Chapter Seven
WITHIN MONTHS, THE border clashes between Ntebe and Ide resurfaced. Up to ten riots occurred between the Ntebe-Ide boundary points within a space of one week. The report in Ajidi was quite vivid in its description of what had transpired in the final encounter; rioters tying white cloths around their heads brandished machetes and other dangerous weapons and chanted war calls as they marched through the streets. Without warning, a truckload of youths from the opposing faction jumped out of a moving truck. As both factions attacked each other with their weapons, passersby ran helter-skelter, and the market nearby erupted in fire. Screams of terror filled the air as people dragged their children out of the way. Traders jumped on bikes and moving cars to escape injury. A few stayed back to salvage their wares since it was obvious the market would burn to the ground before the fire service would arrive at the scene. Mobile policemen and riot police arrived as the youths were still wielding their weapons and shouting obscenities at one another. No one had been reported dead yet, but an ambulance carted a number of people to the hospital. Several more were being treated at the scene. The market was still on fire, and the few traders who tried to douse it with buckets of water had long since given up and run for their lives. A gas station nearby had burned to the ground. Fire service had arrived on time to prevent the fire from spreading underground where hundreds of gallons of oil were stored. The police fired gunshots and tear gas into the air to disperse the rest of the warring youth. They ran in every direction, abandoning their truck and other belongings. Only the weak, terribly old, and the injured remained on the scene. The air was so dense with the tear gas and smoke from the fires, it was impossible to see. Several shops along the boundary were looted. Many were vandalized.
It was the end of the final semester of my second year. Albert had been kind enough to drive six hours from Ide to Ajidi to pick me up from school and another six the following day to bring me back home. As he came close to the boundary, I was stunned by the carnage. Unable to breathe from the smoke, I urged him to wind up the windows, but the air was so dense that the smoke still found its way inside the car. The destruction had brought me near tears. Albert saw my pain and placed one hand over my shoulder.
“Don’t worry. When I finally take over, I’ll put a stop to all this. Will you help me achieve that?”
This was my first time hearing Albert mention his future position.
“What sort of help do you expect from me?” I asked, grateful for his concern.
He turned to look at me, sparking a light in me from the sincerity in his eyes.
“I want you by my side when I’m in charge. Do you think you’d be up to the task?”
“I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head slowly. “And I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not even a good time to bring up that topic. Let’s just focus on getting you home safely.”
We were only thirty minutes from Ntebe. In the silence that ensued, I pondered Albert’s statement and smiled as I imagined what he could have meant. Although the horror of the riot still plagued my mind, I felt I had achieved something meaningful from this experience. Besides the fact that it brought me closer to Albert, it reminded me that I could have a purpose after all. I was still smiling when I heard a loud screeching of tires as Albert swerved dangerously to the right.
“Buffoon,” he cursed loudly.
It took a second for me to realize what the issue was. An old man with a wheelbarrow truck had crossed the street without looking, and we almost hit him with our car.
“Oh my goodness!” I exclaimed. “Thank God we didn’t run over him.”
“This is so ridiculous. There is so much unlawfulness in this town. I hope you’re ok,” he said, sighing deeply and turning the steering to get back on the road.
* * *
We arrived at Ntebe at the perfect time of day. The sky was streaked with orange clouds that created a beautiful hue on the buildings and the trees. The air, though still stuffy from the remnants of the smoke from the riots, held a promise of rain. I couldn’t wait for it to finally come and wash away the residue. Ifedi and my grandmother were waiting at the gate. My grandmother had bags under her eyes, and she appeared dreadfully worried. I knew she would have been trying to reach me. The phone lines had been destroyed by the violent youth. She knew Albert was on his way to pick me up, but she still had her heart in her mouth as she waited anxiously for us to return. When she saw the car driving into the compound, she ran towards us and gave me a big hug soon after I stepped out.
“Thank God,” she sighed, throwing her hands in the air while she performed a small dance. She twisted her waist slowly from side to side before a sad look registered on her face. “Did you see what happened at the boundary?”
I nodded, too tired to speak.
Albert answered for me.
“Terrible devastation. They have arrested the culprits.”
“Well, I hope they deal with them thoroughly this time. This sort of thing needs to stop happening,” my grandmother responded.
“The youths
