Thorns In My Boot

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 5

I was anxious throughout the journey home. I

wished the driver could run faster, I felt like

taking over the steering from him but I had not

known how to drive then, I looked at the

speedometer and saw that the man was on 120

km/h already. I had butterflies in my stomach; I

would laugh out of excitement at intervals when

I think of the reaction I would get from my

kinsmen upon reaching the Village. I know some

passengers in the bus were nervous whenever I

gave out my intermittent chuckles, they might be

thinking I am not sane.

The Bus stopped at Ilesha at past two o’clock

and I joined a taxi to Ijebu jesha from where I

joined another taxi to my village Esa Odo, I

dropped at the Market junction in the Village

which is along the road to Ilare. I was fully

cladded in my military uniform, my Boots were

sparkling in the Sun, my green khaki stood still

as if it was carved out of wood, I re positioned

my beret perfectly on my head as I began to

march towards my house like a robot cop.

The crowd grew as I marched home wards, I

could hear whispers from women and Children all

around me, I did not look sideways, I heard my

name spoken, some were doubting if it was Ojo,

some say it is Makanjuola, others whispered

Stephen. I also heard someone whispered “is this

not the son of Iya oloju kan?” it is him! Another

answered, it is wa pa! (Short for wa pami loni)

Then why is he walking like this? Another asked.

Why are you asking me? Look at him before you!

Ask him yourself! Another person countered.

I was hearing all they were saying but I was not

seeing them, I was looking at my house at the

distance.

Don’t you know they give them a certain

injection when they join the Army? Someone

proffered.

And so what? Another challenged. What has that

got to do with the way he is walking! Is he a

robot? Why are his arms spread as if he wants

to fly? And why is his chin so raised and he is

not even looking sideways!

Ha! Alaba watch your mouth o! Don’t you know

what they call Sojas during the war? Kill and go!

He is in a Killer mood now o! He can kill any one

of us now if he has a gun!

Ha! Olorun maje! (God forbid) who will give him

a gun here? And why would he kill us? Is this a

battle field?

The crowd grew, the whispers became murmurs,

the murmurs became clatters, soon it was noise

all over me, and I kept walking as they run along

to meet my pace.

I kept walking, I saw her from afar, she was

seated plaiting someone’s hair, two other women

sat on a bench opposite her, they had Trays on

their laps and their hands were busy.

I increased my pace, I wanted to run, I couldn’t, I

wanted to call her but my tongue was tied, my

head was swelling, my vision was blurring, the

tears dripped freely as I began to jog towards my

mother.

She rose from afar, I saw her rise, and she

looked towards my direction, our direction, me

and my crowd. She sat down and continued her

work. She stood up almost immediately she used

her hands to block the sun rays from her eyes as

she started towards my direction, some children

had already run to meet her and were talking to

her. She started towards me, her wrapper

loosened and dropped on the ground as she

limped toward me, she limped , she jumped and

she slumped as she was trying to reach me, I

screamed “Mama!” she got up and limped quickly

towards me shouting my name.

We met; we locked in an inseparable embrace. I

had never cried like that in all my life. We clung

to each other for over ten minutes crying. Other

women present at the scene were crying too and

rendering my ancestral praises. I found strength

and lifted my fragile Mother off her feet, I carried

her like a baby and marched towards the house,

she clung to me with her head on my chest

crying, we got home and I gently placed her on

the chair she was sitting before my arrival while I

sat on a stool close to her and cleaning her tears

with my immaculate white handkerchief.

My Son you have changed! She managed to say

I know mama I replied

Shh! someone hushed the crowd: iya ati omo

nsoro! E dake yin! (Mother and Child are talking!

Be quiet!)

What happened to your legs mama? I asked: you

were limping!

Before she could open her mouth, someone

offered

She tripped and fell on her way from the early

morning stream!

She had a big pot of water on her head, it was

still dark! Another offered

It was very serious o! A third person said: we

thank God for Baba Miko and Okoro the Igbo

Chemist! Your mother could not walk for four

good days!

A fourth person said: your mother does not eat

else she would have recovered fully!

The first person said: how would the drugs

administered on her work when she does not eat

food? When we beg her to eat, she says she

heard that there is hunger at the Army training

ground; she said we should help her take the

food to you instead! She said she cannot bring

herself to eat when you are hungry and suffering.

I nodded my head affirming all that was said,

which is typical of my Mother. I pulled her

closer: hope you will eat now mama? I asked

Yes my son! I will eat! In fact I am hungry now!

She said

Mama got up and stamped her feet twice on the

floor, she placed her hands on her waist and

wriggled it severally then she walked briskly

towards the room

Let me get some food to eat and then take my

drugs! Can’t you see I can walk well now? She

asked.

The shout from the crowd was understandable, it

was a miracle, and my presence had healed

mama.