Hiroshima
August 6, 1945. 2:15 AM, Enola Gay flew steadily into the skies bound for Hiroshima, Japan. I, Sergeant Joseph Stiborik was among the crew as a Radar Operator. The Japanese, after the Germans were defeated, refused to surrender to the Allied forces and the Second World War was bent on lasting for a few more years. That was our mission, to stop the war.
Earlier that morning in my excitement to be enlisted among the crew on a special mission, I had asked Captain Theodore, ‘What are we carrying?’
‘What’s your business Sergeant?’ he asked lighting a cigarette, puffing smoke into the cold morning, ‘Our mission is not about what we are carrying, it’s about what we are dropping.’As he walked away to board the plane, he turned, smiled and muttered, ‘Little boy.’
I wasn’t sure if he was referring to what we were carrying on the plane or referring to me as a little boy. Even though I was young, my small stature easily gave me away.
‘Ready for this, boys?’ Major Thomas Freebie, the bombardier said as he pushed the button and dropped the bomb. Although we nodded yes in affirmation, when Little Boy hit Hiroshima and sent off a huge puff of boiling mushroom cloud, smoke and debris… only then did I realize there was nothing little about the boy that destroyed so many men in mere seconds. None of us knew it wasn’t the usual bomb.
As we flew back to base, stunned in silence, amidst the shrill rustling of cold air, the only voice I heard was that of Lewis saying, ‘My God, what have we done.’
#WriterPrompt is a regular flash fiction event we run on our Facebook page, although it is currently on hiatus. Writers post stories in response to a picture, then workshop them with other participants and members of the SSDA team. Akomolafe's story of a naive WWII soldier rose to the top in this bout.
How did writing enter your life?
Before the age of ten, I developed a love for art and reading and admired the likes of Wole Soyinka (even though I found it hard to comprehend his writing at the time.) My writing didn't fully take off until my junior days in secondary school after I was inspired by a friend, David Meres, who taught me to write poetry. Ever since I fell in love with writing. I discovered I had an inborn ability to tell stories but needed to understand the craft.
What are your favourite themes to write about and why?
All forms of writing have appealed to me as I've written a couple of plays, drama, novels (unpublished), movie scripts, short fiction, and short stories (which have become my strongest form of writing.) My favourite themes are largely around women, the girl child, family and morality.
Can you tell us a little about the process you went through with your flash fiction story 'Hiroshima' that made you the winner of #WriterPrompt 22.
Hiroshima was a whole new phase of writing for me. I had a very limited knowledge of the people, places and event I wanted to write about, so I spent some time reading about the Second World War and the events of Hiroshima and the military personnel and tried my best to relive their lives through my story. Participating in #WriterPrompt over time has helped me know how to write, explore themes better. The contributions of other writers as well as the organisers of #WriterPrompt have helped to sharpen my skills and crowned me a winner. In the end, 'we' won.
Akomolafe Bankole Kayode is a young aspiring Nigerian writer who loves to write short stories and poetry. He won the MNS (Mynaijastories) short story competition with his story, “The first time I did it.” His poem, “My Hanbok” was nominated for an award in the Korea-Nigeria Poetry Fiesta 2016 and his flash fiction, "A soldier's last letter" was shortlisted for the Etisalat Flash Fiction Competition, 2016. His first novel, a collection of short stories is slated for publication later this year. Some of his works have appeared in Praxis Magazine. He spends his time reading and writing and hopes to impact the world through his works.