Throwback Stories: Nne

 

At first it was a beautiful morning, but suddenly everything became an uproar; fathers running home for the safety of their family, mothers clutching to their children, children crying for the whereabout of their parents. I remember my mother carrying me on my waist while she ran with my elder sisters; Nwadi my immediate elder sister held her hand while Chizoba our eldest followed closely.

The sound of the gunshot did not slow down, rather it came rapidly. Mother was lamenting and Nwadi was crying but Chizoba was quiet. Soon we reached our farm land where the sound of gunshot had minimized. We reached the big mango tree where we normally took shelter while mother worked on the farm and she shifted the palm fronds. As soon as she moved it, I noticed she had dug a pit, she let me down from her waist slowly and placed me inside the hole, “NNE!” I struggled but instead of consoling me, she hit my back and made me face her squarely, then she said, “I will not let you die along with me, you’ll stay here with Nwadi until Chizoba comes to get you!” I heard Nwadi stifle a little cry but Chizoba gave her a hard stare which made her stay quiet, but they were fears in her eyes. 

Suddenly mother gathered I and Nwadi in her arms and said, this time with a soft and calm tone, “I know you are scared, so am I. But we are all we have now. I don’t know if I am going to be alive tomorrow but what matters is the safety of my children and if it means sacrificing my life to do it, then so be it. Nwadi, take care of your brother, Uwa! Listen to your sister and watch over her. There's enough fruit that will last both of you for two days; Chizoba will come for you both in two market days. Remember! If you hear any noise, you have to stay silent, no matter how terrified or uncomfortable you are.” We nodded. Mother looked at us one last time, her eyes filled tears and fear of what the future held. She hugged us quickly, placed I and Nwadi in the pit and used the palm fronds to cover us. Silence came and later darkness fell on us.

Just like mother promised, Chizoba came back in two market days to fetch us but mother was no where in sight, “where’s mother?” I asked, but she ignored my question and said instead, “let’s go home.” We reached our compound and we saw papa and our two step mothers arranging their house, as soon as he saw us, he rushed towards us and held us in his arms, then he left my sisters and carried me. “I was so worried about you my son, if you had died, who would have taken care of my lands, who would have continued with my legacy? May the gods be praised”. “Nne is nowhere to be found and I am worried that something terrible might have happened to her”, Chizoba said. “You should be more worried about your brother's safety than your mother's. You have nothing to worry about, I’m sure she safe and sound. Now go in and clean up your hut.” He dismissed my sisters. Seven market days had passed, still no sight of mother nor did my father show any iota of worry, “She’s dead” said Nwadi as she cried to sleep.

We were in the hut eating roasted yam and oil when we heard her voice, “Zoba m, Nwadi m, Uwa m!”, We all ran out and saw mother stretching her arms towards, we all ran in to her arms and she cried on our heads, “we are free from the colonial masters. The war is over! We are free!!!” she laughed as she held us tighter. “Nne! Please don’t ever leave us the way did” I said; she nodded with a smile and said, “I promise.”