's arms when the child wouldn't stop crying. Bobo who was standing next to me was not shedding a single tear. He just stood arms akimbo, staring at the house. Then he started calling her name.
"Didi!!!! Didi!!!!!!"
He raced to the other side of the building where Didi's window was directly and continued calling her name. Other people from the crowd joined him. Some were throwing sticks and stones at her window.
"Didi!!!! Didi!!!!! Didi!!!! Chidindu!!!" That was my father's voice. He was still struggling to get off the grip of people who were holding him down,
"Nna you people should leave me let me go and rescue my daughter, the fire hasn't gotten to her room yet." he said amidst tears
Just as he finished his statement the fire acted like it was fueled by something and engulfed the other part of the house, and the window blinds including Didi's came crashing down!
My dad slumped slowly....my mother let out one last shrill cry... Bobo tried to hold my dad up, I could see him fight off his tears.
Then.....
Everything before me froze!....
"Joy how much akara do you want?" Mama Ebuka's voice brought me back to reality.
My gaze slowly retreated from the fire and then to Mama Ebuka's face. Taking two steps backwards my palms gave way, the naira notes and the polythene nylon bag I was holding in each of them dropped to the ground. Giving my surrounding one last look, I plunged into the cold harmattan streets.
Enitan looked up to the class and closed her higher education note. The whole class including the teacher gave her a standing ovation as she took her bow and retreated to her seat.
"That was a lovely piece of writing Enitan, now who wants to criticize it?" Mrs. Ama the literature teacher for SS2 asked the whole class with a beam on her face.
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