Binyelum

1- The Walking Self-Destruct Button

1997

Ijeli, Orlu
Imo State, Nigeria

Binyelum

It was barely sunset when I heard the sound of Papa turning the ignition of his pickup truck. The engine would rev only to die in a cough. I tossed in bed as the sound continued. Eventually my eyes flew open when I heard him slamming the car door. Throwing the covers off my torso, I swung my legs off the bed to the floor, pushing my feet into my slippers.

I always kept a torchlight on the floor close to my bed in case of emergencies. I grabbed it and turned it on before leaving my room. I walked across the living room to the front door. I opened the main door first, followed by the screen door. Standing before the screen door threshold, I shifted the torch to where Papa was.

Papa stood yonder, bent over at the front of the pickup truck. The bonnet was raised, exposing the engine. Papa had a torchlight of his own in one hand, his other hand was fumbling around the engine. When the ray of light from my torchlight reached him, he stopped to shield his eyes from the light with his arm as he stared in my direction.

"Nkem, is that you?" He asked, squinting at the light as he looked to me. "Did did I wake you?"

"Yes. Papa but it's okay. Good morning." I turned the light away from his eyes and walked across the verandah, descending the steps to him. "Why are you up this early though? You weren't supposed to leave till 10."

"Well I got orders from the top yesterday evening. There's much to be done at work." Papa turned off the flashlight and shoved it in his pocket. He shifted so I could stand next to him. I redirected my own torchlight to the engine so he could work with his two hands.

"I didn't want to wake you until I was ready." Papa said. "I wanted to put everything in order and then wake you to say goodbye. I won't be gone for long but I want to leave early so I can return early."

"Are you almost done here?" I asked him. "If you are, you could go take your bath while I help you load your things in the trunk."

"Oh that's fine, my baby." My father said as he walked to the driver's side of the truck. The door was already open so he just reached in. "The problem I have right now is..." He turned on the ignition, still the engine wouldn't start. "She won't start."

Amobi Okezie, my father worked as construction worker. There was a contractor who recruited some men in our village to work for a big company in the city. They would get drafted to sites within and outside Imo for jobs. Sometimes work took him away for a day, two or three. He never liked leaving me home alone so he hardly took such jobs. I didn't mind though, work was work. And I never felt lonely. I had Sister Gladys and my best friends, Obi and Jama whom I'd known my entire life.

My father was the only living blood relative I had. It's been him and I for as long as I can remember. I never knew a mother. The short story was she remarried after my birth, leaving my father full custody of me. It was a sensitive topic in our house, one we'd agreed not to address. As a single father, there was only so much my father could shoulder. It was probably twice as hard having to raise a child of the opposite gender alone. So he sought help from his friends and even the village orphanage. I spent a lot of time with the children at the orphanage. That was how Sister Gladys came into my life, it was also how I met Jama.

Sister Gladys was a nun at the chapel who also worked at the orphanage. She cared for the children at the orphanage. The orphanage wasn't just for the fatherless and the homeless, she kept the doors open for children from troubled homes. She made it a safe place to socialise amongst ourselves. There were other sisters at the orphanage but Sister Gladys was the heart and soul of the village. She was loved by all. She is the reason I believe God sends angels to offer guidance when needed. Sister Gladys gave me all the moral and maternal guidance I needed until I was old enough to shoulder responsibilities within and outside the house. She would come over to help out in the house, teach me things and comfort me when I couldn't handle my emotions.