Forgive Me Baba

The End of Everything

Unfortunately, Rasheed never got to see his father, his people, his town and his family again. Shortly after he and his men were captured by the victorious rebel forces, their commanding officers all had him and all his brothers in arm killed, their heads severed, wrapped up in a box and sent back to their respective military commanders to demoralize the army and of course, serve as a very serious or stern warning.

It's important to note that what the rebels did, actually worked in some way, as it caused a good number of the Federal government soldiers to desert the army and flee for their lives. Majority of the deserters who were caught, were rounded up, tied up and then sent to the great beyond by the firing squad.

When the killing of deserters became so rampant that out of fear, the top military commanders feared the soldiers might rise up and declare mutiny, they all proceeded to inprisoning soldiers rather than killing them. Though this wasn't enough, and sooner than later, the number of able bodied men who volunteered to join the the military decreased rapidly.

People who saw draft military officers approaching their tents or huts always his their wards or sons under the ground or under the bed. Some even had to hide in nearby streams and rivers to escape being drafted to fight the fast approaching rebel forces.

Unfortunately, not all who his from the military drafters were successful or made it out alivel; a boy who hid in the lake just to escape the drafters was mauled to death by a hippo, one was also gored to death by some crocodiles who were nesting beneath him, poor boy never did notice their presence as the was eventually turned into a sweet snack for the dangerous apex riverine predators, the crocodiles or crocs.

On the other hand, some unlucky fellows who tried to hide from the Federal Government Military Drafters were eventually caught; but not only that, when they caught up with them, they will always beat such people either with batons or sticks to punish them for trying to escape being drafted into the Federal forces to fight against the rebels.

A boy on one single occasion, had his legs blown away after he stepped on a mine as he was trying to escape the Federal Government Military Drafters; he lay there on the ground, in his pool of his own blood and bled to death.

Another unlucky fellow who tried to escape also was caught up by some locals who thought him to be a rebel or a spy for the rebels, and out of fear, they clubbed him to death, threw his body into a very deep well and covered the top and then, they all ran for their lives, along with their family, animals, provisions and every portable thing they had; fearing that the rebel forces will carry out a reprisal attack on them.

Two years later, the Rebel forces of Senator Luwanji succeeded in taking the Capital and toppling the president and making the Senator to become the ruler and thus, ten years of bloody fighting came to an abrupt end.

Rasheed's father buried his son in the tomb where he laid his mother and not long after that, the old man died of sorrow.

And after his death, following his wish, he too was also buried behind his wife and son.

His story has always been one the whole world has never seem to understood as it portrays the plight, sorrow and agony of child soldiers in Africa.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:

FORGIVE ME BABA

BY

OKAFOR MARTIN

Copyright©2020 by Okafor Martin

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author martinokafor433@gmail.com

This book is a work of fiction, any resemblance with anyone is purely a coincidence with the author's imagination.