Have we lost our sense of neighbourliness?

After the news of a fire incident had paraded the corridors of my neighbourhood that evening, I could not stay aloof but allowed myself to be driven by my unending curiosity and inquisitiveness to the scene.

Before arriving at the scene, a multitude had gathered in diverse positions, dishing out obvious words of sympathy to the almost unidentified victims.

While some were watching like a cinema, others were busy making live videos to probably send to their love partners in a bit to ignite or spice up a conversation. Some had created small story groups purposed in recalling similar incidents that had occurred in and out of Douala.

As for the thieves who had unavoidably invited themselves, the scene was like a gift from Santa Claus. In fact, the way they enjoyed looting the goods was as if Santa Claus had visited Deido.

Continuously, my attention was again directed to another group of young boys who had occupied themselves in making seductive comments like, "La go, tu es jolie; la go, je peux mourir derrière tonne fesse."

As if that were not enough, some were busy insulting the available firefighting brigade personnel, who were putting much effort into extinguishing the fire.

Their efforts seem unvisualized due to the intensity of the fire. They reached the zenith of insulting words when they had a shortage of water.

Some lambasted them for embezzlement and related it to their inability to suppress the fire; some challenged them to extinguish the fire by voicing out that they have been idle for a while since it's rare to find fire accidents in the city.

Some accused them of consuming government money for nothing as they chanted, "Vous devez travailler vos salaires maintenant."

While these people were dramatising, insulting, looting, and complaining and neglecting the victims properties, which were perishing, my small mind took a stroll to a fire accident that happened 5 years back in Fiango, Kumba.

During that incident, I could recall almost everyone assisting in quenching the fire by providing water and sand to the brave boys who flourished it on the fire. In fact, history has it that the fire was half suppressed before the arrival of the firefighters.

Coming back to my subconsciousness, the discrepancy that exists between the past and the present is so wide to such an extent that I can't just help it but ask you, the reader, have we really lost our sense of neighbourliness?

BY MARKS ABAIKO

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