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Authors: Lavie Tidhar
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would happen, but I had to try anyway. Katulo walked away from the market slowly. His body felt more exhausted than it
had in a long time.
8
When Katulo walked
into the clinic, he knew with just one look at Chama. He walked forwards and
pressed a finger against his pulse. It was as he had feared. Chama was dead.
How could it have happened?
He had been recovering, but Katulo knew as he thought this that nothing was
certain after a wound like Chama's. A sudden seizure or a spasm could change
everything. If I had only been here, he cursed himself. Why did I
have to go to that bloody market? Maybe I could have…
The thoughts faded
away and Katulo let go of his walking staff. He crumpled to the floor. His eyes
were focused on Chama's corpse. He knew what he was meant to do next. Contact
the family, tell them what had happened, say those empty words of condolence,
and then…what? Osati would find out. The rage of the villagers would be at a
peak. And then…what? Suddenly, he was fourteen years old again, standing in
the corridor of the primary school. He felt dizzy. He wished he could hide somewhere
no-one could find him. If only he could disappear with Chama's body and if
no-one knew, if it had never happened, if he went into a dark cave far away, if
no-one ever found out, if he never told anyone, if maybe…
The door opened. "…I
thought I heard you. I didn't know where you…" Eyo saw Katulo on the floor.
He crouched beside him. "Are you all right? Did you fall?"
Katulo spoke slowly.
"Go to the home of Chama's family. You must tell them…"
Eyo looked at the
corpse. "When… How?"
"Go."
Eyo grabbed hold of
Katulo's arms and tried to pull him up.
"Just go." He said
the words harshly.
The wind blew the
door shut after Eyo had left.
Katulo sat there for
a long time. His only movement was the rise and fall of his chest. Inhale.
Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. His mind was only partly in the clinic. The rest
drifted into the past as it did when he was performing a Waking. His muscles
sagged, pulling down his bones with their weight. Sweat made his clothes stick
to him. His head span. An hour passed.
The door flew open.
Chama ran in. He was gasping. "You have to come." He saw Katulo was still on
the ground and his face filled with shock. He repeated himself. "You have to
come. Osati was at Chama's father's house. When he found out, he started
shouting and people came to listen. Then… They are going to Bujumbura."
Katulo was still not
responding.
"Chama's father. He
opened the police station. He gave them guns."
Katulo looked up
now.
"They said they will
take Chama's killers by force."
Katulo could see it
as clearly as if it had already happened. There would be shouting and
screaming. The police would be called. The mob would be angry, scared, and
carrying guns. The police would be nervous, angry, and carry guns. Someone
would shoot first. It wouldn't matter which side. There would be a death, Hutu
or Tutsi. And that would just be the beginning. It would begin in Bujumbura and
spread to the rest of the country. Rage, beatings, killings, accusations,
running, hiding, homes being burnt down…things that people swore would never
happen again. And he could do nothing.
"You have to come,"
Eyo said for a third time. "Please."
And what can I do? Eyo was looking at him with so much hope. Eyo, who symbolised his own hopes to pass on the skill
of Waking. "I will come," he said at last. His skills as a healer would be
needed.
He got up. "How long
ago did they go?"
"I ran here. They
were on the way to the police station."
"We won't be able to
catch them but if we hurry we will arrive in Bujumbura just after them."
Katulo wished there
was a car they could take but the only car in the village had no gasoline.
Burundi's petrol reserves had run dry over a decade ago. Katulo accepted Eyo's
help to stand up. He and Eyo collected up his medical supplies and stuffed them
into a leather bag. Katulo went to his house and packed the
had in a long time.
8
When Katulo walked
into the clinic, he knew with just one look at Chama. He walked forwards and
pressed a finger against his pulse. It was as he had feared. Chama was dead.
How could it have happened?
He had been recovering, but Katulo knew as he thought this that nothing was
certain after a wound like Chama's. A sudden seizure or a spasm could change
everything. If I had only been here, he cursed himself. Why did I
have to go to that bloody market? Maybe I could have…
The thoughts faded
away and Katulo let go of his walking staff. He crumpled to the floor. His eyes
were focused on Chama's corpse. He knew what he was meant to do next. Contact
the family, tell them what had happened, say those empty words of condolence,
and then…what? Osati would find out. The rage of the villagers would be at a
peak. And then…what? Suddenly, he was fourteen years old again, standing in
the corridor of the primary school. He felt dizzy. He wished he could hide somewhere
no-one could find him. If only he could disappear with Chama's body and if
no-one knew, if it had never happened, if he went into a dark cave far away, if
no-one ever found out, if he never told anyone, if maybe…
The door opened. "…I
thought I heard you. I didn't know where you…" Eyo saw Katulo on the floor.
He crouched beside him. "Are you all right? Did you fall?"
Katulo spoke slowly.
"Go to the home of Chama's family. You must tell them…"
Eyo looked at the
corpse. "When… How?"
"Go."
Eyo grabbed hold of
Katulo's arms and tried to pull him up.
"Just go." He said
the words harshly.
The wind blew the
door shut after Eyo had left.
Katulo sat there for
a long time. His only movement was the rise and fall of his chest. Inhale.
Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. His mind was only partly in the clinic. The rest
drifted into the past as it did when he was performing a Waking. His muscles
sagged, pulling down his bones with their weight. Sweat made his clothes stick
to him. His head span. An hour passed.
The door flew open.
Chama ran in. He was gasping. "You have to come." He saw Katulo was still on
the ground and his face filled with shock. He repeated himself. "You have to
come. Osati was at Chama's father's house. When he found out, he started
shouting and people came to listen. Then… They are going to Bujumbura."
Katulo was still not
responding.
"Chama's father. He
opened the police station. He gave them guns."
Katulo looked up
now.
"They said they will
take Chama's killers by force."
Katulo could see it
as clearly as if it had already happened. There would be shouting and
screaming. The police would be called. The mob would be angry, scared, and
carrying guns. The police would be nervous, angry, and carry guns. Someone
would shoot first. It wouldn't matter which side. There would be a death, Hutu
or Tutsi. And that would just be the beginning. It would begin in Bujumbura and
spread to the rest of the country. Rage, beatings, killings, accusations,
running, hiding, homes being burnt down…things that people swore would never
happen again. And he could do nothing.
"You have to come,"
Eyo said for a third time. "Please."
And what can I do? Eyo was looking at him with so much hope. Eyo, who symbolised his own hopes to pass on the skill
of Waking. "I will come," he said at last. His skills as a healer would be
needed.
He got up. "How long
ago did they go?"
"I ran here. They
were on the way to the police station."
"We won't be able to
catch them but if we hurry we will arrive in Bujumbura just after them."
Katulo wished there
was a car they could take but the only car in the village had no gasoline.
Burundi's petrol reserves had run dry over a decade ago. Katulo accepted Eyo's
help to stand up. He and Eyo collected up his medical supplies and stuffed them
into a leather bag. Katulo went to his house and packed the
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