This is a short story that touches on the Ebola scourge that came on West Africa sometime ago. Happy it's gone for good.

I will want to invite these fellow writers to read it
Bibijay123
Fiffaknuel
Larrysun

Bartey had just one task to perform from dusk to dawn and it was quite simple as staying within the four walls of the little hut he and his mother lived in. He had tried several times to incorporate some other fun activities aside from sitting on the bed while his legs swung to and fro but boredom was always around the corner. The desire to stray outside had always felt appetizing to him but he had a much bigger contention than the stern warning from his mother. The disease called Oriada which had taken the shape of a fearsome living figure.

Bartey’s house is just one of fifty households that inhabit the small village of Owawa. A village so beautiful and luxuriant at the same time. The lush vegetation and the streams that crisscross the village are some of the physical adornments that has made Owawa a pride of the people. The inhabitants are largely fisher-men and women farmers and this has largely influenced the way and manner of their daily lives. This was so until the visit of the ‘unwelcomed visitor’. The visit and its result did not only bring tragedy, it led to the human desertification of the village. Homes suddenly became the sanctuary of the inhabitants who have almost given up due to the savage nature of things.

Bartey knew nothing but fun before the arrival of the man from the city. He was an adept footballer aside from being one of the best students in the only primary school located in the community. After the day’s lessons, Bartey always stayed back with his friends to play the game of football. He always had a report to give as he would always report late to the farm where his mother would have been since the break of day. Despite the primitive nature of things in the village, the people knew nothing else but a heightened sense of community and a desire to promote happiness among themselves. Only few people had left the community for the modern culture of the city and these people had always attained a status of utmost respect among the people. The dream of the boys and girls of the village were as flimsy as taking a day trip to the city and back. As a result of this, the return of a ‘been-to’ was a reason to celebrate and rejoice.

The return of Benjamin was therefore celebrated by the towns-folk who welcomed him with much delight. Benjamin had left the village for the city about five years ago and had only visited once. He had only an aged mother to attend to as his father was dead thus his decision to have stayed away for such a long time. Therefore his return was celebrated boisterously by the people who received him as both a visitor and a native of the land. Only a few people would have noticed the sullen and dreadful expression on Benjamin’s face. He tried avoiding the people but it was to no avail as he was jumped on by the children and hugged by the women and men. He ignored his fears as he wore a long sleeve shirt and a pair of trouser which was long enough to shield him from the people’s bodily contact.

The real reason for Benjamin’s visit was to be revealed in a dramatic and tragic fashion some few weeks after. He had come to seek treatment at home for a disease called ‘Ebola’.The story had not gotten to the village as modern disseminator of news such as the radio and television were largely absent from most homes in the village. The village chief was the only person that could lay claim to the ownership of a transistor radio. This separation from the outside world would prove to be the people’s undoing as time went on. The news that jolted the people out of their ignorant state was the death of the village herbalist. His death was as mysterious as the death of his last patient. Benjamin was the last patient that dragged the herbalist to the grave.

Benjamin was sick and this made him return from the city. It would have been ludicrous to tell the people that he had come home from the city to seek treatment. The obvious reaction would have been one of shock and maybe a vague pride as it was believed that the best treatment could be found in the city. Benjamin knew this hence he kept the information about his illness to himself. He did not reveal the true implication of his illness and no one was going to find out. He wanted a quick healing process so as to return back to the city without raising any suspicion hence his visit to the herbalist was done under the cover of the night. The herbalist listened to his story with interest and gave him an assurance of healing once he was done. The treatment process began in earnest but it did not go beyond two days before Benjamin succumbed to death. The death was perplexing to the herbalist who was quick to term it as a spiritual attack. His body was swollen and it had festering sores and boils. The herbalist carried out a purification rite before sending the body to his family for burial.

