MY PARENTS LAST WORDS IN MY MEMORY.

I remember that it was in the morning of 7th  APRIL 1994, my daddy was sitting under the cassava tree which was in the home yard, the sky was too heavy with clouds looked like as if it was about to rain. No one went to the garden that day as usual. My father’s face looked like someone with a lot of thoughts and fear busy listening to the radio but few seconds I heard voice shouting from our neighbor’s home saying that “ Kinani yapfuye means Kinani (HABYARIMANA) is dead ” the former president of Rwanda but I did not know what it meant. We spent whole day at home and people were full of fear.

Late evening on that day, I heard people shouting at neighboring village and in few minutes I saw houses burning and all men ran towards that village to secure their neighbors. When they reach there they found Interahamwe (Hutu murders) and they fought them forcing them to run back up the hill. When they came back, they told us to go and gather in same place that they can easily protect us. They fought all the night till morning.

What a nightmare I will never forget in my life! Where the faces of all people were full of fears, children crying of hunger, all surrounding hills full of noises of interahamwe saying “yee tubatsembatsembe meaning that let us  eliminate them all, other saying that MDR Power which was a political party during 1994 Tutsi genocide!”. We left that place where we spent a night and we camped near the small center called Mugati and many people continue to come closer that they can defend themselves and fight with Hutu murderers from Bugesera (interahamwe). We spent all night sleepless and hopeless of life. All I was hearing is that your son or daughter was killed but actually I did not know why they were killed.

Early in the next day, I heard rumors circulating that many Tutsi are dying all over the country. Few minutes later, I heard gun shoot and all people who went to fight interahamwe came running and my Daddy told my Mum that let us go. He held my hand and my young brother and my Mum having little brother and went towards Mukirundo where my father was born. Many people were killed that day and every one was running and hiding to save his/her lives.

We spent two days there but the killings was so high everywhere. After few hours, he came a man who was among Hutu criminals and said, we have killed many fellow Tutsis and tomorrow we would kill you too. At this time nowhere to go, all roads were full of roadblock of interahamwe, all houses of Tutsi were destroyed, their cows were slaughtered and all hills were full of smokes of roasted meats and smells of dead people. Then my Dad told my Mum that let us follow Ndamage and his family (my uncle) back home if it is to die we die together. We spent all day and night waiting for death but early morning it was still dark, my Dad carried my young brother on his shoulders, holding my hand and Mum carrying little brother behind we went through bushes because we could not pass in the road due to many roadblocks in the way.

We passed through bushes back home and at sunset we had been reached and hide in the bush which was behind Callyxte bananas plantation our neighbor. We sat down, my brother was sitting between my Dad’s legs and also sitting near him and my Mum was breastfeeding our little brother because he was crying. At the moment, a Calyxte’s son whom we had been studying together in Primary two came towards us and my father begged him that don’t tell anyone that you have seen us here. After five minutes, I heard the interahamwe in their songs and many noises coming towards where we have been hiding. I stood up to run but my father held my hand and said “MY SON LET US DIE TOGATHER” then I replied that leave me to go and my Mum told him that “ LET HIM GO, GOD WILL PROTECT” and interahamwe were about to reach where we were hiding. As my Dad left me I ran but after ten steps from there I heard my father screaming that first kill me before you kill my children. I felt down immediately where I had been reached and felt into coma! I waked up around eleven a.m. without knowing where I am.

Next time I will continue from where I have ended to tell my own story during 1994 Tutsi Genocide.

Written by DUSENGIMANA Martin

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