ACCIDENT

(5th of september)

I woke up refreshed and feeling better than the way I slept, as I had not had a nice night like this in ages I slept for the longest time ever and I had not done this for a very long time, I looked at the time and it was still 5:31am I was still feeling sleepy but I knew that I ha my roughly thirty minutes to prepare for morning prayer.

I took my bath and got dressed for the prayer it has been long since I bath before prayer, and so I wore a long caftan and took of to the mosque and went directly to the mosque, I managed to perform my ablution before the imam came in and started praying, he was a slow reader so It took time before he finished, and after he finished I walked home and when I was about to enter my apartment, I heard an unusual sound, it was the door opposite where I lived the person there was coming out, but this was strange as he never those that, and so as I was out to enter my apartment I head a sound coming from opposite my apartment, but I did not pay attention as I entered by an apartment, and I did not look back as e was tired and I wanted more sleep and so I was walking home was doing and lied back on my bed.

"Knock knock"

"Knock knock"

"Knock knock"

The person at the door kept on knocking as if I was deaf, she kept on knocking as she did not care if I was answering or not or whether I was at home or not.

"Coming" I shouted as I stood up from my bed to go and open the door.

She woke me up with her very loud voice and the irritating sounds she made from hitting the door with something that sounds like a key, I stood up because I could not bear this sound any longer, I was thankful to God as I managed to reach my destination *the door* without falling down because I was still very sleepy, I opened the door as I yawned with sleep still in my eyes and it was written all over my body, I wiped my face with my hands as my mouths were wide open as I was yawning but this where no good of a sign for her that she came late she still wanted what she wanted.

"Good morning ma"

"Good morning"

"How may I help you, ma"

"With your house rent" she replied as if she was disgusted of me, oh it was true my rent has expired

"Yes okay"

I went inside my bedroom to get the money I did not waste time because I wanted more sleep and also because the woman looks very tired, and more over I don't like public embarrassment, so I try to pay my bills on time, that I learned from my father and the truth is that most people don't, so I would be a better person if I did.

"Thank you "

She said as her mood changed suddenly, I guess money can bring happiness to someone sometimes, I was shocked by the look she gave when as she saw me with the money, I handed it over to her and I think I just made her day, as she left happily, that made it seem like I was the only one with my money today, or maybe I was the only one who paid rent, but why do they stress people around if you are still going to pay the thing but what can I say right it was a typical Nigeria act that most Nigerians knows how to perform well.

Holy shit, its already 7:12am on God I don't want to be late, but still I don't want to miss this very interesting and nice sleep but I guess I have to sacrifice it for something bigger which is my job, besides after I was promoted my salary pay was huge and I have been thinking in buying a house in an estate or doing something even bigger for my self maybe by the end of this year if I save enough I would be able to buy a car.

I creamed my self and put on a pair of jean trousers and white Parker shirt, I picked up my phone and ordered an Uber as I took my phone and walked out of the apartment as I keyed it at the back, and besides was a shelf where I usually keep my shoe on, so I just went there and picked up a boat and went out with my phone in my hands, I waited for only ten minutes outside as the driver drove to me with his car.

"Good morning"

"Good morning" we both greater as I opened the door of the car.

I entered the Uber and it was a very long ride to the company today but on a normal day under a normal circumstance it was not supposed to be long at all, but today as Allah will have it, it was an even longer ride because on the road there was an accident at the middle of the road which I passed on daily basis but thank God I was with my camera because I filmed everything, it was an accident between a dangote cement truck and small cars, it seems like the truck driver fell asleep as he was driving as the truck climbed over five little cars if not six, the truck and the cars were badly damaged, the truck driver and his conductor were both dead as the head of the truck was on fire, but they have managed to turn it off, the truck driver and his conductor were smashed together with the head of the truck I would disagree if they would be able to find any part of their body to give to their family members or to but six feet under, and their bodies were damaged alongside the truck and the people there were not able to distinguish between body parts and truck parts their bodies were damaged beyond recognition.

