The morning after the blast “from my coming novel TRAPPED”

Not only did Ada not go to school today she didn’t for the next few days as 24 hour curfew was imposed on the town by the government, she spent most of her time reading old newspapers she had only read only the headlines weeks before, she was surprised to read about  how many other parts of the country had suffered bomb blasts too, though she had known these facts before she half believed them to be true because it sounded almost alien to think that bombs would be so rampant in this part of the world, but her thoughts were totally wrong as more than 20 blasts have taken place in different parts of the country and hundreds either injured or dead, thousands displaced from their home. She read with keen interest what was foreign news before now happening in her third world country, she wondered what the terrorists responsible for the attacks hoped to achieve? As their was no clear objective nor demands from them. The first few nights after the bomb blast  was spent in fear of the unknown, nobody ate squarely even though her mother cooked thrice a day, the appetite for food was completely lost.  Ada’s father Chief Patrick Madu spent most of his time watching world news or listening to radio, most evenings he sat in the corridor reading newspaper or making frantic phone calls, most of his callers were his business associates, people who usually supplied him with goods some were of goodwill as they asked him how his family was faring and asked if their was any help they could render but he knew most of them wanted to make sure his business was sound and their money could be paid back as usual though he assured them everything was alright Ada knew better, she saw fear build a certain alertness in his eyes each time the news headlines were read out on the television, a few relatives called to show concern over their well-being, at first the curfew seem to have brought peace and calm nerves but as days passed by, everybody became very uncomfortable so that on a Wednesday ten days after the blast when the curfew was lifted it was a huge relief to everyone even Ada’s mother who had initial supported the curfew was happy too. So it came to pass that things seem to be normal again. The scare worn off, even though 20 people had dead from the blast it was believed that it was their fate to die, gradually it became just another story an old sad story nobody talked about it anymore even the media seem to have moved on, one month after  only one person seem not to move on and let the sleeping dog sleep on, it was Adanna Madu, Ada wondered how those people would just die like that, nobody pleaded their case anymore, no court convicted anybody of the crime, they police detained no one, the media brought no more update, it was over, the families and the church was left to their fate, it was cruel she thought to her self, she had read enough foreign books to expect a monument raised in their honor and a day set aside to honor them as well. when she complained to Chioma her best friend at school Chioma laughed her heart out, Ada wake up this is Nigeria when you die nobody cares, nobody cares if your alive how then do you expect them to care when your dead, Ada was surprised by Chioma remarks, Chi how could you say a thing like that so these people would die in vain, Ada open your eyes to the reality though I feel sad about what happened to them but as you can see the government certainly don’t feel same way. Ada felt a cold shiver down her spin as she swallowed what was the bitter truth. That night before she slept she said a short prayer for their souls, as she laid down she tried to imagine the faces of people she knew not, she reasoned if she thought of them at least their spirit would find peace in the world beyond. She continued in her thoughts till to sleep over power her will to stay awake.