Night Moves…

I haven’t been sleeping well lately, am barely functional as it is. And it is taking a huge toll on me. The last time I had an almost great goodnight sleep, was on Wednesday.

Come Thursday morning, and we realised a thief had come in the night and stolen from us. Again. We were all frustrated, but we were not shaken. Somehow, we had all managed to convince ourselves that we are okay and the theft trauma will pass. How wrong we were!

We went to bed at our usual time (around 10pm). Though knowing my family, nobody was going to be sleeping anytime.

11:30 pm

I was in bed reading an article. I was not sleepy; the night was quiet. It was the perfect time to read. Next thing I knew, somebody was fumbling with front door. I could hear so well because my window is close. Remembering the events of the previous night, I started panicking.

“Arnette kuna mtu kwa nyumba” knowing she was not asleep, I whispered as low as humanly possible.

“Nyamaza wanaeza tuskia” she whispered back and I rolled my eyes for a second because why didn’t I think of that?

Of all days, or rather nights, it was on that particular one that my bed decided to be squeaky. Any slight movement I made was met with an almost equal reaction in form of loud noise. I wanted to move my pillows away and lie down, pretend to be asleep in case the intruder decided to walk into the room. I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t even know if I was thinking. All I know is that in that moment, that felt like a brilliant idea. It is only now that I realise whether I was asleep or not, supposing the intruder had an agenda with me, closed eyes wouldn’t be what stopped him.

I had just successfully managed to get myself to a comfortable sleeping position when I heard the back door. Somebody was at the back door! I didn’t know if it was the same person, or a different one. But there was somebody at the door. And when suddenly I could hear no more noise, I knew whoever it was, they were now inside.

I froze.

11:42 pm

There was no indication that whoever it was had successfully gotten into the house; but am not stupid. I knew the intruder was in. Either buying his time, or scanning around for what to carry away.

I could hear my own heart beating.

11:55 pm

The security lights were switched off. From inside the house.

Midnight.

I kept waiting patiently for the intruder to clear up and take whatever it is they had come for, hoping it is not our lives.

12:12 am

The person was still walking around the house, opening doors and closing them. I knew it was just a matter of time before they got to the bedrooms.

My heart rate was faster now. I couldn’t seem to calm down.

I wanted to call for help. And I realised I didn’t know how to call the police (I have never been more disappointed in myself) or anyone else that may be useful in such situations.

I could hear footsteps all over the house I wasn’t even sure where the person was anymore.

12:18 am

The bathroom lights were switched on. I didn’t understand the intruder’s logic there. Why the bathroom? Why?

12:22 am

I heard it.

So clear in the silent night.

A sneeze.

You may find this hard to believe but I recognised the person just from that sneeze. Without a doubt in my mind I knew who it was. I just had to convince my already panicked self. Because there were two possibilities that were running through my mind. If it is who I thought that was walking around the house, then all is well. But, if it is not, then the person was headed straight into meeting with our intruder. And that my friends, was not good.

Still in my thoughts I heard my sister now speaking a bit louder and not really whispering any more.

“Paula, I think ni mummy anatembea”

Well so turns out even my sister knew who it was from the sneeze.

But I still needed one last evidence. Because I wasn’t thinking, I started whispering her name, loudly.

“Mummy?”

She didn’t answer and I knew we were in deep shit.

Then suddenly she was talking.

12:26 am

Everyone had left their rooms, and we were all just standing in the corridor. Everyone talking at the same time. Everyone clearly shaken. In the middle of all that, I learnt something new with my sisters, we all sleep with the same amount of clothing. Which is next to nothing.

“aki si nilishtuka” my older sister, Arnette said leaning on the walls.

“Paula nlitaka kukupigia kuona if wewe pia umeskia mtu kwa nyumba” my younger sister Lynne said looking at me like it was nothing.

Ummm… what?

“…but then I remembered that may just give away place uko so I texted you” she went on. Calmly I might add.

Right. Because the notifications would come as a whisper. How many people were not thinking this night?

“So nani aliwasha taa ya bafu?” I finally asked.

“Oh, that was me.” Lynne said.

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to show whoever was in the house that am awake. I was going to face that person head on…”

Looking at my now surprised mum, who had no idea she had been scaring us (because she was just walking around the house double checking the locks after the previous night’s theft), I was torn between two conclusions. Either my sister is very courageous, which is so admirable. Or just an activated fool when she is terrified.

“so, what were you going to do ungepata mtu mwingine?” I had to ask.

“huh… I really hadn’t thought about that”. I had my answer.

We went on to talk for about five more minutes before we dispersed back to our bedrooms.

2:30 am

I was still awake, I just couldn’t sleep.

3:46 am

I was still awake.

4:12 am

Yap, still awake.

I don’t know when I fell asleep after that… I don’t know when the rest of the house fell asleep. All I know is somehow, my mind was still looking out for any more noises, lurking dangers and moves in the night.