I am highlighting a short story from my book Bitter
Mothers
& Crocodiles
I
accidentally killed a stranger. In panic, I chucked the dead body in the boot
of my car. Once I reached home, I told my mother what had happened. Furious, my
mother shouted: “Some women shouldn’t be behind the wheels. I will clean the mess
that you have created.”
My
mother cut the dead body that I brought home into tiny pieces and fed them to
the crocodiles. My mother and I have been running a crocodile farm ever since
my father died 10 years ago.
“Nobody
will ever find the body,” my mother said.
*****
A
few days later, on television, I saw on old woman speaking to a reporter about
her missing daughter. The old woman was waving the photo of her missing
daughter. I took one look at the photo
and knew straightaway that the stranger I had killed was her daughter, Malena.
*****
Ever
since the crocodiles ate Malena, they have not been the same. The crocodiles
refused to touch their food. All the meat I had given them rots in the pond.
The crocodiles had become more ferocious, more savage and more restless. The
colour of their eyes had also changed. The colour of their eyes began to resemble
Malena’s.
*****
I
became obsessed with the woman I had killed. I wanted to know everything about
Malena. I read everything that was that written about her.
“Malena
is a vegetarian and her favourite vegetable is cauliflower,” her mother said in
one of the interviews.
My
instinct told me that I should buy several dozens of cauliflowers and throw
them into the crocodile’s pond. I followed my instincts. I could not believe
what I was seeing in front of my eyes. The crocodiles were rushing to eat the
cauliflower. These crocodiles chose cauliflowers over red meat. These
crocodiles had become vegetarian. I have no doubt that the soul of the woman I
had killed was living inside these crocodiles. Out of fear, I took the rifle
and started shooting every crocodile in our farm. I was killing the women I had
killed.
My
mother was shocked to see all her crocodiles dead. In tears and anger, my
mother shouted: “What have you done, you crazy bitch? When your father died, he
left me enough money for me to survive for seven generations.
“Do
you know why I have started this crocodile’s farm? I started this business because
I cannot bring myself to love you. I do not know why. But I hated you from the
day you were born.
“I
needed someone or something to love after the death of your father. My life is
empty without love. This crocodile farm has given my life meaning. I love my
crocodiles. I will never forgive you for killing my love. I wish you had killed
yourself instead of the crocodiles.”
That
night, I decided a mother who loves her crocodiles more than her child does not
deserve to live. I strapped my mother to her bed. I poured kerosene all over
the house. I struck a match and the house was on fire. I could hear my mother
screaming. I got into my car that hit Malena and slowly drove away from the
burning house.
The
next morning, I was in Malena’s house, confessing my crime to her mother. With
the tears streaming from her eyes, her mother said: “So, my daughter is not
missing. She was killed in a hit and run accident.”
I
said: “You can call the police to arrest me. I won’t run away.”
Wiping
away the tears from her eyes, her mother said: “Only I can punish you. Not the
police. Not the judge. You killed my daughter. You are my criminal.”
Her
mother brought out a pair of scissors. I thought she planned to stab me to
death. But that did not happen. Instead, her mother used the scissors to cut my
hair. After cutting my hair, her mother put some make up on me.
“You
look so pretty,” her mother said.
I
looked into the mirror and I don’t see myself any more. I looked so much like
Malena, her daughter.
“I
have a telephone call to make,” her mother said.
Her
mother dialled the police station. Looking at me sharply, her mother said:
“Inspector, I have good news for you. You do not have to search for my daughter
anymore. She is no longer missing. Malena has just returned home....”
The
End
