My Parent’s Bedroom by Uwem Akpan
’My people,’ he mumbles, ‘let another do it. Please.’
‘No, you do it, traitor!’………….
‘If we kill your wife for you,’ the wizard says, ‘we must kill you. And your children too.’…………
‘My husband, be a man,’ Mamman interupts, looking down.
‘Shenge, answer!’ someone yells. The crowd of Hutus murmur and become impatient. ‘Wowe, subiza.’
‘My husband, you promised me.’
Papa lands the machete on Maman’s head. Her voice chokes and she falls off the bed and onto her back on the wooden floor. It’s like a dream. The knife tumbles out of Papa’s hand. His eyes are closed, his face calm, though he’s shaking.
Extracted from “My Parent’s Bedroom” a story in “Say You’re One of Them” by Uwem Akpan. Bookcraft 2008 page 254.
If you are a husband, faced with killing your wife and saving your life and those of your children OR not killing her and the entire family is killed by your kins men, What choice will you make?
This reflect the Rwanda genocide and choices people are forced to make. If you can kill your wife, the blood of any other person on the face of the earth will mean virtually nothing to you.