Photo Courtesy: http://www.herald.co.zw/
A catastrophe
A catastrophe indeed.
I was only four by then,
So innocent, so naïve…
When the beautiful blue horizon,
Turned into a dark pond,
And everything became misty.
The rain drops went drip-drip-drip
With the wind blowing in gusts.
The people sang with gusto,
As the children went frolicking around.
The guitars were played smoothly,
As everyone danced freely.
I looked at papa
And I felt real proud,
A sergeant-in-chief
Was real worth it.
Honorable guests,
Commanders,
Generals,
A great party it was, indeed.
I moved with papa proudly
As he made me meet his allies.
“These are your uncles,” he said,
And I nodded in agreement.
So innocent, so naïve,
I didn’t know what to say.
One of them held my small hand tightly,
And said briefly,
“Won’t you like to have a walk with uncle?”
But that wasn’t a question,
Yet rather, a short request.
My father let me go off me,
And I followed ‘uncle’ sheepishly.
We went far and farther away.
And when I asked my fate,
He hoarsely said,
“You will right now know.”
As we went on walking,
He insisted,
“Your papa should never know.”
I cried in bewilderment,
As he took me to the river across.
So dark and quiet the place was,
Like a narrow cave it was.
Next, he betrayed me,
And I painfully cried in agony for papa.
I was in a sudden frisson,
As the blood oozed down the floor.
I didn’t comprehend at all,
Neither did I want to,
I just wanted papa again
For the pain was too much for me.
Four was my age,
So innocent, so naïve.
My tears couldn’t stop flowing
And I couldn’t stop saying,
“What have you done uncle?”
“What have you done!”
It’s the pain of betrayal,
The pain of mistrust,
The pain, of rape.
LET’S FIGHT AGAINST RAPE.
