The Dawn

 

Shortly after midnight, the police broke into Grace’s home, and took her eldest son, David, away. He had been wanted by the police – robbery, assault, civil insurrection – not all of it true. Grace and David knew the police would come to her home eventually to find him, so she had him sleep in the room nearest the front door. The children cried and wanted to know what was happening to David. Grace rocked them to stop their crying, and shushed them. “Go back to sleep, children. We’ll see about it in the morning.”

She lay with the children until they were asleep, then stole off into the night to her sister’s home; Grace’s husband was away working. She was much quieter than the police as she crept into Ashala’s home and gently shook her to wake her up. “They’ve taken David. The police came and took him away. He’ll be beaten.”

“In public, no less,’ said Ashala.

“We must go to the police station to help,” said Grace. “As early as we can.”

Ashala got dressed, and they returned to Grace’s home. At sunrise, they woke the children, and sent them to school and to chores. The sisters made their way through the mud and people and animals to the town square.

There were already people at the police station. Some officers were preventing people from entering. The two women watched the people who did enter, and remembered their faces. They brought some tea from a street-seller, and sat at a curb across from the station.

“Is it true that Memso’s boy is the flogger?” asked Grace.

“Yes. He’s not like he used to be. Not a boy anymore.”

Presently, the man appeared from the station house, and walked by them. Ashala turned her sister to him, and pointed. “There. There he is.”

Grace approached him and touched him at the elbow. “Excuse me, are you the man who works at the prison?”

“Who are you?”

“I am David’s mother.” She pressed some notes into his hand. “You treat him right. You hit him hard. You teach him a lesson, boy.”

 

 

by William Kitcher

 

William Kitcher's stories, plays, and comedy sketches have been published and/or produced in Canada, the U.K., the U.S., Holland, and Ireland.  Most recently, He has had stories published in Writer’s Block, The Blue Nib, and Ripples In Space, and he has stories forthcoming in Yellow Mama, 34 Orchard, and The Bookends Review.