Clear the Streets
The rainy season just began. I can clearly remember how the crystal sandstones looked like after the shower; under the sun. On a Saturday, after a might of rainfall, Sister, Brother and I took our clothes to the river to wash despite the cold weather and the ugly look of the grasses which had balls of shit on them swept to the surface by the water. The Al-Majiris who normally played at the river side whenever it had water were there again, playing and falling on shit “after all it is their shit” I thought. Brother glared at the Al-Majiris and said “look at foolish idiots, see how they are playing there. What is my problem sef? If they fall in and die, I would even laugh”. His statements towards the Al-Majiris always tased me and made me wonder if he really is a 22 year old but I kept shut because there would be a punishment if I stand or dare say a word against him. Moreover there would be no one to save me from smacks of his large palms, Sister would make him angrier against me deliberately. A discussion raised up between us and I asked “Brother why do you hate Al-Majiri children”. Obviously, the answer would move me against the Al-Majiri but there was no need to worry, after one or two encounters with Daddy, I would be dragged back to my normal senses. Before Brother would answer my questions, there was a boy with craw-craw standing in front of him. Brother took a bucket of water which had detergent in it and poured directly into the boy’s eyes and continued “Ehen! Where did I stop? I don’t really have something against them. It is just that when I was in secondary school, we bullied them a lot so I am used to it”. “So is it because of just that that you treat them like animals?” I asked disrespectfully and turned my face away. The next thing my body felt was sounding slap from Brother; on a normal day, he would do worst. I complained, insulting him the more and triggered his anger. He pounced on me and pounded me with punches while Sister sat down on her buttocks saying “Kill him, Kill your younger brother ooo”. The punches got hotter for a moment before he stood up. The Al-Majiri’s stared at us and I guessed they thought “What a weird family”. Sister’s laughter got me furious and also let me know that not avenging means acceptance to embarrassment. I turned round, wandering what to do. My eyes fell on a ball of shit, my thoughts made me smirk. I took the big ball of shit and threw on Brother’s face whose mouth was opened. “Chai Al-Majiri shit” Sister said which boiled anger in Brother. For few seconds, it felt funny to me; not until I looked into his eyes and saw myself lying in a cuboid with cotton stuffed in my nostrils and ears “Biggest mistake ever” I said to myself.
I passed to the next day alive but not without a swollen face which according to Mummy’s knowledge, I slipped on shit and fell on a hard surface. It would have been closer to the truth if she was told that I slipped and fell on Brother’s fist. It all burnt inside me and the ashes were blown away after Brother and I shared a plate of rice that morning. But for Sister, we both got our revenge on her in hilarious ways.
****Backfires of Trouble ****
On a hot sunny afternoon in the absence of Daddy because he went to the park to pick Mummy who travelled out. I wanted to go with him but he refused. I was bored after looking at the puppies play from the inner part of the living room while lying on the couch but mainly bored because there was no trouble to make. Thoughts came to my mind but only one of them struck me hard with an irresistible urge. In what style should I do it, I asked my anxious mind so I went to the backyard and picked a gallon in which fuel was being bought in and kept before running to the coconut tree to get a dry part of it to drop in the gallon. I sat only the floor curious of the results of my yet to be done experiment as I lit the stick of matches and dropped into the gallon. I felt heat on my face but I never knew how badly the result of my experiment until I passed by the window next to the tree. My heart skipped as I discovered that I turned to a monster who would probably be nicknamed Zombie by my classmates. I ran into the room due to the sudden pains, picked a book and began cooling my face while I cried “daddy would kill me today ooo” only God knows how that statement went out of the room.
Daddy drove back home with mummy who immediately burst into tears as she saw my face. Being confused of what to do, I ran into the room, covered my face and began crying in a touching way till my Cousin came in with my Sisters to comfort me. The cry came out louder when he said “It is not his fault, it is curiosity. He is just nine” and my sister laughed and said “curiosity kills the cat”
***On the Way ***
It was the period of the Ramadan festival, Brother, in his seldom good mood took his bath and dressed up in his fine white shirt and black trousers; ready to go to work. I too imagine how his colleagues cope with him. Sister and I were walking towards him and saw him happy. I asked “Brother, why are you happy today…” “Step back. It might be a trap”. Brother laughed and said “I feel too good to be in an aggressive mood” “Today is a blessed day” Sister said and I concluded, imitating the tune of our old neighbour “Sa’i ka dawo ko”. We all had a fine relaxing day.
Late in the evening, brother came back home with rumpled hair and a torn shirt. He looked like Daddy at the time he was to take the test but for him, he looked dirtier. Mummy asked him why he was looking dirty but he murmured “I tripped and fell into an eroded road”. He lied to Mummy. I watched the drama metres away from the house.
Brother was on his way back home, he saw a group of Al-Majiri bathed in dust. He would never see a group of them and pass away until that day, which is if he learnt his lesson. He tried to scare them away and one of them raised his eyes up and looked at Brother. From afar, I was able to read the writings in his eyes but it seems it was not clear enough for brother. “A hungry man is an angry man” was written in his eyes. For a moment, I took my eyes off the drama but turning back to the stage, I saw a rumble. Brother was thrown to the ground and a plastic, oily plate was covered on his face. I wondered where they got the strength from. Brother ran back home looking dustier than the Al-Majiris and jumped into the bathroom, scrubbing his body with a tough sponge.
Minutes later, he came out of the bathroom with a relieving smile while Mummy questioned his pre-bath looks and I hid behind laughing at his terrible lies.
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