WHEN I GROW UP 3 : I WASN’T READY

Welcome back!

Can you believe that we’re less than a week to July?

So for today I share the last part of the “When I grow up series.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed the previous ones so far and just in case you have missed out on the previous posts, I got you !

Here are the links to the two

When I grow up – 1

When I grow up 2

---

If I only knew what lay ahead I would have thought twice.I had tested the waters with both my legs, and don’t we all know what that means ? That if the waters were deep, then I was bound to drown. I’m really no swimmer even.

I should have at least made that call back home before I left..

The journey was indeed long but alas! We arrived at the camp base where we would be staying as we strategized.

It was barely the first day and I already felt scared. I had not obtained any skills and just the thought that my guard had to be on all the time was too much to handle.

For a moment I thought that I would really lose my mind but I had to wear and brave face.

After all this is what I had waited for all my life. (But at this moment I wasn’t sure anymore if it’s what I still wanted. Furthermore, could I really say that I wanted to go back yet we hadn’t even started the mission…..)

That night, I struggled to fall asleep. Any sort of movement made me panic. I had become hyper-vigilant and was now extremely cautious of the happenings around me. It was such a long night for sure!

For the morning, I kid you not when I say that I received a rude awakening. (literal meaning in this case.) and it was not even to get breakfast. There were set obtsaces outside. The morning training was already underway and not to anyone’s surprise, I was the last one to leave the tent.

It was really intense and by the time I was halfway, I did not have any more life in me to continue. They say that “it’s aways in the mind”. Perhaps this is true.. Maybe my mind had told my body that it could not get past this. Nevertheless, I dragged my weak body to the end.

This was just the beginning of my day. Something else lay n store for me later on.

After the training we were released to go back to our tents. By now we had been informed that we were expected to head out for mission the next day.

The day literally dragged away but it was finally about to end.

Things started to change. We heard some movement around our surroundings. This put us in high alert. It was definitely a sign of imminent danger. The sounds were now becoming more rapid and much louder. The base commander had at this time ensured that we were all in position. Iwas armed yes but I was frightened. This wpuld be the first time I would get to fire. Many of firsts actually. The frist time I would have to protect my life…

When we least expected it we heard an explosion from one side.Shortly after we heard the same from many different directions. And them! riffles were fired. It was dark yes but not so dar, but the fact that there was now smoke just made matters worse. It was all crazy. People were running helter skelter and I could hear the sound of men falling to the ground at intervals just after shots were fired.

I wondered where I would be safe. I had not even fired a single shot. The next thought that came to me was fleeing.

The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. Writhing in pain.I could not put a finger on how that had happened. I was still in shock, not so much pain.

It was then silence all round about me. It seemed that our attackers had finally left. However, the silence persisted even longer. Were all these bodies around me without life anymore?

I wondered how I would get back home. Would I even survive till then. Tears rolled down from my eyes. I really did not want to be here. I wasn’t ready for this.

---

…and that’s a wrap.

I hope you have liked this series.

Friday there will be another post up.

Have a great week !