As I lay there on the highway, he came... close, still pointing the gun at me, but I lay still, praying in my mind, “Don’t shoot again.” My Blood was everywhere, and he confirmed I was dead before rushing back to the car and driving off, leaving me in my pool of blood around 1 a.m. I lay there in agony, thinking I was going to die. I asked myself why they had to shoot me again. I wasn’t a threat anymore; why shoot me again? That question echoed in my mind. Cars continued to pass without stopping, avoiding my body in the middle of the road. I waved my hands for help as they drove by, but none stopped. I couldn’t move any part of my body except my hands. Over 30 cars passed without anyone stopping. I realized no help was coming; my motionless body lay in the middle of the road. After some time, I tried shaking my legs, and to my surprise, they moved! I was relieved because I thought they were numb. I decided to move my body out of the road. I attempted to stand but fell because the bullet passed through my hip, only my flesh on the right was holding it. I could feel the pain; the other side was swollen. I wasn’t sure how bad it was, but all my waist was on fire. Some drivers nearly ran over me, forcing me to move my body away from the center of the highway toward the pavements that divide the road. That night was brutal. I lay there, bleeding and in pain, for about two hours, knowing that help wasn't coming. I felt sure I was going to die. As I lay there helpless, my life flashed before me. I thought about my family and how I had come to Awka to bury my mom, now I will be buried. I feared for my siblings, who depended on me, and I called on God for help. Only the sounds of birds and the occasional passing car broke the silence, and I realized no human was coming to help me. I called on my late parents, especially my sweet mom, telling her I was coming because I was so tired. My vision blurred, my throat was dry, and I was too exhausted to wave. I prayed, accepting my fate, gave my life to Christ again, and asked Him to accept my soul. Looking up, I saw only darkness, no hope anywhere, just my blood-soaked body. I was becoming weaker, dizzy, and had a strong urge to sleep, knowing that if I closed my eyes, all the agony would go away. So I decided to let go, imagining my friends finding my body in the morning and taking me to the morgue. I imagined being buried beside my mom and how heartbroken my friends and siblings would be. But still, no help came. I could only guess the time, but I knew the night was long, and daybreak was far off. Just as I was about to close my eyes and accept my death, I saw a torchlight in the distance, about 500 meters away. Hope surged back into me. I knew I could get help if I could reach the light, but I was weak, how can I move my motionless body with damaged waist. I tried to stand, despite the pain in my waist. I moved to the pavement divider, trying to pull myself up, but I fell, hitting my waist painfully on the ground. I tried again, holding onto the pavement, moving slowly toward the light, but the pain was too much, and I fell again. Finally, I decided to crawl toward it. Pushing my body along the rough highway surface with only my elbows and arms, I kept low. Whenever I spotted a car, I lay flat, pretending to be dead, hoping they wouldn’t come back and shoot me a third time. The friction against the rough ground gave me cuts, and my arms began to bleed, but I kept moving. Eventually, I reached there and it was aluminum company near the highway and I began shouting for help. I was so cold, shivering, and very thirsty. I kept calling out, “Help! I need a hospital!” After about 30 minutes, they pointed a torchlight toward me, and a few men came out, cocking their guns—around four armed men. Terrified, I started screaming, “Don’t shoot!”show more
