100

"If you had a superpower, what would it be?" The answer to that question changes with time. But there are these moments where I wish I really did have a superpower. Moments where the world is helpless and doesn't deserve a stain in the history books. Moments where I wish I was gifted with hands that could rewrite the past. Moments I wish I had the power to erase from history and the minds of the survivors. Moments where I wish people would dump their burdens on my shoulders and watch their faces wear smiles even for a second. But these are just wishes.

The tears that travel down the beautifully curved cheeks of Rwandans during the 100 days of commemorating the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis, break my heart. The burden their hearts carry not only for losing their loved ones but also their brothers and sisters who turned into monsters and did the unforgivable. The thought of a friend they used to smile with, holding a machete (umupanga) and looking at their father as though looking at a snake and ignoring the cry of their friend begging for him/her to spare the only family member left. But all that was in vain as their turn would come and be killed by the one who knew what others didn't know. 

I am a child born when the darkest days were long gone and bright days shining in a short distance. I am surrounded by men and women who live their lives with hope of never reliving their nightmares. I don't wish to have been born in that time but I wish I could erase the painful memories and replace them with beautiful ones. But to some those are the memories they remember the faces of their loved ones clearly. How do I become helpful to people I can't seem to understand their pain? Do I book a plane and fly to a country going through the same thing? Will that help me understand? But they are not Rwandans, my mind whispers.

For the moment, I can only read books and listen to testimonies. For now, I can only think about the bright future that my parents look forward to and dream big like our government reminds us to. The past youth was trained to swing a machete and shoot like a sniper but this new generation shall hold pens and calculators. Pens to write a new future and calculators to find the shortest time to achieve it. The new generation is a better version with a bright vision. Holding the information, we learned about our past, we shall stand strong and plant trees where a desert was threatening to emerge. History is meant to show us the mistakes of the past we should avoid as consequences are written before our eyes.