It was raining cats and dogs that morning. I witnessed pedestrians struggling to get to work with their big umbrellas and official attires. My friend Baraka stood beside me.
“Hey sleepy head, why do people hate the rain? Always preventing it from touching their skin”, I argued. “You with your weird questions. People never appreciate nature my friend, let them be”, He replied calmly.
We were at our post grabbing all the gossip we could before sundown. We stood at a very convenient place in a busy town of captivating sceneries. One view was a fancy barbershop that flooded with customers, good looking gentlemen and few ladies.
It has always been Baraka and I; side by side never aside.
“You look greener today, like you knew it was going to rain”, I humoured. He smiled and then narrated the parable of the green mango. Although I had heard it a million times already, I still listened attentively.
At noon, two big men looked at us strangely. They stood beside Baraka and murmured. They patted Baraka and walked away. Then, Baraka’s mood changed. He spoke and joked less. He was quieter for the rest of the day; unlike the chatterbox I was used to.
As the wind swept my leaves, sleep took me away. I was awoken by a loud disturbing sound of a chainsaw. They were uprooting Baraka from his post. The two big men came to take our lives.
“These trees are on the way; a road has to be built right here!” They lamented.
I watched as Baraka fell down to the ground; knowing that I was next.
We were the only trees left in the town. I thought they enjoyed our shade, but as Baraka said, “people never appreciate nature my friend, let them be.”
Read – Life Happens – A Flash Fiction by Esther Uwaleke, Nigeria
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