I saw people clustered all around the RIVER, It was surprising because
the season, and the time of the day didn’t usually command such crowd
at the river area. I ran anxiously to know what it was all about. I
halted, I could not believe my eyes and for the very first time in my
life, I doubted my sanity
My whole reasoning changed towards something that used to be my
favorite act, I grew to hate it, never forgetting how wickedly it
treated me, how it had taken away from me something I treasured more
than anything else, how it broke my heart into pieces and never cared
to gather the fragments, how it pierced deep into my heart and left me
half dead, half alive always wishing it had not happened.
Swimming used to be my favorite recreational activity, I loved
swimming so much, I could even forget that I had not eaten until am
through with swimming. Swimming was the next after my God and my
studies, A day didn’t pass without me swimming, I spent most of my
leisure times swimming, I was also very good in the act, friends
called me “Tilapia” a specie of fish, because of my expertise in the
act of swimming. I was indeed a fish in the water.
I had my friends I swam with, they were also good in the act, We went
for swimming together most of the time. Nnadozie was one of my friends
I went for the swimming exercise with, Nnadozie was not just a
swimming friend, but a best friend, in fact, He was like a Brother to
me, we were very close to each other, He understood me so much and I
understood him even the more. We were always together almost
everywhere, people called us twins because of the closeness between
us. Our relationship could be compared to that of the two eyes;
blinking together in joy and happiness and crying together in sorrow.
We were always there for each other, and I would have given my life
for his if I was given the opportunity and I believe firmly that he
would do the same for me.
On that ill-fated day, Nnadozie came to my house at 11:00am, being a
holiday period. I was on a book in our parlor, reading “WHO FEARS
DEATH”. I was so much engrossed in the novel that I didn’t notice
Nnadozie’s presence until he gave me a tap at the back, I jumped up
and fell back to my sit with fear, a fear ignited by the fearful novel
I was reading. I was mad at him for a while but just calmed down after
he apologized and we started chatting. He said, he wanted us to go on
a swimming exercise, I wanted to object to it, with the reason that
the past days were too rainy and that EFULU RIVER would be filled to
the brim and would be dangerous for little boys like us, but my love
for swimming over-ruled my reasoning. Immediately I hurried in
preparation for the exercise. Just as we were set to go, my Father who
went to the farm came back and instructed that I should go to the farm
with the wheel barrow and bring back some Cocoa Yam seeds he got from
the farm, I grumbled, but Nnadozie advised that I should not grumble
whenever my Father sends me on an errand and even offered to go with
me to the farm, but I told him to go for the swimming so that I can
join him once am back from the farm, the issue almost caused a little
misunderstanding between us, but as he always desired peace, he agreed
to act according to my dictates to ensure peace. He went for the
swimming and I went to the farm.
3rd September 2004mremains the day my everlasting misery began, the
day I came to know sorrow as my close companion, the day darkness
replaced the light in my life, the day that robbed me off someone
precious to me, the day I regret waking up to, the day I will never
forget, not for its good to me, but for the scar it left in me, a
yawning gap that will ever remain hollow. Why did 3rd September 2004
ever come?
Darkness came and never went, it was too grave, I couldn’t believe
it, it was unbelievable, what I saw on my way to EFULU RIVER. I saw
people clustered all around the EFULU RIVER, It was surprising because
the season, and the time of the day didn’t usually command such crowd
at the river area. I ran anxiously to know what it was all about. I
halted, who was that lying lifelessly on the river bank, unbelievably
it was Nnadozie, he was dead, a cold shiver went through my spine, I
couldn’t believe stand, I looked at his lifeless body again and that
was all.
I woke up in an unfamiliar room, I was in a hospital, I was told I
fainted after seeing my friend Dead. After I came Home I quit
swimming, and ever since then I hate anything, River or swimming pool.
It was a great loss.
