I am called Tumelo, my mother says it is meaning faith. She is always helping me when I am in need, very different from older brother, only worried about his muscles. Father works hard in the farm, and comes home with the scent of Ugandan soil on his palms, but is always shouting at me and big brother because are never taking a break from fighting each other. I know brother always looks out for me, and if he were 11 instead of me, I would look out for him too. My country is at war and I am scared for my family, even though chief is not worried about our village for he says it is blessed. I know the village by heart, every red soiled dirt path and where it leads, every shop and who is working in it, I am also scared for my village. Brother and …show more content…
Tumelo!” brother wakes me in a rush, I can see father is very nervous. Gunshots crack the sky and a mix between rebel soldier and villager screams fills my ears. Brother, father and I are searching for a way out of this slaughter, but escape is seeming hopeless. “Over here!, over here!” a soldier points at us, no options but to surrender. Everywhere around me is death, blood and fire, I’m glad mama is safe from this. The rebels tie up father, they tie up brother, not me, I am wondering if they will let me go
A soldier walks over, but I can tell he is not a normal soldier, he is the general and he has a machete. I did not know that my heart could pump at this rate, but the general does not hurt me, he hands me the machete. The general speaks,“Look at your village boy! There is no home for you! So I give you a choice!” He pauses, points at dead bodies, then resumes, “You can end up like them, or you take this machete and end your families life, but be safe with us” I stare into the eyes of father and brother, we are knowing this is the last time we will see each other. I cannot help crying, so does brother but not father, father is being strong. Father speaks, ”son, if you do not kill us they will kill us anyways, save yourself and know that this is what you had to do.” I raise the machete tears rolling down my cheek, and strike down. First father, then brother. Sometimes I wish I could just eat coconut candies