Must Read: Sunrise in Makoko (A Short Story) - Season 1 - Episode 6

6 years ago

Must Read: Sunrise in Makoko (A Short Story) - Season 1 - Episode 6

Seconds later, knocked down police officer regained consciousness, and the demolition crew and police left the place.

Makoko people stood around Bolu. When all policemen and others have retreated, Bolu stood up, and removed a hit metal canteen from his chest pocket.

"My canteen was hit by the bullet. I pretended to be dead so that the scaremongers might retreat."

Crowd cheered up Bolu for a while before they started dispersing.

The boys converged in the evening, and discussed the way forward.

"About the demolition plan of this government, we should expect the worst in the future. Since that we can't remember our past, how do we go to our parents and relatives?" Tade raised a concern.

"All the slums in Lagos cannot all be destroyed at once. If things go awry here, we will move to any of Bariga, Shomolu, Agege, or Ajegunle slums. We will survive," Bolu suggested.

"We are thinking of going back to school, and you are talking of moving from one slum to the other," Layode said angrily.

"So, what do we do?" asked Bolu.

Diran said, "Since that Layode is a talented artist, he should try very hard to recollect the face of at least one person from our past."

"I'm curious about how forgetting one's past could be possible overnight," Tade marveled.

"This is 21st century. I heard somewhere that scientists are already advanced in programs that can delete a portion of one's memory. I think I read it in one of those disused news papers," said Diran.

"If scientists have such capabilities, that means such fellows are well to do, and won't need we poor folks to excel," Tade wondered.

Bolu frowned at Tade's seeming silliness, and said, "Can you tell if we are children of some millionaires, or have a very valuable information, which if disclosed, can cause total shutdown of a country?"

"At least they tattooed our names on our back. It could be an indiscriminate use of ether, assuming that who did this to us is not a scientist," Diran said.

"Layode should start working on drawing at least a figure from our past as suggested," Tade said as he prepared to leave.

"Life in the sand dredging business has been fun. As I assist other divers, I smoke some wraps of their hemp. 'One life, one bucket', that is the watchword, Bolu said with a grin. "Dredgers descend a wooden ladder into the depths of the lagoon, armed with only a bucket and the will to live. The depths to which they go mean total submersion. Then they have to climb out with a sand-laden bucket that will be emptied on to the floor of a boat. When the boat is piled high with wet sand, it sails to shore, from where the sand is loaded on to trucks, for delivery to building sites around the metropolis.

"You have always loved dangerous ventures from the days immemorial. Selling rat poison during this Lassa fever scare has been fun," Layode said.

At Makoko hinterland, a journalist and his cameraman were being prevented from going further into "Makoko on Water".

"Are you aware that we are Nigerians with fundamental human right to step anywhere in Nigeria?", the journalist began.

Jimoh Oshodi replied him saying, "We have to be self-protective: this community has had to face up to government officials displeased by the embarrassment they believe photographs from Makoko attract. There are also a widespread feeling here that many of the people who come to Makoko to take photographs do so to make money off it, selling photos or stories to raise funds from which the people of Makoko will never benefit."

"We are here to make your grievances known to the people that matter before all our commonwealth that should be used to develop this place take flight to tax havens like the British Virgin Island."

"Just drop something if you really need this entry," some men shouted.

The journalist then slapped some notes of 1000 naira into Jimoh Oshodi's hand.