The Rain Fell...By ObinnaDikeNnamdi

The rain fell...regardless, as if it has not heard, no! It had definitely not seen. The rain that would normally bring joy was now disrespectful. The rain fell on the pieces of flesh scattered below it, it fell on lifeless bodies of people who were bubbling with life just few minutes ago; Hassan, his younger brother Kareem, Emeka and his longtime customer Pam and a couple of other people who will just make up another news headline; ''31 die in Monday afternoon bomb blast''

Few minutes ago Hassan and Kareem were eating lunch when the weather made a dramatic twist, the hitherto bright and sunny afternoon had given way for the cloud and rumbles in the sky, quintessential Jos weather.

“kai...ka beri wanchan abinchi mu kwashe wannan kaya” Hassan commanded Kareem, the two left their happy meal to prepare for the rain, that would be their last happy meal, no, that would be their last meal ever. In the next assemblage of wood and tarpaulin that they called their ‘shop’, Pam was trying to convince Emeka to let go of the rechargeable lamp for a price Emeka considered impossible, the arrangement of the ‘shops’ indicated that it was temporal, it had to be, they had to reconstruct after every visit by the task force. The government said they were trying to decongest the area...but the will also be decongesting the stomach of the traders since they had provided them with no alternative.

“No be today I start dey come your place, just leave am for me like that, I no even plan to buy am seff, na this light wey nepa no dey bring” Pam pressed.

“Lai lai...dollar don put money, you want make I carry empty hand go house?

Pam pauses for a while and said in agreement;

''Ok, I go buy am like that, but I go bring your balance tomorrow''

''Tor, no problem'' replied Emeka.

It was that tomorrow he will not see...the events of the next second made sure of that; a deafening sound and then moments of static motion followed by a loud silence.

Davou on the other side of the road staggered to his feet after a moment of blankness...it was the bag, the bag he had refused the fine looking gentleman to drop in his shop; “you no fit trust anybody nowadays, Abeg just carry the bag dey go'' he politely told the guy just few minutes ago, but Ade in his usual benevolence agreed to look after the bag for the harmless looking lad, after all he just wanted to dash into the bank by the corner. He's hospitality was now his bane.

The explosion terminated every life within 30 meter radius, but a lot of people's will definitely have to be hospitalized. In the midst of the chaos and confusion, then came the ‘innocent’ rain, dropping with its normal flow and elegance from the high heavens, but when it reached the ground it imbibed a reckless disregard, a pause at that moment would have been perfect, a pause for the grieving to grief and the confused to comprehend.

To some, the rain that fell that day washed off the memories of their loved ones into the drains;

and to others, it washed away their sorrow, their grief and their pains

…but none of them can be said to be wrong because the same rain that fell on the bitter leaf tree also fell on the sugarcane plant.