Blessing Temi Jegede

Lagos, Nigeria

They and Them

“Is this how I die?”

Ibrahim crouched under the chair at the back of the bus, contemplating this question. He wanted to scream out “Auzubillah!” but was afraid to even breathe for fear that he would be heard. He tensed every muscle in his body every time someone outside begged, and he heard in response the sound of wood hitting flesh and breaking bones.

Deep in his stomach, anger unfurled its fists at the same time as confusion. Ever since he had moved to Lagos from Kebbi to work as a security man, he had lived peacefully among these people. Maigida and Mama, the people he worked for, had seemed to truly like him. Was all he was to them a Hausa man? Because here he was, returning to Lagos from home because of a clash between Hausas and Yorubas at a Yoruba state. On the way, they were stopping vehicles and assaulting them. Is this all he was?

He got his answer upon his arrival at Lagos. When Mama saw him, tears moistened her eyes. “We saw on the news what happened… Thank God.” He realized he’d never before seen her cry, and that they had worried about him.