(C) Jeff Unaegbu, 2010.
Sometime in the past, a baby girl, whose mother was very careless, was standing on the balcony of the third floor of a storey house. I was there on the same floor and on that balcony. But I was busy reading a book. Suddenly, I noticed that the child had incredibly passed through one of the narrow spaces between the guarding rails. There was nothing now to protect it from falling off into overwhelming vacancy ending about thirty-seven feet down below. This was a child that just learnt to stand on its feet. So, to catch its breath, it would not take long for it to fall back to four feet! People began to look up at the child and to gather on the ground below even as they whimpered in horrible trepidation of its fate. Of course, my heartbeat began to escalate. I thought that if I backed off from saving that child, I would regret it for the rest of my life; and if I tried and missed, my life would be no less horrible. It was a one-bullet chance. I stood up…. Steady now. Any sharp sound would distract the child from its brooding over gravity. And in its desire to see, it would trip and fall and fall and fall…. Some people looked up at me: How stupid and selfish for that fool up there to have allowed that child come to this? Other people looked up to me. Everyone held their breath. Seven seconds had passed. Strangely, the child somehow sensed that a step forward would mean something nasty not in its data of experiences. But, alas, its mother stupidly appeared on the ground below and became unable to control her instincts. My job got complicated. I sensed I had less than a second to save that child. But we were six feet apart and there was the rail between us. To make matters worse, the child’s attention was attracted by the muffled cry of its mother and, of course, she zeroed in on her and made to go forward and downward to her! It happened in a second. One of her naïve legs was already up for the eternal leap, the other was already squatting dangerously and unsteadily for the added baby weight it was carrying. I snatched her back. I did not believe I made it. My hands were just shivering. The people began to dance and shout for joy. They all bounded up to the third floor and showered me with kisses and embraces. I just mopped....
Sometime in the past, a baby girl, whose mother was very careless, was standing on the balcony of the third floor of a storey house. I was there on the same floor and on that balcony. But I was busy reading a book. Suddenly, I noticed that the child had incredibly passed through one of the narrow spaces between the guarding rails. There was nothing now to protect it from falling off into overwhelming vacancy ending about thirty-seven feet down below. This was a child that just learnt to stand on its feet. So, to catch its breath, it would not take long for it to fall back to four feet! People began to look up at the child and to gather on the ground below even as they whimpered in horrible trepidation of its fate. Of course, my heartbeat began to escalate. I thought that if I backed off from saving that child, I would regret it for the rest of my life; and if I tried and missed, my life would be no less horrible. It was a one-bullet chance. I stood up…. Steady now. Any sharp sound would distract the child from its brooding over gravity. And in its desire to see, it would trip and fall and fall and fall…. Some people looked up at me: How stupid and selfish for that fool up there to have allowed that child come to this? Other people looked up to me. Everyone held their breath. Seven seconds had passed. Strangely, the child somehow sensed that a step forward would mean something nasty not in its data of experiences. But, alas, its mother stupidly appeared on the ground below and became unable to control her instincts. My job got complicated. I sensed I had less than a second to save that child. But we were six feet apart and there was the rail between us. To make matters worse, the child’s attention was attracted by the muffled cry of its mother and, of course, she zeroed in on her and made to go forward and downward to her! It happened in a second. One of her naïve legs was already up for the eternal leap, the other was already squatting dangerously and unsteadily for the added baby weight it was carrying. I snatched her back. I did not believe I made it. My hands were just shivering. The people began to dance and shout for joy. They all bounded up to the third floor and showered me with kisses and embraces. I just mopped....
Heroic act indeed. The description so alive with ur choice of words that we can picture ourselves in the scene while reading it.
ReplyDeleteOh, Estilothestar, I am indeed very grateful for this golden reaction from you. I am happy also to note that my phraseology struck a note with you. Thank you so much.
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