David lay quietly on a small mat on the floor beside his father’s bed. He tried hard not to breathe loudly but his heart was beating very fast. The noise outside the door did not stop.
“Open this door! Open this door or we will break it down!!” David heard some people shouting.
David’s father jumped up and tried to pull back the bolt on the door, but his hand was shaking..
“Can’t you open the door? I will shoot!!!” shouted another voice.
“Sorry, I’m so sorry,” muttered David’s father. “The bolt is stock…please don’t shoot; I’m behind the door.”
“Who cares?” replied the voice. Immediately, the door gave way. David stared at the fierce face of the man who had broken the door.
David stood behind his father. His teeth were rattling and his legs were shaking.
The first man burst into the room followed by three others. One stood outside the door with a gun in his hand. The leader of the group shouted, “Where’s the owner of this place?”
“It’s me” whispered David’s father.
Two quick slaps landed on his ears. “Where is your money?” shouted the leader.
“Which money?” replied David’s father.
“Shut up. Don’t ask me any question. Just bring out the money and your TV, Video, radio and wrist watches.”
“Sorry Sir, we don’t have any. Some of you came last year and took our only radio away,” replied David’s father.
“Shut up, I say. You talk too much.”
The three other men were busy turning everything in the room upside down. They looked under the bed, the mattress and inside David’s school books. They could not find money, radio nor TV.
The men were very angry. One shouted, “You mean you have no radio, no TV, no money? Wretched man!”
The leader shouted at David’s father. “How long have you been in Lagos?”
“Ten years”
“Ten years? And you have nothing? You’d better go back to your village,” the leader hissed. “Let’s go, men. This has been a waste of time.”
QUESTIONS:
Where was David sleeping?
Why was his heart beating fast?
Why could his father not open the door?
What happened to the door?
How many men came into David’s house?
What did they want?
Do you think this men were guests? Why?
What do you think of this story? Is it funny or sad?
How do you think David and his father felt after the men left?
What would you have said or done if you were David?