CRIES OF SUNSET

No words can heal this terrible pain I feel inside. No action nor whatever they say can take away this great feeling of guilt. My name is Ikenna Nelson Ejiofor and I am responsible for the death of my best friend Chike.

I come from Ngor-okpala Local Government Area in Imo state Nigeria. I am from the Igbo tribe and here we have great respect of natural elements especially the sun and water. It goes way down to our fore-fathers. They worshiped the god of the sun and water for good harvest. But after what happened on 25th January 2004 (my birthday) I hated the sun and water just like the Devil himself.

I come from a family of 5. I am the last issue of my parents and Chike ahamuefuna was been my best friend from birth. It's was said that Chike stayed in his mother's womb up to 11months waiting for me to be born because his mother took in two months before mine. We were born the same day and grew up closer than brothers.

Chike's mother usually sell beancake(akara) at the junction leading to our street and that was where I always spent my evenings. Many thought we were twins from the same parents because we had way too many similarities in appearance and behavior.

During the early hours of 25th January 2004(the day I'll never forget). It was our birthday and there was so much joy in the air. We were so happy, running around as usual celebrating. We just turned 13 and I remember him asking me that fateful morning "did you see any black hair in your armpit?" I swore to him that I didn't. Besides, how can i? Hairs are for old people and I hate hairs (so I thought). And he said "OK let's place a bet of #50, you will raise you arm and if I see any hair I'll take your money but if there's no hair you will take mine". Of course na! I was very sure I had no hair there but lo and behold I raised my hands and there it was, some small hairs I never noticed. He shouted in victory "I'VE WON!!! I'VE WON. Oya give me my #50" but I disagreed claiming that the hairs were not real original hairs so I ran with the money towards our big village river ishimmiri.

Our family were preparing a big party for us as usual, the party starts in the evening and runs till some time in the night with lots of friends and families invited. It was one of the biggest birthdays in the neighborhood those good days.
The name of the river we ran to was "ishimmiri" (head of all water) it's the largest river in all the eleven villages making up our clan and everybody came there to wash and fetch. The river flowed in between two hills at the far west side. Nobody dared go there except for highly skilled fishermen such as the likes of Mazi Okoronkwo, Mazi Njoku, Mazi Okafor and a few others I can't remember. It was once rumored that Mazi Okoronkwo single handedly caught a shark that attacked him. Using only his fishing spear and net but that's a story for another day.

So I kept running towards ishimmiri while Chike followed asking me to give him his money. I insisted that if he will have it only if he catches up with me as I kept running knowing fully well that he possibly can't because I was faster.
On getting to the river I entered and in no short time, we forgot about the money and started playing. Unknown to both of us Chike was swimming further deep into the parts with stronger current. We started a game of who holds the longest breath underwater. He did his while I counted 1.....2.....3.....4.....5.....6.....7.....8.....9......... He rose up because he couldn't take it any more.. Now it was my turn so I went underwater while he counted.1......2......3......4......5......6......7 then he stopped, at first I thought it was intentional because I did it to him some time ago, but after some seconds without hearing from him I came up above the water hoping to shout at him for cheating and declare myself winner but Chike was no where be found. I shouted his name and called multiple times but i got nothing. Just then I noticed where we were. where he was. He was at the deepest and deadliest parts of ishimmiri. Could he have drowned? No! It's not possible. Not Chike. So I called harder and tried searching under water but didn't find him.

I was gripped by fear. The kind of fear that I still feel till this day. "no... Maybe he has gone home and didn't tell me" so I swarm as fast as I could to the shore only to find his cloths next to mine where he kept it. "Chike where are you?" "pls if it's a joke stop" I shouted these words in between sobs" "Chike please come out" "CHIKEEE! CHIKEEE!! CHIKEEE!!!" I cried heavily. I just couldn't believe what happened. I looked over at the deadly ishimmiri, it was getting dark. It was dawn. The sun was setting. "OH CHIKE! CHIKE PLEASE COME OUT LET'S GO HOME. OK TAKE YOUR MONEY, PLEASE LET'S GO" these were the words I kept saying in tears to no avail.

I went home after much struggling, trying to get myself to believe that Chike my best friend is gone. I got home into the waiting arms of our families and friends. All ready to celebrate an awesome birthday party. "where have you been?" kee ebe unu jere? "." where is chike? "
These were the questions coming at me from every corner. With one good look at me" bia Ikenna igara igwu mmiri? (ikenne did you go swimming again) shouted my mum. "who is the owner of the cloths in your hands?" Immediately!!! Chike's mother recognized her son's cloth. She snatched them from me and ran towards the river as I busted into fresh tears again. "mummy am so sorry" "I didn't see him again" "he didn't come out". These were the words I managed to say in between tears as my mother wrapped me in her arms. Chike's mother ran mad that night because Chike was her only son and child. He died in the river at sunset on his birthday. I KILLED MY BEST FRIEND.

There were so many cries at sunset on 25th January 2004. The day Chike died because of me. He died at dawn at ishimmiri, the great river that flows between two hills in my village