Forgive Me Baba

Into Hades Mouth

Marching into the enemy territory was a Herculean task. We were picked off one after the other by sniper fires; I almost got hit by one but luckily for me, I was wearing my helmet.

"Man, I'm tired"; Bombala said after we were all ordered to camp and rest for the night.

"I saw his face before he died…..I saw his face, I killed him"; Shiput said clasping his head and sobbing.

"Take it easy man, it's either you or them, they wouldn't have left you alive if they ever had the chance"; Faruk retorted back at him. All the while Rudowa was quiet, he said nothing throughout that day.

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At midnight, the sentries sounded the alarm that the enemy has already begun attacking us. Immediately we were greeted by mortar fires and aerial bombardments. It was a fast and unexpected attack and majority of us were famished after our previous fight with the rebels.

The night was dark and we could hardly tell whom was friend or foe. Soldiers fired aimlessly at all directions, thereby shooting most of their comrades in the process. The fight went on for hours and I crawled to where a machine gun was sited, to use it against the enemy.

On reaching there, I saw Faruk, not alive but dead, with a bullet lodged between his forehead. I cried out loud and grabbing the machine gun I went on a shooting spree; I kept shooting till all the bullets I had with me was finished.

The same thing happened to all our men, we were already out of bullets and we were hopeless. Some soldiers fixed their bayonets and charged at the enemy but they were all gunned down by the enemy's menancing F-16 Fighter Jets.

Our morale was low and we were all ready to surrender. The rebel fighters have already surrounded us and at this point, it became obvious to me that this battle was over. We have lost this war.

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After we surrendered, our Commanding officers were all rounded up by the rebels and shot. Then we were all forced to kneel and spit on the flag of Ruwangaji (A sign that proves that we have pledged our loyalty to the rebels).

We were forced to renounce our allegiance to President Mubunku and his army; failure to do so will result to our deaths. Some of the men refused to do this and they rebels had them killed.

The remaining of us were forced to put on rebel uniforms or face death and we had no other option than to do as we were told. Officially, we we're now traitors and we were no longer soldiers of the Republic of Ruwangaji.

As I put on these clothes, thoughts of my father slowly crept into my mind for it had seem that I had broken my promise to him. I went and said a silent prayer, begging the heavens to make it possible for me to see my old man once more.

"Too late"; I said to my self. "Forgive me Baba, I have failed you"; I said this and then continued our march to wherever the rebel fighters were leading us.