Smoke. I perceived its cringent smell before I saw it wafting its way through the top of my caretaker's building. My eyes were stinging with the effect and my breath had become heavy and shallow but I had to pick my most important things, my documents, and everything related to my academics before running out of the compound to explode in spasms of cough seizing my chest and entire body.
Source
"What's going on?" Grace, my next-door neighbor who had just returned from the market asked no one in particular. I could see that she was torn between going in to rescue whatever she deemed precious and waiting for the men who had swiftly begun pouring buckets of sand on the blazing building to complete their task.
"If anything should happen to my documents and original results I will sue this caretaker!" It was Grace, she had become restless again, her hands were at akimbo while she paced.
I had been the only person in the compound when the fire broke out, I rushed immediately to locate the source of the smoke thinking someone's food was getting burnt but upon arriving at the caretaker's building, the flame was visible from one of his windows. I immediately ran out to call for help, attracting the attention of three young men who were molding blocks.
They immediately took buckets with them, filled them with sand, and marched to put the fire out. That was when I began rescuing my documents. Luckily, the fire started and ended at the caretaker's house.
"But what started this fire?" Another tenant, John Paul, asked during the compound meeting that was held immediately everyone was back to the compound and I had relayed the incident to them.
"That's not the question you should ask John Paul. Where is the caretaker?"
There were sounds of unanimous agreement among my neighbors and Emily, the girl living in the last room picked up her phone to dial his line. His service provider told us the line was not available.
"Does he know the house caught fire?" Grace asked.
I shook my head in the negative "I was the only one in the compound when the fire started but I think I have a clue as to what caused it" Three pairs of eyes turned to me immediately, they didn't need to speak because their eyes were poking me in expectation.
"I think he must have dropped a stub of cigarette somewhere in his house which started the fire." Everywhere was silent for some time before John Paul spoke up.
"Emmm…Treasure, I know you were the only one in the compound when the fire started but from my understanding, you were not in the caretaker's house, or were you?"
I knew where the discussion was going since John Paul himself was a chain smoker who sat with the caretaker to smoke at a bar adjacent to our street, almost every evening.
"But let us hear her out first, who knows if she saw or heard something? The fire did not wake up, leave wherever it was, and jump on the building. Something triggered it" Grace intercepted. I mouthed a "Thank you" in her direction and continued.
"The fire must have started from his bedroom because that is the most affected area from what those men who quenched the fire made us understand. I could tell that caretaker was smoking sometime this afternoon because I perceived cigarettes but it wasn't a challenge because well, it's not something new…."
John Paul interrupted me again
"Treasure, this thing you're saying will land you in trouble. How can a cigarette which had been lighted, smoked with barely anything left of it, cause such a severe fire?"
"Maybe if you allow me to finish, I can successfully explain what I think happened for you to understand" I was getting pissed already, and when he saw that, he kept his cool.
"From what you're saying Treasure, there's a possibility that the cigarette was not put out and was possibly exposed to something flammable right?" Emily who had been silent all along asked. I affirmed her statement. She sighed.
"It's not as if cigarettes are bad, the man just has to be careful from now on," Grace said, a sad expression on her face. I turned angry eyes to her.
"Cigarettes have no nutritional value, apart from the fact that they could relieve stress, it has no significant importance. It is highly destructive, both to the person taking it, anyone close to him, and even his environment. It baffles me how people wouldn't just steer clear of such nonsense"
I could see the disdain on John Paul's face but I wasn't moved, I had disliked cigarettes from my early days, especially when I heard what it could do to people's organs. I was just angry that the people who took it until it became an addiction were aware of what it could do, yet they persisted.
"And to think it's boldly written on the packet that smokers are liable to die young, today is a critical example!" I rose because I was already getting worked up.
It seemed I was the only one who agreed with myself on the issue so I decided to leave. If they didn't see the disadvantage of cigarettes after what happened that afternoon, then there was nothing I could do to help them.