The Butterfly Child

Chapter Four

The morning air was more chilling compared to last night. The heavy waves of cold air swept past me, swirled the wrapper beside my feet and moved Mama's wrapper away from the wall. Soma moved his hands above his arms, shivering jocosely and grinning at Odeli as they said something to each other. Jamal moved across from where I stood, one hand around a wooden bowl and a wrapper tied loosely around his waist. Baba walked past Mama with a cup of hot cocoa in his hand as he went into his room. Ebimo whistled by the corner as his hands worked on his shirt before he placed it over his head and forced it down. Mama sat by the kitchen door, sewing cloth —one of her torn blouses.

All the while, Tekana stood, towering solidly above me, a hand on his hip and the other holding on to the brown khaki shorts I had washed two days prior. He glared at me, taking intimidating steps towards me so that I moved back in fear. We had been at it for a while now, and I've been moving back slowly. Tekana met the hem of his khaki knickers cut — shredded more like — and left on top of our mothers special wooden bowl with carvings of trees. Tekana tossed the knicker at me as I got to the wall. "Who did this?"

"I don't know. I swear I don't know. I just spread it there, I spread it there and I went to play. I know nothing of this, I promise." My hands shook as I spoke. Because there was no doubt he could get riled and jam his big hands against my face angrily. Tekana as we all knew had a very bad temper and stayed grumpy most of the time.

"You stay in this house from morning to night and if something happens you say you don't know. Are you well?"

My lips parted at the pure accusation his voice bore. He felt like I'd been the one who shredded his shorts. There was something about the way he said it that wanted to make me feel guilty — for something I had not done. So I defended myself.

"I don't stay at home all day. I go out to play."

"Of course." he snarled. "You go out to play."

I clenched my hands beside my waist and stood; "why don't you ask the other people in the house? Why is it me you're asking? I told you, I didn't do anything to your shorts. There's actually no reason for me to shred them. I didn't do it, Tekana. I didn't."

Tekana wasn't the only one who looked at me in shock after I'd spoke up like that. All my brothers did. I gulped. Recalling what Annie had said, I stood my ground and stared straight at them. I had not done anything. I was innocent. Of what use was it that I shredded his shorts. Was I the only one in the Hut? What about my brothers. Jamal, Ebimo, Soma, Odeli, Mejebi. What was it that he couldn't ask them?

"Wait let me see the shorts." Ebimo sauntered over, his wrapper hung loosely on his shoulders above his shirt. He stopped in front of Tekana, took the shorts from his hand and spoke up. "Is this it?"

"You ask stupid questions at times, Ebimo," Tekana snarled indignantly. "Is there any other short here?"

"Calm down Tekana. I'm just asking."

Ebimo assessed the shredded hem. His brows perked up as he did. "You're the one that owns this? Jamal come. Isn't this the short you used for your rat experiment?"

Tekana's shoulders slumped. He shoved Ebimo lightly and snatched the trousers from him. "What did you and Jamal do? Why did you shred my shorts and when did you even have the time?!"

Ebimo raised his hands in the air, his lips curled up in a nervous smile. "We're sorry. It was just for a rat. It was dark and we needed something to mix with poison for the rat."

"Didn't you both see any food stuff?! Why shorts. Why give clothing material to a rat?!"

"It was a mistake Tekana. We're sorry. We already said that." Jamal stood by the door, Soma stood beside him and Odeli had his back turned to them, his back hunched and his hands grazing against his knees. Jamal went on. "Or what? We get to bow now?"