Page 54 of Rafi

Fear, cold and restless, settled in the pit of my stomach as bile rose in my throat.

The man lunged, a towel in his hand, which he pressed against my face, and I started to fall. Falling, falling, falling, until I felt I was floating outside my body, the soft cushion of my mattress against my back.

My mother appeared,her figure backlit by the hallway light, her expression like steel. Even through the haze as it lifted from my eyes, I could see the tremor in her hands.

I could see the shadow of a man above me; ignoring my mother, even as she screamed at him to get away from me. Where is Papa? Why is mama fighting with this man? Where is papa?

The man chuckled, a low menacing sound, as my mother lunged at him, clawing at his face. My mother turned to look at me, her voice low but urgent.

“Tayana, run. Hide. Now!”

“But—”

“Now!” she screamed.

I hesitated for only a second before moving sluggishly, darting towards the closet. I pulled the door shut and crouched low, my breath coming in short gasps. Through the slats, I could see my mother standing fighting with the man, her body a shield.

The man reached for something in his jacket.

My mother’s voice trembled but didn’t break as she spoke. Only one word. The last word. “Don’t…”

Then it happened.

The gunshot was deafening, a sharp crack that echoed through the room. I flinched, my hands clapping over my mouth to muffle the scream clawing at my throat.

My mother fell, crumpling to the floor in a way that seemed too quick, too final.

The man cursed under his breath, his steps hurried as he fled the room. I stayed frozen in the closet, my mind racing, my breath shallow and erratic.

Then I heard another voice, one I recognized instantly.

“Tayana?” It was my uncle, his voice shaky and uncertain.

I pushed the closet door open and stepped out on trembling legs. The sight before me knocked the air from my lungs.

My mother lay motionless on the floor, blood spreading out around her in a dark, horrifying pool. My uncle knelt beside her, his hands hovering as if too afraid to touch her. His face was pale, his eyes wide with shock.

“What... what did you do?” My voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of my confusion and anguish.

My uncle looked up, his hands stained red. “It wasn’t me. Tayana, listen to me?—”

But I wasn’t listening. My gaze shifted to the gun on the floor, abandoned by the man who had run.

“Where were you?” I asked, my voice trembling. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t care. “Where were you? You should’ve been here.”

My uncle’s face crumpled, but I didn’t wait for his response. The pain, the grief, and the rage were too much, consuming me in waves that left me breathless.

I dropped to my knees beside my mother, my hands hovering over her, unsure of what to do. “Mama,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Mama, please...”

But there was no response.

My screams reverberated through the house, echoing through the empty walls, now devoid of the life that had made this place a home. A house that now stood without laughter, without life, without sunshine.

The weight of my loss pressed down on me, and in that moment, everything inside me broke. The man who had pulled the trigger may have run, but my uncle’s face was the one that stayed with me. He had brought this nightmare into our home, and for that, I could never forgive him.

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RAFI

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