Death - We never know when our time on this earth will come to an end

People say their lives flash before their eyes at the last minute. Mine didn't.

Source
As I stood there in the middle of the road, rain hitting hard on my head and soaking me to the bones, all I could see were the expressions of horror on the faces of the onlookers before me.

One woman was clutching her baby so tightly to her chest, that her mouth flung open with a scream drowned out by the rain. Another man beside her had his hands on his head, his eyes were open wide, and a reverend sister was clutching her rosary with tears in her eyes.

These were the faces, the memories I was to carry on with me, until those hands snatched at the hood of my cardigan, dragging me away from the bloodthirsty jaws of death.

It was 7:45 am and Gigi was still snoring lightly beside me. We were supposed to go for her music recording together, I had never been inside a music studio and this was the only opportunity I would get.

Gigi and I didn't start talking until the previous semester. She was always aloof, walking into class late in her juggers and oversized cardigan whether the weather was hot or not. Most times, she was caught asleep by our lecturers and was either walked out of the class or asked to stand all through.

I had never understood why she kept coming to school if she was going to pay attention. Why not just sleep at home? I would say while gossiping about her with my girls but since we didn't speak to Gigi, we couldn't get answers to that question.

One all-night rehearsals during our production season, Gigi and I lay next to each other. I had my earphones plugged in one ear trying to stall sleep with music when she suddenly said something that caught my attention.

“This is nice”

She wasn't talking to me but I looked around us. What was nice? We lay on a mat that barely protected us from the biting cold. I was busy wishing I brought an extra blanket because the one I had barely covered me completely yet she seemed cozy, as if her clothes were warm enough.

“What is nice?” I asked her, and she shrugged.

“Lying down next to someone. It's been a while since I did that. I'm always huddled up in a corner of the studio next to spoilt pieces of equipment” Then she smiled and turned away from me.

“You don't have a place to stay?”

She turned back to me and shook her head.

“I got kicked out 2 months ago. My rent expired”

“You could stay with me for a while” I wasn't even thinking when I said so, it just came out. She turned to me and shook her head.

“I wouldn't inconvenience you like that. I'm making plans to return to my family house at Itam”

“You want to come to school every day from Itam?” I laughed. “How would you meet up with 7 am classes?”

“The same way I've been meeting up all along”.

I liked her instantly. Instead of seeing the unserious girl I had always seen, I saw someone smiling through brash survival.

“I'll talk to my roommate. I'm sure she would be pleased to have you with us for a while”

Gigi moved into my place the next week, it was then I learned about how she would spend nights recording at the studio. Since the manager was recording free for her, she had to wait till every other person was done before she could start hers. Sometimes she waited past midnight.

That day however was different. Gigi got some money to pay for a recording session so she was scheduled for 9 am that morning. I had to wake her up by 8 am.

She washed her teeth, splashed some water on her face, and grabbed her guitar, rushing out without getting her songbook. We eventually had to go back and get it.

By 8:36 am, it began to drizzle.

“If it rains we won't get to the studio on time. And we didn't take an umbrella!” She whined.

We dropped at our first stop and were waiting for a minibus to come along when the rain began pouring in torrents.

I heard a vehicle's horn and made a run for it thinking it was a bus. The rest happened so fast.

I was suddenly in the middle of the road in front of a trailer coming at high speed. I heard screams, a loud brake with dirty water splashing all over me, and a hand dragging me back under the shade where we stood previously.

Gigi’s hands were around me in an instant, she was weeping.

“Let's just go back home, Treasure. I cannot record today again”

I was silent for the rest of that day. How was I careless enough to run into the road without checking first? There was no bus around at all, where did I hear the horn from?

I learned that day that even the littlest of actions taken in the wrong direction could go a long way to destruction.

Every time I remember that day, all I can say is “Thank you, Jesus”.