HEY BROTHER

Family is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love my dad. A doctor: one of the best they say. In fact, he once made headlines for his magnanimity with his patients, an act that earned us a visit by the most beautiful news reporter. I appeared in the news and this translated to my brother and I being celebrities in school. My mum is an angel, loving, harsh when need be- ‘handling two boys’, I always heard her tell her friends in those little chamas- she is all the best words one could say. She was good at art and craft and so she made beautiful stuff which attracted customers from all over.

My brother is the best in the world. He is a sportsman, an acrobat, he won sportsman-of-the-year year after year in school. He knows almost every sport, an attribute that made him loved by all the girls in school. Well for me I was more into books: a nerd, that’s what they call us. Nevertheless, when with my brother I had all the fun in the world. We played play station, bano, street football to mention but a few of the games. He taught me how to swim on Saturdays at the pool in our court. He loved me and protected me from the boys who would take advantage of my weakness and the girls who would mock me for being a moron. I cannot forget the day he broke up with his girlfriend for my sake or the day he was suspended from school for fighting to protect me from the boys or the hundreds of days he would teach me survival antics: I loved it.

My mum was very strict, he never liked my brother’s acrobatic stunts. One day I was comfortably seated at my study desk but my eyes were glued to my brother at the backyard doing his antics. His performance was reminiscent of the male praying mantis during the mating season, it would make ridiculous body movements with determination in the hope of attracting the females. I saw such determination in my brother’s moves, just that he was just having fun. Suddenly my mum stormed out of the backdoor and found him in the air. ‘Unataka kukufa wewe! Nisikupate tena, unaskia?’ My mom would chatter in her deafening voice. My brother would then agree innocently never to do what he loves: he had a nice deceitful face that made him undeniably plausible. My mum’s words kept ringing in my head till now.

My brother had a wide repertoire of intricate abilities and he believed that one day he would be the world’s spectacle, wake up one day and find himself trending like azziad. My mum’s warnings made him more cunning in order to avoid her busting him. My dad on the other hand was so proud of him and I loved what he used to say- ‘Let the boys be boys’.

On this day however, I witnessed horror in its raw form, I’ve only seen a cognate of what I saw that day in movies. My brother and I were just having fun as usual. He was performing his stunts and I was recording him till he told me to try. I tried doing the flips with utmost precision, something that is not needed, but I still fell down thunderously. He laughed as he recorded all the funny scenes which were to be uploaded to his Instagram story. ‘Hii kitu ni rahisi’ he said as he leaped forward to flip innumerable times then land softly. This did not happen as he landed like an aircraft shot from the sky by a vicious psychopath. My screams alerted my parents who came down only to be invited by this horror. My dad tried everything he could but his knowledge was too short.

My brother is dead, my best friend. Hey brother I want you to know that I have photos of you all over my bedroom wall. I watch your stunts day and night hoping that you would just appear out of nowhere and do them once more. I still go for swimming every Saturday. The boys at school respect me in honor of you and the girls are closer than ever. Mum is expecting another child, just hope it embodies you. A lot of things have changed bro, I miss you.

Mum’s words are still lingering in my head, they make me keep asking- Is it that easy to die?

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