Hanin A. Ayaown
I hated my uncle. The brother of my mother. He was already an adult, yet he did not have a job. I could understand if he failed to get a job after countless job applications. However, that was not the case. Instead, he made my mother his source of funds. He would always go to our house to ask for money. The problem was he had a family. He would always ask for a considerable amount of money. We even had to spend less just to be able to give him the money he demanded. Even the bonuses that Mother would receive were given to him. Sometimes, Mother even had to borrow money from others just to meet our needs.
Mother gave him money because he was a well-known thug. A well-known thug in our family and the neighborhood. He would beat any person that caused him dissatisfaction. One time, he beat a motorcycle driver when the driver refused to give him a ride. Not only that, anything or anyone that dissatisfied him would taste his gun. He would always use his gun to scare people and make them bend to his will and demands. His dreadful acts were well-known to our family and in the neighborhood. That is why we couldn’t do anything about him. Our family was scared of him.
One time, when my mother could no longer bear his demands, she refused to give him money. He got angry and made a mess in our house. He grabbed the flower vase and threw it on the floor. Mother screamed.
“I will make a mess in this house of yours if you will not give me the money,” he said.
Mother was so scared and gave him the money. His dreadful acts did not only stop there. He would always take our things that would catch his interest. Our furniture, bags, shoes, and anything that would fascinate him.
“Your bag is nice. My daughter would surely love it. Give it to me,” he said.
An incident made them stay in our house for weeks. The problem was his wife and daughter were extremely irresponsible. They did not clean the mess they created. Dirty plates, table, and sink would always welcome me and Mother. They would even use our personal things without permission. My uncle’s wife would always bring her friends to our house. We cleaned after them.
One time I was on my way home from school. As I was getting near, I heard laughter coming from our house. I opened the gate and saw numerous shoes in our doorway. I entered the house, and I saw my uncle’s wife laughing with other women in the living room. However, what shocked me the most was the jewelry box placed on the table. The jewelry box was my mother’s. My uncle’s wife was happily and proudly showing off the jewelry. I was shocked. I could not say anything. I just let her be. I would just let Mother handle the situation.
My mother arrived and she saw the situation in the living room. She waited for the visitors to go home before she confronted my uncle’s wife.
“Sarah, you know I do not mind that you bring your friends to my house. However, would you mind being sensible enough to not touch my things without my permission?” Mother said.
“What? Am I not allowed to do anything? Am I not allowed to bring my friends because this is not my house? Are you telling me I should not do anything because this is not my house? Why? Are you angry because we are staying in your house?” She said. Her voice was filled with bitterness.
“Do not worry, we will leave,” she said again.
I was in my room and my mother was in the kitchen when my uncle arrived. His wife told him what happened. He got so angry. He shot the flower vase on the living room table. My mother screamed and I hurriedly went to the kitchen. I saw my uncle pointing his gun towards Mother.
“You want to make us leave? You dare to scold my wife?” He said while pointing the gun towards my mother. My mother could only raise her hands.
“Put your gun down! We can talk without your gun!” My mother said while trembling.
“Talk? You think you are superior than me just because you have money?” He asked.
“Leave this house or else I will shoot you in the head,” he shouted.
“Alright. We will leave. Just put your gun down!” Mother pleaded.
“Just leave this house this instant,” he said angrily.
I was so angry. Just how shameless this man can be. How dare he do this to my mother who gave him everything. How dare he threaten us to make us leave our own house. I could feel the rage surging in me as I witnessed the situation.
Mother hurriedly grabbed my hand. As we were about to leave, I saw him put the gun down on the table as he turned back. I do not know what took me over because I immediately took the gun. I could not think of anything. I just wanted to get rid of the man who is causing so much pain in our lives. As I could no longer endure the anger, I pulled the trigger and shot him.
The sound of a gunshot reverberated in the whole house. My mother ran to me. She was terrified.
“What are you doing?” She asked. Her voice was filled with terror.
“Leave!” I angrily said to my uncle who looked at me. Shocked was written on his face.
“Put the gun down!” My mother said.
“This little child! Do you think I would be afraid of you because you are holding a gun?” He asked me mockingly.
“You should be afraid of me because I will shoot you in the head if you don’t leave our house,” I said.
“Then, shoot me in the head,” he said smugly.
“Put the gun down!” Mother said.
I was about to pull the trigger again. However, my cousin arrived. They came to check what was going on in our house after hearing the gunshot. Mother told them what happened. Although my uncle was known for his brutality, he could not do anything to my cousins because most of them were police officers. Out of respect for my uncle, they let him be.
Mother was afraid my uncle would make a mess in our house again. So she decided that we would move into another neighborhood. One day, we heard the news that my uncle died after being beaten senseless by thugs. I don’t know if it was a good thing or bad. Honestly, I don’t know what I should feel. However, the new reality that we didn’t have to live in fear was a welcome development in our lives.