I had a premonition for disaster. Sometimes your sixth sense just tells you something is wrong. And each time, nine out of ten, the sixth sense will be correct.
I was coming from work and it was dark, a typical stygian night. We were having days without electricity at all and twenty hours of load shedding if we were lucky . The streets were dark and deserted and the scent of impending rain hung thick in the air. I grew up in the countryside and my nostrils can smell rain even before the first raindrops hit the ground.
As I entered through the small gate, I heaved a deep sigh of relief. Even as I approached the door, something told me to turn my head. It was too late. Two or three strangers suddenly pounced on me and the door was violently pushed open and I was kicked in the groin and felt excruciating pain. They must have been lurking in the shadows, waiting for me to arrive from work.
My children, Maidei, Marita and Marwadzo all screamed at once.
“Shut up!” Said one of the robbers, making a sign with his fist. They all quietened down like mice.
There was no sign of Mai VaMaidei. I lay sprawled on the floor. They were three of them and they all looked menacing. One of them had a deep scar that ran across the bridge of his nose.
And then Mai VaMaidei appeared from the back of the house. At the sight of the robbers, she dropped the clothes she had just collected from the washing line in a heap .
I was pinned to the floor.
“Come and join your husband,” said Scarface. I felt rather than saw Mai VaMaidei join me. The candlelight was dim to see clearly.
“Where do you keep your money?” said Scarface. His two accomplices started ransacking the house.
I was too scared to speak. Anyway we did not have any money except the money for rent. The landlord, Mr Tigere had indicated that he was coming in the evening to collect the rent.
“Where is the money?” Scarface who was doing the talking was losing patience.
Mai VaMaidei gave me a frightened look.
Scarface gave her a sudden clap on the left cheek which shook her teeth.
She pointed to the next room, our bedroom.
“Where? Said Scarface as he took two steps towards the bedroom. The door was open. The other two robbers had taken our cellphones and they were kicking everything in their path. And ours is just a small house and you can imagine the chaos.
“The money is under the mattress,” said Mai VaMaidei as Scarface made as if to give her another slap. I groaned. It was not easy for us to save the money for rent everytime.
The mattress was thrown on the floor and they took the dirty manila envelope with the money.
And just at that moment, there was a knock at the door. One of the robbers quickly peered through the curtain and cautiously opened the door. He dragged Mr Tigere , the landlord by the collar. He was manhandled, as they kicked him on the back. He fell on the floor with a thud and writhed in pain. His spectacles fell and they broke as Scarface deliberately stepped on them. They were merciless.
They searched his pockets, and took the small bills of money he had together with his phone.
I was kicked in the spine as they went out and vanished in the darkness. It was five minutes of terror and it was over. Suddenly, Mai VaMaidei gave an ear splitting cry and was joined by the children. I sat on the floor feeling dizzy as Mr Tigere tried to get to his feet blindly. He over relied too much on his spectacles
The neighbours all came running.
“ What happened ?” Asked Mai Svinurai, our neighbour who was the first to arrive.
“We have been robbed, someone please call the police, we have been robbed!” screamed Mai VaMaidei while holding her head with both hands. Mr Tigere glared at me. I saved him the pain of asking and so l told him.
“The robbers took all the money, the money for rent is gone.” He suddenly sat on the floor at a loss of words. Our neighbours trooped in and out and they all left shaking their heads from side to side.
If things like this happen to ordinary folks like me, all it means is that life is not fair at all.
*Onie Ndoro OnieX@90396982