Sometimes smiling faces aren’t really smiling. Sometimes good hearts aren’t really good. Sometimes silence is a thousand words, a mixture of cries, groans and pleads.

Walking around the school I can see many different faces; about a whopping 2000 of them. This is my new school. Everyone is chatting to everyone, laughing and reminiscing about holidays. I could be like them. I can smile too, laugh and talk about all the good times. But suddenly the good times have vanished like dust, the only scene remains in my mind. The only one that would forever eat me no matter how much I laugh and appear to be carefree. I found myself sitting on one of the stairs replaying the story, like yesterday’s storm, and it comes back fresh as it is.

It was a bright sunny day, you could hear the birds chirping and chatting in the forest. I went to my home’s kitchen suddenly hungry as always. I whipped up breakfast for mom and dad. We sat around the table and ate. The day went by well but the clouds were starting to gather by noon, you could see it was going to rain soon and there’d be a thunderstorm. Suddenly I felt uneasy. It was a sudden feeling but it was strong. I could feel it in my bones. I decided to brush it off; I pushed it aside trying to think about anything and everything else, but it was strong. It just wouldn’t go away.
It was 6pm, the storm was raging and rocks were collapsing loudly on each other. We were gathered in one room as a family. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. It was faint, you could easily miss it because of the sound of the storm. I heard it loud and clear. I told them, “There’s someone at the door.”
My father, as the head of house, then asked, “Who’s there?” but nobody replied. They thought I was crazy but dad went on to check the door.
“Baaam!” A loud noise came through the door. My dad came inside the room as a sack on his back. They had shot him in the head. It looked like he was not breathing too. Mom and I remained still, nobody dared to move. As if in slow motion, I saw two men entering, they were wearing black, guns in their gloved hands. I went behind the door, they didn’t see me. They pointed a gun at my mom. I froze, lost my breath, my heart was in mouth, and blood rushing to my head. I couldn’t let them kill my whole family in front of me. I jumped to the one pointing a gun at my mom and battled him. I could see I was losing. The gun had gone afar from fighting bodies but I could reach. I wasn’t thinking. I just grabbed the gun, pulled the trigger and shot him in his head. I fled after the incident.

Now I’m here at the new school with my mom and we don’t know who buried my father or if he’s even buried. I’m a killer. I might be arrested tomorrow but I was doing it to save my family! I go by the name Nelile now.

OK break is over, our third period is Life Orientation and the chapter is crime!

Tell us: What are your thoughts about the incident that saw two people killed?