SWALI WATER INCIDENT

I had the Privilege of spending my Childhood and teenage age in three Southern States in Nigeria. So it was in a Small City in Bayelsa state Nigeria. I was in SS1 then. To go by I had the side job  of loading Speed boats travelling to the rural parts of the state, one can only go there by water or air, The agenda was to get the loads(luggages) of those Planing to travel into the speed boat inso doing we did receive incentives from the Customers, i used we, cause at that time each boys were assigned to different boats depending on their Masters and we also have the rear Privilege of travelling with the boats but we will have to sit at the deck on the front row throughout the Journey, Scaring, i was also into loading bags of Pure waters into big Local boats for the Monetary gain.

Those in the south-South region of Nigeria could easily understand what I mean by local boats, there are massive local boats and there are the also smaller sizes. We were sometimes assigned to load bags of Pure waters ranging from hundreds to thousands depending on the Pre-agreement, Since some of the bags of pure waters were mostly stored at the Edge of the River or so, We will always have to transport the bags of waters from its location to the local boats with sometimes a large Plank serving as a bridge between the local boats and and the high built wall on lands. Sometimes we just have to lip into the local boats depending on it’s closeness to the high built wall on ground.

So on this faithfulness day I and my Friend was assigned to load 200 bags of pure water into a local boat after debating on the Price with the owner we started on the Joyful movement cause all we could see when such agreements is made was the money involved, those days we had the Privilege of settling like 5 to Six bags of Pure water on our heads and we will carry one extra with our left hand and with the right hand supporting those wells sited bags on our head. I was on my third return on this faithful day with four bags of pure water sited on my head and one on my left hand as I was about to use the well placed Plank to get over to the massive local boat, there was a light wave from the water and the Plank shifted and the placement of my Feet shifted, My Life flashed before my eyes look at me and look at the Large Swali river and to rub salt to the injury I can’t swim. I fell from the height of the large local boat and the turbulence in the water shifted another little locally made Boat into thesame Position I was falling and I fell into the little locally made boat that was my saving grace, It is thesame river that even those that can swim will think twice even before crossing it..

My People the way I stood up after the fall was amazing I knew I had so many injuries as a result of the fall but that was not my Concern. I was just grateful I was alive and I kept saying thank you Jesus… I dusted my Pants and walked up to the owner Payed for the damaged bag of waters and I Smoothly said.. Madam abeg I no do again and to myself I silently said no be me Una go kill.

The Road home was a long one as different thoughts keep racing through my head could this have played out differently 

#Obumneke 

©️Sir Presh 🕊️