I woke up at 3 am. This was the best time to do it and get on with life, it was a time without souls on the walkways, just the regular night guards who were now familiar with my work pattern.
I woke up at 3 am. Got out of bed and breezed into my silk dress, no underwear. A risky thing to do, considering it improved my chances of getting raped, according to some people. I didn't care. Whoever wanted to rape would rape, with or without my underwear.
I woke up at 3 am, got to the kitchen and opened the back door. There, it laid as usual, in a black thrash bag. I motioned towards it, hesitating for a bit. But why, this was my usual responsinility. I had to clean up over them and get rid of every evidence. Somehow, I felt guilty, a part of the larger evil in the world.
I woke up at 3 am, got the 'package' and slid out of the house. I monitored my footsteps closely to avoid noise. I monitored the air to taste for human presence though my nostrils. I monitored everything but my conscience. The first time I did this, I felt evil, today, I feel nothing.....
....
I woke up at 3 am, got to the canal by 3:28. I stood there, hesitating for a while. To throw or not to. To become a greater evil or not to. Undecided, I decided. I lifted the bag up, and gave a long throw into the water.
There, it was gone. A family's kitchen waste carefully unburdened onto a water body. If we give it to the mallams, they will also bring it here. If we burn it, we anger our landlord.
So, we throw our wastes away at 3 am, when nobody knows, when nobody cares, when we forget easily. So when the floods come, we do not remember that we caused it, so, we raise our tongues up, up, up and bring them down on the government for the 'terrible' drainage they constructed with the taxes we 'pay', showing off our non-existent tax receipts.
I woke up at 3 am. Got out of bed and breezed into my silk dress, no underwear. A risky thing to do, considering it improved my chances of getting raped, according to some people. I didn't care. Whoever wanted to rape would rape, with or without my underwear.
I woke up at 3 am, got to the kitchen and opened the back door. There, it laid as usual, in a black thrash bag. I motioned towards it, hesitating for a bit. But why, this was my usual responsinility. I had to clean up over them and get rid of every evidence. Somehow, I felt guilty, a part of the larger evil in the world.
I woke up at 3 am, got the 'package' and slid out of the house. I monitored my footsteps closely to avoid noise. I monitored the air to taste for human presence though my nostrils. I monitored everything but my conscience. The first time I did this, I felt evil, today, I feel nothing.....
....
I woke up at 3 am, got to the canal by 3:28. I stood there, hesitating for a while. To throw or not to. To become a greater evil or not to. Undecided, I decided. I lifted the bag up, and gave a long throw into the water.
There, it was gone. A family's kitchen waste carefully unburdened onto a water body. If we give it to the mallams, they will also bring it here. If we burn it, we anger our landlord.
So, we throw our wastes away at 3 am, when nobody knows, when nobody cares, when we forget easily. So when the floods come, we do not remember that we caused it, so, we raise our tongues up, up, up and bring them down on the government for the 'terrible' drainage they constructed with the taxes we 'pay', showing off our non-existent tax receipts.
I love the twist to the story. The suspense was cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed it Grace. Thanks for reading
DeleteCool piece. Yes, in so many ways, we are all to be blamed for contributing to the effects of flooding. However on the flip side, the government's poor waste management system gave rise to the 3am routine carried out without underwear.
DeleteHello Unknown! Thanks for reading. I do like your perspective. If there was a waste disposal system in place then people won't have to do that. However, we should always remember that two wrongs do not make a right. 😊
DeleteAn unusual approach to an environmental issue. This is so brief yet didactic.
ReplyDeleteThank you Adeola. I love it when people take time out to read give feedback. This means a lot. 😍
ReplyDeleteThis is really nice Winnie, the suspense kept me perusing enthusiastically...and for some reason I thought you were going to dispose of an abortus, however as it turned out it was evil too...
ReplyDelete