MAY THE 29TH

It's Democracy Day today in Nigeria 🇳🇬
And it just happens that today 20 years ago, the lives of me, my family and hundreds of other people were drastically changed. I'm talking about a massacre, houses burnt to ashes, stray bullets, total chaos!! you get the idea right? right.

I'm writing this through the eyes of my mother because c'mon I was only a month old when all this went down.

My mom passed away years ago (May your soul continue to rest in perfect peace Ma😔) She didn't have the chance to tell me this story but my dad and older brother have told me this story repeatedly over the years and I thought it'd be cool if I retold it from my mom's own  point of view. (I know I'm the greatest yeah? 😎😎)
P.S Her name Fumilayo
So... Here goes nothing
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The cock had crown three times now, it signifies the dawn of a new day.
"They haven't attacked yet, maybe God has finally answered our prayers" Funmilayo thoughts as she stirred on my bed.
She had a one month old baby by her side. Her husband had gone to church for morning devotion with other members to pray against the attack. Maybe God answered.
"dem don come o dem don come o"
Someone screamed from a distance
"What was that?" She asks Keith her husband's son. His eyes dilate "Maybe they have come".
Kosa! Kosa! Kosa!
No one needed a prophet to explain what they just heard.
"Quickly. Go outside. Run!" She said to her husband's son her voice barely above a whisper.
She picks up her daughter and places her on her back and ties her firmly to her chest.
Buy now she could hear cries from a distant.
"Oh what terrible things could be happening outside" She said to herself panting.
She contemplated on wearing her slippers but decided against it, it would only hinder her running.
She looks over at her daughter through the corner of her eyes "How could a child be fast asleep in the middle of all this chaos" she thought to herself half smiling half frowning.
While making her way out of the house, she quickly glances at her wedding portrait, where on earth was her husband He still hadn't arrived. She decided to worry about her herself and her daughter now, she'll worry about Oladele later. He was a man, he'll be fine.
She swiftly opened the door and took l
to her heels. She'll run to the creek. Passerby boats where bound to stop and rescue them.
The whole village was in ruins, fire was spewing out of make shift houses. She thought about her husband's church and school. It must have been burnt to ashes by now she flinches at the thought.
She had been running for about 7 minutes now, the creeks was almost in sight. She paused for a moment to breathe, she was not the best athletic person and having a baby tied to her back was not helping matters
Looking around, she takes in the state of her village. The place she'd call home for most of her life. All in ruins, everything! Not a single building was standing. Of course they all burnt down! They were made from tatches and bamboo it was 1999 and it was a riverine community for heaven's sake!
She could feel tears welling up in her eyes she quickly took deep breath.

Everything is going to be fine. She reassured herself.

"My leg! My leg! My leg!"
She regained consciousness as a man who had been gunned down screamed in pain. There was nothing she could do to help.

The baby was beginning to stir on her back, she was going to be awake any moment from now.
"Sleep baby, sleep baby" She says in a soft whisper. This was not the right time and place to breast feed a baby.
She picked up her pace and before she knew it, she had arrived at the creek.
She saw that other villagers had assembled there. It didn't take long for her to notice that Keith was also there.
He was a vibrant boy, she knew he could take care of himself.

He notices her and quickly walks up to her gladness emitting from his eyes. He was happy to see them at least now he wasn't alone anymore.

She gently loosen the cloth tied around her chest and places the baby around her arms. She reached for one of her breasts and places it in her daughter's mouth.

Little Tosin sucked eagerly on her mother's breast.
"This will all be over soon." Fumilayo whispers to her daughter.


Yayyyyy!!!
How did I do??
That was pretty intense right??
In the end, we were rescued by helicopters not boats I'm not much of a writer so I wasn't able to put all of that together but if you have any questions, you could always leave a message.
Thank you soo much for reading!!!
❤❤❤❤❤
Shouts to @Yubeeofficial for this wonderful artwork 👇👇😍😍 thank you thank you I love it I love it.

All the love,
atoms&Void