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| Sunday, 22 January 2006 |
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Short story : A memory The sky had grown dark, unusually dark. It seemed like the stars had switched off its bright lights. The world had plunged into a deep darkness. The night was still young when a girl crept out from her hiding place. She looked around and adjusted her scarf before she took the long walk home. She stood before the door contemplating on the excuse she had to give her parents. Before she could ring the bell, the door had opened and there stood her father glowering at her.
"Do you know what time it is?" bellowed her father. "Thathi, I really didn't mean to get this late but it's just that I got carried away-," "carried away?" screamed her father. He pulled her inside and slammed the door. Still screaming he asked her "And may I know what made you feel so carried away?" "Ummm...Thathi... You see...there was this boy, her father continued to glower at her and this time she saw his fists clench,....he kept following me in and out of the bookshops...so eventually I stopped and turned around...And then grabbing him by his collar... I walked him near a large bo tree....By this time her father had turned red with anger and continued to watch her with murderous eyes,....Once I took him near the bo tree, I pulled him really close to me, her father yelled, "stop" but she continued. "I pulled out a knife and stabbed him in seven convenient places, that's what happened. Having said this she opened her bag and took out the knife and placed it on the table. She turned to her mother who sat there in shock and said "ammi I am not that hungry". And then she walked out of the hall and up the stairs. Her father, who had watched her in disbelief and shock, slowly walked over to his wife and started howling. Dead bodies The next morning the police found two dead bodies, a man and a woman, murdered at their dining table. All the evidence pointed towards their sixteen year old daughter. The girl stood motionless at the entrance. She was gazing intently at the sky. She refused to answer the questions the police were battering her with. All she did was gaze even more intently at the moving clouds. Very suddenly she turned and faced them. She had tears flowing down her cheeks when she yelled. "I did not kill my parents, get that! Why would I kill my parents huh? Huh?" with saying that she collapsed unto the floor and began sobbing furiously. The policemen were too shocked to speak. Then out of nowhere, a boy walked towards them and very gently knelt beside her. Putting his arms around her shoulder he led her towards the big jack tree. She looked up at him with a tear strained face and looked hard upon the boy. The policemen could not hear what she was saying but apparently the boy was getting through her. After a few minutes he came towards the police and said solemnly "Sir, my sister did not kill my parents, I did". The police were once again dumbfounded, speechless and stayed rooted to the ground. After several long minutes the boy looked up at them and said "I am eighteen, so I guess I can't try as a juvenile can I? I think not,.....So....aren't you going to arrest me?". This time, the policemen reacted. He was taken away and was allowed to kiss his sister goodbye. She ran after the car shouting, screaming "aiyya, aiyya, aiyya, come back, pleeeeeeeeeeeease!!!!!!!!!!" Still The house remained still, quietly dilapidated with age. It had grown with time. The garden was a mini jungle and the cats and other animals found this garden an entertaining place. The house had grown old with age and memories. The children were warned not to step anywhere near the house where the two people had been murdered by their very own son. "Its haunted, that's what my thatha told me" whispered one boy to his friend as they ran passing the house. The other boy just looked up at the house and for a second stood motionless and gazed at the house with a sinister expression. His little brain was working furiously, something in his memory triggered. He felt almost at home. Weird thought the boy and continued walking as his friend gave him a nervous nudge. I must tell ammi (mother) thought the boy. The little boys laughed and pushed each other towards the water. The sun gleamed upon their tanned little bare backs. Not very far away a woman sat alone facing the sea. Her gaze followed the carefree boys as she was transported to her childhood. How things can change she wondered to herself. How people can change so rapidly. So much of deceit, so much of lies. What if she ended her life right now? What would happen then? The boys began to chase each other and sped towards the woman. She laughed as one fell on her and said in a squeaky voice "sorry aunty", she replied with kindness "that's okay putha (son)". Walked She-laden with bags walked towards her house unsteadily. She had too much in her hands. She rang the bell and waited for someone to open the gate. She could hear the hurried steps of her maid. Slightly panting the maid opened the door, before she could enter the maid began to say "nona (madam) someone is here for you- a gentleman". Puzzled by this, the woman walked inside and looked into the hall. With a loud scream, she ran towards the man. "Aiyya, aiyya, is it really you? Oh my God" He-could see a dark young woman enter the room-just like ammi-he thought to himself. The servant had led him into the sitting room earlier and a little boy had peeped in to see who he was, he had called out but the little boy had said "ammi, does not like me talking to strangers" -saying that the boy had walked off. -Just like nangi, to be so paranoid-he had laughed to himself and then the woman had appeared. She and him talking. Brother and sister. Aiyya and nangi. Night had crept in slowly spreading its velvet curtains all around. The stars twinkled and the moon peeped from the clouds and saw a very happy sight. A little boy reunited with his uncle. A sister reunited with her brother. They were laughing happily. The breeze played with their hair and the stars sprinkled their silver dust upon them. Mother nature felt at ease as once more a family got back together. Happiness was always a good sign. Despair always led to destruction. She watched her brother playing with her son. They looked so much alike. They both had the firm chins and hair that fell unto their eyes. She laughed as both of them began rolling on the grass fighting for the ball. "Ammi, come help me" she whisked up her skirt and ran towards both of them with her hands waving wildly out at them. She ran with the ball as both of them ran after her. "BAM"!. Angry Her husband was very angry, very very angry. He had come home to find his wife and son tangled with his criminal brother-in-law. They were playing and didn't even notice as he walked in. until the moment she banged unto him, they didn't realize. His son who usually ran to him asking for a hug ignored his presence and continued playing with his newfound friend. This angered him very much. And what will people say, what will his colleagues and his family say when they learn that they have a criminal in his household. "Oh God, what have I got myself into". Tears, a lot of tears. Pain and hurt. Words that never should have been uttered. A child's cry. A woman's plea. Warnings, threatening and eventually the front door banged open and a man was thrown out of the house. The moon hid behind the clouds not wanting to watch cruelty displayed. The world had plunged into darkness as a lonely soul walked down the street. He sat down and cried hard. Real hard. Contempt The sun rose to find a man lying on the middle of a street. Passers by scowled at the man with contempt. Spoiling their morning, the start of their day had to be met with a sad sight. A bus could not pass as a man slept soundly. The driver cursed, and the bus conductor got down to find the man dead. The police were called. And the passengers cursed the man due to the inconvenience he had caused by dying. They rushed off to find another bus and get to their destinations as soon as possible. The police immediately recognised the man. "Isn't he the man released yesterday?" the policemen nodded in agreement. The body was removed. There was some sort of gathering as she walked towards the shop. There were policemen and people grumbling. The policemen lifted up something and began walking towards the police jeep. She took a step forward to take a closer view. As the face came into view. She stood rooted on the spot as her world began collapsing all over again. The brian took a step backwards to a memory long ago, she screaming as the police took her brother away. With the last word in her mouth "aiyya" she collapsed into a heap. Kadeeja Sabeera Cader |
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