The journey was harsh
People screaming, kids crying
Bullets fly through the air
No food, no water
Nothing left
People suffering and starving
Homes are gone
Loved ones are lost
Nothing left
Nothing left but hope
Monday, March 10, 2008
July 6th, 1994
Dear Diary,
It is the 6th of July in 1994 and yesterday was the saddest day in my entire life. My parents died. I'm in shock and I can't believe this is happening to me. We were staying with a little old man in a hut, when a soldier found us and forced my parents to immediately exit the hut. He told my father to kill my mother for his own chance of survival. My dad replied that he would never kill her in a million years. My mother then begged for him to kill her, so he would live. Since he refused, they were both shot on the spot and the old man covered my eyes, while holding Zike. That was the last time I will ever see them again. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but now I have to think about taking care of Zike. Then after that, we traveled to Kibuye, which was such a long and miserable drive. A soldier picked up Zike and practically threw him in the back of a truck and then did the same to me. It was so cold because the man was driving really fast, so the wind was harsh. The whole ride I was bawling and reflecting on what had just happened. We left in the morning and had just recently got here. It is latter in the day and for some reason there is almost no one here, but empty, abandoned houses. A little while ago, a man walked by and I could hear his radio partially say, "...it is ending...Tutsi rebels invaded...Hutus defeated." I couldn't believe my ears- I was ecstatic. It's over and we are free. No more pointless murders. Then something had caught my eye- a girl in the distance. She seemed to see me too, so I walked over with Zike. I talked with her and she said her name was Safina and is thirteen, a couple years older than me. She had lost her parents in April and takes care of her three-year-old sister, JAla. We found a lot in common and we're going through the same thing. We told our journeys with each other and we decided to stick together. I told her how I heard the man's radio and that everything was over and the Tutsi's will not be killed anymore. She was so happy and relived to hear that. Then we walked down the road, trying not to look at the bodies, and searched for a place to stay. There was not a person in sight and it was very quiet. We found a very small abandoned home with a roof, so we thought that would be a good place to sleep at night. I knew at that moment on, we would be the best of friends and things would change for the better.
~Kehinde
It is the 6th of July in 1994 and yesterday was the saddest day in my entire life. My parents died. I'm in shock and I can't believe this is happening to me. We were staying with a little old man in a hut, when a soldier found us and forced my parents to immediately exit the hut. He told my father to kill my mother for his own chance of survival. My dad replied that he would never kill her in a million years. My mother then begged for him to kill her, so he would live. Since he refused, they were both shot on the spot and the old man covered my eyes, while holding Zike. That was the last time I will ever see them again. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but now I have to think about taking care of Zike. Then after that, we traveled to Kibuye, which was such a long and miserable drive. A soldier picked up Zike and practically threw him in the back of a truck and then did the same to me. It was so cold because the man was driving really fast, so the wind was harsh. The whole ride I was bawling and reflecting on what had just happened. We left in the morning and had just recently got here. It is latter in the day and for some reason there is almost no one here, but empty, abandoned houses. A little while ago, a man walked by and I could hear his radio partially say, "...it is ending...Tutsi rebels invaded...Hutus defeated." I couldn't believe my ears- I was ecstatic. It's over and we are free. No more pointless murders. Then something had caught my eye- a girl in the distance. She seemed to see me too, so I walked over with Zike. I talked with her and she said her name was Safina and is thirteen, a couple years older than me. She had lost her parents in April and takes care of her three-year-old sister, JAla. We found a lot in common and we're going through the same thing. We told our journeys with each other and we decided to stick together. I told her how I heard the man's radio and that everything was over and the Tutsi's will not be killed anymore. She was so happy and relived to hear that. Then we walked down the road, trying not to look at the bodies, and searched for a place to stay. There was not a person in sight and it was very quiet. We found a very small abandoned home with a roof, so we thought that would be a good place to sleep at night. I knew at that moment on, we would be the best of friends and things would change for the better.
