Dad and Mom were out on a journey as usual, and he my brother walked up to me that afternoon and said, "For you to be safe until Dad gets back you will have to give up all the cookies inside your cookie box."
I was seven and he was sixteen. I looked him in his eyes with a devil-may-care kind of look and said why will I ever do that?
He said well, you remember those giant rats that walk around and come near our hut in the night I have agreed with them, to come for your head while you are alone and I'm out working on the farm and since Dad and Mom are not around there will be no one to save you unless you give up all your cookies and the rats will hold on to their part of my agreement with them.
Normally, I'm not afraid of rats but there was something in the way he was saying it that send a shiver chill down my spine as I thought for a while, I looked helplessly into the narrow door that leads from our hut to the large bush area just at the opposite. Our hut was located on a vast area of land far away from any nearby town with only another one hurt close by who's occupants had gone on a journey just like our patients.
I said to him, if I agree to give up my cookies will the rat not come to hurt me till Dad gets back?
He smiles with a light grin on his cheeks and says I promise, if you do as I say nothing will hurt you.
I went inside the room and opened my cookie box that Dad made especially for me to keep my cookies against the ants and from the prying eyes of my elder brother. I Inhaled in and out as I was about to say goodbye to my darling cookies in order to save my life.
Even though I still couldn't wade my little mind over why the giant rats would come for me. But since Mom and Dad were not around my elder brother was my guiding angel and I always believed everything he said without any questions.
Not only do I have to go on with this deal but he made me promise never to tell Dad or there could be serious consequences.
Majestically, I walked toward my brother and handed over my precious box, he took it inside the room and told me that when they come for me he will appease them with my cookies and I will be safe. How was he going to do that? I never bothered to ask, that night he returned my empty box to me and I was glad I will be fine till Dad and Mom get back.
Our parents came back two days later, and I held on to my part of our agreement with my brother to keep the whole thing between us. But Mom was surprised that I had no more cookies left in my box and said she won't give more not until after a few days as she won't allow me to be overeating them.
Just then I let the cat out of the bag, I narrated what had transpired between my brother and me while they were away.
Dad told me not to be afraid of the Rats and that they can't harm me in any way. He scolded my brother a bit and told him to be nicer to me whenever they are not around.
Looking back now, I think that was just a way of my brother getting back at me for always pestering him as I saw it then, like most little sisters do I thought it was my God-given official right to do so.
And he was never able to retaliate because my parents will always take my side, she is your little sister they will say, you have to be kind and nice to her because if you don't no one else will. I think he mostly sank in those words and hated them, and sometimes when I overly annoyed him, he found a way to get back at me.
This is my entry into this week's creative nonfiction prompt#30 in theinkwell community, and you are more than welcome to join us.
❤❤@funshee