It's sad how people think it's funny to spread false news on the internet or anywhere. In today's world everyone is doing anything to survive. It's mostly common among bloggers to share information that will trigger everyone to respond thereby drawing traffic to themselves and getting paid online for the maximum engagements on their post.
What people do not know is that we can never always predict the aftermath of our actions. Things could always go sideways in a nanosecond. I have heard a couple of fake news but the one that touched me most happened a few weeks ago, about two weeks ago.
I was at home with my mum. She was getting ready to take lunch to my dad at a site where he was working. Just as she was about to leave, her phone rang and she picked. Her voice changed immediately and she seemed to have zoned out. I immediately knew something was up so I patiently waited for her to get off the phone.
After she ended the call she told me her elder brother just called from the village and he said that my aunt, who is my mum's junior sister just passed away and he said it's my grandmother who killed her. I stood still. That was the last thing I wanted to hear at that moment.
My mum went into her bedroom and prayed. She was short of words so she just said she didn't expect her sister to pass away like that but since it has happened, God understands why so she prayed for strength to deal with the loss.
I couldn't cry or say a word because we saw my aunt the previous day and though she was unwell, she was still very much strong. Well, I took lunch to my dad and my dad advised my mum to go over and take the body for embalming.
About an hour later, my mum called my dad and informed him that she had arrived at the village and that her sister was alive. It was such a relief to hear that but my question was "why was she announced dead if it wasn't confirmed?"
My mum later explained that she passed out while using the toilet so she fell and had herself looking messy. So rather than my uncle going to take a closer look at her and probably checking if her heart is still beating, he just stood at a distance calling her name severally and when she didn't move or respond he called and said she was dead.
It was even more annoying that he was already accusing my grandmother for being responsible for her own daughter's death. You can imagine how people stir up trouble.
My grandma is very sick and it's my aunt, the one who was rumoured to be dead, that stays with her. She isn't so well herself but she runs errands for my grandma. My grandma can't walk or do anything for herself except eat and pick light things. Imagine her in her condition being blamed for her daughter's death. I kept wondering what if my grandma died of a heart attack because of my uncle's false report and accusation. It would have been so terrible.
My mum already is a very scared person. I was even praying that she arrives at the village safely because it's very possible for her to have zoned out on the road and lose concentration but thank God it didn't happen.
Raising a false alarm is not good. You never can tell when you'll be in distress for real and no one would come to your rescue because they think you are playing one of your games. Let's be guided.
I am a little adventurous girl who loves to sing, take pictures, teach and travel. I am currently an English Education student at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. I am also a young children teacher who home school's kids during holidays. I love to share my life experiences through writing with the hope of inspiring as many people as possible on the Hive space.
