THE LAST FIGHT
Before the Biafrans surrendered in 1970, we were sent as a back up to Port Harcourt, our armies were having tough times with the Biafrans, then I was fully recovered, and I left to the place with my troops.
That evening when we got to that village, the whole places were covered with smokes you could hardly see anybody, we drove immediately to were the soldiers were said to be camping.
When we got there. I heard Colonel Matins telling the other soldiers that the Biafran armies were far in the west. He was pointing westward; he has been in the village combating the rebels since he was sent there with other armies who came from the west.
I walked round the base and saw some group of soldiers carrying injured soldiers to a class in the school.
Shortly some soldiers arrived with a small vehicle which had a machine gun standing at the back of it.
“All of you get your weapons” said colonel Matins.
“we are heading straight to the west were the rebels are occupying” then a vehicle which also had a machine gun on the back of it pulled in front of me, a sergeant was behind the machine gun, to my surprise Major abbey came out of the car. He saluted me and shook hands with me.
“We just came in” I said.
“Let’s go” he said and we entered the vehicle and as we moved slowly out of the camp I heard the vehicle shaking and vibrating then I looked back and saw soldier jumping into the vehicle, they began to talk and discuss with the sergeant who was handling the machine gun.
As we moved slowly to the west I saw vehicles carrying soldiers while some were walking along side the vehicle which was moving slowly.
The smoke was still very profound and we were still moving through it to the west until we started seeing some Biafran armies. Then our armies began to jump down from the vehicles while the vehicles which had machine guns on the back of it took the fore front. They opened fire at us and we as well opened fire at them.
“Take this way!” I said after all the soldiers at the back of our vehicle had jumped down except the one handling the machine gun. Major Abbey went the direction I was pointing at once and we came out behind some Biafrans soldier the sergeant having the machine gun wasted them and we moved on.
As we drove slowly we met with the other soldiers.
“we are moving this way” said colonel Matins at the top of his voice we were still behind so I said “follow them”. Just as we were about moving to the direction were colonel Matins was pointing I saw the Biafrans armies rushing out again and began to fire at us the knocked many of our soldiers down because they came out unexpectedly.
All of a sudden they fired a bazooka at us and destroyed one of our vehicles they fired again and another vehicle was down and our armies were decreasing drastically
“Retreat! Retreat!” shouted colonel Matins, then I saw the vehicles left reversing some soldiers were dragging some other injured soldiers.
“Fire!” I screamed and the soldier handling the machine gun opened fire at once and knocked some down.
I looked around and saw our soldiers no more they were already on their way back to the camp retreating.
“We have to retreat” I said to Major Abbey.
“Yes sir” he said just as he was about reverse I saw a Biafran soldier from the distance pointing a bazooka at our vehicle.
“Get out of the car!” I screamed and jumped down though the window and the vehicle exploded.
After a while I stood up and saw the vehicle completely destroyed, but the soldier handling the machine was down crying his right leg was almost out and was bleeding seriously.
I raised my head further and saw about ten Biafran armies walking close to the vehicle and I peeped from the window and saw Major Abbey burnt.
“My God!” I shouted then I heard bullet hitting the car I bent down again and fired at them before my bullet got finished and the soldiers were already close to me. I sat down on the floor resting my back on the vehicle.
“I am finished” I said to myself then the same voice of my father came into my head again this time loud and clear telling me a good fighter fight even till his last breath then I took out my pistol and shot at them the bullet was once again finished and I only took one down the others increased their pace towards me.
When I raised my head just to have a glimpsed at Major Abbey once more, I saw two grenades hanging on his waist, and then I stretched my hand to get then. But it was difficult for me because the vehicle was totally destroyed and squeezed. I kept on stretching myself not mind the pain and removed the two grenade just as I was dragging myself out of vehicle I saw them just very close, one of them saw me and fired at me is bullet was close it almost hit me on my neck.
As I took cover beside the vehicle I opened the grenade and threw it at them and opened the second at once and threw it to them. And the place became quite. I raised my head up and saw them lying dead on the ground; I smile a little with relief and began to cry I had just thought about Major Abbey how he saves me the other time.
Suddenly I heard the familiar noise of the Biafran soldiers; I raised my head and saw more than hundred soldiers coming towards me. Then I fell down to the ground still resting my back at the vehicle. There was nothing I could do now I thought it was over I knew If I had run they would certainly kill me so I sat down there.
“Forgive me father, you said a good fighter fight till his last breath, but I am sorry there is nothing I can do right now” I said and took a deep breath their noise were already sounding so loud and I knew they were just close to me, I bit my lips so hard and tears came out my eyes.
Then I remembered my father when he gave me the pocket watch on my ninth year birthday he had no money for a party and when I met him and asked if he had forgotten it was my birthday he said to me.
“No son I have not forgotten, happy birthday” then he went inside and brought out the pocket watch and gave it to me.
“I know I don’t have a lot, but take this it very expensive my father bought it for me long ago” he said. I took it from him and was happy.
“I may not have enough but I promise to always be there for you, I promise to always stand by you and protect you” he said and I smiled as I thanked him.
“happy birthday” he said again and sat on the chair.
