I’m in a deep sleep when I
Suddenly feel my phone
Vibrating in my trousers
Pocket, I try reaching it
While still feeling asleep.

So much pain is what I feel
In return. I hesitantly wake
Up, but I can’t believe what
I am seeing; Is this a dream
Or am just imagining things?

I reckon to myself. It’s real!
I slept on tree leaves, only
God knows for how long. Bruises
All over me, how would I
Explain this?

And the vibration again, this
Time I manage to get it, it’s
An alarm; reminding me that it’s
06:05.

Did I spend my whole night on
These leaves? There’s no doubt
About that, I could tell due to
The pain I had on my back.

As am trying to figure out
What to do next I hear some
Footsteps possibly made louder
By the dead leaves. A thought
Of running away creeps into
My mind.

But then where to? “Lord saves
Me!” I said to myself. This is
Now getting worse I visualise
A human figure; it must be an
Old man, carrying something
Like a hoe.

Maybe there’s a village nearby,
Now the old man is standing in
Front of me silently, with a
Startled face. I give him that
“Who are you?” look and he
Smiles, I’ve to break this
Silence.

Finally I utter some words
With a weak voice “How did
I get here?”. So silly to ask
Him that though, for crying
Out loud this old man found
Me lying here, how do I expect
Him
To know.

“This is God’s favour”, he mutters
To himself.

“Pardon gogo, what did you say?”
I enquire he looks at me without
Saying anything. I try remembering
How I got myself to this place,
But my head is blank; nothing comes
Out of my mind.

The man says something, “…I knew
You could not be dead, I found you
Lying by the river side, early in
The morning, soaked in blood…”,
He stops.

“… But, but how?” I mutter.
“… You must have had an attack
Or something, and the attacker
Was convinced you were no more,
I carried you to this place to
Easily spot you,

I went to correct the hoe so that
I dig medicine for your bruises,
I was convinced God would save
You..”, he said while gazing at me.

This is not making sense
Anymore, suddenly my mind
Takes me back home, are my
Parents fine? Or perhaps they
Were killed and dumped
Somewhere?

This feeling brings uneasiness
In me, my heart starts beating
Faster… All of a sudden my
Phone vibrates, followed by a
Nokia tune.

It’s my girlfriend; she had
Promised to call and as I was
Awaiting her call I fell asleep
On the couch.

So it was just a dream? I thank
God. Wait, let me take the call.
I’m even forgetting it’s the reason
I was turned back to life from that
Terrible nightmare!