If you have nothing to be grateful for.... Check your pulse - someone somewhere
A/N - meaning of some pidgin would be translated in brackets ()

A year ago

Thomas's POV

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"Hurry up and get into the car, we have to beat the traffic" my mom yelled at me while I snapped out of my thoughts, I grumbled out of our bungalow and scrabbled myself to the passengers seat of my mom's car, tightened my seatbelt before jamming the car door. Yeah all because it requires a lot of energy to close my mom's twelve years old car and the seat belt is to prevent me from flying out of the car during the process. Well it is not so bad as it seems at least it could still transport.

"Exited to see Lagos?" My mom asked with a smile but little did she know that I can see the pains beyond that smile.

Dad left the world eight years ago while I was nine years old and the only thing we inherited was one of his old car and house while the rest went to his family members which I've only seen twice (the day my dad was buried and the day for reading my father's will) hmmmm that bad.

"Yes mum" I returned the smile back to her as she struggled to roar the engine to live.

"Well, here it comes" she whispered and zoomed off. The two hours ride out of ibadan was smooth and sillent. I peeped through the car's window to feel the peaceful breeze of ibadan probably for the last time.

Ibadan is a big city but Lagos was said to be more civilized and modern but who cares, I was contented with our little abode and friends. Although most of my friends would kill an hippopotamus to go to Lagos, unfortunately am not one of them. Durhhhh

Ever since I told them at my school that I'll be traveling to Lagos, I had been the talk of the Town even Bimpe, the girl I have been chasing for the past two years just gave me her number to call her when I arrive at Lagos.

Not that nobody in my town has gone to Lagos but that state has been over hyped and even compared to London. Those who haven't gone thinks money grows on trees in Lagos and London.

Mom already sold our house, she said we are going to start a new life at her college friend's house at Lagos city. I've already written my finals in ibadan and am to wait for the results at Lagos and probably go to college there if accepted.

"And welcome to Lagos" mum roared in excitement but what greeted me first was traffic congestion and trailers deep smokes making us cough like a recovering patient of tuberculosis. "Normally Joy's house is just a thirty minutes drive from here but with Lagos traffic, it might take us three hours" she nodded in affirmation while I arched a brow in disgust.

"So we have to cope with this everyday trouble?" I asked

"C'mon Thomas, you know am financially unstable and I have no choice but to sell the house. Don't worry dear you'd love Lagos, it is such a beautiful city with wonderful houses, jobs, people, and lot more"

"Yeaaaaaah so beautiful and generous that it even gave me a welcome gift of smoke as high as a tobacco weed which is capable of causing nasal congestion" I said with sarcasm while she looked at me with a frown before concentrating on the frustrating traffic.

"But it is not that bad really"

"I really pray so" I said

"Definitely" she said with lot of enthusiasm.

Normally my mum is just like every typical African woman, very optimistic and persuasive, Gosh you better don't try to argue with her coz that wont get you anywhere. Although my mum is her late thirties, she looked more fourtish probably because of the stress. A small tribal mark ran across her face, speaking of tribal marks, am so grateful to my late father for not allowing them ruin my face all for the sake of culture.

According to her, she had me for my dad while she was in her third year in the university of ibadan studying microbiology while dad was in his final year but since then, there has not been a sign of me having a younger one... Well that's all I know...

"Mom why are you taking a one way street instead of the express road?" I questioned as she turned into a deserted one way lane with bushes all over and no sight of a good definition of a house.

"C'mon Thomas, joy said it would be quicker and easy so we won't have to deal with the smoke from the never ending traffic and most significantly, we can save fuel".

"Mom I still wonder why you studied biochemistry when economics was your true calling" I said jokingly and we both bursted out into laughter but that was cut short as we saw two men standing directly in front of our car. Both of them look huge.

"Mom, who are they? Are they Lagos roads officers?" I asked as they signalled us to pull off the car's engine and park.

"Just act cool" mum replied as she did as she was told too before winding down the window pane.

"Yes what do you want?" She asked as soon as they both got to her side of the car while I nervously wait on my own.

"We want you to keep quiet and gently give us everything you could call a possession" man 1 said and that was when I realized that we are being robbed but hell who robs people this way? My heart skipped a beat before pounding countlessly.

"Am so sorry to disappoint you but I have nothing to call possession except clothes, do you mind trying them on?". My mum retorted without getting out of the car.

"Woman you think this is a joke" man 2 said and drew out a pistol from his back pocket before pointing it at mom. " You think say this na joke abi" he said more aggressively. Beads of sweat began to form and Immediately I regretted ever taking this way, there was no one to shout to well except grasshoppers.

"Woman am asking you for the last time, bring out everything you have" man 1 asked.

" I seriously don't have anything except for ourselves, you can check the car, it is really nothing but i-" that statement was cut short by a loud sound that rang strangely in my ear.

Water trickled down my Temple and as slowly as possible I placed my hand to see what the water was.

But It wasn't water

It was thicker

It was Blood

Blood??

My face drifted back to my mum only to see her head on the steering wheel with blood dripping from her hair and across her face in which her eyes were widely open and looking at me.

It's a dream right?

My brain was totally out of my head..... Everything was dizzy, my head was banging constantly likey heart beat.

"I told you no shooting" man 1 yelled at man 2.

"That woman was stubborn"

It's a dream right?

This is all a dream right?
With fear, I tapped her slowly but there was no response, the two men were still arguing

"Mom! Mom!! Wake up... Mum" I called her gently, Tears streamed down freely from my large red eyeballs.

"Mom!!!!!" I shouted and bursted out in tears

"Hey hey boy! Don't worry she is still alive but Am giving you one minute to get out of here if you don't want to watch your mom being brutalized before I send you to the other world" man 1 said.

Instantly I was filled with hatred and bitterness. One part of me wants to to be killed while another wanted to kill them both but I did neither of the two.

Instead, I did the worst thing a coward could ever do,

I got out from the car And I ran
.
I ran
.
I ran as far as my legs could carry me that Bolts would be no match to me on this race.

I ran without letting the tears stop flowing . I ran with tears and fears till I ran into a pole where I stopped to let it all out before I passed out.

_________

I felt a splash of water over my face and I coughed back to life and it was already late

"Small boy.. na me get this space ( this is my space)" a rugged looking man said. Although he looked like he is in is early thirties but his trousers were ripped all over and though it was night, I could still see his black broken teeth and the three parallel line that ran across his rough face.

"Space you say?" I said confused as I turned to realize I was under a bridge and almost every side was occupied by people either sleeping on cartons or the bare floor.

"No time for argue argue... I wan sleep" he yawned lazily while I stood up and staggered to try sleeping with others but the owners either pushed me away or kicked me away.

"My mum's not dead
My mum's not dead
She's going to come back for me... She is definitely going to come back for me" I murmured as my tears resumed as I sluggishly turned around to leave till-

"We can both share my space" I heard some one say, I turned immediately to see a teenager like myself sleeping on a cartoon and stretching an arm to me, a warm smile ran across his face.

"Come"

........................