The Rain in April

No longer at ease

Chapter 12

DAY 3

Patrick opened his eyes slowly; everything had happened so fast, he stood up gently but remained on his knees; the gunshots, the screams, and the bodies. He looked up and saw the man they assume was the commander who brought the soldiers into the village. He had just shot someone, the man who came to warn his parents about the Hutus three days ago. Patrick looked around sharply, thought he heard Keza scream; he stood up and staggered towards the direction of the cry.

“Now, on your knees!” a soldier barked, pointing his riffle at Uwimana.

Uwimana drew backwards, using her left hand; she pushed Keza backwards, behind her.

“I say get on your knees!” the soldier took a step forward.

“Mother,” Keza called fearfully.

“It will be alright, dear, trust me, he won’t hurt us,” Uwimana assured Keza while she went down on her knees but before she could get on her knees, the soldier shot her on the chest.

It seemed like a dream to Patrick, he stood up and ran towards the soldier screaming as he ran, but before he got there, his father had already grabbed the other end of the soldier’s gun and was struggling with the soldier. The soldier pulled the trigger and immediately, a bullet sank through Frank’s stomach. Patrick stood there, watching it all, his eyes wide open. The soldier looked at him; he had a huge scar on his face that cut across his face. He tried to raise the rifle but could not, Frank held onto the other end closely to his stomach, the soldier pulled but Frank held on to the rifle with all his strength, with his last series of breath, he turned and looked at his son, Patrick, blood gathering around the side of his mouth.

“Patrick, run.”

For a second, Patrick stood there trying to process it all, he grabbed his sister by the hand and ran, he could feel the soldier looking at him, unable to do anything.

He kept on running, his head blank, once he fell down but stood up almost immediately, he would not let his sister's hand go. It wasn’t until he got far into the bush that he stopped to catch his breath.

“Father,” Keza cried, looking around.

“It’s alright Keza, father is right behind us.”

Patrick pulled her to himself, going down on his knees and wrapping his hands round her. He closed his eyes as hot tears rolled down his dark face. He could not believe everything was real; it had happened so fast that it seemed like a second. A second ago, he had his parents, but now... He heard a c***k and turned back sharply; he held his sister’s hand and was about to dash further into the bush when he heard a man call out to him.

“Stop or I shoot.”

Patrick stopped and turned to look at the soldier who was pointing his rifle at him. For a split second, Patrick remembered how his mother was killed. He looked at the face of his captivator; he was the same man who had killed his parents, the large scar still visible on his face.

“You think you could get away.” He moved closer now, the rifle was aimed at Patrick’s head.

“Stop!” a voice ordered from behind them. The soldier turned back and saw another man approaching them; he was their commander and he held a pistol with his left hand, profusely bleeding from his head.

“It’s an order, drop your weapon,” the man barked, standing a few yards from the soldier. The soldier had pointed the gun at his commander.

“No Sir; this people deserve to die, why are we saving them?” The soldier asked, maintaining a close aim at his commander.

“We are saving them because that is what we are meant to do, to protect the lives of everyone and not to destroy them.”

The commander looked down before looking up at the soldier as if to calculate what to say.

“This is what separates us from the militia, restoring peace and order.”

“Peace? Do you understand what you just said?” The soldier laughed, shaking his head from left to right.

“I can’t believe you are saying this, Sir, someone like you, won’t be able to lead us to war.”

“What war are you talking about? A war against farmers, women and children?”

There was a brief pause before the commander turned to look at Patrick and Keza.

“We have made mistakes, but we can mend the loose knot, you should be ashamed of yourself, pointing your rifle at this kids.”

“Kids?” the soldier muffed, turning his face towards where Patrick stood.

“These are not kids,” the soldier pointed his left hand towards Patrick.

“They are soldiers, ready to avenge the death of their parents.”

“The parents that you killed,” the commander immediately cut in.

“Drop your weapon now, it’s an order.”

