THE COLD WAR

THE BATTLE LINE 1

     "Bread and butter is what I ordered.
       But I want to give it out.
        Because,
       I didn't want it too cold,
      neither did i want it too hot,
      but that is what I got.
      Hey, which do you want?" The older children singing grabbed one of the children dancing merrily round them.
      "Ehm, I choose bread."
       "Yay!" One of the older children shouted in excitement.
      The game continued in that order till every child dancing round chose what they wanted.
        "Now is time for the fight." They chorused.
      "Who will take the lead, bread or butter?"
     "Bread!" Some proposed.
    "No, it's butter." Others opposed.
"There's no need for disharmony." A boy bid the arguing children, he picked up a stick and drew a line on the floor.
      "The battle line has been drawn, let the fight begin!"

         *******************************
      Adenrele struggled to crawl out of the house after the contention with his father who had suddenly disappeared, leaving him in his pains. He was losing so much blood already and was getting woozy. He tried to call for help, but his voice was too faint to shout. He lay on the floor in pool of blood helpless hoping he would breathe his last any moment from then.
      Fortunately, a young lady walked in time. She had earlier missed her way and had just been able to trace it back. She walked hurriedly to her car just to ease the stress she had gone through in locating her car. As she was about opening the door of her car, she thought of taking a shot of an eye-catching flower. As she turned to take the photograph, her gaze met the dying Denrele. She stood still in shock for a moment.
     "What a dilemma!" she rushed to where Derenle was lying, fidgeting.
       She walked to and fro the corridor trying to think of the best way to help out. He looked way stronger than she could lift, there was no way she could reach an ambulance; it was a remote area.
     Derenle tried to mutter some words but his voice was failing.
       "You will be fine." The young lady said amidst tears.
     "God, I'm confused. There's nobody around to help us and this man is dying." She wiped off her tears, bent over him to see if there was anything she could do to stop the bleeding.
      "You're a strong man, Keep being strong till we find a solution please." He looked palely at her and passed out.
         "Eh!" she screamed.
   "This is too much for me to handle. God send a man."
      
       She looked up, and saw a man going the opposite route.
     "Yes, sir!" She beckoned on him, but he ignored her call.
     "Daddy, it is you sir."
    "Ehen, what's that?" He frowned.
    "I need you to help in carrying this young man into my car sir. I was just passing by when I saw him in this critical condition."
      "Haha!" He exclaimed.
      "Derenle kọ yì?- is this not Derenle? A ò mà ní rí l'ábúrú - we won't see evil." He lifted him on his shoulder and dropped him in the car.
      "There is an health centre down the road, young lady. Let's see if they can help, but then, watch out for potholes please."
       They got to the health centre in a jiffy. The lady rushed in to call the attendants to come check whether they could handle his condition.
       "What would you expect from a rural health centre?" she hissed.
  "Can't we get him any treatment from here?"
  "We will do just that, but please, get him out of town to a general hospital as soon as possible." The nurse dipped a gauze pad in a saline solution, gently rubbed it around the cut and gave him some other few treatments to sustain him till they get to the hospital."
      "Thank you so much". She said restlessly as she hopped into her car.
     "Young lady, I think I should drive instead. You're getting antsy."
     She handed over the car key to the man who helped in taking Derenle to the health centre. As soon as they got to the hospital, they had him taken to the intensive care unit.

         ****************************
       Denrenle opened his eyes after so many days had passed. He was puzzled at the sight of what was going on around him.
     "Màámi! Màámi!! Màámi!!!"
     "Thank God." The young lady heaved a sigh of relief.
     "Calm down, màámi is not here." She gave him a light touch on his hand to calm him down but he reciprocated her touch with a roar. She gasped and hurried out to call the doctor's attention to it.
      "He will be fine." The doctor assured as he put him to sleep.
     "Hopefully, when he wakes up, he would have been eased from whatsoever trauma he's going through."

       "I hope so because I'm getting fed up already. I just have to finish what I started, and I have a lot of task to complete before the week runs out."
    "He will be fine, madam." The doctor patted her back.
      "I will be back to check up on him."
 
   
           ****************************
      "That was how I met her, Mr Davies. I woke up to this young lady by my side in the hospital. She then explained everything I needed to know on how she picked me up dying, brought me down to the hospital, and how I resuscitated, screaming màámi's name. She was worn out, yet she waited.  She stayed with me alone in the hospital, she was there when everyone deserted me.

He squeezed his clothes and sobbed.
       "See how I repaid the one who saved me Barrister. I really don't deserve to live." He paused.
      "See, even if I'm freed from here, there's no way I will ever get freedom because my acts will keep haunting me all my life."
      "Don't say that  Denrele." He passed over an handkerchief to him.
       "So, tell me. What happened next?"