My Name

“Tchishi, Tchishi.” A faint whisper in all the destructive gunshots flying around within the tree-sized grassland I was sheltering in. I took the chance to turn around and scan the area behind me only to find Daniel Juniore lying flat on the ground whilst tightly clutching his abdomen. I dived to his side, his eyes flickering with pain as a heavy, opaque and cold pool engulfed his body. I ripped his shirt trying to the centre and press on it. His body was filled with thick drying blood encompassing a hole and a scarlet, fleshy, white bone protruding to gasp for air.

     It came up my throat and blurted out my mouth forming a sick yellow liquid with chunks of my recent scrap food, the sight of it after so long made my blood freeze.

     The belt buckle clicked open, the zip unleashed the mindless, evil snake into my mother not once but several times and several different ones. My father and I knelt helplessly with guns placed at the back of our heads forcing us to watch as my dear mother's bank of tears dried out as they flowed like the Congo river. It grew within me a rage so blind I wondered if it was truly me as I stood and run towards my mother. They were fast, very fast murderers with their guns like the one that had just struck me like lightning. “Your turn since your so energetic,” one of them sneered lifting me by the sleeve of my shirt. With knives, guns and eyes watching me, I was dictated to take off my shorts and look into the lifeless eyes of my mother as I raped then drowned her.

     “I'm sorry mum,” I kept whispering throughout but it was not over yet, they placed the bloody metal into my hands and my fathers temple in front of it. We shared tears silently as my hand trembled on the trigger, he silently uttered, “Remember Jesus and he will give you peace. Now pull the trigger before it's you they kill.” I closed my eyes as the gun let out a single echoing bullet and when I opened my eyes I saw my fathers limp body thud on the ground. My eyes stung but my stomach was worse as it churned and let out everything in it but tears were not allowed to be shed.

    Today I did as Daniels eyes closed for eternity, my only source of humanity had finally escaped the camps even though it wasn't the way he planned.

   “Rest in peace Daniel.” I left his body to its fate, with no other way to bury him in a war zone. My name is Tchishibanji Amani but I have no peace because there is no peace.