Once upon atime in Somalia - Evans Egualeona (good books to read for young adults .TXT) 📗

“After they left, I came out from my hideout and ran out of the house. I kept running until the fall of night when I fell asleep by a dune tree. Lonely and afraid of the noise and cry of wild animals, not far away from where I lay with one eye closed, I covered myself with falling leaves from the trees as a disguise from both creepy, crawling and walking dangerous creatures of the dark. My heart beating fast, wishing and praying that the breaking of dawn might come speedily before time, but hey! The more I prayed and wished, the longer I waited for a never dawning day. Finally at dawn when I woke, walking back and forth, I couldn’t find a single living soul. It seemed as though the people of the entire district had been completely wiped out from the face of the earth by a mystical force because the entire region was as quiet as the graveyard and filled with dead bodies, lying all over the streets”.

“Without food and water, I walked for two days in the streets of Afgooye and then I finally passed out, only to be revived days later and given a place I now call home by Labaan our leader”.

“Where is Labaan?” I asked

“He is dead” she answered and continued

“He was killed in a fire fight two years ago, by the Al-shabaab militias. He taught me everything. How to fight, how to stand and how to survive! I learnt everything from him………..

“I can see you learnt well”, Peterson said

“Yes I did! I was second in command and very close to him” she replied

“How do you guys get weapons and ammo? I asked

“We get supplies from some government bodies when Labaan was still alive” she replied

“Government bodies, you said! I exclaimed

“I rather not talk about that’’ she answered

“Wait a minute, if Labaan is dead and you were second in command when he was still alive, that make you the leader now, right? Peterson asked

“Yes! She replied

“Wow! That’s big. How old are you? Stephaney asked

“I’m seventeen.” She replied

“Whoa! Did you say seventeen? Peterson asked, with a stunning look

“Yes! They found me and took me in, as part of their family when I was only fourteen. I did a lot, to win respect and gain favor from our leader. At his passing, he made me the leader”. She replied

“Apart from the men you killed earlier today, in an attempt to rescue us, how many men have you killed? Peterson asked out of curiosity

“I think over fifty men, in counting. She answered

With his mouth wild open, turning towards me, Peterson whispered

“Did you just hear that? She is only seventeen, a kid! And have killed more than fifty people in counting. Did you hear that? In counting………. Wow! I better get some sleep, goodnight.”

He lay down, and turned his back at us to sleep. She smiled and then responded to Petersons words

“We kill not for fun, but to defend ourselves. We kill the bad people, enemies of Somalia, enemies of peace, in order to stay alive. But they kill for fun; they kill for power, position and pride. Killing innocent people is not away to freedom or a way to prove a point, neither is it the will of Allah! These men are but vigorous beast. They kill our fathers; rape our women to death both old and young. They butcher our brothers and sisters like animals. They are the most dangerous of beast in the face of the earth. Anything on their path run, fly or die”. They should be stopped and we gradually doing that’’.

“Is it by killing over fifty men, in counting you are intending to put an end to this menace? You don’t stop violence with violence, do you? Peterson asked turning towards us again

She smiled again and answered

“This is not America where you live in skyscrapers, eat hotdogs and dance to good music. This is Somalia, the horn of Africa were only the most resilient of men live, those that can meet the challenges of elemental extremes of drought, flood and fire.

“Only the mother hen knows what danger lurks ahead when tempted to sleep on the ground at the fall of night.”

“You can only but imagine what would move a man to take the life of another man for no reasonable cause. We wouldn’t sit, fold our arms and watch others slaughter us to death, but stand and defend ourselves.

“If you believe Dr. Peterson, that killing these men is wrong, then what is your believe towards their actions? What is your believe then towards the children who watch their parents, raped, beheaded, slaughtered and shot dead for no just cause? What is your believe towards Somalis who are been chased out from their homes into the wild, hopeless men, women and children walking to distant land for safety, shelter, water and food because of the fear of death in the hands of these rebels?

“I don’t care what you believe Dr. Peterson or whatever you call yourself. I lost my entire family to these wicked creatures, believe me I would rather see them all dead!”

“I understand how you feel, I know he goofed in sounding the way he did earlier, please forgive his foolishness” I replied in a courteous manner to rebuke Peterson’s obnoxious remark

She lifted up her head, gave a smile and then responded to my apology

“Tab ‘an, the man that killed my family, his name is Tab ‘an .He is a warlord and a faithful servant to the Al-shabaab group. He is the second in command to Hassan, one of the most dreaded leaders of the Al-shabaab militias creating havoc in the south. Do you remember the captain of the militias that held you guys hostage before the inception?

“Yes! I do. Hussein I guess? I answered

“Yes! Hussein. He is the twin brother to Hassan the butcher of Baidoa. That is what he is called by his people. That man wiped an entire village, killing everything that walked, ran and flied.”

