Episode 1

Prologue

My name is Rehan I live in a small town in the rural city of Nairobi .I have five siblings which consist of a boy and four girls .we could hardly feed ourselves it was from one difficulty to another which resulted in malnutrition and lead to the death of my four siblings leaving just I to the world and my parents couldn't forgive themselves for loosing there children this affected father So much that he became a drunkard going to school to aquire basic education was something else . I tried to be the best in class I came out with a flying colours and this is the beginning of my story ....,...,...........,......................

.....,i cried for help running round the house in search of my mother, father was lying helplessly on the floor ,with some white fumes coming out of his mouth,i didn't understand what was wrong with my father ..

Mother ,mother i searched everywhere,but mother doesn't seems to be anywhere around,where could she be at this time , i wondered,i ran out and called for help and typical of our Caring African neighbours,they rushed in to see what the matter was.

An elderly man,who lives near by, touched him,and did some observation like they do at the hospital,, he's fine,just a mixture of different alcohol,get me some water REHAN ,i ran as fast as my legs could to get water,and handed to him ,who sprinkled some on his face,and he made a sneeze,which was very reliving to everyone around rubbish,how can a full grown man like this be useless,see the emotional torture he puts his daughter,poor girl thinking something evil had befallen her father, Cassandras father said,,,

My sister,that man is very shameless, that's all he does from sunset to sunrise,he doesn't do anything to assist his wife and daughter,very useless thing that calls himself a husband,one by one the neighbors started going out knowing, that he had regained himself....

Rehan ,Cassandras father called me,if there's food in the house,please serve him, that would also help.thank you sir ,i said as he walked away.

Daddy why,why,why do you do this,why do you drink so much,I was scared,I thought I had lost you,i cried,,,take your stupid face out of here,you thought you had lost me,how can you little brat,lost an able body man like me,I am going to lost you and your useless mother,father shouted at me...

I went in to get food for father as i had been instructed,daddy please eat something,i served him,who told you I am hungry,who,if I am hungry I know what to eat,you and your useless mother wants to kill me in this house,but believe me I shall deal with you two first, rubbish,he said and fell back on the floor,soon started snoring....

Rehan ,you don't look happy,seems you have been crying all day,what is it my daughter ,talk to me, what happennnnnnned .

Leave the poor child alone please ,who wouldn't be tired,after the race and psychological trauma she went through today. our next door neighbor had said..

What are you talking about,what happened to my daughter today,Rehan what is it,,? who else, if not that your drunkard of a husband,he almost died today ohhh,if not for the way Rehan ran and called for help,it would have been a different story,you needed to have seen people here,fat,short,tall,slim,dark, everybody in this neighborhood were all at your place, trying to see what to do to rescue your husband, she narrated in exaggeration.

where is your father,mother asked me anxiously,he is inside,I said to her.she ran quickly to her husband, ,,she woke him anxiously, trying to see if he was still alive may be....

What is it,why would you wake me up like that, why,he shouted at mother.how are you, what's is wrong with you,how are you feeling,mother asked concerned.

Mother ,,,father is fine,he only drank too much as usual,but today's own was worse because fumes were coming out of his mouth as he was lying looking lifeless on the floor.i had to call for help,and Cassandras father said he had mixture of liquor which didn't go well with his system...

when are you going to quit this shameful behavior of yours, when,when ...mother called out her husband in disappointment...

Get out from my face you shameless things,like mother like daughter,father said as he continued sleeping and snoring away...

My child,,I am sorry for what you went through, business was slow today, when I was about to close, costumers started coming,I had to delay about an hour or two to make more sales since tomorrow is Sunday and I won't be going to the market.mother explained everything to me in tears.

Mother,it's okay,I was only worried when I got back from rehearsal,and saw daddy that way and you weren't home too.i said.

Please my child,I am sorry,mother and daughter had a beautiful hug.

Come and eat, please my daughter,you must eat ,have your bath and sleep, tomorrow is Sunday.mother said to me.

...Where is my money?,who took my money,father was shaking the whole place in search of his money the next morning.

,what is it, what money are you talking about that you have to be shouting like this,mother asked still feeling sleepy,may thunder and lightning,bend that you mouth to the back for saying I am shouting,where is the 720shillings I kept in my pocket yesterday,where is it,he shouted again,

Daddy good morning ...mummy good morning as a typical African child I genuflected greeting my parents

God bless you,stand up beautiful one.. mother answered me.

Rehan please where is the 720 shilling I kept in the pocket of my trouser yesterday,,father asked me in anger, Daddy didn't see your money,he raised his hands to slap my face, thankfully he missed.

what's the meaning of this one this morning,you and I know Rehan doesn't steal,and has never stolen from any of us,so maybe it's where you went to drink you dropped it,not in this house, please go and ask them there,maybe one of them may have your money.

Christine so I am now an imbecile I don't know what I am saying you have connive with this stupid daughter of yours to steal from me this morning,he said to mother.he dragged her and turned her to a pouching bag that morning,I tried to stop him from hurting mother but all to know avail,soon neighbors started coming to separate them, by then,mother had gotten a black eye and some bruises....

Mummy ,why does daddy hate us,are we not his family,mummy let us go away, let's go somewhere far from him,i told mother.

My child, he's your father,you must love him no matter what,and he's my husband,I vowed before God and man to be with him for better for worse.mother replied.

But ,you didn't know he'd turn out to be like this look at your face,which husband does this to his wife,i cried..

It's okay my child,it's okay,mother held me in tight embrace with each other's tears touching the back of the other.