This is a true life story.
It is one of my biggest and darkest experiences in life.
Lagos,May 2001,a very young boy,I had just finished primary 2.(I was still in primary school when this happened).
Coming from a financially middle-class family background things were not really that hard for the Kingsleys' family but at the same time life was never serving us on a gold-plater.Dad had passed away some years ago in a fatal road accident while I was travelling with him in an ABC transportation company vehicle while we were returning from the village back to Lagos State and to be honest when strolling down memory lane i do not think i miss him alot despite being a photocopy of my dad by looks(you may think i am heartless but let me tell you why.It is logical)
Before his death,Dad was a business man and way always on the highway to one place or the other,navigating the country like a space satelite.He was a restless traveller who did not take much time to share his love to his kids in a bonding manner,always storming the house at weekends midnight while we slept.He would buy us the toys we liked but would never be there to watch us smile and laugh when playing with it(I had four siblings-a jovial boy and three beautiful girls).As early as 4am monday mornings he drove off in his 504-peugoet ride with mum to the park.Mum would have to drive it back while he joined a public transport to his business destination.That was the kind of relationship dad had with his kids.I think most times that i was even concieved on an October weekend being born in July.
On that black day,we had just travelled to the village for a coronation funtion of a close relative of ours and after about a forthnight spent there we hit the road en route to Lagos State(it was almost 11hours journey from the east to Lagos and till tomorrow i keep asking me why I was the one dad chose to make this unforgettable trip with during his little vacation,afterall i was not the most senior of my siblings).Dad was a weirdo to me,he chose a night bus but maybe so that on reaching Lagos in the morning he could jug off to business again.
ABC transportation it was we boarded,and as at 9pm that night the Luxirious vehicle driver was on his driving belt,with dad loving to sit at the front side of the vehicle.Dad payed for my own seat but not at the front side with him,I was about 3 rows of seat from the back.After 3 hours into the journey we were approaching Owerri already and I felt pressed a little so i left my seat to talk to my dad about it.He told me to exercise patience a little as we would be in a gas station any moment from thence.As i stood by his seat there,a little boy of 9,i started nodding my head in sleep and tiredness.Dad patted me on my shoulder and when i told him i wanted to sit with him he insisted i should return to my back seat.Without hesitation I went back and threw my whole body weight to my seat.I looked at a beautiful young girl sitting with her mum by the right side of my seat with little intrest and i wondered why my dad was being so hard on me to let me sit alone. "She is lucky to have a parent different from my serious-looking dad",i whispered subconsciously before throwing my head back to my seat in deep sleep.
In not up to 20 minutes,i woke up to a different sight.I had heard a bang sound which woke me up but this time it was not looking good.Cries and screamings was coming from all part of the now darkend vehicle.We had ran into a lorry loaded with long timbers and the flashy looking luxirious we were in was looking in shambles.People with strenght started jumping out the windows and as i thought a hand grabbed me and did the same.I landed on my foot.People were dead right in front of me.I looked and saw the girl i last admired lying lifeless with her mum by her side who had her left leg dissembled from her body.That was when it struck me that i was with dad on this journey.I ran to the vehicles front with my heart beating(it was the first time i beheld dead persons with my eyes.)only to see my dad bleeding from his nose and ears.He was dead.As i looked a man approached me and tucked me away from the corpse with tears in my eyes.That was the end of it.
The whole bodies dead were transfered to a rescue vehicle which harbored everybody to the Owerri Teaching Hospital.The dead were put under seats as i kept crying.I saw the little girl too being carried away while we reached the hospital.I followed my dads body and the nurse there asked me my name.The next day i saw my mum crying towards the ward where the kind nurse had kept me and that brought the real tears to my eyes.It was then i realized it was not a dream.I lost my Dad that day.
It is still crystal clear till today but i try not to feed on those negative pictures.But mostly i keep remembering the Little girl and how her mother cuddled her before the accident.I keep thanking God too because it was a suprise to me that i had no scratch in an accident where which was a blood bath.Well all i can say is that God has a purpose for every individual and only him can determine what happens to us.
Today I am a graduate of Chemical Engineering by Gods special grace and I think i am living up to my expectations to Gods glory.
Thanks Dear Reader.