The Cut Souls

The evening had gone on like any other we've had previously. A sumptuous dinner while on the side I fed my two year old toddler. Soon after, he drifted off to sleep as my hubby rented a movie which we watched downing a glass or two of red wine. Cuddling up on the living room sofa on the cold winter night, I could have thought too soon of anything that could spoil such a perfect moment.

In the coziness, I drifted and drifted and drifted.

Suddenly there was a loud bang on the door, I jumped, startled and released that the room was pitch black. I could hardly see anything.

“Achukwu, Achukwu,” I screamed out my husband’s name. I scrambled about frantically in the dark still screaming his name but alas, the only sound I could hear were the repeated thuds on the door. My heart was pounding harder than the drum in an African church and racing as if it were competing at the Grand Prix. Just outside the door seemed to be a big lorry raving angrily and blood curdling screams coming from women and some men.

All of a sudden, there was a flood of light that illuminated my house. The armed men had broken down the door and were scuffling their way in.

The world started to spin around and around as I almost lost consciousness with fear. As they advanced towards me I trembled like a lone reed in a cold swamp as I curled and hug my thighs so tight like a cocoon. At that time I was wailing not knowing what was happening. My wails were coded with in-explainable fear and heavy questions, “where are you Achukwu, where is my sonnn?” Just then I felt a heavy rough hand pound on my now already scattered braided hair and I started gasping for air. He vigorously pulled my head up with the braids and there he was, I couldn't believe it. The fear was too intense such that I felt my soul drift and drifting in space like a feather further and further away to nowhere.

A second man approached me with an arm long machete which shinned like new silver. I could only stare at him directly in his left eye because where his right eye was supposed to be, there were stitches that were still healing. He grinned to expose his grime filled semi-carnivorous rotten teeth and uttered a nauseating laugh. He bent down getting closer to my face and all of a sudden I heard the words…..

“Cut, Cut, Take 2.”