Mangoes baptized in the blood...

"If not for the sake of God, I will burst your head!" Ifechukwu shouted madly "Maka Chi, Idiot" he cursed vehemently at Uchenna who stood perturbed, mango in hand and mouth ajar with awe. He hadn't expected that very reaction from Ife just for a little guesture of kindness which certainly meant nothing, if you come to think of it. "Nwaoo, what's this naa," Uche yelled back in defense " just because of one mango that you are shouting at me like that? What is your problem sef? So I can't even dash my friend mango? These were rhetorical questions that would soon have no one to hear their answers.

Those words were the last straw that broke the camel's back. They set Ife ablaze with a rage he never imagined he had or could ever have in his lifetime. "How dare you? Wait, you are proving right bah?" Ife murmured as he launched his gigantic frame into action. It all happened in a flash. First, he had grabbed a bottle of Sprite. One could have thought he just wanted to chill off his anger with a bottle, he hadn't paid for, from Onyinye's provision store -- which bordered the main road.  She had on display several soft drinks, biscuits, gala, agege bread and okpa. The construction site workers who had begun work, escavating the gully, just down the road, had spent their break periods in her shop, filling their bellies with her goods and feeling her hands with worn-out but valuable currencies. Who would have thought Onyinye was smart enough to predict the looming demand for things like these and start up her little business near the construction site? She was rather known, around the neighborhood, to be dumb. After all, she couldn't even pass her WAEC. I mean Junior WAEC.  It was from this her little investment that the chain of tragedy began.

Like I said, Ife had just grab the bottle of Sprite but instead of drinking it, he smashed, it shattering it base, against the protruding part of Onyinye's  iron container-shop and launched a full fledged attack, with it jaggered end, towards Uche. He was either running or flying. I can't really tell, but the next second, he had buried that shaft of glass in the neck of unsuspecting Uche, who had tried to scamper away at the site of threat. But Uche was too little to evade mighty Ife. Ife had a wrestler's structure. Uche was rather tiny, despite the fact that they both were age mates. They had grown up together; playing in the sand,  hunting for lizards, cooking sand meals that were never eaten, hiding behind the house to wrap up and light papers -- imitating smokers.  They did it all together. They were a pair in the neighborhood. They were friends.

They had both, at this sight of the mouth-watering-ripe-mangoes that were scattered all over the tree above, decided to pluck enough. So much so that they would eat to their filL and still have enough to share and take to their respective homes and families. They both got the ladder with which  Ife, who was obviously the best climber, used to climb the mango tree. He plucked and dropped them for Uche to pick and put in the basket the kept just about the wide and exposed roots of the mango tree. They had gathered quite a lot in their basket such that passerbys and neighbors began salivating towards their spoil. Mama Ada had passed with smiles, greeting them earnestly. "Dee je nu oo! Dee je oru! Nkea g'eru m oo!" she joked seriously saying that she must partake when they were done. Of course they wouldn't make the mistake of not taking, at least, three mangoes to her when they were done, else, all hell will break lose in the neighborhood.

Ugo, an elegant, tall and light-skinned beauty, who had returned for holiday from Enugu with her parents, passed by, running an errand for her mom. We all, including her, knew that Uche, who was very much single and searching, was definitely crushing on her and had made advances at her before now. They were still at the talking stage, yet, uche had fallen head-long in love with her, hoping she would reciprocate 'The Fall' soon enough.

"Akwa Ugo" Uche praise her when she strode-by, catwalkishly, weaving her slender and feminine hand towards Uche in greetings. "Dalu nu!" She said in her adulterated Nsukka dialect. She had grown up in a foreignland -- n'al' nd'ugbo -- that is,  in a gentile land (any place not al' ns'ka)

"See as you dey fresh" Uche praised again, getting her blushing already, "It's like you are going to junction?

"Eh, I'mgoing to buy some things for my mom.

"Chai, see omalicha voice naa" Uche pointed out in smiles, "who permitted this angel to escape heaven sef?" they both cracked up in giggles.

"Stop it joor!" she blushed.

"Ajum. I no gree oo" he laughed "take some mangoes naa. You see they are fair and smooth like your skin" he gestured  towards the filled basket of mango they had gathered.

"Abi?" she hesitated romantically "thank you Uchenna" she said as she received three fully-riped, firm-fleshed mangoes and put them in the Backo-bag she carried in her hand, which was intended to contain all she would buy at junction.

Uche loved it whenever she called his name in full like that. "Chai! ije love egbuom" he joked about "Stop it!" she giggled.

It was then that we heard the thunder from above. Ife was ranting from the mango tree. "I am still on top mango and you are already sharing what I  plucked?" he shouted and began his premature and quick descendants in rage. "Guy, calm down naa," Uche shouted back " After, minus am from my own share. No dey cause wahala where wahala no dey." They exchanged few words before Ife reached the ground. "If not for the sake of God, I will bust your head..." and afterwards, everything escalated in a blurry spiral of unpredictable events.

 I saw it all, as I nestled in my seat at Onyinye's shop. I saw what happened. The glass shaft Ife buried in Uche's neck left a spring in it's wake. Uche struggled in vain to cup the pump of his own blood, draining from his neck, as he gasped for air. His wind pipe had been punctured and his breath  exhaled amidst the gushing blood rather than his nostrils. He staggered around and fell at the foot of the mango, near the basket of mangoes which had been totally bloodied.

it was Ugo's piercing scream that I heard first, then others followed. She had just gone a few paces away when it happened. Ife, hands trembling, realized the gravity of what he had done, let go of the bloodied Sprite bottle and took off immediately. Uche struggled to stay alive while people rushed him to help stop the bleeding but it was obvious that the wound was a fatal puncture.

I was motionless...

I was voiceless...

I hadn't yet processed the event fully. I couldn't. Uche was my friend. How could he die? Of course, we were still young. Death was meant for people the age of my grandma -- old people. Perhaps, he would just stand up as if nothing happened and dust off his soiled shirts and knickers. So I didn't bother. I wasn't part of the chaos.

Rather, I focused on those mangoes in the baskets. I was sad because we wouldn't eat them again. What a waste! Lucky mangoes! They won't be eaten  anymore, because they had them baptized in the blood of Uche.

Later, I heard Uche had died.

3 years later, I also heard Ife was free again. 

(Based on true life experience. RIP Uche Mensa)