Two Minutes From hell

Death’s winged chariot hurrying near

Instilling into all a chilling fear

To take man home on a wingless flight

Nothing to be done, no need to fight

I was there just a minute before hell broke loose and if I had stayed just a moment longer, I would have been one of the hosts that welcome death as a visitor, allowed him in with it a warm embrace only to have it returned with a cold hug.

I can’t get the horror of the accident that occurred at Oshodi on 19th of this month out of my head and to be honest I don’t think I ever will be able to. Scenes of accidents are better handled when you see the pictures or just watch your television from the safety of your home, sitting on a couch with the love of your family around you. The disturbing images of dismembered bodies and dead people lying their covered in a pool of blood will perhaps continue to haunt my nightmares for a long time to come and this was how it happened.

I was on my way to spend the day with a friend since ASUU had left us no other thing to do than await its verdict on the 4 month old strike. I went about my house chores as normal, had breakfast then dressed up; I had a brief chat with my mum before leaving the house in a happy mood humming the lyrics of one of my favourite Rihanna song. 

The journey to Oshodi was without incident and I had even ran into a course-mate from my school. Since I was in a good natured mood, I had paid his transport fare and we chatted till we departed at Oshodi. I was on my way to Ejigbo and having never been there, I decided to ask around how to get the proper bus to convey me to my destination. I went to the ill-fated bus and asked the conductor if it was going my way, in the usual manner of the average conductor he pointed me to the right bus just some few metres away and I left. I was hardly there yet when I heard the big bang and looking back where I had just been standing a few moments ago was a scene of chaos. 

A Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Truck had just rammed into the bus and there were shouts everywhere. It was like I was watching a movie, the bus which had had passengers sitting calmly waiting for the bus to get filled was nothing to write home about and there was blood everywhere. The conductor was trapped between two buses from where we had been standing together and I couldn’t help shivering. I ran blindly towards the scene as if on autopilot and my stomach did a flip, the scene was horror 101. Blood, injured persons, broken bottles, a pregnant woman had been crushed to death, there were groans and moans from injured persons and shouts for help. I couldn’t take it, just as I had rushed there, I ran back and forced my way out of the crowd that had quickly gathered, thoughts of ‘that could have been me’ kept going through my head. The conductor was injured and I couldn’t help but think that I could be dead or injured too, I had been this close to death and I hadn’t even realized it. 

When I think about it, all I can think of is the brevity of life and wonder what would have been the tale if I had died? What would I have been remembered for, perhaps by some articles I have written on my blog? Would the course mate have remembered me as that kind boy that paid his transport? Mom would have kept on playing our last convo in her head of that I was sure and in the end all I can think is life is so short. Life is transient and the best way to live it is to make every moment count and leave good legacies behind!