a few months ago,my friends and i set out to go to town,it was a beautiful Saturday morning,it had rained the night before and so the weather was cool and airy,great for a morning walk;we decided to walk a little before taking a taxi to our destination.A few minutes from our home,we saw a man;a boy maybe,lying across the street by a huge drain...he was very dirty...his clothes were soo dirty,you couldn't see the colours, his hair looked like it hadn't been combed for weeks.My friends and i went closer to have a better look...it looked like he was in an immense pain,his eyes were bloodshot,it was covered with sand;flies hovering around it like an open sore.he kept opening and closing his mouth like he was trying to say something....on the floor close to him was 'hausa koko';a porridge made of millet ,tied in a rubber bag,it looked like the woman who sold it close to where he was lying gave it to him...people were walking pass him but no one cared;he was a mad man, a criminal or someone who had been beaten for doing something bad.My friends and i walked away
about 5 hours later,we were home..lunch was ready,we were all in the living room chatting and eating...my friend's Auntie walked in, she announced absently "a boy is lying dead down the street"...my heart skipped a beat!.."he is dead ?" i asked..my throat was dry,i couldn't swallow the food in my mouth.. i just sat there..a very graphic memory of him came to mind...all of a sudden i started recollecting various details of the person,although he was very dirty,i remembered he had on a belt like the ones most boys today wear,he had on boxer shorts too...his pants didn't look worn out,he had on a polo shirt on ,he had on a shamballa bracelet and other bracelets made of rubber..HE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MAD!!..it had rained the night before so his dirty look could be due to the fact that he had been there during the rain...
my eyes were filled with tears..by this time,my friends were laughing at me.."ah what is wrong with you?...did you kill him?"..i told them i was fine but i wasn't, i was sad,and scared...why the latter,i don't know..i went to the washroom to allow myself to cry because i couldn't breath... why was i soo affected?..i didn't even know him..what if he was a criminal?..in my heart,i felt no matter who he was,he did not deserve that end..we could have helped him,i could have helped him..we could have called the police;someone,anyone!
its was done..he was dead...i got over the sadness but its a day i will never forget!...it was one act of random kindness that could have saved a life!
