HUNGER
Just like our grandfathers will always be haunted with chilly shivers by the stories of the World Wars and the Civil Wars, so will we never forget these dreadful times. Just as they showed us their carved scars, reflecting beauty from the warfront and told us the stories of the brave comrades who lost their lives in a war they knew nothing about, so will we always remember these times when hugs were forbidden, kisses were outrageous and romantic dates were unheard of.
In Lagos, when the world was still sane, you only stayed indoors if you were unfortunate or just lazy, or if you were nursing a child. Even if you were working remotely, you wouldn’t think of spending all day at home, not to mention all week or God forbid, all month at home!
Now, though, we have taken on soldierly and we battle something lesser than humans but greater than us. Our heroes arose from the shadows of hospital passageways and decided to rescue us from the looming evil which ravaged our lands.
Armed with facial masks and lab coats as capes, they took to the warfront and battled the ugly virus with all they had. Isolated from their families, unable to do all they used to, with tears in their eyes, and their last ounce of strength failing, they beckoned on the rest of us to arise from our lazy slumbers and be responsible about the danger that threatened to swallow us all. All they pleaded with us to do was STAY INDOORS.
That was the instruction. It was their only instruction. It was their only plea, "Stay Indoors!"
"It definitely can't be that hard," we thought in our ignorance.
It can’t be that hard for you to close your shop and stay at home. It can’t be that hard to stay indoors and lock your doors. It can’t be that hard to join the fight against this ugly virus and protect the rest of us left. It can’t be that hard to lie on your couch all day while they risk their lives for you.
It can’t be too difficult to do that project you’ve always wanted to do from the comfort of your home. We thought we were armed to do this like the courageous soldiers we were. We thought we could stand strong in unity and fight this by staying in our homes like we had been warned to. What we didn’t know was that life was a long tunnel with dark hideous surprises hiding in every corner.
When he came, obviously sent by the raving ravenous beast, he met us in our homes. We were doing what our heroes had asked us to do. We were staying indoors when this beast came to assault us at home.
Here’s how he attacks. He puts his hands on you, and you feel pangs in your stomach. Because he’s unrelenting, he whacks you till your senses become numb and dizziness overwhelms you. Unable to endure for one more day, we cried out. Yes, we wanted to stay indoors like we were told to, but Hunger would not let us be. It had taken some of our children and our grandfathers. It had destroyed every bit of strength and loyalty we had in our bones. It had ruined us.
Soon, we became zombies, unable to listen to the warning cries of our heroes. Our feeble hands stretched out in front of us; our frail legs moving of their own accord, we defied all laws and went outside. We looked our heroes in the eyes and told them, “We’re sorry, but we need to live to fight another day. We’re sorry but we have to fight this hunger. We’re sorry but we can’t stay indoors.”