For Chibok… #1

Baba did not want me to go to school. He thought it was a waste of time. He liked me to stay at home and help mama with the cooking and cleaning. I am his favorite you see. Whenever he comes home from the farm, I usually fetch him water to take his bath. Mama prepares his favorite meal and I serve it and sit by him while he eats. Baba never finishes his food. He always leaves a small portion of tuwo for me with the largest chunk of meat that mama serves him.
When they made education free, Baba would not let me go to school. I begged and cried and sulked for a long time until he gave in. Baba told me he feared I would grow into a sophisticated woman and abandon him. I did not know what sophisticated meant, but I promised myself that I would never be sophisticated. I would remain Baba’s good little girl forever.
I was sitting peacefully in class listening to the teacher that day when we heard them come. Several guns went off in the air and I was really frightened. The men came into our classroom and kept shooting in the air. Everyone was screaming and crying, including our teacher. I was very scared. Mallam Haruna is a tough man and always has a scary look. It is because of his look that I am afraid of Mathematics. So if Mallam Haruna, my tough Mathematics teacher was scared and crying, that meant things were really bad. My English teacher would say such a situation is a ‘dire’ situation. I always prayed I would never experience one.
The men ordered all the girls to line up and march out of the class. Mallam Haruna tried to beg them to leave us alone but one of the men shot him. I think he died immediately. There was a lot of blood and I was really very scared.
They bundled us into their trucks. So many of us. I could see Amira and Khadija my two best friends. They were put in a separate truck and they looked frightened too. I cried so much, my eyes hurt. I wondered where they were taking us.
They drove through rough roads for several hours and by the time we got to their camp, I had fallen asleep. They woke me up and pushed me, alongside the other girls into tents. I am really frightened. I miss Baba. I wish he would come for me. These men scare me. They shout all the time and they do not seem to like us very much.
Baba must be really worried. I know he will come for me soon. He has to. I am his favorite little girl after all.
For #234 for #Chibok #BringBackOurGirls
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