As she spoke Peterson interrupted her

“You see what I meant, we are dead already. You guys heard what she called him, The Butcher! That guy is going find us and kill us…………………

“Be quite Peterson! Whispered Fathia, in rebuke

“You were dead the very first day you set foot on these very soil, so stop the self pity and man up” she responded, looking towards me she asked

“What is goof?

“Excuse me? I answered with a question asked

“I mean what is the meaning of goof? She asked again

“Oh! It means to make a stupid mistake. I answered

“What about curiosity, what does it mean? She asked

“It means a strong desire to know about something”. I answered

“You are quite good in English, how did you learn? I asked

She laughed and then answered

“I don’t think I’m that good. My mother’s tongue makes it sound like shit.” She spoke with a smile

“Well I was thought by my grandfather, who is late now. He used to be an English teacher in one of our local schools years ago in our village before the massacre. Every evening under the moonlight sky, he sits in his usual chair at the front of the house, with children from various homes gathered all around him and teaches every one of us. He was a good man”

“What happened to him? I asked

“They killed him five years ago, on his way back from school where he went to teach, and then I was just twelve years old” she replied

She went on and on as she spoke of all her bitter experiences, the rape, killing, forced marriage and even the beheading of women at the hands of the Islamic militias who have overrun much of the country, most especially those cities of the south. She told of millions of Somalis who had fled their homeland and taken refuge in neighboring countries and distant places, millions more living within the country, displaces from their homes, living in terror and in very difficult circumstances and conditions. While thousands each year, in great danger of pirates and the treacherous sea, trying to cross the sea for safety to the countries to their north. She also told on how she used to be very timid and afraid of the dark but now fearless and brutal. A seventeen year old girl, leading an army of 13 men and 39 children, all heavily armed with machine guns and local barrels. It was really mind blowing.

We talked into the dark of night, until we finally fell asleep. The following morning we set out on our way to the camp she told us about at Jowhar northeast of Somalia. We drove for hours, till it was mid-day. The weather was so hot and windy that we could hardly see what was ahead.

“How far are we? Peterson asked

“We are ten minutes away” Arale answered

He looked towards Nadifa and asked

“So what’s your plan to help get us out of the country?

“I don’t know for now, when we get to a safe place, we will make plans” she answered

Ten minutes later, we arrived the camp and drove in

“Are you sure we are at the right place, because I haven’t noticed any movement? Peterson asked

“Oh! My God, Fathia exclaimed

“What happened here? I asked

Everyone was stunned and confused in fear, moving slowly with precaution, watching around as we all moved, and spread all over.

“Awa! Awa!! Awa!!!....... She called, running helter-skelter screaming in tears, the name Awa! Were I stood, watching in a sorrowful mood, here she came weeping bitterly as she walked towards Dr. Peterson and the four of us clustered together watching. Carrying a little child on her arms, she wept in words as tears of sorrow flowed down her cheeks

“She is but a little child. What wrong did she commit to be butchered in such a way…what wrong did these helpless ones lying dead on the ground commit? Here you stand, judging my actions and asking how many men have I killed. What do you now have to say about this? Are you now without words, Dr. Peterson? I have not begun! I will see them all sent to the afterlife………….she lamented

As she walked away, she turned to Peterson again and said

“The next time you judge my actions, I promise to make it your last!

“Nadifa, I know how you feel and I am sorry-am sorry for what I said”. Peterson replied

“I think we should get out of here, this place is not safe”. Stephaney commented

“We are not going anywhere, until we bury these bodies”. I responded

She walked pass by, gave me a nudge and whispered “thank you Dr. Lewis”

“You are welcome, now let’s get to work! I replied

The twenty eight of us went into work. We dig holes and buried the bodies of those we could and burned the others that were butchered to pieces, bodies whose parts couldn’t be identified and that was difficult to bury because they were scattered all over the place in pieces. The total numbers of persons buried and burnt were about a hundred and fifty two, whose majorities were defenseless women and children. It was a terrible and horrible scene, one that could only be carried out by heartless maniacs. Men void of conscience, dead at heart and darkened in soul, villains and beasts from Hades. These were the very work of the rebel group. They burnt the entire camp, did away with the little food, water and gasoline that sustained the people, killing these defenseless men, women and children.

After the burial, we had a minute silence in respect of the dead and then we hopped into our trucks and drove off.

“Here, have some candies”. Peterson offered

“No thanks, I am not hungry. Nadifa replied

“It’s sweet and taste good”. Stephaney said

“Ah! Sweet, Here in Somalia, nothing is sweet. When you feast long on pain and sorrow, as we all have, it becomes difficult to recall sweeter taste.” She replied and continued

“Do you know that there are people in this country that profits a lot from this war? All the common people