There is this woman in my village
We call her 'Oti mkpu', meaning 'someone that shouts'.
The whole village can hear her from their houses.
We know when she wants to prepare to cook, eat, even sleep.
During the war, she sits under a huge mango tree to warn us of the war planes.
"Ha na bia oo"
Ha na bia oo".
Then we all will off our kerosene lamps, quench our cooking firewood and any flaming light.
She can hear the sound of the warplanes two villages away, she was our saviour.
Months later, boys were conscripted
Many of my mates got missing
My mum asked me to hide, she planned sending me off to her village.
That night, they came and knocked,
I could hear them, my mum denied of me being at home.
Ma 'Oti mkpu' came to where I hid, and asked them to open it.
I was taken
Just shots was on me; bearfooted
I saw them give her one bowl of milk and cereal.
I could hear mama's cry
"Nwa'm oo "
"Nwa'm oo".