EYE OF BETRAYAL

CHAPTER ONE

It was Sunday midmorning at 8:45 when I and my young sister, Jane were surrounding our mother who was in critical condition lying in her bed in the hospital. We were determined to learn the diseases she was suffering from. Then, suddenly the medical doctor arrived in the ward trying to talk directly to her. 

Doctor: Good morning,

Mother: Good morning.

Jane and me: Good morning Doctor.

Doctor: Good morning beautiful kids, please stay outside, I want to talk to your mom. Is that ok with you?

Jane and me: Yes, Doctor

Shortly after we had left the room, the doctor started speaking to mom

Doctor: Mom, the diagnosis report shows that you have cervical cancer which is caused by the virus known as Human Papillomas (HPV).

Mother: Ooh! My God

Doctor: Up to now it’s very clear that you had very weak body immune which failed to fight the HPV infections thus causing the death of some blood cells and which has resulted in cancer.  And I am sorry that you were not able to discover its symptoms earlier on.  Because the earlier you get diagnosed with cancer the more are chances of getting healed.

Mother: Ouch! It’s clear now that I am going to die. In fact, I am already a dead person.

 Doctor: Do not be afraid, we are trying all possible ways for you to recover.

Mother: Ooh! Please help me, God

Doctor:  There are three types of treatment offered for that problem in this hospital. The first one is Trachelectomy which involves the removal of cervical but leaving you with a uterus. The second treatment is Radiotherapy: here we use radiations to kill cancer cells and shrink the tumor. Finally, there is chemotherapy which involves the use of drugs and injection. Therefore, you need to choose which treatment you would prefer or is more affordable for you.

Mother: I think I will take drugs and injections.

Doctor: Ok! But here are the real challenges, firstly, drugs aren’t available in the hospital and the hospital does outsource specialists for administering radiotherapy and Trachelectomy treatments. Thus, you may have to wait for the next two days before the treatment commences. But for now, we are going to take you to the intensive care unit (ICU) for receiving intensive care while waiting for the specialist.

Mother: Yes Doctor, I have understood

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT-EVENING

The following day, I and Jane were sitting near mom’s bed trying to console her as we have usually done. This time our mom was staring at us with her eyes looking so sad. She was also in a very deep meditation.   

Mother: Ian my son

Ian: Yes mom

Mother: You both know that I have been the only parent taking care of you, koh…koh….koh…..koh….. since your father died in a bus accident two years ago.  

Ian: Yes mom!

Mother: So from now on, you are going to take care of your sister. You need to be a true guardian of your sister.

Jane: Maaam! Why are you saying that?

Mother: Ouch! You are going to experience so many things once you grow.

After that brief but emotional conversation, mom raised her hands and touched Jane’s cheeks with a smile on her face though weak but her touch felt so powerfully and lovely. At this stage, I could not resist myself from pouring my tears. The only question that was in my mind was:  am I dreaming or it’s true that our mom is leaving us alone and forever.

Mother: Jane my daughter

Jane: Yes mom

Mother: Go buy me some milk at Mzee Kibotro’s shop

Jane: Yes mom

Soon after Jane has left, my mom looked at me directly for a few seconds with a scary silence before she started talking to me.

Mom: Ian my son you are now 17 and you have matured. Even if your peers are still under their parental care but now you have a responsibility that you cannot shy away from.  These challenges will help you to grow with wisdom and learn to become a self-reliant person.

Ian: Yes mom I am truly aware of what we are going through.

Mother: Although your young sister, Jane is naturally bright but she is just 12 years old thus she needs to be under good care like……………………………

Ian: Like what? Like what mom? You are talking like someone who is nearly dying. Are you planning to go find treatment somewhere else?  Why shouldn’t you wait here for the treatment because the Doctor has assured you that soon specialists are going to come and will attend you?

At this point it was so painful to continue talking; I was crying like a baby.

Mother: Ian my son, everybody in this world has a very deep desire to learn about the future of our world. The scientists, politicians, revolutionary figures e.tc all of them are in the quest for the bright future of this world.

She kept silence for a while before continuing her speech to me

Mother: My dear son

Ian: Yes mom

Mother: The universe around us has no ends but has a lot of secrets that human being will always try to unveil but will never discover everything embodied in it.

She started at my face for a moment and said

Mother: I need some water to please; help me drink a glass of water.

I took the water that was in the jag beside the table and filled it in a dilapidated glass and I started giving her. After taking the first drop of water she started coughing and talking slowly.

Mama: Death………

I was shocked by that word and I touched her hands to console her

Mother: Death isn’t something that people should bother about because the dead person finds rest in eternity which marks the end of all the sufferings. Please take care of your young sister.

And those were the last sentences my mom was able to speak to me before dying. I remember that was the most challenging moment of my life particularly after Jane has brought the milk from the shop and found mom has already passed away. Jane started crying and weeping in such a loud voice; it was so painful for me to bear but I am very thankful to God that our relatives came to console and provide necessary support during this tough time. After that was able to bury her body and the funeral was over.

After one month I was able to go back to school to finish my ordinary level education. This was possible because Mike, my uncle decided to take the responsibility for financing my education including paying my tuition fee and accommodation fee. Jane was also going to be raised by him.

CHAPTER 2

Once upon the time in school my friend, Edwin and I we were walking around the school watching students engaging in various sports. Some were playing basketball; some were in football and some female students were enjoying a netball game. As we were going to watch netball game Edwin was all the way cracking jokes on me.

Edwin:  Lol! Brother, on that day of your mother’s funeral you were crying like my deceased granny when she was hungry.

Ian: You should stop making fun out of serious things; your behavior makes you look less like a comedian and more like a moron.

