He looked on, struggling with the gag. His hands and feet tied up as they took turns to rape her. She was only 6 years old and his favourite child. Daggers cut through his heart, the pain he felt was indescribable, yet, he could do nothing. His helplessness overwhelmed him with grief, as he looked to them for mercy. He had never imagined a thing ever so brutal could happen to him. His eyes bled as he turned to look at his wife, the sight was beyond any pain one could ever bear. She laid helplessly in a pool of blood, with his two sons lying across each other, dead. 

It was meant to be a very beautiful and peaceful Friday night. Kola and his wife were dressed for their special outing, it was their 15th Wedding Anniversary. Life had been good to them. He was wealthy, with lots of businesses to his name. 

His wife was a manager in one of the big banks. His two sons were both in Secondary School, and his daughter, in Primary School. He had a beautiful family, they made him so proud.

He kissed the kids goodnight, it was just about 9pm as he gently walked his beautiful wife out the door. They had planned to have the night to themselves, he looked forward to every activity, he was optimistic.

They had barely stepped out of the door, when they were rudely interrupted by four armed men. From their voices, he could tell they were quite young. It was shocking to him how they had been able to break through his security. With hands on their heads, they were led back into the house, the kids were all still downstairs. His wife had already stained the beautiful blue dress she wore with urine, his heart beat was thunderous as he looked from one child to the other, their fears were a torment to his soul.

His fear tripled as four other armed men joined them in the house. He wondered how many more were out there.

Kola cooperated with them as he brought out everything he called valuable. He believed he had impressed them and expected that just as they had come, they will peacefully leave, but no, they had other plans. 

His heart beat even faster as he saw two of them begin to undress, and approach his wife. As he stood to her defence, a bullet run through the head of his first son, and then like an afterthought, another through the chest of the second. It seemed these guys were blood thirsty. He quickly sat, as his daughter screamed out in fear, the sight, overwhelming for her.

He thought it was all over, he believed they were going to leave, but they were not satisfied. Another bullet in his wife’s head, that was it, he couldn’t take it anymore. His heart jumped right out of his chest. He wet his pants a thousand times as three of the guys turned to his 6 year old daughter, each taking a turn as they brutally raped her, and then, they were gone.

His strength was all gone, he wished they had killed him too. As he sat in deep grief, crying his heart out, he suddenly remembered! 

At 18, he had been involved in a similar incident, this time, he had been the one who raped the 12 year old girl when all pleas from her parents fell on deaf ears, and then a couple of other girls too. He could almost see their pained faces.

He remembered again, all those other times he had robbed, and brought misery unto others, though killing no one. Those armed guys reminded him so much of himself. 

But then, those had been so many years ago. It had been out of desperation from wanting to belong in school. He had left that life behind immediately he graduated, life had moved on or so he thought.

He couldn’t explain how a people could be so ruthless, his whole family terminated in a space of 45 mins? Had time finally caught up with him?

That was when it suddenly dawned on Kola that time doesn’t ever forgive, it never forgets…..

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