MEMENTO ROCK

Brutality of those I trusted

My mind couldn’t take a break that made me active until late-night. My uncle came drank excessively. He was shouting loud enough to awake the ancestors. His roaring steps could make cowards think Cain was alive again. 

His steps roaring he came directly to where I used to live. He knocked once but I assumed, the second I ignored. The third was thunderous, and then he went back some steps and entered with the door. I woke up and kicked the blanket, putting it aside.

“Your scruffy behaviors have come to the end!” He said dragging words but loud. He kicked the table with his long feet and broke it, luckily the phone fell aside and it was not damaged. 

I picked it and jumped out leaving him to fight with the walls, he thought I was there. I felt like stung by hornet. Replica worriedness was like that of the evening. He became derogatory and released noxious words. 

“You will die like your father and mother…” were the words that made me down hearted. It reminded me that I was the only remnant of the Wambugu’s. His impudent acts made my heart beat fast. I guessed he couldn’t even carry it away. 

Suddenly, he removed a match box and started lighting carelessly. “I will burn this, son of a b***h!” He said trying to light magazines on the wall. He did like the proverbial goat that cut branch that he sat on. Without his expectations the magazines were like thirst of fire. They caught fire vigorously. 

He jumped and picked the blanket to put fire off but was too late. With a lot of care I run inside and picked the necklace and the money under the mattress. Soon I was at a distant gazing at the house on red flames. 

It appeared melodramatic when he tried to urinate on it to put it off. Soon it collapsed and nothing was left up except flames and red charcoal. This is when my neighbors started coming with boring questions. 

“How did it happen that your house caught fire?” One of them asked cheerfully. 

“It went the way you can see...” I answered contemptuously gazing at the red hot charcoals. 

“I pity you my friend, it caught fire like that and burnt this way I hope nothing was burnt important… Don’t worry your Uncle John is with you still…” He said pretending to be shrewd.

I run to him menacingly with a lot of bitterness. Why mention the plight of my life? Why sooth me ruthlessly by preaching with the name of Lucifer? 

On seeing me and guessing on what to follow, he run for his dear life. The rest got hold of me strongly that even air was struggling to find me. Lastly, I relaxed and went to the kitchen to light fire.

 Only to notice that all this happened when my grandmother was still staring at it. She was at the door. When she saw me she closed the door and went back to sleep warmly. I thought she could sympathize and give me a room to sleep but she cared less.

At 5 am I called Lightness and gave her the apparent events that left me homeless. She wasn’t sadist to enjoy but close friend to feel it. She soothed me and promised me to help in the construction and equipping a new house and soon it will be complete … She said mercifully.

On Sun rise I went to the place where I had my ‘cube’ I tried to get something that I can keep for future reference of the day that I will never forget.” I only got the remains of nails and a glass cap although cracked. 

I was left homeless, clothe less and still peace less. I was in a war zone my flower had died gradually. Hyenas were many and hungry plus angry. They preached peace when hiding swords that once you gave them trust they eat you.

It was a school day but I had no uniform to attend classes. I sat on the dew full grass and started to mourn. Hot tears of melancholy washing my face, I thought they hated me for being motherless. They had no mercy of children they didn’t give birth to.

Who did my parents left me with? Why death does never waits? Why did God say our end is death? Can my parents hear my cry? Can my sister Ann feel how am suffering? 

Now the sun was above the hills. Its warmth made me feel the day. I was in predicament to build house or to buy a plot and build there. I planned for the money in people’s pockets. Money that was in my pocket could, may be buy iron sheets without nails. 

I trusted her and I had no doubt of her words. She was a dignified person in my life in spite of the day we were together. Although they said “if you cannot beat them, join them” Joining her, was not a sign of losing. It was a step not to make me desperate and live a cold life.

 I stood and walked towards the road. I went to the hotel in the shopping center and took a cup of tea with four mandazis I felt like I had rejuvenated a bit.

