The Mother's Child

Chapter 6

Stormy nights
It is a windy evening.As it threats to rain heavily. I hurriedly  enter the cows to their  kraals, lock up the goats and sheep. The chicken take their place at the rack in the kitchen. Grandmother is  already done with the cooking and supper is served.

Grandfather is much worried  that  the door hinges could break at a point. They are over grown and rusted; not only is he but also Samuel.
Samuel's hut is at stake. The roof anytime could be carried away since it's grass thatched.

Late night, while everyone  is still in bed, the tree at the sties cracks down.i could guess a life is lost.Grandfather couldn't  save that one pig, the others kept grunting or probably  the broken branch collapsed on  the other side.
It is a restless night,we have got to keep the ears wide open perhaps death would roam about while we hear it come; though it's dark, we can't  see nor light the lamps since Grandmother  has forgotten  the  match boxes in the kitchen.

"Well,will you sleep Joseph?" enough  of the murmuring. I can't sleep while you still whisper.Are you possessed by a spirit? " Peter exclaims in anguish.
I have lost my sleep lately.  The rains are getting immense.they hit the iron sheets loudly.

A few moments later, I could hear a few footsteps  about in the compound. They are not humane perhaps an animal's. One ,two ,three then four .I had mastered the movements of a cow ;I could definitely  notice the different movements. This could not go unnoticed. 
At the door, there had been some space left ,some centimeters  above the floor. It's a great spy window. I smoothly  laid low ;peering through, to see what's really happening .like a hunter preying to go incognito.

Yes! It's a cow! It had broken and trespassed.i could hear the neighbor's sons labour to chase and return it home.oh! what a harsh night! It seems the whole village  is  awake.

Its early morning very cold I can explain. The night had been stormy.The village had encountered  so much losses. The pigs were fine; just that  they also get scared.None of them had died or been wounded.
The rain had been so much terrible. I definitely  would have to miss school today. The stream had hit its banks very wide open and swept away the bridge.somebody could tell why I'm so happy.you really wouldn't know why all the sudden smiles,grinning  from ear to ear.walking the long distance  on a muddy slippery road yet have got not to be late. Mr.. Kalungi  too might have survived  him today.
I can say they are wails allover the village. Hunger will soon strike our households. Most of the banana plantations  had been laid down; be it the blossoming  one or the ready to harvest; all had been broken to the ground.
The hills too had been washed down. My uncle's  house  ; the veranda  had cracked as if an earthquake had trespassed  again.
"Oh behold  Lord our God!"Grandfather  is speechless, holding up his chin contemplating  on what next.

It's the alarms over the radio you can hear.The daily broadcast."government  etuyambe!!"in the local dialect. "Government  help us!" It translates.

"Here in Uganda.  It is fully the government's  fault. The natives perceived it  that way.The biggest population  are youth who are jobless  and all they can say is government  has not helped them. They get so noisy over the broadcast channels and forget about their own wellbeing. note well that the government  isn't going to put food on your plate! You have got to work harder and survive. It's like a war, only the fit survive" I over heard this conversation on the radio this morning. So educative indeed.
Samuel  had a bad night ; obviously  you can tell by the looks on his face. The roof of his hut ; droplets of rain penetrated  through making his night way uncomfortable.there is a pool of water in the corner  of  his hut as result  of  last night's  heavy downpour .
Today, we have got a lot of work on our shoulders to be done. Felling the tree at the pig's  sties, tidying  up  the kraals  and helping out in the banana  plantations.A catastrophe  indeed it were. The losses are immeasurable.