Edwin: There was a time when you got mad during the burial service. You tried to get into your mother’s womb, but I remember it was a spade of sand from a drunken man that drove you out. In fact, you jumped out of the tomb like a cat.

Ian: What! The tomb is no place you can get used to; although history indicates that there were premature burials in some ancient societies. When the chief was buried, he usually got accompanied by a living buddy. But that was possible because the living buddy took a ridiculous amount of alcohol and Marijuana before getting buried alive.

 Ian and Edwin: LOL!

Edwin: As you were getting out of the tomb you started shouting! “I was just kidding, um! I was just kidding buddy”. In fact, you had to run otherwise you could be buried alive.

Ian: That’s dumb! You are a real moron, instead of giving comfort to people who have lost their loved ones, you were just sneaking around to find you could ridicule.

Edwin: Don’t panic. It’s just a joke. But let’s watch the girls playing netball; their short skirts are killing my soul in particular.

Ian: Hey Edwin, You know what? Let’s find the right angle so that we can see their pants properly. These players are so hot. I think we need to lie on the ground in order to enjoy watching this game.

Edwin: Hah! Give me five, kudos for such a brilliant idea.

After finding the right angle, we lay on the ground in order to enjoy watching netball ladies playing their games in short skirts. Though it seems weird Edwin and I loved it because it was during our youthful heydays.

Edwin: Fu! Fu! Fu! (Edwin tries to undress netballers using mouth blow)

Ian: Ha! You are either tired like hell or you’re just kidding. You think that weak mouth blow like yours can open someone’s skirt so easily. You should pray for wind to come.

Alas! God was heading to our prayers. And the wind started blowing slowly opening their skirts like has been commanded by God to do so.

Edwin: Ooh! I salute this wind for an incredible offer!  What great luck! It is the game between students and teachers.

Ian: Sure, have you seen madam Pendo? There she is, take a look.

Edwin: This is insane! Shouldn’t female teachers play in long skirts? Anyway, Madam, Pendo has got a cute bell and her legs look sexier than I thought.

Ian: Pw! (I slapped Edwin at the back of his head). You monster! Stop gossiping about my teacher. Don’t you understand that madam Pendo is like a mom to you?

Edwin: Mom to whom? Let’s go home and check my birth certificate if you will find her names on it um!

Ian: And what are you crying for? Anyway, I meant you should respect her the same way you respect your mom.

Edwin: Get away with your ridiculous comments; Let me concentrate on my business of looking at hottest ladies in the pitch.

Edwin:  Alas! If this was a Mathematics class, you would have snored in class.

Edwin! Absolutely yes! Most classes are really boring, they have got no creativity. But just look at this game, there is a perfect combination of style and content. You can’t get tired by just watching it. My friend lets me enjoy the game.

Unfortunately, while we were busy watching netball players as we were following the romantic movie, Teacher on Duty was also following our dirty scheme closely. And Edwin made it even worse by adjusting something in his trouser while following the game. The TOD started by canning Edwin with a heavy stick in his back. I was suddenly slapped on the face, I almost went down. After that surprise, we ran to somewhere where we could sit down and rest a bit.

Edwin: Duh! This teacher almost broke my back. He canned me somewhere between my back and buttocks. Unfortunately, some teachers perform the worst job in teaching but they are fuckn’ good in caning students.

Ian: Oh! I am truly sorry. I am sure that stick might have injured your reproductive system.

Edwin: I am not a woman; my sexual and reproductive system is stronger than you think.

Ian: I meant that stick might have caused your infertility.

Edwin: Aha! That is not a big issue to me; I am going to adopt one.

Ian: You are now talking like an idiot.

From a distance, we saw female students quarreling with a young boy. They were getting closer to a feast fight. Listening from distance I heard one female saying “you are fake; how it comes a grownup man does nothing but sneaking around female students. Take care, one day somebody will forcibly dress you like a woman” We went there to see what was going on.

Ian: Please! We beg you to forgive my young brother. He is a kid.

Girl 1: No! We can’t forgive him. This is beyond what any person can tolerate. This kid never stops sneaking around us.  

Girl 2: I am going to kill this kid and throw him in the damp.

Edwin: Oh! Wait for a second!  You kill him, you start hallucinating.  Then what?

Girl 2: keep quite a brother; I cannot have a relationship with this kid.

Edwin: Whoa! Whoa! Rumors confirmed! You are the one said to have a relationship with adults including the Ward Councilor. This is embarrassing to hear, how it comes a 16-year-old lady hangs around with a 60-year-old guy.

All girls: Hah! This is getting ridiculous.

They all left after showing an insulting gesture while gossiping something

Ian: Edwin my buddy, you are a genius? How did you know the scandal about that girl?

Edwin: I am smarter than you think. Probably, smarter than Somali missile

Ian:  Yeah! You are smart. Hey! Robert, what is wrong with you and those girls.

Robert: You know what? I just like to hang out with female students because I enjoy doing so but I am not stalking them.

 Edwin: You are so stupid. So come and sneak around me.

Ian: Keep quite with your shitty comments. In fact, I am talking to Robert and not you. Why do you like to take matters that aren’t yours?

Edwin: All right! Honorable Mr. Speaker, Go ahead

Ian: I would like to see you in my room after prep. I am going to share with you a deal.

Robert: Sure! I am going to come. Thank you for saving my life.

Ian: Ha! Thank you. See you later.

Robert: Deal! (Robert says while leaving)

Ian: Hey brother, I have a very big business idea.

Edwin: What is the idea?

Ian: Do not worry I am going to brief you the whole plan before Robert arrives at my room.

Edwin: Thank you.

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