It was a day like any other. I had been awake for the better part of the night watching my favorite movies. Therefore, I was a bit reluctant to get out of my bed. The summer break had been particularly uneventful without most of my neighborhood friends who had travelled upcountry to pay their folks a visit. The sun appeared to promise a warm day ahead. I lazily got out of bed and went to the kitchen to catch a cold milkshake. The milkshake was what I just needed to lighten my moods for the day as I switched the television channels.
My parents had gone to town to do some shopping, and as a result, I felt the aura of freedom in the house. I took my baseball bat and made some mock shots. I later took my skateboard and executed some of my favorite stunts at the rear of our living room. After a moment of what my mom called ‘indiscipline’ in the house, I decided to meet up with other high school mates from the other side of town.
I got out of the house earlier than most of my friends since I had to catch the train to the destination. I sat next to an elderly couple who were discussing the previous night’s news. The topic was of interest since my dad had made me watch the news that entailed the youth and hard drugs. I handed the train attendant my ticket for checking. Just before he handed it back, I heard a bang that came from the front side of the train. I could not help holding back the scream that escaped my lips as I gripped the armrest with all my might. The train attendant tried to calm the already hysterical passengers to no avail. The second bang was even louder. This time, there was a huge fireball and flying objects inside the train carriage as a result of the blast. At this moment, I was under the train seats crawling towards the exit that was a few meters away. I could taste the blood in my mouth as I trembled involuntarily.
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The fire was now spreading fast towards our carriage. My vision had partially been blinded by the heat, but this did not derail my focus on the door. I eventually got to the door, but as much as I tried to unlock it, I did not succeed in my efforts. For a moment, I thought I was going die in the ill fated train. From the mirror on the door, I could see injured women and men trying to get as far away from the train as they could.
Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind and redirected to the rear of the carriage. There was a broken access door which gave a lee way outside the train. There was confusion and sirens from all over, and this made me more confused. As much as I tried, I could not make out what was happening. There were firefighters who were helping victims to the paramedics on site offering first aid. I started walking past the debris and some victims who were lying on the ground waiting for help. I could not make out exactly how long it took me to walk out of the scene to a nearby coffee shop. The attendant was kind enough to assist me with her cell phone, and I immediately called my parents. My forehead was still bleeding as I tried to apply pressure on the cut using my tattled shirt sleeve to stop the bleeding.
My parents spotted me as they drove towards the scene which was now fully parked with police officers, rescue teams and cars. I was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. As we eagerly watched the waiting room television for the live coverage of the situation since we were burning with curiosity to know what was behind the explosions.
As I was being discharged from the hospital, my parents informed me that contrary to many people’s speculations of a terrorist attack, it was a normal accident that had been caused by an electric fault on the trains system. I was so lucky to escape with a minor injury since nine people had sadly lost their lives.