Crisis in the city.

Michael walked up to me in my room to check if I had anything left in terms of food.

"What do you have here bro? He asked with a pale eyes and rumbling stomach." He was intensely hungry.

"I have gari here. Let's go and get groundnuts to take it. I responded to him." I came down from my bunk and staggered before maintaining balance.

Hunger was a regular companion. For the previous two days, I had been feeding on just gari, a baked cassava flour suitable for soaking in water before eating.

We went to grocery stores within the hostel and we met them under lock and key. Some had exhausted what they had in their shops while others were stuck in town, with no access to come and open their shops.

We returned to the room and managed to take the gari without any supplement.

Sitting on the corridor of the hostel block were students that were frustrated about the ugly development in town. They were seen in groups discussing the problem in town. I tried as much as possible to avoid having any serious conversation with anyone. The energy was depleting and there was no food to boost my energy.

We got inside the room and resigned to our fate of taking gari once again.

My phone rang and it was my mum calling.

"How is the situation in Jos and your hostel in particular?"

"Mum, things are getting worse. No food and no where to buy anything. We are starving mum and the city is still in turmoil."

"Your brother sent 5000 Naira into your account earlier. Have you seen the alert from your bank?" She asked.

"You are not getting me mum. Money is useless in this situation. Our problem is what to eat and not money. Money can't get us anything. In fact, nothing is available to be bought.

"I miss your delicacies. I miss everything about home." Tears ran down my eyes.

Crises had erupted in Jos city and all that was visible in the town were smoke and fire. The sounds of gunshots were audible. The economic activities in the city were grounded. The students residing off-campus ran to the hostel to join us for safety.

The government sent the first set of military personnel to the hostel to provide us security. This happened after some students unfortunately lost their lives off-campus.
The hostel was filled to the brim.

I was frustrated with the development. The school that was hitherto a lovely place for me became the opposite.

In the evening, there was no other option for dinner. It had to be gari again. My body was shaking with my veins visible.

My mum's call came in again.

"What are you eating this evening?" She asked.

It took me a few seconds to reply.

"Nothing in sight, mum."

She busted into crying over the phone.

"Who will bring my son for me? We are eating here and there you are starving. God, help me put a stop to the crisis in Jos." She wailed repeatedly until I ended the call.

A few minutes later, the State government sent in trucks loaded with food. At this point, adults had been subjected to babies. The energy to go to the trucks' parking spot to get served with the food was not there for the majority of my peers.

I alerted my muscles and I realized that my legs could still carry me for a few more times. A few of us that had the energy to help others joined the military personnel to share the food to each of the blocks. Within a block, a few others served the food round the rooms. That food was a life saving one for most of us.

The following morning, my state government sent in buses and security personnel to the hostel to convey the students that originate from my state back home. Other State governments did the same within that day and the following day.

Our journey through the troubled city was filled with ugly sights. The beautiful city was reduced to near nothing. There was pindrop silence everywhere. In front of us was a Toyota Hilux filled with armed personnel and another one was trailing our bus behind. That was how we left the city.

I arrived home to a warm reception from my mother. She prepared a volume of food that 5 people of my eating capacity would not be able to finish.

She hugged me with tears. My siblings joined her in celebrating my return.
"
Mum, finally I am back home." I exclaimed.

She kissed my forehead with wild exuberant kisses to welcome me back.