
A breath of Death
My being was stunned when time was hiking over my amazing smile. A misfortune was born with a terrible and hostile behavior while my attention was asleep.
“Kanga ye, na lobi kanga ye (arrest him i said arrest him)”,A man shouted.
“Tete, tika ye malembe ko (no no leave him alone, take it easy)”, said another man loudly.
This is what I could hear when the wind blossomed and silence filled the space but only gun shots could be heard as the Jazz Music band entertained the sphere produced by trees.
Life ended at the doorway, corpses were all over the city and no one could complain for that event since there was no doubt of not saving lives and running away into the bush like animals afraid of being hunted by great kings.
After several instants in the scrub, I saw a lady sobbing for the situation and just dispensed the space with hot water from her eyes.
Asking her about the reason why she was crying was a menace when everyone could observe what happened to the entire community, her face was displaying different emotions at once she looked very confused and powerless. We all kept silent at the area for about three hours with no complaint, neither breathing in a right manner for the fear of being heard or caught by the musicians.
The sun set, the thunder began, the lightning lit up the skies and the rain was his gift to offer unto us.
”Oh! Nzambe Na Ngai! (oh! My God!)” an old man wept for being soaked by the powerful showers and shuddered by the herbs that deserved to graze the entire body with the mix of flour and a hot bath.
Hanging on by the thread, every breath was a battle. Pain creeped the area and fear crawled through the skies and no one could say a word when hidden. The rainbow covered the city tower; the temperature became dogged, donating desperation and bled as the phase of comfort.
Wolves shout for joy. Stars disappear and moons become darker around the entire sphere of shelter and nothing else could play a role of a candle than the moths lighting up a wink showing the direction. It arose when a fire broke out when flames overturned reaching life confluence of pleasures with a great power making life for granted. It was like a death knell for property grabbing and that day could not even taste the sunlight with regret and blame for being alive.
Who declared shame on me? Why be a spectator of this entertainment? I asked myself in that situation. My mind is filled with many questions; why is this happening to my community? Why am I a victim of such an event?
Confusion was tenderness to the festival dancing a dance of liberty of dignity. A song speckled with song lyrics digging of my fate clone under a bacterium of rocks standing guard. Wolves cease slowly singing lullabies softly piercing a cemetery silence.
Near the place where we were hidden was a serpent shaped river chucking its water wading and splattering everyone’s anticipation when a squall was breaking over and our hair raised up more than what we could realize how the bush was silent only wind screamed for triumph. The dwelling place is ticked by tribulation running off the atmosphere lying in grasses, our rights being bothered by bugs and the rain rains to fill up the gaps.
Beside me there was another guy who was breathing slowly and asked me a question in Lingala; ”Oyoki? (Did you hear that?)” he said.
”Nayoki nini? (What do you mean?)” I replied.
The guy heard the voice of ants crawling in the grasses and wanted me to pay attention, but I could not hear due to the rain that was raining and fear reigned my fate. An instant far along I started hearing people crying, because of being bitten by the creatures and I trembled where I was hiding myself. A few seconds later, I saw the city producing red smoke with flags of victory inside the label and I killed the guy near me to see the thing that was happening in the city.
Our fever persistent to the sight, taciturnity mounting up storms associated it like a solo guitar providing sweet melodies in its goodness. Everyone was trembling in the space for the absence of a sweater and women started embracing their babies to seek warmth. The more the wind blows, the more they hold each other. It smashed my anger to worry about my lovely piece of life.
”Oh, nkolo!, (Oh, lord!)” a man whispered.
A quick rush of unfriendliness lurched the air bringing coughing in any body’s throat and spots awaked by our skins making them similar to that of chickens. The teeth start to beat the drum inside the mouth; lips’ making piano roll sounds the body dancing’ ndombolo ya solo (the greatest ndombolo) to the a cappella sounds.
Trees start overriding in record as a press conference with moths projecting wolves directing the party.
Our music was thunderous, but we all killed the thriller in darkness standing by our acts of piercing grasses and trees straining our ears to hear the Jazz music played in the city of ours.
”What’s up?” I whispered.
This time was around four and five. I could not hear any sign coming from the city, then those who were hidden behind me one more grateful start smiling at the sight of an old man who was observed to be in the city making fire in order to prepare his meal for the day. By seeing us he lifted up his hand and called us to go back to our homes as well as reconstruct it.
1 March, 2023