The Burial

Episode 11

We got the news that those who sustained injuries had gone to the hospital for treatment. I was asked to go cover the blood spilled in the compound with sand and sprinkle some kerosene everywhere, when the thought came to me to search may be the guy that got his ear cut, forgot to pick it up before running away.
I searched under the rubble and could not find anything, could not find the guy’s ear.

I tried to find my path to the sU-Cker-way close to the toilet may be the ear might have flew off towards there or may be it had mistakenly flew into poo.

I was busy looking here and there, dipped my face into the sU-Cker-way to see may be it might float, if it were there the ear flew. But all I saw were maggots, black poo, yellow poo and cockroaches trying to flee.

If the ear truly had flown mistakenly into the sU-Cker-way, I was silly to be searching for it. It wasn’t something that could float neither might it have flown that far, almost 30yards away from the scene of the incident.

I was still in my mystery when my uncle came back from the unknown place he had disappeared to. He was so shabby, his clothes were torn and stained with blood. I was giving him a thorough look from head to toe when I noticed a cut at one part of his trouser. The skin protruded and the part where he was cut had no cloth to cover it. The cutlass which was used should be a very sharp one I thought, because it cut the trousers into the skin, leaving an horrifying scene that I could not help what would be done, could not imagine the stitches he would need before his skin would be back to normal(its shape).

I tried to ask him where he had gone and why didn’t he visit the hospital when he was away but the words couldn’t find their way out of my mouth. I just stood at one point staring like a zombie at him as he tried to tear a rag into two(2), so as to use it in tying the wound till he gets to the hospital but the rag didn’t please him.

He went for his towel on the line, said something as he took the towel off the line but I could not hear what he said, could not comprehend. My nerves didn’t receive any message that might have travelled to my brain and the brain in its turn interpret and transmit it.

“Why do u stand staring like that?. Are you deaf?. Didn’t you hear what I said.”

I didn’t make to move, could not open my mouth either, just stood there lost. I never knew my uncle was talking to me but I was looking straight into his eyes. It was as if I were dreaming and at the same time awake.

“Femi!! Femi!!.” My uncle called shouting as I made to run like a wide bull, when he said,”why are you running?. Who is after you?. What have you been thinking about?.”

I didn’t know which of the questions to answer first as I was running. He told me he had asked me to get him a knife to cut the towel but I stood as if I were a stick, as if I didn’t hear what he said. Soon as I heard what he explained, I took a halt and spoke up. “Oh!, am deeply sorry. I never knew you were talking to me.” As I head to the kitchen to get him the knife.

I brought the knife to him which wasn’t hard for me to locate since I knew where we kept cutlery in the kitchen.

“Hold it for me.” he said as he cut the towel into two(2) and tied his wounded leg to stop the bleeding. I thought he would head straight for the hospital soon as he finished but I was surprised when he bent down washing the clothes he had soaked in the bucket before leaving home early that morning.

He was still washing when his junior brother came back from work. He greeted everybody and went to drop his bag inside.

He is the Second born and not as built as his brother who is a weight lifter. He had not involved himself in the property matter since it began. Soon as he finished dropping his bag inside, he headed to the kitchen and coming back, I saw him quenching his taste with the malta Guinness, I had bought the day before. I was angry but could not show it, when I saw his face changed.

I was trying to figure out may be he was angry for drinking my malt when he disappointed me with the questions he asked.

“What happened here?. Why is the toilet not Standing over there?. Our room?. What happened here if anyone cares to tell me?.

I thought may be his elder brother would speak up but he didn’t say anything, rather he concentrated on his laundry the more.

Grandpa at that moment started narrating what happened when I caught the view(gaze) of 2 men approaching. I didn’t look up to know who they were because my eyes were still looking at my malt in my uncle’s hand when he said.

“Arh!!!, o ti e da be. Awon no loun n bo yi (Wow!!, very nice. They are even the ones coming).” As I made to look up, I saw Mr. Taye and his brother, the pot-bellied man walking majestically as if they were coming to visit their wives or concubines.

My uncle who was washing his clothes didn’t hear what we were discussing because he was at the tap and it was some metres away from where we stood. When a hot slap landed on his back, the move he and his brother took at that moment were something I could not bear to watch.

To Be Continued…