In our family we are four children, two boys and two girls. Our names are Alex, Angle, Ruth and I (Jude the toddler). Both four of us like watching television at night together with daddy and mummy, but since Rwandans started the mourning week, we lost the strength to watch the TV. Angle and Ruth our elders had no problem in watching the television but Alex and I couldn’t stand watching it. Alex said to me days have changed, I hate watching the television these days, it shows bad things only. But before Alex told me that, he had developed fear, I had also noticed some thing in him. Whenever dinner time approached, Alex could prefer sleeping than eating, he disliked watching the television completely, his case was worse. He instead insisted to have a nap every time we had supper; he said that he was sick. Mummy took him to the hospital and the doctors discovered nothing in his body. When daddy came back home, he held Alex in his hands while watching the television in the sitting room. Alex was also confident watching the television with dad, but at a certain moment he could close his eyes. He feared seeing certain things on the television. As they were watching some Genocide songs, Television Rwanda (TVR) decided to show a Genocide movie. And after a few minutes, Alex saw people killing each others, children running and crying while their mothers were killed. He immediately closed his eyes and requested daddy to let him go. Daddy released him but no one followed him up to see were he had gone. Alex looked scared and nervous. An hour passed and Alex was no where to be seen. We left the matter to be simple because we knew that he was in the house. Mukamana our maid, was busy doing house her work in the Kitchen, when she opened the Cupboard, only to find Alex so relaxed inside. My God she shouted, Alex what are you doing here? Alex immediately cried loudly for she had scared him the more. Alex’s condition became worse and he was later taken to the doctor who discovered that he was traumatized by what he was seeing. Angle, Ruth and I felt bad seeing our lovely Alex lying on bed in the hospital. From that time until now, I have never watched the TV. I promised not to watch the television until the Genocide week ends. The Rwandan television has now started it right by advising parents to keep away children from scaring movies. Ends
