Suddenly, we started hearing heavy footsteps approaching our front door. "They are coming already", I said with a shaky voice. Whereas, our house-help, Kudi was already half-dead even before the war started. Who would blame her, we were all afraid by the way and this was going to be our first experience of this total cruelty at that. That was how we heard the crooky voice "Open the door or we shatter it". Was that a request or a command, I thought in my head. Who will now open the door like this? I asked myself. Then I voiced out, "dad, go and open the door, you know you are our daddy", that was how my dad snapped back that I was being rude and that Akpan, our gateman should go and open the door. Akpan who had already gone to the toilet like five times answered and said, "Oga, you know say na gateman you employ me as no be security".
You would be wondering why Akpan was living with us rather than the boys quarters, this heavy rain fell and flooded the boy quarters including Akpan room so mum had to ask him to move in with us in the third guest room opposite where my aunty's and her son's room and adjacent Kudi's room. Back to the matter, these people were still at the door while the whole drama of who would open the door erupted. That was when our door gave way just when Akpan was about pulling the knobs behind the door apart. Oh! What a heavy slap that thundered on Akpan's face from one higgedly-piggidly hand that was as dark as the beneath of Iya Risi's pot (our neighbour who lives in the next compound). I am sure you do not need me to tell you the way and manner at which Akpan fainted which left the rest of us to our fate.
These armed to the core men matched inside in alignment. They were so heavily built that they could easily pass for WWE champions if they ever register for the tournament. How did these ones get our address? I thought in my mind plus my voice was even shaky in my mind. That was when one of the men (the one who seemed to me to be the leader of the gang) asked with a very thick voice. "who rules here? " Nobody dared to answer not to talk of raise our heads up until we head the cork of a gun as the man asked again, "I said who mans here? " While I was still thinking if the "mans" in the thief's statement is grammatical correct, my dad quickly danced to the front in a circular motion shouting and singing at the same time that, "I am the daddy ooo". Who knew daddy could be this afraid after all the ways he usually shout at us. I can't wait to laugh after this whole episode, I thought to myself.
All of a sudden, Sile stood up and ran towards the open front door trying to escape. Did I remember to tell you that I have always known Sile to be a very foolish somebody? Back to my narration, a heavy-chested man followed suite and that was the end until the man came back and said to his boss with a very hard face that "I have silenced him". Yehhhhh!!! Who doesn't know what "I have silenced him means", Sile was dead in all ramifications. I began to shake because it was getting obvious that everything was beginning to become very messy.
On hearing that Sile is dead, my aunty, who was still pretending to be dead stood up and ran towards her room with this force that I never knew she could exhibit. We are going to lose a lot of people today, like mother like son, so foolish!!! I thought. Another man quickly followed her with a knife. Minutes after, this man came outside with a satisfied look and told his boss, "the job is done". In response, the boss said, "Our job is done here, this crazy people don't have anything, they just got our hands dirty unnecessarily, common let's go". The Armed robbers left with one swift movement and that was when my mum let out a loud cry "Iya oko mi ooo (that is, my sister-in-law ooo), where is Sile? She continued screaming.
We all went back to our various rooms with shaky feets. I was still even consoling my sister who was crying really hard when Aunty Sade came in like a miracle. We both jumped up immediately to hug her, she told us that she was not dead that she just hid in the room till the robbers left. We were so happy, my sister and I decided to go and inform the rest of the household about the miracle that just happened but Aunty Sade stopped us from going. She began giving us series of advices to be successful in life. She prayed and prayed for us. Let me tell you that, all my life, I have never seen my aunt to be this responsible. She then turned to speak with me privately, she said we all should not worry that Herself and Sile are in a better place now and I should make sure I take care of everybody especially her brother which is my dad on her behalf. I didn't quite understand what she was saying so I just looked on.
As if all the drama that happened that night was not enough, Aunty Sade said she would like to use our toilet that she doesn't want to go back to her room plus the fact that she would not be able to sleep alone now that Sile was gone. I sympathized with her and gave her a go ahead. That was when I head a knock at our door from mum and dad. I stood up to open for them while Aunty Sade hurried into the toilet. Mum and Dad were looking so sad and my thinking was that the reason for their expression was the whole sad moments that just passed until they spread the bad news of Aunty Sade's death. "Which aunty Sade, my sister asked? She just came here and asked to use our toilet (she wiped tears off her face with the back of her hand)", "infact she is in the toilet" I said nervously. My dad hurriedly opened the toilet door, I have never seen the toilet this empty, I screamed.
I started turning, that was how I woke up. And behold!!! It was a dream plus we don't have any Aunty Sade not to talk of Sile in our lives, no house-help, no gateman. I prayed, covered my household with the blood of Jesus, closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
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