THE DAY I DECIDED TO STAY ALIVE.
I WAS not always counted among the children while I was growing up, Aunt Flo made sure of that. She constantly reminded my parents of their sorrows, of the children they had lost to sickle-cell anaemia and when anyone insisted that I must be included she was quick to state clearly that I would definitely die so why bother with me.
The day I decided to stay healthy and alive was that very day the Muslims in Jos decided to attack the Christians in that religious crises crisis that caused the destruction of so many lives and properties.
My brother Emmanuel and I had just left the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) where he had taken me to see the doctor when we noticed the mob ahead of us. There was no way to go back on reverse because of the cars behind us and Emmanuel could not turn to the other lane because of the cars that had been abandoned by the road side. Emma and I began to panic and his mobile phone began to ring as well. He asked me to pick it and put it on speaker.
"Hello Emma, if you are still in the hospital please don't come out of the hospital gate." It was Mama's voice.
"Mama we are at Ahmadu Bello Way," he answered her.
"Turn back please and go back to the hospital."
But we were looking at the mob and they were marching aggressively towards us and, frankly, there was no way to turn back to the hospital. I looked from the mob ahead to Emma and wondered how we wiould ever get out of this. He did what I still call the decision that saved us that day. Emma put the car in full motion and headed straight into the mob. He knocked so many down, probably killed some, but the car glass and windscreen was completely damaged and we sustained injuries too. Emma drove with such great speed until we were safe in a deserted Birom road before he slowed down a little bit. I wanted to tell him that Birom road did not look safe to me when we saw another mob coming from the end of the road. Emmanuel took the only free route out of Birom road and began criss-crossing streets in his bid to get back to the hospital which is closer and safer than going home.

Just before Terminus market, while we could almost smell the characteristic antiseptics odour of JUTH, we bumped into another mob. There could not have been a way out except to repeat the same stunt he performed before but the danger was that there was no glass to be broken anymore and so when we encountered this group, their weapon landed directly on us. We managed to get to the hospital gate before Emma passed out on the steering. Hurriedly, I took off from the car and ran to the hospital to get the nurses and paramedics to come help my elder brother.
Emma was sleeping peacefully the next day, after seeming calm had returned to the streets because a combined force of Army, police and other paramilitary had been deployed to force peace on us when Mama and a Aunt Flo came to the hospital to see Emmanuel and I. Though I tried so hard not to read meaning to her glance, I know aunt Flo was rebuking me and possibly blaming me for Emma's condition - after all, he sustained more injuries than I did. When I could not take it anymore I excused myself to go to the toilet so I could be freed from that accusing look from aunt Flo even for a second. On my way back to the room, because the people in other parts of the hospital made me even more depressed, I overheard aunt Flo rebuking mama.
"You didn't have to have sent them together; that is what I am saying," I heard aunt Flo saying.
"What would I have done? No one knew such a thing as that would have happened," Mama replied her.
"People who have ears on the ground knew it will happen soon except that the day and time was not known. You should have been more careful, this boy is the only son my brother has got and you should not have put his life in line for a sick and dying one."
Mama shook her head and nodded. She knew just as everyone else knew that nothing could come out of an argument with aunt Flo when she gets in this type of mood.
That was the day I renewed my decision to be a healthy person and to whip that sorrow in mama's eye away.

When I figured the hectic situation in the hospital as a result of the crisis to have been reduced, I took a trip to the hospital to the doctor again. I wanted all the information I could get on how to keep my health on balance. I also began a hungry research on sickle-cell anaemia and how to keep healthy.

As each year passed and I celebrated my birthday, aunt Flo made sure she was absent. Even when I got into the university, she still disapproved but I kept my resolve and finished my studies.

I had not expected her to be in the house during my graduation party. I insisted on taking a picture with her and mum was surprised. She had no idea I was not angry with aunt Flo, I am grateful to her for the challenge I got from her though she did it in hatred and anger.
After the picture, she tapped mama on the shoulder and declared with surprise in her eyes that I have remained healthy for a long time now.
"That is the irony of life," mama answered her. "When it comes to Chinazo onu kwuru njo na ekwu nma."

It is as I have dreamt it and I intend to keep it that way, I told myself.

This is one hell of a great story.

Thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading my story.

I did. Thanks for sharing.

is this for story for real?
keep being healthy, dear.
your name probably works for you too,
Nwadimma, diri mma gaba n'iru, inugo?

Thank you Chase for taking time out to read my work.
This is a pure work of fiction but i am glad it is believable. It gives it authenticity.

good story. i found myself enthralled and i think you could definitely develop this into a good novel. i think you could work a little on your diction though.

@Kgdavid, thank you so much for taking your time to read my short stories.
Thank you too for the comments. I appreciate it all.
Are you a writer too? Do you have your stories here.

About your advice on " THE DAY I DECIDED TO STAY ALIVE" I am looking closely at it. Thank you so much.

yea i write a bit. i am more into factual writing i.e articles for magazines and newspapers though, i haven't got that creative spark like you. i do write some poetry but i would rather not post anything online because they are not published yet and i would be running the risk of having people plagiarize my work.

I am working on this now, trying to make it better and , it is not coming up easily