T
ThePottersClay
Guest
A story for today's women...
Rwanda - The Genocide 1994
12 July 1994
Gun fire rang through the night as the small family made their way through the darkness to the border, slowly crawling only a few meters at a time. Freedom was just a few kilometers away, yet it felt like it could take forever. Mathias Kamatari, a Tutsi resident of Rwanda, looked towards the blackness where his wife Sonia and child quietly lay, the only thing indicating their presence was the labored breathing. Esther was safely tucked under the arms of her mother, only a child of 7, but already so exposed to the crimes of humanity, forced to understand why they are so despised. Cockroaches the Hutu's called them, lower than the lowest creature on earth. Even her
"How long before we get there mommy?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"Not long sweetheart" her mom whispered against her hair.
"Try be quiet, the soldiers will hear us" Msindi urged and stroked Esther's hair.
Sonia swallowed a sob and hugged Esther closer, with only silence hanging between them they crawled a few more feet then stopped. They would soon have to cross the open dirt road, which means they could be exposed to the eyes of the enemy.
12 July 2009
Esther stood at the memorial wall which was erected on the Estate Farm where she was raised by her adoptive parents. Even though the years moved on, Esther would never forget the night her world was shaken.
9 July 1994
"Sonia, stay here while I go and see how we can cross without being seen" Mathias instructed his wife and daughter.
As Sonia and Esther hid near the road side, they waited, praying, but it wasn't long before bullets flew through the air, fatally hitting Mathias.
In the chaos, Sonia shoved Esther into a hole and covered her with leaves and sticks.
"Stay here Esther, no matter what happens, stay!" Sonia urged then crawled jumped up and ran towards the road side.
"Cockroach!!! STOP!!" called male voice. "I said STOP!" and then there was another few shots, followed by laughter.
Esther hugged her head and sobbed silently, she knew the worst had befallen her parents.
12 July 2009
Now years later, as Esther remembered that fatal day, she understood that her mother had to leave her to save her. Sonia did what she did as a sacrifice to save her daughter and draw the enemy away from her.
Wiping a tear from her cheek, she sighed and then knelt down to lay the flowers at the foot of the wall in remembrance of her parents.
"Esther, the madam is ready to leave." Isaac, the butler said.
"Thank you Isaac, I'll be right over" Esther looked at the wall again. "I love you" she whispered before turning around and heading to house.
"Come darling dear, your pappa, is ready to go, its an important day for you today" Elaine said as she hooked her arm in with Esther.
"I know mom" Esther smiled at her adoptive mother, and then kissed her cheek, before they both made their way out to the car.
"You look beautiful" Albert said.
Esther smiled at the reflection of herself in the window of the car.
"Thank you pappa, I'm so nervous. Can you see?"
Her father laughed and opened the door for her to get in.
"Its normal my dear, but soon the nervousness would subside" he said reassuringly.
As they approached the church, Esther's butterflies turned into zooming killer bees, she clutched the bouquet of flowers in her hand. When the car came to a stop and the door opened with her father waiting to take her hand, she smiled at him. These two angels that God sent her way after she lost her parents, have been the closest she's ever been to real parents. And somehow, knowing that she had Albert and Elaine made her realize that her birth parents were now looking down at her with pride.
Her father kissed her cheek and then pulled her veil over her face.
"You're the most beautiful bride in the whole world, and your mother and father are here and all the orphan children are waiting in the church to see you, they are all so happy for you" Albert said with a lump in his throat.
"Oh pappa, how will I ever thank you for letting them also come to the wedding" Esther said with a shaky voice.
On the day of the wedding Esther, dressed in her wedding gown, stood in the foyer of the church.. Her soon to be Husband was waiting in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Esther standing in the in the door way, he was pleased with her and held out his hand. So Esther approached and placed her hand in his...
A modern tale of a woman who came from nothing to become everything to her husband, the king.
And in the same way the King held his scepter out for Esther to enter, in the same way, God holds out his Scepter, and a husband holds out his hand...
