FEAR

I grew up in a community where everyone was afraid a part of the community. It was a house that was covered with weed and tall grasses, everyone believes that there was a big tiger that usually comes out in the night and walk around the community, seeking for whom to devour. I taught it was a fallacy until last two years when my elder brother bought a new ball. He told me not to touch the ball else if I touch the ball and it happen to burst, I will pay or he will deal with me mercilessly.
On a fateful day my friends came to my house and wanted to play with me, so I brought out my elder brothers ball and decided to play it with them, but my “amebo” sister didn’t allow us to play it she said she will report me to my elder brother. So I took the ball and left through the back door to the field opposite the isolated place.
We played the ball joyfully until when I wanted to kick the ball but unfortunately the ball went straight into the isolated bush. I was shocked and couldn’t say a word, I was speechless and confuse. It was as if I was asked to choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. The questions in my mind was, should I go get the ball, will the tiger pounce on me or tear me apart, will my brother beat me, what will my dad say about it? Of course the answers were yes I was so afraid I never knew when tears began to roll down my cheeks all the fun I had that day came to a halt. In the mist of my troubles my conscience said to me go get the ball maybe the tiger is not around. So, I decided to go into the bush.
It was about 6:15 in the evening, I told my friends I was going into the bush to get the ball they all begged me not to go, but I insisted. My very best friend peter told me Daniel, please don’t go you might get killed by the tiger, you know you are my best friend, I don’t want to lose you but I told him I don’t want to get flogged either, so I left.
The night was fast approaching, I was going into the tiger den, my fear was mixed with confusion, but I was still going to the house. Everywhere was locked, so I thought to myself, maybe the tiger locked the door so that I will not have a way to escape. I wanted to go back but my hopes came alive when I saw the ball through the window, then I decided to go in but there was no entrance to the house except through a small opening by the window. I went  in through the opening and saw the ball close to a shining in the dark, then I taught I was dead, I was standing face to face with a tiger, my bladder became filled, I started peeing on my body, I was sweating as though I was digging a well, I knew the end has come, but I couldn’t pray, the only thing that came to my mind was a hymn that we use to sing in the church “take my life and let it be” I heard my mom crying, my son please don’t die, come out, stay alive. When I heard these words I couldn’t help but to cry. The only thing that came to my mind was to kneel down and say my last prayer, I remembered Jesus last word on the cross when he said “it is finish” then I crossed my mind to carry the ball, I was no longer afraid for I was already a dead man. When I got close to the ball, the tiger roared “meow”. What!  Did I just hear the cry of a cat? It cried again and again. With confidence I took the ball and opened the door.
It  was already  dark the first voice I heard was peter’s, he shouted my friend is back and in a matter of seconds they gathered around me, I became a hero, my song was sang in the whole community except in my house where I was given 12 strokes of the cane.

 By Daniel