~Kehinde
May 24th, 1994
Dear Diary,
It is May 24th of 1994, in the mid day and my family and I haven't eaten anything for a few days now. Once in a while we find something on the ground to eat, but I don't know how much longer I can last. Earlier today we were loaded onto another truck with about ten other people and we all had to squish into the tailgate. I didn't feel comfortable because a boy was sitting on my foot the whole time and we were exposed out into the open, so I was hoping a stray bullet wouldn't get near any of us. However, none of us could leave without showing the soldiers our tribal cards, which lets them know who we are. My father carried all of them for us and gave it to the man, who quickly snatched them out of his hand. With a mean glare in his eyes, he ripped up the cards and screamed, "I don't care about this! I don't care who the hell you are! Do you think I care? It doesn't matter anymore! Get in the truck!" I was petrified and I could tell my dad was too. I didn't expect that reaction at all from him. I thought that we would have to stay there where it wasn't safe. I'm just glad we were allowed on. After that episode of his, we started driving away and didn't dare to ask where we were headed, afraid of that man lashing out again. An hour passed and I saw something strange coming up in the road ahead. I noticed the smell becoming unbearable and then realized- they were DEAD BODIES! It was such a horrible sight that I couldn't bare to look at. Thankfully, Zike was sleeping and unaware. The drivers slowed down, but kept on driving right over them like they were dirt on the road. It didn't phase them at all that those people were innocent- plain innocent! I don't think they deserve to be run over at all. Everyone should have respect for others- that was what I learned in school. At first I thought I would get used to the smell, but then it began to suffocate me. It seemed as though we were driving over them for miles and miles and I didn't know when the misery would end. I wanted the man to drive faster so it would be over with quicker. It eventually wore off enough so I could rest. I ended up sleeping for hours and woke up when we arrived at Byumba (my dad saw a sign that said so a ways back). A man there walked up to us and asked us if we wanted any food. My father of course said yes. He went somewhere to get the food, but he hasn't returned yet. Since then I have been waiting patiently against an old cement wall on the side of the road with my family and a couple of other stragglers who were not on the truck. It is getting dark and very windy, but I hope the food will come because it will make everything seem a little bit brighter.
~Kehinde
It is May 24th of 1994, in the mid day and my family and I haven't eaten anything for a few days now. Once in a while we find something on the ground to eat, but I don't know how much longer I can last. Earlier today we were loaded onto another truck with about ten other people and we all had to squish into the tailgate. I didn't feel comfortable because a boy was sitting on my foot the whole time and we were exposed out into the open, so I was hoping a stray bullet wouldn't get near any of us. However, none of us could leave without showing the soldiers our tribal cards, which lets them know who we are. My father carried all of them for us and gave it to the man, who quickly snatched them out of his hand. With a mean glare in his eyes, he ripped up the cards and screamed, "I don't care about this! I don't care who the hell you are! Do you think I care? It doesn't matter anymore! Get in the truck!" I was petrified and I could tell my dad was too. I didn't expect that reaction at all from him. I thought that we would have to stay there where it wasn't safe. I'm just glad we were allowed on. After that episode of his, we started driving away and didn't dare to ask where we were headed, afraid of that man lashing out again. An hour passed and I saw something strange coming up in the road ahead. I noticed the smell becoming unbearable and then realized- they were DEAD BODIES! It was such a horrible sight that I couldn't bare to look at. Thankfully, Zike was sleeping and unaware. The drivers slowed down, but kept on driving right over them like they were dirt on the road. It didn't phase them at all that those people were innocent- plain innocent! I don't think they deserve to be run over at all. Everyone should have respect for others- that was what I learned in school. At first I thought I would get used to the smell, but then it began to suffocate me. It seemed as though we were driving over them for miles and miles and I didn't know when the misery would end. I wanted the man to drive faster so it would be over with quicker. It eventually wore off enough so I could rest. I ended up sleeping for hours and woke up when we arrived at Byumba (my dad saw a sign that said so a ways back). A man there walked up to us and asked us if we wanted any food. My father of course said yes. He went somewhere to get the food, but he hasn't returned yet. Since then I have been waiting patiently against an old cement wall on the side of the road with my family and a couple of other stragglers who were not on the truck. It is getting dark and very windy, but I hope the food will come because it will make everything seem a little bit brighter.
~Kehinde
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