SATURDAY NIGHTS WITH SPARKS

A THANKFUL HEART

Yes!!! I had a very close shave with death, and I still carry the scars on my body till date. But what are scars compared to the gift of life?

Rewind back to my second year in school.

As an engineering student, you cannot run away from engineering drawing. I didn't like it because I didn't do technical drawing in secondary school, so I didn't know the basics, and the lecturer wasn’t helping matters. He would just come into the lecture hall, whisper to himself and the board, then leave after 10minutes. Isn't that witchcraft brethren?? We had to rely on the "gurus" to teach us, and it wasn't enough for me. So I was a constant 'D' or 'E' student.

We usually carried out our drawing assignments in Architecture department because they had a big drawing studio, and sound system to hit us with jams as we danced and drew all night. I mean, the ladies didn't have much work to do. Just go to one guru, praise his good looks, laugh loudly at all his jokes (doesn't matter if they are funny or not), listen attentively to his gists even if sleep is killing you, GBAM!! He will do all your drawings for you *oh yea* but sincerely, there were nice guys who enjoyed helping out the ladies....don’t judge me...the trauma of every Nigerian undergraduate..

Now, the road to this department is very long, lonely and dark!! Students get robbed there, those other students with uncommon guts go there to "read". (if you just coded the "reading", you are 10seconds away from HELLFIRE chai!!! (no be from my mouth you go hear say okro soup dey draw).

On this fateful day, I was coming into school from town with my friend so we could meet up with the drawing crew. We alighted at the school gate from the taxi and boarded motorcycles to that department. We didn't want to walk down that lonely road to avoid stories that touch. My friend followed closely on another motorcycle behind me. I was holding my cooler of hot rice and stew, garnished with some serious kpomo....feeling very fly and fulfilled.

Barely 30seconds elapsed, when from nowhere, another motorcycle tried to swerve into our lane from the other side of the road without looking, and it was on such high speed. It rammed into my motorcycle with so much force that my cooler of rice and myself were flung into the air...my food went in a different direction. My meal was gone!!!...*sobs*. From what I learnt later, people saw the meat and kpomo at the accident site, but few minutes later, they couldn't account for it...lwkm!! Students!!

Okay, back to the experience. The only word I remember shouting when we were hit was "JESUS"!!! Yes!! That name saved me and changed the direction of my fall. I landed on the road with the right side of my face and tip of my right shoulder, very few metres away from the edge of the pedestrian walkway. I blacked out!! Just take a minute to imagine if I had smashed my head on the pavement, you would never have known me....

Now, I was told the remaining part of the gist by my friend at the scene and some people who took me to the hospital.

First for all, as I laid on the road unconscious, with my blouse all open for the world to see, I sat up, covered myself, lay back down on the road and blacked out again. Mehn!! Who does that??

Secondly, another guy lifted me onto a motorcycle and sat behind me (for support of course) and was taking me to the school hospital. Midway into this journey, I came around, and started screaming and shouting that I was being kidnapped. He had to calm me down and explain to me that I was in an accident and we were on our way to the hospital. I drifted back into unconsciousness.

By the time I was fully awake, I was on the hospital bed. The doctor and nurses were cleaning my wounds and checking for broken bones or fractures. The grim look on their faces was enough to scare me. My cousin rushed in, took one look at me, went out and started crying, this is someone older than me by about 4yrs. My colleagues were already in the waiting room, thanks to my friend that called the whole world.

She even called our lecturer who came and took care of my bills and prayed for me. You know up till this moment, I did not know the extent of my injuries. I'd not seen my face yet, and my body hurt like hell. The next morning, I finally got to see my wounds. My face was swollen like power puff girls, the bruise on my face missed my eyes by few millimetres. My upper lip cut into two, clean division! two of my teeth broke off a bit, bruised shoulder and legs....pheew!! No broken bones.

I never knew I would fully recover. One of my friends joked that my bride price had reduced because of the scars that marked my face...for life. (I dare you to laugh, just try it). But I didn't turn out bad sha *wink*

Now, to the reason I put this up, I have lost friends from "smaller" accidents and short illnesses. I am not any better. So if I can’t be thankful for anything, let me thank God for the gift of life!!

Ehen!! The lecturer for that engineering course gave me a C, me that didn't have continuous assessment oo...and all my friends that said they "took care" of me, passed too. *winks*

Always have a thankful heart!! As long as there is life, there is hope!!

About the Author
Here is what Andikan Inyang also known as 'Sparks' has to say about herself......................

As a Chemical Engineering graduate, former Immigration Officer and present day banker.....and most importantly, a foodie, I hide behind my pen.......therein lies my strength. I hope to pursue a career in writing and explore the world of poetry. So help me God.