"May God protect us from this type of death" the driver said

"Amen, what could be the cause of this accident" I asked curiously

"You know all this truck drivers, they are very careless, and they over speed at night, they will be sleepy and also under the effects of alcohol, yet they will continue driving"

"You don't mean it".

" They run very fast at night, some of them don't even head light and a refractive light for drivers to know that there are on the road

"Do you think any of the drivers died"

"Maybe, I am not sure but I fear so"

"INALLILAHI WA INAILLAHI RAGION"

"hmm, poor drivers on your way to work early this morning, God forbids this for us"

"So this happened this morning"

"Yes sir, early this morning"

Suddenly we started hearing the sound of the police sirens, but it was not for us, and we were busy thinking that there were heard to help the victims and free this road from all the traffic but turns out there was a special somebody in the car not knowing that there were only hear to free the road because....

Wait for it ....

A governor was passing, what a country I find my self in.

"Wickedness in the highest order" the driver said

"Can you just imagine, what if they came earlier and this truck landed on them"

"Mitchew, if it did there would already be in the hospital by now, but just because this people don't have political post they think they Are irrelevant to the country, they are very relevant, because they also have families to fend for, and they were once living like you"

It is not only that they passed as if nothing happened there it was also sad as people were shouting and pleading for help from them, but they did not even reduce the speed of their car.

"God should help us in this country"

"Amen oh my brother"

I dialed our news stations number because I wanted them to make this headline and....

"Hello"

"Its Muhammad"

"Oh, good morning how are you"

"Fine, so there was an accident on the way to work from my side will you mind if we report it on the news"

"Yes, let me send in a van"

"OK good"

"Thanks for the info"

"Your welcome"

"Are they to come to the accident scene"

"Yeah, for to be live and direct"

"Nice"

"OK bye"

"Yeah"

I hanged up the call, and went down the car as the hold up seems not to be moving after the convoy passed, I went to meet a man who was filming the incident.

"Good day sir" I started

"How are you?" he asked as we shook hands

"Fine sir"

"How may I help you"

"I am in need of the forage sir, do you have every thing on record"

"Yes"

"Even the part that the governor passed without stopping"

"Yes sir"

"Let me see" He showed me on his phone

"Can I have it"

"Of course sir, go to tender let me send you"

"Thank you sir"

"Your welcome"

"Sir, how many victims do you think died in this accident"

"Ten"

"Really "

"Most of the victims are dead"

"Wooooo"

"They did not die immediately after the accident, but due to suffocation and lack of paramedics the death is increasing"

" oh, so they have pulled them out of their respective cars"

"Yes"

"OK sir thanks for the information"

"Yeah, welcome"

Woo, it was that easy to get the news without any stress, really nice man,

I walked to where the car was and it had not moved an inch, I entered and sat down directly behind the passengers sit, as I wined down the glass for more oxygen to enter the car.

But thank God that FRSC came and reduced the hold up to nothing, nicely done by the FRSC, they came and cleared the road of which allowed us to have easy passage and access of it, we reached our destination by 10:30am which was a terrible timing but every body just understood perfectly that there was a perfect reason for my lateness because I already called the station and I guess that's how news spread around here, by gossiping.

Come to think of it what were those people in that car felling like, so they think death can not come to them because of the protection, shall I hope they know that they are just wasting Nigerians money and that is not a way of protection.

I prayed and did all my daily activities early today as the word *death"* was constantly in my head and I guess I wanted to live this world with a good intention, today was a good day and nothing happened in the office today, which was nice and good for everyone I slept by 8:49pm which was earlier than I usually do but I wanted to catch up on my EFT over dream from yesterday, the day ended with only one taught constantly disturbing me in my sleep and everything in my tiny mind it was that could have been you and that left an ugly scare on me.

Turns out that I couldn't sleep well as this thought kept on crossing my mind, every single sec, it kept waking me up, and up, and I did not like it but still I was defenseless against it but it was kind of true "what if that dead man was me" was I ready to go?, was I a good person?, is that how my generation would end?, The day was a success but the night truly wasn't and I hope the only thing left for me to do is find my way and make friends with people because nothing comes easy