TOMMOROW AWAITS

Episode 6-The Samaritan's Purse

Today, they brought in a new batch of inmates. If we looked bad yesterday, then they looked worse. We were roused as early as six o'clock in the morning for hurried first aid lessons.

"Many of the people that will be brought in today are injured, very injured. The hospitals are crowded,private hospitals are closing up,everyone's leaving town,government hospitals are understaffed,bodies are piling up in the morgues,these people have nowhere to go. We are the Salvation Army and we will take care of them."

Ben was saying.

Someone sniggered from the back,it was Uche,one of the people Ben had introduced us to yesterday.

"Yeah,right! We can barely take care of ourselves, who knows how long we have to stay alive but here we go,heroic patriots. Yes! Bring more people to die here? No light,just one borehole and a stupid well. We already have like a hundred people here and still counting. What the hell are we? The Samaritan's Purse?"

Murmurs and silent nods of assent followed his little speech. I didn't really blame them,we were all living in fear,this was the time to think of yourself and save your own skin first. Ben chose to ignore us.

"Just as i was saying before i was interrupted, people will die. We will lose some, although we are doing our best to bring the few doctors that will risk it. If everybody thinks of themselves and refuses to work,then we shall all die. Everybody's leaving town,we are now our own army. I don't know about you but my conscience won't let me leave these people to die."

In the silence that followed, one could hear a pin drop.

"Ben,i don't know how this looks easy to you,but I'm scared. I can't do this"

Another voice from the back,this time it was the girl who made our meals. Omotunde.

"Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? You know what that is? Jesus said that,right after he calmed the storm. "

Ben walked up,placed his hand on her shoulders and looked her right in the eye.

"Sweetheart, anytime you feel another storm rising right there inside of your heart, when you feel the fear and that voice telling you not to go on,i want you do yourself a favour. I want you to ask yourself, what will Jesus do?"

Then he stood taller and turned to look at the rest of us.

"Look,i want y'all to know,he's not promising us an easy ride,but a ride all the same. I want you be strong "

He was talking with force,laying emphasis on each word he spoke,i couldn't help a smile.

"There is no room for fear. I want you guys to go out there and do what we have to do,give those people the treatment they require. Encourage them because someday, this is all gonna be over. Now,if we're done here,you should excuse me"

He bowed his head and marched out in even military strides.

I wiped the sweat from my brow with my arm and quickly continued the bandage i was applying. This should be the fifteenth person i had attended to today, each looking worse off than the other and this particular child had lost an arm. I wondered where he got the smile he gave to me from. I raised a brow at him.

"Thank you,miss"

The smile was still on his face. I thought to myself, he probably doesn't get it. He now has one arm,handicapped for life,will never run around and play with other kids ever again, and yet he could smile and say thank you? I could taste the anger boiling in my heart,anger at the people who would do this to a defenseless little child. It was as though he read my thoughts,for he tapped me.

"It's not that bad,miss. I can see the sun,and the stars,i can play even with one arm. It's not that bad,I'm alive and one day this will all be over. My momma used to call it trials and tribulations "

"It's not about that,sweetheart. You're alive, you deserve to be alive. Nobody has the right to injure or maim you. They deserve to pay for this"

"Will you make them pay?"

I paused and looked into those small brown eyes of a child of barely ten,i saw hope,the will to live and the power to fight. I saw also,that i was a coward hiding beneath the shield of pain and grief.

"Somebody will,okay? Somebody will. Now,where's your momma now? Is she here with you?"

He chuckled.

"Nope,she's gone to be with dad. In heaven. She died in the blast,but I'm going to be with them someday because Allah knows best. May i go now,miss? I think I'm strong enough "

Another innocent beam.

This was another Muslim kid. How could these blood thirsty villains do this to their own people? It made mockery of the cause they claimed to be fighting for.