Then I thought about my mother when she came to pick me at my uncle’s house just after my father’s funeral as she drove home she said.
“I know your father as always been there for you, but I will do my best to be there for you also”
Then I remembered Paul who came to meet me in the hostel room when I was still crying about my father and he said to me.
“I know you still fill the pain of losing you father, but I want you to know one thing, that I will always be there for you”
Then I remembered Julie, o! Julie my lovely Julie When she took me to the zoo for the very first time. Just as we were throwing bananas to the monkeys, she drew me close to herself and gave me a kiss on the cheek then she said. “I will always be with you forever”
Just as I remembered this people I was still hearing the foot step and noise of the over hundred biafran armies. I took what I suppose was my last breath and smiled, I was ready to join them.
All of a sudden I saw our soldiers running out form different corners reinforcing, this time they were different weapons some with artilleries, machine guns and bazookas wasting the biafran soldiers with no mercy I took another deep breath smiling.
“Thank you” I said to nobody in particle but to them for always been there for me.
I sat down there still smiling for the great relief; I was almost dead you know. When I stood up I saw almost all the Biafrans armies all down expect few who were retreating and my eyes were following them to see the direction they were heading to then I ran towards a soldier who threw a gun at me.
as I walked towards a vehicle I saw some group of soldiers conveying injured soldiers into a vehicle some were carrying dead soldiers. so I called one of the soldiers and pointed to the vehicle Major abbey was, and then i entered a vehicle which had a machine gun on the back and a soldier was standing on it.
“Move the car, down this way” I said to the soldier driving the vehicle and he moved the vehicle toward the narrow path which led to a street I was pointing.
We passed through a heavy smoke and I heard bullet hitting our vehicle, the car began to move uncontrollably until it hit a log of wood and stops.
“What was the meaning of that?” I asked turning to the driver but to my surprise he was dead, a round hole was on his forehead.
“Oh! My God” I said “what happened?” I said turning to face the soldier who was handling the machine gun but he was dead too my eyes was still widen in surprise when I heard bullets hitting the vehicle again I bent down quickly. I looked through the smokes and saw that I was just in the mist of the Biafran soldiers, in fact it was their hideout but they were not much. And I could still hear the sound of the artilleries and the bazookas around I knew our soldiers where around heading to where I was.
I jumped down from the vehicle and climb at the back of the vehicle and handled the machine gun and began to shoot them as they came out from their covers until the whole place was cleared.
I sat down on the floor of the vehicle and began to cry for my friend Major abbey when I heard the Biafran armies running and shouting like people who had lost their hopes I stood up again and saw them running towards me they were retreating from the other side were our armies was, they too were surprised to see me in where should have been there camp. You know what? They still fired at me I bent down to dodge and then I held the machine gun and began to fire at them as they were retreating from the other side towards me I was bring them down with the machine gun until the whole place was silent.
I took my usual deep breath and jumped down from the vehicle the whole place was smoky as always then few minute later our armies drove to the place and saw me, they looked around and saw that the enemies were all dead. Some of them raise their gun up jubilating while others were walking around the place picking the guns in the ground. I knew defiantly this was the last fight.
Then I began to walk round the village. I saw falling houses dead people all over especially the civilians. Then as I walked around I heard a child crying, I began to trace the voice until I saw a little girl crying beside a woman who I thoughts was her mother. I paused for a while and looked around me all I saw was young boys, women, old men, young men and children all lying dead at different corners, then I knew why my father said war was ugly then I remember what my father told me when he was telling me about war “I have never experienced any but I saw many pictures of it from the news papers, it was something that one would never pray to experience” he said to me that very day.
Most especially I thought about the innocent lives that was lost those who were never part of the arrangement became like the major target scatted all over the places were their bodies.
I went to the crying child and picked her up and began to head back for the camp, on getting to the camp the whole soldiers were surprise seeing me with a child. Colonel Matins walked to me.
“This is the only surviving child” I said
“Must you pick something every single time? The other time it was a girl now a child” he said with a kind of seriousness.
“I don’t have time for your” I said ignoring him, he blocked me at once as I was about to pass him.
“You are not taking this child into my vehicle” he said “I have mine” I said “exploded remember?” he said mocking me as usual, and then I remembered my vehicle was among the destroyed ones.
“Then stop me” I said just as I was about going he pushed the child off my hands.
“Drop that thing” he said I bent down immediately to pick the child up but she was lifeless “oh! My God” I lamented just as I was angry, with my gun I shot him on his feet just when he was about shooting me I shot the gun off his hand which injured his palm.
Then I angrily walked to his vehicle just as the other soldiers were watching me.
As I entered the car I was hearing the voice of Colony Matins scream I looked through the window as I drove away and saw some soldiers holding him.
It took me almost seven hours to get to Bendel because I never knew my way I was just driving around.
As soon as I drove into the base not quite long after coming down I saw about four soldiers running towards me with handcuff. I didn’t saying any word I just simply gave them my hands. Meanwhile the soldiers I left were already in the base some hour before me even though I left them. Like I have said, I never knew my way. I was already reported and it was decided that I spent one year behind bars.
Just about two months after I was locked behind bars, a soldier who came just to say hi to me told me the war has ended that the rebels had surrendered.