hopeasfro

It was morning, the sunlight entering the partially translucent tent. The children were already up, though Tafi’s and her tent was far from the others, the children’s noise woke her up. It might have been time to collect food supplies, she thought. The resources were stationed a few feet away from the clinic. Raw rice, beans were normally shared —or perhaps always shared. “the pots were useful after all”, she thought. Now, outside the tent, “how to brush”, “where to take a bath”, just crossed her mind.

Although, she was the ‘good’ planner, she was only so good in the professional work. Tafi seemed to exhibit some ‘life saving skills’. So, quick Tafi to the rescue.

She went on to Tafi’s, but he wasn’t there. She was still hearing the children’s giggles, although they produced noise, the place was still relatively quiet. The dust seemed unnoticeable compared to yesterday, when she arrived the scene. Looking around, the place was still the same. The sight of the gunned down church was still grave, the little children around the tents with their mothers were still looked malnourished.

She finally found him at the river bank, his camera at hand. ” are you bored?” Dragging Tafi’s attention.

She sat down beside him. He was so quiet today, not his usual bubbly self. ‘Your environment can change you’, she thought to herself. She remembered the office, her corner. She started of as just the online news editor, writing political articles she wished. Then in her free time, she helped Flora cross check her articles before it got published on the newspaper — hard copy. She later got to write a news report, it was a report on a usual news, a case of ‘agberos‘ carrying out their ‘agberoness‘. On her desk, the ‘ hardworking’ news editor.. before Tafi busted out of the door with plaits. She remembers laughing so hard and Eku wrinkling her nose “it doesn’t fit you, take it off”, Eku didn’t believe a guy plaiting hair was formal. ” you have arrived abi, wait till this police start harassing you”. Tafi later loosened his new acquired plaits.

“How are we going to bath” he asked, breaking the silence. “Are you asking me, I came to ask you”. They both laughed.

Sitting down quiet again, no one dared mention the camp. A moment at a time. They saw a canoe with two people on it. Tafi began, ” what fish would you find here?” The fishes would have probably died from poisoning, considering the whole place was once set ablaze.

He got out his camera and started taking pictures. As the canoe approached, the two figures came to be a man seemed to be the fisherman and a girl paddling. The girl paddled the river bank close to them. They didn’t catch anything.

The girl got out of the boat as the canoe reached the shore. The man, seemed old. He later came out. The old man concentrated on his fishing net, whilst the girl approached. She walked with a neat swagger, hands on her hips.

“Shouldn’t you take permission… and how much would you pay me, for being your model?”. Before Tafi could answer, the girl began,” are you journalists?” “Yes”.

” Are you part of the IDPs?”

“No… My father and I ( pointing to the old man), we come to help”.

“We fish for a living, but today we wanted to donate something”.

” oh”

“All the fishes have ran away”, she later told them.

The girl crossed her arms on her chest. ” Ehen, back to my question, how much”, “sorry I don’t know, I was just trying to take photographs for the news website”, said Tafi.

She probably didn’t know what a website was, the thought.

“A website, how many people go on websites, put on paper”.

They were surprised.

“I am learned you know…now where should I pose?”

She seemed to like the fact she was a model and Tafi didn’t mind.

“My name is Laraba”, she said as they parted.

Tafi looked back at his journalist partner,”seems we made a new friend”.

••

Hope you liked this chapter, God bless you.