Apart from disconcert at home I had become passive-aggressive as I could not interact with people normally. This made me to use my own way to do things. As I could not have a talk with any one, I walked at the confines of the Centre and took a nap under the Acacia tree. 

Here, I found a piece of peace as I was soothed naturally, melodious chuckling of birds, whistles from the cider and cool winds that passed through the forest made the environment very unique. Its serenity made me to sleep like a child on his mother’s chest. I slept.  

I was woken up by a child. She was sooty and thin like wire, her dusty face made her appear like a ghost. She was barefooted and wore along old t-shirt. It appeared like she was from a poor back ground than mine. 

“I am hungry!” She said, “I want some food, just a little!” She pleaded. She then started touching her stomach that appeared to have stack on her spinal cord. “Please just help me my mother was…” she started holding her neck tightly. “Then they buried her nauko” she said. 

I got touch and sympathized her. She was left alone like I was done. I took her to the hotel that I had breakfast and pleaded the waiter to stay with her. Like a human being with senses she agreed to let her grow on her arms. She smiled at me and thanked pleasantly. I left and started to mind my business of the day. 

After a long thinking and lack of appropriate decision, I resolved to look for a person to mentor me, I had to wait until my love was out of school. Due to loneliness I resolved to visit a nearby dam named Wamaria. There I sat on the dry mud and enjoyed the cool wind that prevailed through the forest then above the blue waters. Although it could not cool my mind it cooled my body.

It wasn’t too long when I saw my classmates going home, not for lunch but they had sneaked out of school. They came at the place I was with a lot of cheerfulness. Only to see me, holding a phone expensive than that of our school principal. 

“What! Where did you steal this from Stephen? I can still get one my friend” One of them said picking it carefully.

 He stared at it with enthusiasm. I assimilated that this madness was at the highest point and lack of manner was normal. I didn’t answer him because I used to hate jokes in times of sadness. 

Although the world is resilient and treats us stinly, I breathed heavily and assumed he was not joking with me. On seeing that I didn’t need him he walked away with the rest. I stood up and walked to the shade. The sun was too hot that it could roast me.

At this point, I came up with an idea. I resolved to walk home and try to trap cucu’s mind. I went to the shopping center and did a shopping worth two thousand. I packed in a carton and carried it home. “Even fish need just a bait to eat it wholly.” I thought that he used to hate me because I was a dependent and non-productive. 

At the door of the kitchen she sat peeling tomatoes. I didn’t want much conversation and so I passed her and placed the carton the table just near the door. I left and went to the place where my house was.  

I slanted a look on her. She stood up and walked inside. She opened the carton and smiled friendlily, she was right in the trap. She came to where I was and started to look at the blazed house. 

“You should not worry; I will give your uncle a warning! I am the header here!” She said shaking her head side to side seeming to be depressed by the apparent events. 

I told her that I could plan on how to put up a new house and better one than the one before. She got horrendous about my splendor suggestion. She behaved furtively like I had said ‘dreams’ between real matters.

“Let me prepare lunch for you as you plan for I have nothing else to help you!” She said softly walking back to the kitchen step by step. I knew that already my plans will succeed. I sat down and started to calculate what I need.

I needed six iron sheets; three meters long, two doors, two windows and an average eleven poles. Timber was needed of about ten thousand shillings and nails about 5Kgs. From completing the building I was needed to buy a bed, mattress, bed cover and blankets. Two sofa sets and a table were also needed. For decoration I was needed to buy flowers and beautiful pictures. In short forty five thousand was needed for the house to be seen and appreciated by so-journers. 

In the evening I called my sponsor and shared with her the plan I had. I thought I was the best fisher but there were others like her who was skilled. She agreed and assured to send someone to bring what I needed. When the deal is too good, someone said ‘think twice’.

That day I was given one room by cucu and I spent my night there. Surely no one can change the African mentality, they love free things instead.