Paul could feel the pressure on his leg increase with every passing second, the plane was in flames and he saw his life flash before his eyes.
There were screams all around him and as he tried to look around the pain in his neck increased.
He had told everyone he didn’t want to make this trip, he was terrified of flying!!! He had always been terrified of flying!!!
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He looked at the seat beside him checking if his grandson was safe, he couldn’t find him. The stubborn boy had gone on and on about how the trip to Abuja would do him some good, a change of scenery he said. This was a change of scenery alright he thought rolling his eyes and starting to pray.
He hadn’t prayed for such a long time, he wondered if God would pay his prayers any mind, in his 73 years on earth he had done his best to be a good person but now that it seemed he was about to face judgment he went over every decision he had ever made in his life and realized that his chances of salvation were slim.
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He thought of his first love grace, he had met her just after he graduated from school and got his teacher's degree, she had bore him 3 sons and he had hoped that they would build a home together, unfortunately, fate had other plans and he was posted to faraway Zaria where he taught at a secondary school for six years. He had done his best to stay faithful and wait for the mother of his children but in those days long-distance communication was hard and letters took so long to get to the recipient and were often lost in transit. They had slowly drifted apart and the cold winds of northern Nigeria had pushed him into the arms of Aisha, she was a breathtakingly beautiful woman with eyes so big he always felt like they were drilling holes into his soul. She had offered him a warm meal many a night and as time passed he sought solace and companionship in her bed.
She had bore him two beautiful daughters and he loved them more than life itself, he continued to take care of his first wife and her children because he was the kind of man to shy away from responsibility but he knew that his heart now belonged to Aisha.
After many years of teaching in schools around northern Nigeria the Biafran war had broken out and he had taken his new wife and children back to his home for safety, being a southerner living in the north in those times was as dangerous as being in the battlefront without a bulletproof vest or a rifle.
He had joined the Biafran army against his wishes and fought to protect his home, he didn’t believe that Nigeria should be split like the Biafrans wanted but he definitely believed that those he loved should be safe and so he fought.
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He saw terrible things during that war and even though his wounds healed and his bruises faded away, his mind taunted him with horrors from the war for a long time, he became cold and distant towards his family when he got back and spent more time alone than he did with them.
He felt misunderstood and appreciated but he started to feel better when he found Karen, she had been a nurse attached to his unit and when they came home they felt the same way about the war and its outcome, they had a son together but sadly Karen passed shortly after he was born and became a recluse, the women in his life had found their way without him and all he had been able to offer his children was financial support and education.
He spent many years hidden away in his home until he had suffered a stroke, Aisha and her daughters remained by his side until he recovered and now Nana’s son was taking him to Abuja so that he could stay with them and be cared for until he was well enough to care for himself again. He had told the doctors he was fine and didn’t require any babying but everyone had. Insisted and that is how he had found himself in this plane against his will.
If he was going to die, at least he had enjoyed a glass of wine before his last breath. As he closed his eyes and began to accept his fate he felt someone pushing him, “Wake up grandpa, we’ve landed.”