Unfortunately, the herbalist had touched the bare skin of Benjamin and he became sick two days after the death of Benjamin. From a symptom of fever, it degenerated into coughing blood and sores appearing in different part of his body. He couldn’t call for help as he was supposed to be the village healer, a title that had been passed down to him by his ancestors. He died a week after and it was a huge shock to the people as he was relatively young. Some regarded it as an ill-omen from the gods but the chief was not satisfied. He decided that a test should be conducted in order to probe the death of the herbalist. Around this period, the attendant of the herbalist fell ill. The symptoms were very much comparable to that of the herbalist. In panic, he narrated the events surrounding the death of the herbalist to the chief. The chief immediately sent a dispatch to the nearest county office.
The reply was abrupt and officious. A bespectacled official from the ministry of health arrived one early morning and met with the chief and members of his council. The meeting was held behind closed doors. Immediately the official left, the chief summoned everyone to the village square where he made clear the unfortunate gift brought by the visitor from the city.

Benjamin had been infected with the dreaded Ebola disease while he was in the city and had been taken into a government hospital where they were supposed to be treated. Unfortunately the health officials had not been able to cure the infected persons of the disease and that had resulted in a high casualty rate. Benjamin faced with the certainty of death ran to the village in order to get a cure. Unfortunately, the disease had claimed the lives of Benjamin and the herbalist and it was likely to claim more lives if immediate precaution was not taken. The chief immediately announced that the people should try as much to avoid bodily contact with each other as those infected already were not known. This sudden announcement threw the people into panic and they rushed to their various home ostensibly to save their lives.

Bartey wouldn’t have imagined that the city could bring such ill-luck to his people. He wished that Benjamin had decided against returning back to the village.

sorry I didn't read earlier. You spelt my moniker wrongly.
Beautiful tale. I love the originality of scenery and the diction used. Beautiful tale.

fikfaknuel:
sorry I didn't read earlier. You spelt my moniker wrongly.
Beautiful tale. I love the originality of scenery and the diction used. Beautiful tale.

Your coming is all that matters. Sorry about the moniker spelling and I appreciate your analysis.

Akposb:

Your coming is all that matters. Sorry about the moniker spelling and I appreciate your analysis.

I'm honored.

Sir, are you a regular on Facebook? I'd really love for us to be in touch.

fikfaknuel:

I'm honored.

Sir, are you a regular on Facebook? I'd really love for us to be in touch.

I sent a mail.

Bosses ve u seen this?

Jaguguli88
Veekid
Skarlett
Olabantu
Johnwizey
BummyBummy

Akposb:
This is a short story that touches on the Ebola scourge that came on West Africa sometime ago. Happy it's gone for good.

I will want to invite these fellow writers to read it
Bibijay123
Fiffaknuel
Larrysun

Updates pls I want more boss!

bibijay123:
Bosses ve u seen this?

Jaguguli88
Veekid
Skarlett
Olabantu
Johnwizey
BummyBummy

Present ma'am

bibijay123:
Bosses ve u seen this?

Jaguguli88
Veekid
Skarlett
Olabantu
Johnwizey
BummyBummy

I'll put a cushion for comfort before I sit, yeah that's it. Keep em coming.

bibijay123:
Bosses ve u seen this?

Jagug uli88
Veek id
Skarle tt
Olaba ntu
John wizey
BummyBu mmy

Present maami, now following

bibijay123:
Bosses ve u seen this?
Jaguguli88 Veekid Skarlett Olabantu Johnwizey BummyBummy

hia i am, sitting beside u

This is interesting, I hope this is not the end tho

And op, i think it should be The 'Unwelcome' Visitor

bibijay123:


Updates pls I want more boss!

Please, I am no boss. Seriously I wonder how I will be able to stretch this story as I intended it to be so. I hope to start my longest story yet soon on this platform.

skarlett:
This is interesting, I hope this is not the end tho

And op, i think it should be The 'Unwelcome' Visitor

Thanks for the correction and do appreciate your presence here.

Akposb:

Thanks for the correction and do appreciate your presence here.

No problem