Smallie An Unsung Hero

It wasn’t a stormy night when the flood came to Maiduguri, nor was there any warning. The city slept under the heavy silence of a dark sky when disaster struck.

The dam, standing tall for years, suddenly burst, unleashing a wall of water that tore through the city with unstoppable force.

Homes were swallowed, streets turned to rivers, and within minutes, chaos ruled. People were trapped in their beds, rooftops, or high trees, while the water rose swiftly, drowning everything in its path.

Amid this devastation, a young boy known only as “Smallie” became an unlikely hero. No one knew his real name, but at just fifteen, Smallie was already a legend among the local Navy team.

He was small in size, hence the nickname, but what he lacked in physical stature, he more than made up for in bravery. The Navy had no choice but to rely on him, as Smallie was familiar with the terrain like no other. He had grown up near the dam, exploring its depths, learning the currents as if they were part of him.

When the dam broke, the Navy quickly mobilized to perform rescues, but the floodwaters moved fast, carrying debris, broken homes, and remnants of lives that had been peaceful just hours before. The Navy boats were deployed, but there were too many calls for help, and not enough rescuers to meet them.

That’s when Smallie made his move. He volunteered to dive into the dangerous waters, untrained but full of passion.

The Navy, desperate for any help they could get, agreed. Smallie wasted no time. With no need for complicated equipment, he dove into the murky floodwaters, moving with an ease that astonished the sailors. His slender frame allowed him to navigate through wreckage and debris with a precision no one else could manage.

On his first few dives, he brought back survivors—an elderly woman trapped under a collapsed roof, and a man stranded on top of a submerged car. After a few successful rescues, the Navy grew to depend on him, recognizing that Smallie knew these waters better than any trained diver.

His intimate knowledge of the terrain, combined with his fearless spirit, made him invaluable.

Then came the third day of the flood, when the Navy received a desperate call. A boy, no older than five, had been swept away from his family as they tried to escape the rising waters.

His parents had been rescued, but their young son was lost in the powerful current. The Navy’s boats couldn’t reach the area where he was last seen. The current was too strong, the debris too dangerous.

Smallie, who was already in the water, heard the call. He didn’t wait for permission. The Navy commander, watching from the boat, saw the look in Smallie’s eyes and simply nodded.

?Smallie dove beneath the surface, disappearing into the darkness once more. The floodwaters were unforgiving, full of jagged pieces of wood and metal. Smallie’s sharp eyes scanned the murky depths, his heart racing as he swam through the debris. He knew these waters better than anyone, and he followed the current with determination, pushing against the powerful pull of the flood. Time was running out.

Just as his lungs began to burn, he saw movement in the water. A tiny hand, struggling to stay above the surface. It was the boy. Smallie swam with everything he had, reaching the child in time. The boy clung to a piece of broken wood, his face pale with fear, his small body shaking from the cold.

Smallie grabbed the boy without hesitating, wrapping one arm tightly around him while using his legs to kick fiercely against the current. The water fought to drag them both under, but Smallie’s focus never wavered. His body burned with the effort, his breath coming in sharp gasps, but he kept swimming, kept fighting.

?After what felt like hours, they broke through to the surface. The Navy boat was close, and the crew erupted into cheers as they saw Smallie emerge with the boy in his arms. They hauled the two of them aboard, wrapping the child in blankets as he sobbed into Smallie’s chest, safe at last.

Smallie, gasping for breath, looked up at the Navy commander. The stern man’s face softened as he knelt beside the boy, his voice thick with emotion. “You’ve done it again,” he said quietly, filled with admiration. “You saved him.”

The crew gathered around, clapping Smallie on the back, their faces filled with awe. In the face of such overwhelming destruction, Smallie had become their symbol of hope. He didn’t have the training, the equipment, or the experience, but he had something far greater: his courage and heart.

The story of Smallie spread. The boy who had dived fearlessly into the flood, time and time again, to save his people. His name, once a nickname for his size, now represented something far greater: a giant in bravery, a hero to the city of Maiduguri.?

The Navy would never forget the boy who joined them when they needed him most. Smallie, the teenager who could dive like a dolphin and disappear beneath the waves, had become a hero—not just to the Navy, but to all of Maiduguri.

The boy who defied the flood, who braved the waters with nothing but his heart and courage, became a beacon of hope and resilience. Smallie, the hero of Maiduguri, proved that true greatness lies not in size or strength, but in the spirit and will to save others, no matter the cost.

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September 2024

@HAWIE24