I was at choir rehearsals when someone called our director to round off the meeting. The person informed him that the environment had become unsafe as gunshots were being fired. We dispersed immediately, and I tried to find my way home. Due to the security breakdown, the public vehicles had disappeared and so I found none to take me home.
I could see the hoodlums perpetrating chaos on the streets; they were breaking into shops and setting fire to everything in sight. The day was rapidly getting dark. I looked around in fear and discovered that I was the only female on the road. I ran around, trying to avoid the hoodlums. Luckily for me, I found a filling station nearby. I ran into it just as the security man was locking the door of the office. Thankfully, he held the door open and allowed me to enter.
When I got in, I realised that I was not the only one who had found safety in the place. Thank God for the wisdom He gave the security man who directed us to hide in the ceiling. I was the last person to climb into the ceiling. As soon as I got in, we heard noises. The hoodlums had broken into the office where we were hiding! They threatened to burn the place down. They searched the entire place, hoping to find people they could steal from. We held our breaths, and no one moved a muscle so as not to alert them to our presence. Fortunately, they soon left. We all climbed out of the ceiling but stayed hidden in the office till the next day.
When I remember that incident, I often wonder what would have happened if they had found us or burnt the place down. My heart goes out to all those who did not. May their souls rest in peace.