Fire!

It was the screams that woke me up, I quickly hustled out of bed and ran to the door of the room which I was staying. The air was humid and the night was dark, what had happened? I kept asking myself. As I struggled to break open the door which was ofcourse, locked, I couldn’t help but wonder at how I had found myself in yet another mess.

“Senorita…na so so troubu dey find you…” I whispered to myself as I shoved the door with all my might yet it wouldn’t budge.

“Den don pour fire for our dormot ooo…” Screamed on of the ladies.

“Agatha! Kemi! Oya quick…run go iyabo house, carry water come.” Awero issued orders.

I flattened my palms on the door of the room, getting out was quite impossible and I could feel the smoke filter into the room from the space underneath the door.

“Helep me ooo….na Senorita dey for inside ooo…” I cried in plea.

No one seemed to hear me, all I could hear was the noises coming from the ladies as they hustled their belongings out of their rooms.

“Chei…my phone ooo…na blackberry bold 5 be dat ooo…” Screamed one of the ladies.

“I dey go my house…abeg una helep me find my shirt? I nor fit enter house with only singlet.” Said a male voice which I have not heard before.

“Serious? So na dis kain talk you fit talk shebi? Na after our house don burn finish…na den you go see ya shirt. Abeg comot for hia jare…stupid man. Ashewo!” Said one of the ladies to him.

“Na my fault say una house dey burn? Nor be to do I come do? Na to helep una pour water for house?” Screamed the man.

“Abeg who carry dis yeye man come? From today, if you wan totori with woman, abeg carry yaself dey go ya house…abi you get wife.” Said another lady.

At this point, I was already choking, my eyes could hardly open because of the burning smoke which had found its way into my eyes.

“Helep me!” I cried.

Suddenly, I felt the wave of nostalgia as I saw in my mind’s eye, my hometown, my mother and my brothers. It seemed as though time had played a huge trick on me because I was suddenly a young child again, running and playing carefree around my mother’s hut.

I heard my name…my native name and I knew my mother was calling out to me. I tried to run to her but was held back by firm hands, it was the hands of my greedy neighbor Callistus who couldn’t get his hands off me.

“I wan go…” I tried to free myself from his grasp.

“Make I touch you once more and after dat one, you fit comot.” He whispered raspy as he clung onto my young body.

“No…I nor want make my mama know say I dey do dis kain thing…she don even dey ask me if I don know man.”

“And wetin you come tell am?” He asked me.

“I tell am say…I never know man at all.”

“You be good girl…I know say ehn…when you grow, you go fine sortee I no go fit reach you na why I begin to dey touch you since you knack seven years. I happy say I be ya first lover.” He whispered.

“Abegi make I go answer my mama… I go see you for night.” I said.

I felt as though I was floating and again, like magic I saw myself beside the village stream, Callistus and Bone Joe, were wrestling at the stream but I was unable to stop dem.

“Na my gial she be…na me introduce am to totori man…” Callistus said through gritted teeth.

“Old man like you…dem suppose lock you for prision.” Bone Joe spat.

I closed my eyes in horror as I watched fist break teeth and blood splatters on the ground as they kept wrestling.

Even now as I sank to the ground, I welcomed the strong smell of the smoke and enjoyed the blurry sight of soft fire which had engulfed the ratchet looking curtains on the wall. I heard the loud voices from the ladies outside and the heavy bang on the door as someone struggled to push it open.

“I nor know say pesin dey dia again ooo…chei…na dat small girl wey waka come hia yesterday ooo…” Moaned Awero faintly.

At that point I wasn’t feeling the parts of my body anymore and quietly I slipped into unconsciousness.