5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
Rwanda - The Genocide 1994
12 July 1994
Gun fire rang through the night as the small family made their way through the darkness to the border, slowly crawling only a few meters at a time. Freedom was just a few kilometers away, yet it felt like it could take forever. Mathias Kamatari, a Tutsi resident of Rwanda, looked towards the blackness where his wife Sonia and child quietly lay, the only thing indicating their presence was the labored breathing. Esther was safely tucked under the arms of her mother, only a child of 7, but already so exposed to the crimes of humanity, forced to understand why they are so despised. Cockroaches the Hutu's called them, lower than the lowest creature on earth. Even her
"How long before we get there mommy?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"Not long sweetheart" her mom whispered against her hair.
"Try be quiet, the soldiers will hear us" Msindi urged and stroked Esther's hair.
Sonia swallowed a sob and hugged Esther closer, with only silence hanging between them they crawled a few more feet then stopped. They would soon have to cross the open dirt road, which means they could be exposed to the eyes of the enemy.
12 July 2009
Esther stood at the memorial wall which was erected on the Estate Farm where she was raised by her adoptive parents. Even though the years moved on, Esther would never forget the night her world was shaken.
9 July 1994
"Sonia, stay here while I go and see how we can cross without being seen" Mathias instructed his wife and daughter.
As Sonia and Esther hid near the road side, they waited, praying, but it wasn't long before bullets flew through the air, fatally hitting Mathias.
In the chaos, Sonia shoved Esther into a hole and covered her with leaves and sticks.
"Stay here Esther, no matter what happens, stay!" Sonia urged then crawled jumped up and ran towards the road side.
"Cockroach!!! STOP!!" called male voice. "I said STOP!" and then there was another few shots, followed by laughter.
Esther hugged her head and sobbed silently, she knew the worst had befallen her parents.
12 July 2009
Now years later, as Esther remembered that fatal day, she understood that her mother had to leave her to save her. Sonia did what she did as a sacrifice to save her daughter and draw the enemy away from her.
Wiping a tear from her cheek, she sighed and then knelt down to lay the flowers at the foot of the wall in remembrance of her parents.
"Esther, the madam is ready to leave." Isaac, the butler said.
"Thank you Isaac, I'll be right over" Esther looked at the wall again. "I love you" she whispered before turning around and heading to house.
"Come darling dear, your pappa, is ready to go, its an important day for you today" Elaine said as she hooked her arm in with Esther.
"I know mom" Esther smiled at her adoptive mother, and then kissed her cheek, before they both made their way out to the car.
"You look beautiful" Albert said.
Esther smiled at the reflection of herself in the window of the car.
"Thank you pappa, I'm so nervous. Can you see?"
Her father laughed and opened the door for her to get in.
"Its normal my dear, but soon the nervousness would subside" he said reassuringly.
As they approached the church, Esther's butterflies turned into zooming killer bees, she clutched the bouquet of flowers in her hand. When the car came to a stop and the door opened with her father waiting to take her hand, she smiled at him. These two angels that God sent her way after she lost her parents, have been the closest she's ever been to real parents. And somehow, knowing that she had Albert and Elaine made her realize that her birth parents were now looking down at her with pride.
Her father kissed her cheek and then pulled her veil over her face.
"You're the most beautiful bride in the whole world, and your mother and father are here and all the orphan children are waiting in the church to see you, they are all so happy for you" Albert said with a lump in his throat.
"Oh pappa, how will I ever thank you for letting them also come to the wedding" Esther said with a shaky voice.
On the day of the wedding Esther, dressed in her wedding gown, stood in the foyer of the church.. Her soon to be Husband was waiting in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Esther standing in the in the door way, he was pleased with her and held out his hand. So Esther approached and placed her hand in his...
A modern tale of a woman who came from nothing to become everything to her husband, the king.
And in the same way the King held his scepter out for Esther to enter, in the same way, God holds out his Scepter, and a husband holds out his hand...
5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”