Thandolwami (on hold)

Chapter 4

Mariah's POV

Gunshots.

Screams.

Fire.

The grass thatched roof was on fire.

Was l dreaming?

Mariah! I heard someone scream my name.

I was choking, it felt so hot.

I felt a hand grab me and drag me outside.

I was barely outside when the roof of the hut I had been sleeping in gave in and collapsed, creating a huge flame that lit up the entire compound like a big candle.

The cold night air sluiced my face and l regained consciousness, l started coughing and realized my surroundings.

My older twin sisters were lying on the ground with me crying.

There were some soldiers in the yard.

Oh no. We were under attack. My sisters were crying. I was confused, what was going on.

I began looking for the others. Where were Peter and Silas our two brothers?

Where was mama and baba?

No. No. No.

The soldiers were pouring a liquid on the roof of the hut mama and baba used as their bedroom.

Hannah and Anna my twin sisters were crying, "no please don't do kill them. Please!"

Hannah was 7 months pregnant, it appeared as though she was already in labor, there was blood around her and she was crying and moaning.

Anna was by her side, also crying and begging for our parents lives and trying to help her pregnant twin sister who was evidently going through a miscarriage.

"Hold her Mariah" Anna said, l did as l was told.

Anna got up and ran to the group of 6 or 7 soldiers as they were about to torch our parents hut into flames and grabbed one of their legs begging that our parents be let go.

One of the soldiers kicked her and knocked her head with the gun he was holding. She fell to the ground. Blood spluttered from her mouth. She convulsed a couple of times and became still. Lifeless.

I screamed. The roof of the hut with our parents inside caught flames, within seconds it gave in and fell inside. I heard mama and baba scream in agony as they were burnt alive, their screams pierced the dark night and echoed in the valley, they screamed until they were no more.

Then the soldiers turned to us with evilness written all over their faces.

This is it, I thought. Today l die.

"Ho ho ho comrades" one of the soldiers laughed, "honayi aka Kane numbu" look and see this one is pregnant.

"Ko comrade hamuskuda here kuziva Kuti kana mwana we dissident arimudumbu rwa mai aka ita sei?" Another jeered.
Don't you want to know how a dissident's baby looks like when inside the mother.

"Vura comrade tione" another laughed.
Open it up and let us see.

No. No. No.

What were they saying.

I held onto my screaming sister tightly, she was in so much pain already.