Caught Off Guard: A Story Of Hope And Survival.

Well, it never came with notice, not even a change in the weather, it wasn't like the air was different, no rumbling thunders..... nothing. It just so happened that this rain came quietly, we never even thought it would turn out some way. Suddenly, around 10am, everything changed, the weather changed, everywhere became dark, and just as if it all was programmed, it began..the rain.

We live somewhere around Ijebu-Ode, in Ogun state. Floods do happen, rains do wreck havoc, that we know, but this was a different one, this did more than damage, it literally destroys. It was never expected, the wind that followed it kept taking away people's roof, it was unexpected, nobody could go out to pack the stuff they sun-dried, even the spaces from the door and windows had water streaming in through them, the rain was just a surprise to everyone, even me, I started asking for the forgiveness of my sins....For He shall come like a thief in the night, so who knows..?

The rain broke into our apartment, it happened that the varendah itself is already filled up with water, thereby it was easy for it to enter via the door, it was little at first, and we kept stopping it with rags, but then, it was more than what even a hundred rags could stop. We started hearing sounds outside, we tried looking through the window and saw how some houses were already headless, we saw buckets, slippers, sticks and all floating as if a river. By the time we realized that the backdoor wasn't locked, it was late already, the water had risen so much.

My mum started shouting as she was ordering us to keep carrying things up, little or nothing could be done by then, the door to the back was a very bad one at that, at the end, the last bolt holding it together to the wall frame removed, some part of the roof to my parents room also removed....and that was when everything turned the other way round, if not for that the havoc done will have been minimal. We started shifting and carrying chairs and tables over each other, my elder brother l, carried the door together with my dad and placed it back, my bro had to stay there to hold it, at least it helped a little bit, my hands were shaking as I carried our TV, unplugged the sockets and all...

The saddest thing is you seeing your belongings, properties, possessions and all destroying right before you. We've packed all what we could, my brother couldn't hold on anymore as well, he tried using some things to hold the door and left, we all were standing on our dinning table, we couldn't even shift legs, because we've placed a lot of things on it already, and in our hands as well was some belongings, we watched as the mattress got soaked, we watched as a lot of our books and dads owns got drenched in water, we watched as a lot of valuables swim their way out through the back door. I saw my mum held on tightly to our only picture album, that momen, I felt something... I kept thinking.. How's this real, this must definitely be a dream.

Nobody could rush out to help anybody, we heard as our neighbors scream. We heard the sounds of things destroying outside, but what can we do, I remember thinking...*So this is how flood victims die, so this is how it happened to them in the news we often hear.

After a few hours, the rain stopped, and the water also, even though it wasn't so noticeable at first, it began to move. We got down one after the other and started using small bowls to pack out the water, as I began reducing, we turned to using our parkers, then we started sweeping it out, while taking not of anything that could still be saved.....

That night, we slept on the bare floor, everyone was already tired, if anyone of us has slipped and died, or if anyone of us happen to be a victim of the flood, am sure we won't remember the thing's new had, so, we all were just thankful to be alive, and I think that's enough.

Thinking about it now, nobody expected it, we weren't even prepared for it. But since then, we have been extra careful and cautious, we've fixed the door, done some more safe guarding to our windows, and make sure most of our things are not placed on low levels.

So, if anyone is facing the same thing, well, I'd just say...forget about your properties, save yourself first, don't wait for help as it may not come in time. Use what you have, wrap your phones in nylon, put kids somewhere safe, if you still have time to pick some things, then let it be your certificates and the likes...your TV and such are not so important, you can still buy another. But first....save yourself, if not you won't be able to tell your survival story.

Floods can come without knocking, and forget about being rich or poor, it can come without notifying you, you might even think you are safe until it wreck havoc on a certain place and then straight into your room, so....always be on alert, don't joke with little signs, care enough to prepare. That’s the only way to stay ahead anytime it comes, even if it does without notice.

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