As the sun rose on the horizon, it became clear what had happened.... Samuel, one of my neighbor's finally gave up the ghost after few hours of being rushed to the hospital. The cause of his death was due to a gun shot from a thief, which pierced the the right side of his chest. His death was as a case of mistaken identity and it happened right inside his father's compound.
The loud cries from his siblings sent most neighbors rushing to their house. They refused to be consoled as they cried uncontrollably. Their parents who had taken the wounded body of Samuel to the hospital that night had come back in the morning to announce the heart wrenching news of his death.
The news of his death hit everyone like a thunder, there wasn't anyone who didn't feel shaken by that news, we all thought and had the confidence that he was going to make it as some of us took turns to pray for him after the incident but alas, it wasn't to be.
Oh! what a great loss, not only for his family but the neighborhood because Samuel was a very intelligent, quiet and respectful young lad, loved by all. He was the only son and the last child of four children. His mother died few years after his birth due to some health complications and it was his aunt - father's sister, who took care and nurtured him until his father married another woman who equally had children.
His dad, a business man was able to erect a comfortable 3- storey building which equally had tenants living with them. The building was well secure, fenced with security lights and the wires so one would be surprised to hear that thieves invaded their compound to cause this mayhem.
Here is what happened. Decades ago, my neighborhood then was brutally terrorized by notorious criminals, some of whom were even well known by some neighbors.
Living there became a terror because there was no passing night that we weren't visited by these notorious thieves.
Sleep eluded us as every night they parade themselves from compound to compound looting and causing pains to families, no compound or household was spared.
It got to a point that they started sending letters to each compound notifying the inhabitants of their visit so they can arrange the money stated in the letter for them. The amount of money they fine each compound Failure to do so will result to serious consequences when they eventually visit.
No one ever wished for night to come again because it was always a fearful one filled with cries and sorrows from neighbors whose houses were robbed and got injured in the process. Some neighbors were no longer sleep in their homes at night, you will only see them in the morning when they have come to prepare for the day.
This incident continued for some months until a decision was taken by the residents to involve the police because the local vigilante that was set up seemed like they were aiding the thieves, so a police patrol team was sent to us. They usually start their patrolling from 8pm till the wees of the morning before they go back.
This turn of event brought sighs of relief to everyone and we started enjoying the restful sleep that we have been robbed for months until the thieves struck again at an unexpected hour and took the life of this boy.
It was around past 8pm on that fateful day. I and my family members were still in the parlor watching television when we heard a gun shot not too far our house, we all ran for cover but on hearing the siren from the police patrol team, we were all relieved thinking the shot was from them, but the noise - running, shouting and cries emanating from the compound opposite ours gave an indication that it was more than we thought.
I hastened outside to know what the rancour was all about and on getting there, I saw one of my neighbors driving out carrying the injured body of Samuel and his parents.
Why was Samuel shot? everyone was asking.
It was then we were told that thieves had quietly entered the compound, robbed one of the tenants that just came back that evening from a business trip and tied up his hands and mouth so he won't shout. So while descending the stairs, they met the tenant's younger brother who was coming back from work. He recognized one of them but little did he know that they were thieves and that his brother has been robbed.
So when the thief told his gang that their identity has been bursted, they told one of them to go back and kill the guy so he won't expose them and it was on his way up the stairs that he met Samuel descending and shot him thinking that he was the guy.
But what came about the mistaken identity? was the next question.
The guy who recognized one of the thieves wore a red t-shirt and Samuel too was putting on a red t-shirt, and when the thief saw him right there at the staircase he didn't look twice but rammed the bullet straight at him and fled away by jumping over the fence.
That was how Samuel died due to mistaken Identity, leaving and the loss was a great blow to the family.
Even though the sun had risen shinning and bright in the sky, it didn't make any impact in my neighborhood as the environment was gloomy.
There were tears in everyone's eyes, no one had the will to console the other. Our morning was suddenly turned into night of weeping.
This is my response to the Neoxian City writing prompt 11. Fetch link here to participate.
All Images Are Mine Except Otherwise Stated
Still
