1 CONTEMPLATING TO JUSTICE

As i walk down the street, buried in sorrows of what happened at a recent past, tears fill my eyes as now i recall...

He was filled with blood as he shivered due to the harsh kicks from all direction, suddenly a sound comes "mwache tumchome" (let us burn him), what has he done? I ponder.

"Ameiba mkate huyu mjinga, tumchome" (he stole a loaf, lets burn him) angry 'citizens' roar. Well, is this justice?

He cried as he plead for his precious life, thought running in his innocent mind, 'will this loaf reach my children today?', a voice of mine said "run! Run for your life!", but probably the voice was only heard by my own heart, may be because i feared, i feared to die, even the situation didnt allow me as it too feared of leaving my loved ones with no hope. They kept hitting him as i kept silent. My body shivering like a vibrating string. He then blinked his eyes and yet another thought in his mind 'or is it that my children will never get to see bread again?'

The crowd increases, everyone hits him as if he were some empty tin that had no value, he promises not to steal again, yet knowing that's the only source to make his child sleep sound. One of them (from the crowd) assists him with water to quencher his thirst, they snatch from him saying that a thief has no right to drink. They pour the water out and hit him with the bottle. Torture at the peak. What was his mistake?

He finally sees an opportunity to run as people are busy discussing on what to do with him, he gets a way to his freedom, that's the final option for his survival. Well i say, a do or die situation. Crowd after him, he can barely run, all his energy has been drained by the harsh beating of the mob. People stone him, home is just a few meters away, he feels that he will make it, but luck doesn't seem to be on his side. They stone him down.

Finally someone comes with a car tyre, some paraffin and a matchbox. The poor guy begs for his life, they stone him, fill his mouth with sand and pebbles, tie his limbs and burn him up.

Happily going home telling people proudly, "we did justice today, we punished a thief".

Yet did we think of those who steal millions from the bank, killing people for money. Those who are commercial sex workers, aren't they the ones who own the right to the tittle of theft?

Did we ask the poor guy why he stole the loaf of bread? Was it that his son never ate for a week and this might be the final hope of his survival? Did we even think that it was the same guy who came begging to us for money but we rejected him? Or was it he who was saying "I'm ready to work as a night guard, please employ me" and we ignorantly chased him away. Did we just pay someone 20 dollars a month yet he worked day and night doing our 'donkey jobs'?

What justice do we talk about?

Was theft the main reason behind his death, or were there other hidden motives?

They killed him, that remained to be a fact. He was no more, he who once stole bread for his family's survival.

I was left all alone, i had to survive or die, what else could i do? I tried wiping my tears as i went home to anounce the incident at home, should i tell them or should i wait for some villagers to do so?

Well one thing in life that i could never dare to see them cry, how am i then going to tell them the incident.

Knowing how life is supposed to take me, i moved home as i tried controlling my tears. What was my mistake that i was being punished for? God is the most just, probably there was a reason behing all that happened.