Chapter 3: Underwater Struggle

Him oxygen tank almost finish. For Nigeria, na God dey save person sometimes. If not for quick move, this boy for no dey alive.

I sharply give am new one, use wireless communicator tell Mr. Onwudiwe say I don see am. The man voice loud for radio, e shout, 'Thank God, thank God!' E even dey cry, I fit hear e wife voice dey pray background.

Everybody for surface happy say him pikin still dey alive. Somebody pour groundnut oil for shrine, dey thank God say pikin dey alive. Even elders dey clap for surface, say 'ehen, Tayo no dey fail.'

I bring out the grinder wey I carry, begin break the rock wey hold Chijioke’s arm. Na real wahala. The rock strong like village chief for council. My hand dey pain me, but I no stop.

Because blood no dey flow well and oxygen no dey, the whole arm don numb. The boy dey shiver. I dey see say na only grace dey hold am. Him mouth dey move, but no word dey come out. I dey pray make arm no spoil finish.

To stop am from losing the arm, I use more force, but that one make my own oxygen dey finish quick. My own chest dey rise. I dey count every breath. I dey beg make my tank last till I comot.

Finally, after thirty minutes, Chijioke free. I nearly shout for water. My hand dey weak, but I dey thank God for small mercy.

As I wan carry am go back, na so he try enter deeper inside the cave without talk. Na there I shock. Who dey think like this? I wan help you, you dey go deeper? Ehn?

I rush stop am, signal say make we dey go back. I dey wave my hand for am, dey try use eye talk. Na wah.

But he push me, insist say he wan continue. The boy stubborn pass stubborn goat. E push me like say na me be the problem.

He mean say, since he don reach half, he no fit stop now. For him mind, if e turn back, people go laugh am. So, pride dey drive am. No be say e even get sense again.

And that time, night don enter, visibility worse pass day, and the cave don complex. The oxygen wey I carry no go reach, and his arm no dey work. The thing dey clear, na only person wey dey mad go try am. Darkness don cover everywhere, my own mind dey shake.

For split second, I dey choose—save him pride or save him life. I choose life. As I see say talk no go work, I try drag am back by force.

No be small struggle. For that small space, na only God dey judge. He start to struggle, push my torchlight, even try pull my oxygen mask. If person no see am, e go talk say na play. But the guy dey serious. If he remove my mask, na two of us go die.

Inside that tight space, if we start to fight, na two of us go jam for there. If we call another rescue, na people from abroad go come—I no sure say I go survive reach then. You know say for Naija, rescue team no dey quick like oyibo. If I wait, na village people go begin pour libation for us.

I signal my teammate, then act like I gree for him. I just calm down, nod for am. Inside me, I dey plan next move. Musa dey my back, dey signal me too.

As Chijioke relax, I knock am from back. I dey pray say make e no get permanent wahala. Na last card I play. Even though fainting underwater fit cause wahala for brain, I no get choice. If e survive, e go thank God. If not, na my head go hang.

I tie rope for him waist, join am to my leg. For Naija, we dey always improvise. Rope na my last hope, I tie am strong like say na goat wey wan escape.

To drag extra person make the journey back harder. My hand dey weak, leg dey pain. Na only God dey carry me.

Two hours later, I dey almost faint. The backup oxygen tank nearly empty. If you see as my eye dey red, you go know say na only small dey remain. My body dey beg for rest.

With my last energy, I carry Chijioke up. As I drag am go surface, my prayer na make I no collapse for water. I dey hear people voice from above.

As I reach surface, my body dey pain me, everywhere dey turn. Dem rush put blanket for me, people dey pour sachet water for my head. I no even sabi myself again.

After some days for hospital, I begin recover small small. Nurse dey bring jollof rice and puff-puff, my friends dey visit, some dey gist me for corner say make I no worry, say God dey. For hospital, the smell of Dettol dey everywhere, nurses dey gossip for corridor in Yoruba, one aunty dey sell moi moi for car park.

Chijioke get luck—dem save him arm, and after some days coma, he wake up. Doctor say e suppose dey thank God everyday. E mama dey shout for ward, dey pour anointing oil for head.

Mr. Onwudiwe carry all the bloggers from Yaba, come thank me well well. For that moment, dem treat me like hero. Some even give me envelope. Na so e be for this Naija—today hero, tomorrow...

I think say matter don finish. I tell Musa say make we go chop suya. I no know say wahala dey wait for corner.

But three days later, as Chijioke wake up, the first thing he do na to tell the press people say I try kill am. Omo! I nearly fall for bed. Na so life dey turn.