TOMMOROW AWAITS

Episode 4-Time Changes Yesterday

The bank entrance was crowded with people milling in out of it. With what had happened yesterday, one would have expected a mellow environment, silence as the dead were being mourned and losses counted,instead,at the wake of such a terrifying incident in history people were hurrying to the bank. Hardly surprising, as the average Nigerian was concerned about his money at the bank,his only hope at survival. Mohammed was dialling his mother's line without success. It had rung three consecutive times on end yet nobody picked it up,the fourth time he tried,it was switched off.

"I think i should just pop inside and see what's going on,maybe someone knows where my mom is"

He shrugged. I tapped my foot on the floor mat. We were in the car park adjacent to the main entrance, a vantage position from which we could see who went in and who came out. Most of the people coming out were carrying bags,clear evidence that they had gone to withdrawal all their money. I chuckled to myself as i imagined the bank running out of available cash and shutting down before noon.

"I don't think you should! They might decide to bomb here next,you don't know who might be in there"

I said,my eyes firmly fixed at the entrance. My hesitation was more about me not wanting to be alone outside that the risk of him going in. For the first time,i heard him laugh,a beautiful sound.

"You're just being paranoid. I don't think they're gonna bomb Lagos again any time soon. Hell,they've done their worst,plus the security here is tight. Just keep the windows down,I'll be back before you know it"

I shrugged. What could i say? He had to find his mom anyway,his only living relation. I kept my eyes on him till he entered the building. He had perfectly calculated gait to match his beauty.

Staying in the car alone was already driving me crazy,i jumped at the slightest of sounds. People kept pouring into the bank in their numbers,my fists clenched of their own accord. So many tax paying citizens had lost their lives in the most gruesome way possible over the last twenty-four hours and all these people cared about was money. Money they probably were never going to use. In their minds,life goes on. So what a few people died? In war,there are always casualties, it was to be expected,at least the Lord in his infinite mercies kept them alive. The media on it's own part will carry the news,make money out of it,attract international sympathy which of course was also to be expected. Sympathies will pour in from all countries, condemnation and prayers,presidents will give long,meaningless speeches and donate more money to the families of the victims, money that would never reach their hands. Then it will die down slowly, life will return to normal. At the end,nobody will care,about the pain and terror,losing everything you once held dear,finding yourself all alone with a stranger whom you are expected to hate because his brothers did this to you. People will write letters and articles expressing sympathy while deep down,they are grateful it didn't happen to them. At the end of the day,you are your own army,your own team,left to weather the storm alone.

I sighed deeply and wished i was one of those people withdrawing money with no care in the world,no bullet ridden body in their sitting room,no missing parent,well stocked kitchen and a roof they can stay under with no fear of what the next knock would bring. My musing was cut short when i saw Mohammed approaching, the picture of dejection, his shoulders slumped.

"I can barely recognize any one in there and all the people i asked have never seen her before"

He said. I felt pity for this stranger i had become accustomed to. This stranger that saved me.

"Maybe something happened,we should check the hospitals, maybe they brought in someone fitting her description. We should go"

I said,trying to give the hope i couldn't even feel. He shrugged again and engaged the car in reverse. We were half a mile away from the bank when we heard and felt the first tremors of the explosion. I felt myself slam into Mohammed who hit the side door with a force that nearly ripped it open as the car swerved off the highway and rammed into the wall of a nearby building. All around us,people screamed,the hopeless screaming of people close to their deaths as their cars skidded and somersaulted,some bursting into flames and ramming into vehicles before it. People were screaming and running helter skelter,blood dripping from cuts on their faces. Mohammed struggled with his side door and we tumbled out and landed on the asphalt with me on top of him. I awkwardly rolled over on my back and we lay there,out of breath,staring at the sky,around us people lay on the ground too,probably dead.

"Second time they tried to kill us. You okay?"

He asked hoarsely,he must have lost his voice from all that screaming out of panic.

"Phew! I'm good. I'm good"

I said and stood up to survey. The sight was not pretty.

"There are so many people. Maybe we can help"

"Don't go there. Look at the state of our car,it's still in the wall. Heck! We barely got out alive. I'll tell you what we need to do. Free the car and get out of here. Most people don't escape twice"

He stressed as though he was talking to a little child that needed to be led by the hand. I sighed loudly, he had a point.

An hour had gone by,yet the car refused to budge. We were stuck and wandered the lengths,making no headway. Nobody was going to give a free ride,they couldn't even get their cars together. God knows where they had come from but now,there were police vehicles,ambulances,red cross and all sorts of relief organisations. People were being questioned and first aid kits put into use,still the number of bodies covered in white sheets,going away in ambulances to the nearest morgue was in increasing.

"In the name of the Father,the Son and the Holy spirit... "

Next to us,a man was crouched over a stiff body on the floor,the person was dead. Mohammed chuckled.

"Yo! Mister,that's not gonna help,you know? It's dead. Let go"

The man contemplated us briefly, shook his head in pity and came over to sit on the ground, right in front of us.

"Young man,you never know what the grace of God could do for the souls of the faithfully departed. You're just too young"

"I don't really care about that,God probably has a lot doing right now than helping any of us,so forget about that."

Mohammed said derisively and added on second thoughts.

"You see my car right there? The Chevrolet in the wall. Little help please?"

The man speculated again,shook his head and stood up,dusting off his jeans.

"It'll take a crew to get that car out and by the look of things,the bonnet should be smashed. Pretty car,seems God is too busy to help with it."

"Smart guy! I'll give you that"

Mohammed chuckled.

"You see,we're going into town right about now to see the displaced people's camp,you need a ride? You need a ride? Drive one of the Relief trucks. We barely have enough hands on deck as it is"

The man added.

"Yes! We'll take it"

I said quickly, lest Mohammed tried playing smart and turning it down. The man sized me up.

"Okay,good. You too,come along"

Minutes later,we were registered as relief workers,given the bright red and white vests to wear and were in the van heading into town. Mohammed sighed deeply,every few seconds.

"It's not that bad. A lot better than being stuck there"

I said. I was happy not to be still on the road,under the hot sun with the smell of blood hovering in the air and making me sick.

"It's really not about that. I'm just sick of the whole thing. What i wanted was to find my mom. Nobody told me that one day,I'd be riding a truck with 'Jesus saves' on it. Really now,can't you see how ridiculous that is?"

He asked.

I couldn't see it. So i kept quiet and we drove in silence.