“Not until I deal with this first,” the soldier said, turning to face Patrick and his sister but before he could pull the trigger, the commander lunched at him, pushing him down in the process. Patrick watched as the two men fought each other on the ground. At first, the commander successfully subdued the soldier but the soldier fought back and soon had the upper hand. He rolled the commander on his back and grabbed him on the neck trying to throttle him. Patrick watched it all as it happened; the commander was subdued, his hands flying around hopelessly as he tried to grasp for breath. Patrick looked down; the rifle was there, at his feet. In a quick reaction, he bent down and picked it up, raised it towards the direction of the two men, the rifle was heavy but he held it tightly, then in one single try, he pulled the trigger. The recoil of the rifle knocked the gun out of Patrick’s hands causing him to fall backwards. He sat up slowly, the two men lay on the ground, the soldier on top of the commander, both not moving. For a second, Patrick thought he killed the two men; he turned and looked at Keza shivering with fear, she stood there unmoved with clouds of tears gathering around her eyes. One could not explain what she had been through, as a small child; she had been exposed to violence and bloodshed. He turned quickly to notice the commander moving under the Golgi body of the soldier. Patrick stood up, his whole body was shaking, he had killed a man, right in front of Keza. The commander pushed the soldier’s body away and sat up slowly, he looked at Patrick who was now standing beside his sister before picking up his gun. Just as he was about to stand up, they all heard boots running along the bush towards them.

“Hey boy, you will have to run,” the commander said, looking around; he turned and looked at Keza.

“I’m sorry for your loss, it wasn’t supposed to end like this,” the man swallowed, looking away,

“Thank you, for saving my life,” he said in a low tone.

Patrick looked at the man, somehow he felt he should have let them be, he should have left the men to kill each other, but he made a choice, one that he made out of fear, but that choice didn’t change the fact that his parents were lying dead at the village.

“Run,” the man said, suddenly getting up on his feet.

Patrick held Keza’s trembling hand; he took some steps backwards and without hesitation, he broke into a run.

**********

Patrick looked up, the sky was getting dark and the setting sun had been covered by thick clouds and only a fraction of its rays could be seen. He dragged himself forward, holding Keza with his right hand as he made his way through the thick bush. They had been walking for hours in the bush rarely stopping to take a rest, as Patrick moved; he could feel his sister getting tired.

“I am hungry.” She stopped moving, forcing Patrick to stop and turn towards her.

“Don’t worry, Keza, we will get food soon enough,” He said faking a smile.

Patrick bent down and made her climb his back, he stood up, adjusted her safely on his back before heading further into the bush. Many things ran through Patrick’s mind as he wandered into the bush, he just made a promise to his sister to take care of her when he wasn’t sure if he could take care of himself. How on earth would he be able to get food in a bush as thick as this and more importantly, the rain was coming, one way or the other, he had to do something, had to find a shade first, then think of other things. The first rain that dropped on his forehead reminded Patrick that he needed to act fast. He walked faster to a big tree and placed Keza down under its canopy. He sat beside her and wrapped his hands round her. He could feel her body shaking, likewise hear her silently grumbling for food but he could not do anything at this point. He looked up at the dark sky and for a moment reflected on what he had done, he killed a man. He looked at his trembling hand and tears mixed with the rain drops rolled down his cheeks into his mouth. He didn’t know exactly what came over him, the gun was lying there on the ground, he could have fled, turn and run with his sister, but instead, picked the gun and shot at the two men. Keza was there, she saw it, it didn’t matter now, she had seen many things, and had seen their parents die as a result of violence. He shook his head as he too started shaking, his teeth granting together in fast rhythm.

He heard it, someone was there, in the bush with them, and quite sure it wasn’t the rain drops falling against broad leaves and broken twigs in the bush. It was definitely the sound of someone sneaking around the bush, behind them. He made to stand up but fell almost immediately; pulled Keza close to himself and quickly ran a scan across the dark wicked bush, then he saw it, or rather him, the lighting in the sky revealing his shape. He stood there, dressed in a long wet garment, holding a gun.

“The dangerous thing about g******e is that it leaves no survivors, but remnants.”

OGUINE KELECHUKWU PRECIOUS.