He Was Gone (True Story)

On June 13, 2007. 6:30 pm.

I had just finished my classes, then, I was in Junior Secondary School II. I was about 12 years old. I knew that my parents would possibly come late to pick me up from school. So I took a minute to practice my “road skills” (learning how to cross the road better). I had just being hit by a bus earlier and I was really scolded by my parents.

I had just crossed to the other side of the road when I saw my dad’s car pass by. I was frantic. He was about entering into my school. I made sure I rushed back before he saw me. Then I grabbed my backpack immediately as soon as he entered my school and I entered into his car. I was just about sitting down when I saw my dad shedding tears painfully. I was bewildered. I didn’t know what to do.

Dad what happened? Nothing, he said and he kept nodding his head sideways.

I shouted at him to tell me what happened till he answered me.

It’s your brother, he said. So, what about him, I said. What about him, I shouted again.

He is dead, he said.

At that moment, it was a thin line between pain and disbelief, I couldn’t come to acclaim the fact.

I thought he (my dad) didn’t know what he was talking aboutr. I kept saying to myself, does he mean it.

Same day. 7:00 pm

I got to my mum’s shop and I saw a lot of people with sad faces, then I started moving in to reality. My face became sober. Something came over me. I crouched up at the backseat of my dad’s car. I became so afraid. Too much thoughts were running through my mind like- is this true? Or everybody is just doing some acting s**t. I decided to stay in the car because it looked like if I get out, the air can punch me in the face. I tried to look for my sister around and by that time she was ordered by God knows who to enter the car. She looked at me. It felt like we were strangers. Life was so bizarre at that time. Okay somebody had to break the silence right? And so I did.

What happened, I said to her. She said, he drowned at the pool behind my mum’s shop and when they found him and rushed him to the hospital, he was pronounced dead.

I looked at her in the face, she looked so tired and I could feel her pain emotionally. How would she witness such, her brother’s death?
Still I wasn’t convinced, so I thought I needed an adult to explain things to me. Then, I saw the wife of my dad’s closest friend approaching the car. She asked of how we are and started consoling us about what happened.

Then I believed.

So this is all true, I didn’t know when the tears started flowing, I didn’t even care at that moment. The pain took over everything. Life felt and looked bad and wicked and I thought that it should be taken to court to be given a sentence. I started thinking about him. He got stuck in my brain. I felt he should be given justice even if I didn’t understand how.

So where was my mum? That is the person I wouldn’t want to meet. But sorry to disappoint myself, I had to follow her home. I didn’t dare look at her face or else I would have gotten into a psychological trauma. But I could hear her weeping, the pain was from within. She couldn’t help it. People tried to console her but I felt like she should be left alone to weep. It’s her f*cking child and it’s f*cking painful. Some people don’t just get pain. But still, that is what they are meant to do. At midnight, my mum cried all night and my dad kept consoling her. I really wanted the world to come to an end.

Must humans experience pain?

From then up till this present day

Yea! The pain is still within me, but with the grace of God- I overcame it. There are some times, I rush down into the toilet and start weeping- that is if only something triggers the pain.

But one thing for sure is that, we can never avoid pain but we can overcome it. And if we go through it, fight against it, it never breaks us but makes us stronger. Pain comes in any form. Pain is painful and whatever it is, nobody deserves it. We deserve to be happy any time, any day, anywhere and in all areas.

This is my story- or let me say one of my stories.

Thanks.