By Da Boomsha – With Love From Sambisa

A Nigerian Soldier stood at the edge of SambisaForest watching as his platoon members slept,wrapped in their army blankets with their boots on.It was a cold night.

December nights in Maiduguriwere cold enough to make polar bears jealous..Itwas colder than a dog’s nose.The soldier huddled closer to the camp fire as hestirred the flames. Shadows crossed his face asmemories flooded his mind. It was christmastime..and he was far from home.

His wife would befrying chicken tonight as his children blew balloonsand stole chinchin from the kitchen..Oh.. How he missed his family!The war on terror seemed endless. The more of theterrorists they killed.. The more they seemed toincrease. He was bone-tired and home-sick. He justwanted to be home.. at least for Christmas. Hescowled as he recalled stories about the diversionof funds meant for military equipment. “May Dasuki rot in the hottest part of hell for his wickedness!” Heswore.. So many of his comrades had fallen incombat under superior fire..

They had been so ill-equipped.. He spat into the fire as he cursed..In another part of Sambisa, a terrorist swappedstories with his colleague..Worried looks on theirfaces..This year hadnt been a good year for them.They had sustained heavy losses and so many ofthem had died. It was hard getting new recruitsdue to the weight of public opinion against them..They had lost moral justification and nowreceived widespread condemnation due to theirincessant bloodletting and abduction of womenand children.

Even some of their sponsors had stopped sendingmoney out of fear of being discovered by the NSA.The bloody cowards! Lily-livered politicians! Butthings were looking up though.. Their alliance withISIS held a promiss of better days.. And if it all wentsouth.. Well.. They would all go out with a big bang (No pun intended) and fly skywards to theirseventy virgins in paradise..

He laughed devilishlyas his comrade cracked a joke about wearing asanta claus costume and dropping off bombs in people’s home wrapped as Christmasgifts for the kids..Bika heard him laughing from the tent andshuddered.. Her husband was as cold hearted asthey came! She hated him with every fibre of herbeing. She had prayed for God to give her abenevolent benefactor.. someone who wouldmake sense out of the nightmare that had become her life.. Since that fateful night when she and 299other girls had been abducted from Chibok..

She had gotten him instead..and her life hadbecome an endless cycle of pain. Forced into sex..Forced into marriage.. And now forced intoMotherhood.. Her life had been ravaged by amalevolent whirlwind called Terror. Its astonishinghow your whole life could change in one moment.. She cradled her baby in her arms and sobbed.. Somuch for Christmas! She wondered if anybody stillremembered.. If anybody would spare a thoughtfor Bika at Christmas.. the girl from Chibok whonever returned from school..

If she could, she would put her tears in a bottle andsend it to the good people of Nigeria..”With lovefrom Sambisa”

realborn:
Soldiers, the only people who deserve gifts and love this season.

Hemah:
Nice one Yeni.

EdCure:


Politically, you may be right.

...But dem don do you frog jump before?

EdCure:


Politically, you may be right.

...But dem don do you frog jump before?

Adventurist:
this deserves to be on fp. beautiful piece

poshestmina:
Nice one...