BROTHERS FOREVER

"Connector , why is it that you have not collected all the maize here ? You are giving me hard time you know ! " complained Preston nonchalantly eying his brother keenly at some angle. "That's you ! That's exactly what you are. When will you ever drop that patronizing and domineering attitude of yours? You'll never allow me be at peace especially when dad leaves some work for us to do. You should know that I'm also a grown up !" Connector replied rather scornfully. Perhaps he had been harbouring some bitterness within himself for long and was only waiting for opportune time to pour it out. " There is nothing to quarrel about. I just inquired why you didn't remove all the maize from their husks and collect them here. Honestly, is that something to quarrel about? " "But why is it that you only wait when dad is away , is when you start quarreling me ? I'm a grown up bro. Last warning ! Next time you do it , it won't be this pleasant. Mark my words ! " "Who cares ! And if anything, you were wrong and ought to have simply accepted the correction. Besides, if you're a grown up, then stop behaving like a kid." "So what do you mean !" Connector yells at his brother dropping the husk in his hand running towards him. He gets hold of him. His brother resists. The two create a wrestling scene. He gets the better of him and pulls him down. They wrestle in the mud boxing one another in the maize husks. ************************* This reminds me of some ten years back when I was herding our cattle near two men who were digging a latrine pit. An argument ensued between then about who owns a pair of pliers. The one inside the pit insisted it's his, saying he bought it with his own money. His counterpart who was waiting to pull out soil in a bucket also said it's his. But the funniest part of it, this guy having got used to theft, shamelessly said he stole it from a mechanic in Lwandeti, so it's his. The argument grew with time to an extent of making the one inside to get out. Within no time they interlocked and started fighting. The wrestle so interested that it attracted spectators. And because the two were too strong, nobody lifted a finger to separate them. My father who was a pastor and still is, came and thought perhaps they would respect his title and stop fighting. He went in between them. He was given a blow on the cheek that made him spit unintendedly. He remembered the old adage that goes, when you see brothers fighting, pick your hoe and go to your farm, when they reconcile, pick your basket and harvest. He just went back home. I remember that day I felt bitter about those guys. They fought until the younger said, "Wait, let me put on my shirt first." This made the bystanders to laugh hysterically. He put on the shirt and the war continued. They bruised one another and got injured terribly. I and the rest, I guess, enjoyed watching the fight. For all that time I never knew how painful fighting is, till when I fought for the first time in Form Two. It's a very bad experience, especially when people are cheering you up, yet you very well know that you're losing the battle. But some things can make one die. The feeling that my young brother defeating me in public. Another one is, my girlfriend is watching me or my wife and children are watching me. The latter two believe that the man is ever more powerful than anybody else in the whole world. He can never be defeated. A times they even create problems intentionally knowing that their father or husband is their to solve. **************************** The cold weather was not felt by them. What they felt was blood oozing from scars they had conceded from each other creating way on their numb skins. As it occurs in many other cases, Preston was the eldest by five years but weakling in his structure as opposed to Connector who was younger but energetic and full of muscles. This gave him the guts to create problems knowing that his elder brother could not beat him. Though he was just forced to respect him because parents were very hard on him. He had found a chance to prove his masculinity in his parents' absenture. He put Preston, who totally exhausted, down. Preston was helplessly panting unable to defend himself. Immediately, Connector's friend arrived and shouted. "Give him one on the nose ! " And that's exactly what he did. He hit him on the nose. Blood started gushing out profusely. Preston decided to try one last trick. He pierced his fingers into Connector's eyes and Connector immediately left him. He recollected himself for a revenge. As this was happening, some bystanders were just watching by the road instead of coming to help separate them. What betrayed them, was Connector's friend's remark. It made some to go wherever that were going , others started cheering them loudly. A man shouted, " Preston if your young brother defeats you today, he'll never respect you ! So ensure you defeat him." It was true, Connector would not respect his elder brother. But surely was that good advice being given to people fighting? Mr. Wisking's family was the one family among the few which were given by God the luck to take their children to the university on direct entry. Many people felt jealousy, especially when the third born son passed highly in KCPE and joined a big school, they knew he would too go to university. So such a jealous community would pray that the family lacks peace, experiences internal conflicts and even kill one another. That's why they could not help separate them and help them reconcile. They would love to see the brothers far much apart. And definitely, a divided house can never stand. Hearing the advice, Preston continuously hit his brother in the bid to revenge. Connector suddenly dropped down unconscious. Those spectators took to their heels and left him alone. A woman who was seeing people standing watching something in Wisking's farm , came after they had left and found Preston trying to offer first aid to a dying brother. Instead of helping, the pain of a mother engulfed her and started eating everything in her stomach as if she had drunk a poisonous drink. She started shouting. Mr. Wisking who was busy milking his cow heard the yelling. He left the bucket there and came to see what was going on. On seeing his father coming, having known him for twenty-one years or so, Preston knew exactly what would follow. He therefore knelt down kissed his brother on the forehead and escaped silently offering a prayer to God to restore his brother's life for his sake. He hated himself for what he had done. He remembered a sermon Pastor Luke once gave on forgiveness. Matthew 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. He blamed himself for not forgiving his brother. But another thought came that he didn't start the fight. After all he was just defendind himself. Again he recalled another sermon that cancelled that thought. Luke 6:29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. He further remembered being preached to that when satan wants to get you, he gives you all the reasons to justify your sins and an assurance that you're right. He remembered his third year life in campus. Was that what his lecturers were teaching him? A third year student fighting a young boy. He found himself clicking loudly. He felt very awkward and unlearned. The worst of all, the feeling that he had sinned against God by killing his own brother, ate him up. It made him weep bitterly, especially at the imagination that he has been rejected by God on the day of judgement. He wished he had gone back to campus the day before. "God forgive me. I've sinned against by brother, parents and you God. Jesus Christ my Lord, may the blood you shed on Calvary cleanse me and make me whole again. Give my parents a heart to forgive me. This short prayer I make in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, Amen." He murmured at last as he sat down. All these thoughts and regrets had taken the better part of him. He never knew how he reached the river. Suddenly, the stone on which he had sat, started moving. He observed it keenly and realised he had sat on a tortoise. He jumped up an fell into the river. The water was so cold. But to him was the best. It offered some cooling effect on his body, soul and mind that had heated up so badly. He opened his eyes to see clearly where the tortoise had gone.