Dragons Angels and Children

Dragons Angels and children Part 1

Mrs. Nancy Cartwright looked at her strange but special child, David and wondered again and again how he had grown over the years. The hurdles, the trials, the persecutions, provisions and divine protection it had taken for him to grow up to this level. She heaved a big sigh of relief and said after their morning prayers that David would be registered to start schooling.

"Yes. I think he's ripe for that now," the husband concurred.

David was enrolled at the same school where Mary and John were schooling, so they'd watch over him and protect him from bullies. During his school days he was exceptional and seemed to have special insight to knotty matters.

Once they had a school biology excursion to seaside of the Snake Island. The teacher wanted the students to meet the organisms in their real natural habitat. Their boat got across the sea and waited for the tide to Webb. Here a wide stretch of land accommodated the Snake Island biological station and a national park. People go there for picnic because of its location and natural habitat. "Welcome to Snake Island," banner was the first human presence that David Cartwright read from their boat as they approached this small portion of land surrounded by water.

"Excuse me sir!" David frightfully called out to his teacher, Mr. Okon. " Why didn't you tell us about this home of dangerous snakes?"

The teacher with some other students laughed at the timid David.

"Are you afraid, David?"

"Yes, am allergic to snakes and even the mention of the name. I use to fight the giant ones in my dreams."

Mr. Okon patted David on the shoulder and said, "they are mere dreams. They are not real..."

"They are realooo because my dreams do come trueooo."

"Why do you drag or stretch the end of your speech with o's."

"It is for emphasis and effect especially the depth of impact the experience had on meooo."

The teacher looked again at David assessing his age and depth of his knowledge of the English language. His expressions far outweigh his age and that of his peers. However, he continued, "If your dreams do come true, you would have seen those giant snake or dragons when you woke up. Did you? Did you see them physically?"

The other students looked suspiciously at David as if he was sick but his brilliance amazed them.

"Sir, I'm afraid. Like last night I dreamt where we were attacked by eerie crying birds..."

"No one will attack anyone. The station's guard are armed and will protect us. No bird... David..." The teacher turned to the other students to assuage their fears. "Listen, it is necessary to note here that the Snake Island was called Snake Island because the river course meanders like a snake. It's not straight but crooked. It is not because of the presence of snakes, anacondas or wild reptiles."

Two prominent projects that attracted people here were the Biology Station and a National Park.

The Snake Island's Biological Station was an educational and research center managed by the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Lagos. The Snake Island was an isolated area. The biological station extended into the national park. There were no major roads. Communication with the nearest village and the rest of the world was mainly by boats.

There were rich fauna and flora, as a result of the strong tidal currents. This facilitated

research activities all the year round. The station's housing and laboratory facilities could accommodate up to 150 students, scientists or researchers at a time. It also provided basic scientific equipment, optical instruments and some other devices.