Just Children (standard:drama, 1436 words)
Author: Sunset Boulevard	Added: Jul 11 2006	Views/Reads: 3178/2050	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Its a story inspired by the forgotten suffering children endure the world over in times of war. Its a tale of children taken from their home and forced to join rebels in their campaign against ruling forces.

JUST CHILDREN 

Do you remember a time when the grass was a pale sort of lime green, eh?
It would grow so high I would be afraid to let you go play in the 
field. I thought you might get lost and wouldn't be able to find your 
way back home. Home..., there was that time when mother spanked us so 
hard we couldn't sleep all night because we stole Fundi's trowel to go 
search for mushrooms in the forest then lost it. Oh how we trembled in 
bed wondering what worse punishment father would give us once he got 
back from the city and mother told him. 

Shh! Don't try to speak. You must save your strength. It won't be long
till the others come to fetch us. Your lucky I even managed to see you 
lying on the ground moaning. This is a really bad wound but I'm sure 
they will be able to do something for you. I've seen nastier ones. 

Someone must have tipped off the authorities  otherwise how could they
have known we were coming. Heads will roll once they find out who was 
responsible. They simply lay in wait for us. This was by far the worst 
ambush we've encountered. So much blood. Whenever I go to sleep my 
dreams are red, red with the blood of all the people I've killed. All 
our brothers and sisters who have died valiantly for our struggle. Do 
you ever have such dreams Kiki? Maybe not, you were so young when they 
took us. The Front is all the family you know, except for me. 

You know I tried to protect you don't you? Every time they hit you when
you were unable to stand for long in the sun in one of their 
‘perseverance sessions'. I tried to stop them but they would hold me 
back and Angel would slap me hard and say, ‘What is so special about 
him huh? Listen well you little thing, we are all brothers and sisters 
here. No blood ties exist in the Liberation Front. All special feelings 
you bear for him cease here and now.' 

What a shameless person she was and only fifteen years old, two years my
senior. You wouldn't think her that young, what with how cruel she 
could be. Then when Simeon picked me to be his wife and kicking her out 
of his room. I never thought anyone could hate me as she did. If only 
she knew how much I hated taking her place in his bed. But that's all 
over now. I saw her being shot down by one of the soldiers who chased 
us into the bush. No way is she getting up from that. 

You're sleeping now. That is good. My how the rain has started. I'm
surprised you can't feel it coming down so hard. You were always a 
heavy sleeper. Mother always said only a good box on the ears could get 
you out of bed in the mornings. But ever since they took us away from 
her you hardly even sleep. I know because Raymond told me. I hope they 
never beat you in your sleep like I heard they do to boys to make them 
hard. No of course not, you wouldn't allow it. Not mother's little 
warrior. The one she could depend on to protect the family while dad 
was away working in the city. 

Do you think she has changed at all? She was always a hard worker you
know. All those cabbages and maize that grew in our plot outside the 
village were all her work. I would help her braid her hair sometimes. 
It was really coarse hair but those artificial braids made all the 
difference. She was so pretty. People told me I took after her but I am 
not sure. It has been so long since I looked in the mirror. I feel like 
I've aged so much even at eighteen. Imagine we've been in the forest 
for five years, feels more like fifty. 

Why are they taking so long to bring help! Surely they don't expect us
to last long with all the government soldiers crawling the bush 
searching for rebels. I hope Raymond gets help soon, he is the only 
person I saw who was virtually left unscathed. Funny how he always 
manages to get out of even the most impossible situations. Remember how 
we all feared Mwalimu when we had not done our homework? Then in walks 
Raymond, late for class and no books in hand. ‘ So what have you come 
to do in school without even a book to write on or do you plan to 
memorise everything I teach today in your peanut of a brain?' asks 
Mwalimu. 

‘Well sir, on the way here I met with a man in a car who asked me
directions to the next village and being the neighbourly kind I drew a 
map for him after placing my bag on the roof of his car. When I 
finished he thanked me and before I realised what had happened he drove 


Click here to read the rest of this story (53 more lines)