The Rain in April

Dark

Chapter 11

3 HOURS EARLIER.

“Is there no other way to the church?” Chief Runihura asked, leaning forward towards the driver of his brown Volkswagen.

“I’m sorry Sir, but we have already passed the T-junction that leads to the church,” the driver, a tall, dark, aged man answered.

“Jesus, I’m going to be late for my daughter’s wedding,” Chief Runihura ranted in anger. He leaned backwards and rested his back on the back seat. He had left home only an hour ago only to be stranded in traffic for an unknown reason.

“I’m sorry Sir; this is the first time traffic would occur on this street.”

Chief Runihura looked out through the window ignoring what his driver had just said, the last thing he wanted to do was to disappoint his daughter on her wedding day.

“How I wish she was here,” he muttered under his breath.

Somehow, Chief Runihura had found it difficult to deal with the death of his wife. He had even thought of committing suicide, but that was when Akaliza came in, she had taken care of him the way his wife would. Akaliza, understanding the void her mother had created in his heart when she died, filled it up. His wife, Jessica, had died three years ago, three years and it seemed like yesterday. But her death gave him another opportunity to see life in another dimension, to experience love once again but this time, the love of a daughter. When Jessica was alive, he had hardly found time for his family. He was always working and keeping late nights, but Jessica never complained, she understood the nature of his job. Despite his short comings, Jessica showered him love, the love that he thought he had lost when Jessica died in a car accident. Akaliza had stepped up; she seemed to know exactly what was needed at any particular time. Once he had heard his daughter discuss with her friend that she was not ready to get married because she wanted to take care of her father, she was afraid that if she left, he would feel lonely. He had begged her to marry; and had made her believe he could take care of himself. He was happy when Akaliza told him of her intention to get married to Alex, the son of his close friend, Obichukwu. He had immediately started plans for the wedding, once he met with Alex; he knew the kind of person he was, someone who could take care of his angel, Akaliza. How he wished Jessica was here, she would have been proud of him. She would have been proud their daughter was getting married to the son of Chief Obichukwu, someone they both knew right from the scratch, they had known Obichukwu long enough to know his story, a Nigerian who escaped the country during the 1967 civil war only to end up in Rwanda. At first, he had seen Obichukwu as an outcast, but after years of Obichukwu stay in Rwanda, he had proven himself not just to him, but to everyone around him.

“Sir,” the driver’s voice drew his attention back into the car.

“What is the problem?” He asked, leaning forward.

“There is a thick smoke rising over there,” The driver said, pointing towards the far end of the road which was blocked by cars.

“What is happening?” Chief Runihura needed no one to answer that question as he saw many people running backwards on foot, leaving their cars behind.

“Get me out of here now!” Chief Runihura barked, looking around utterly confused. The driver tried to ignite the car but his shaking hands failed him. Then the gunshots were heard, raging sporadically into the air. For a moment, the driver paused, probably in a dilemma over what to do. He looked up in fear and without saying a word, flanged the door of the car open, came out and before chief Runihura could say a word, he ran out, out of the street into a nearby bush.

“War does not determine who is right but who is left.”

BERTRAND RUSSELL.