CarissaReulbach

EmperorsNewClothesNarrativeStory

Story2ImperialismHappens

Iranpasttheriverbacktomyhumblehomeofashackontheedgeofthelush,
greenforest,wheremymotherandyoungerbrotherawaitedmyarrivalwithgrumbling
stomachs.WhenIranhomeandeverythingaroundmebegantoblur.Itwasoneofthe
fewtimesthatIcouldputanyhorriblethingshappeningaroundmeoutofmymind,feel
thewindblowinginmyface,andfeelthemusclesinmylegspump.
Icouldfeeltheearofcornandhandfulofriceshakinginthepouchtiedtomy
waist.Itwasadecentfindconsideringthepovertywewerefacing.Ihadheardalot
abouthowmyvillagewasonceathrivingfishingvillageintheKinshasaregionofthe
Congo,butthatendedassoonasKingLeopoldIIofBelgiumtookoverinaround1882,
creatingLeopoldville.Now,intheyear1890,livewasverydifferent.Itwasextremely
hardnowthatmostofthemeninthevillagewereforcedtoworkfortheBelgiansforno
pay.Theyworkalldayunderbrutalconditions,inthefearthattheywillnotmeetthe
standardsoftheBelgians.Now,wewereunderthecontrolofKingLeopoldII.
Myfatherworksasarubbertapperalongwiththemostoftheothermenofthe
village.Everyday,
hegoesoutwithanothermantoalittleshantyinthejunglewhere
theyworkallday.TheyclimbtreesandslashthebarkwithtwoorthreeVshapedcuts,
andarrangeabroadleafunderneathtocarrythesapintoapot.Thatsapisthenused
toproducerubber.
Thevillagehasacertainquotawemustmakeeverymonth,orwe
willfacethewrathoftheBelgiansandKingLeopoldII.Menareforcedtoventurefarther
andfartherintothejungletocollectsap,makingthetaskevenharderandharder.
Wehadallheardthestoriesofvillagesthatdidn'tmeettheirrubberquota.The
horrificrumorsofchildrenandwomenbeingtakenhostage,limbamputation,villages
destroyed,andmore.Luckily,Ihavebeenyettoexperienceanyoftheseatrocities,but
weallknewthatthatdaywouldcomesomeday.Theforcepubliquecheckedinwiththe

town'srubberoutputoften.Mosttimeswewereonschedule,buttheoutputwas
beginningtoslow.
Itismyresponsibilitytotakecareofmymotherandbrotherwhilemyfatheris
working.Igointothevillagetoscavengeforfood,fishalongthemightyCongoRiver,or
ventureintotheforesttolookforfood,suchasediblemushrooms,vegetables,orsome
smallanimals.Mostdays,Ifindjustenoughfoodtosurviveandquietourprotesting
stomachs.WhenI'mlucky,IamabletocatchafishintheCongoRiver,butthattakes
timeandpatienceandyouneverknowifyouwillbesuccessful.
IslowedtoawalkasInearedmyhome,pushedthedooropen,andwalked
inside.Mymotherrushedforward."Hovy,you'rehome!exclaimedmymotherasshe
scannedmybodyforanybulgesofpotentialfood.Ipulledoutthepouchcontainingthe
handfulofriceandtheearofcorntoshowittomymother."Goodjob",saidmymother
asshepulledmeintoherarms.Sheputsomewaterinapotoverthefiretocookthe
riceandthecorn.Tenminuteslater,myfatherstumbledin.Hewasexhaustedas
always.Myyoungerbrother,Bonte,jumpedup,ranuptomyfather,andthrewhimself
intohisarms,andmyfathermanagedameagersmileasheliftedBonteintohisarms.
ThenweatethefoodIhadobtained,invirtuallycompletesilence.
Icouldtellsomethingwasbotheringmyfather.Hetriedtohideit,butIcouldsee
rightthroughit.Afterdinner,Ihesitantlyapproachedmyfathertoinquireaboutwhat
wasonhismind.Thingsarentgoingwellatwork,myfathersighed.Todaywe
producedonlyhalfoftheaveragedailyoutput,andwestillbehindontherubberquota,
hesaidasherubbedhiseyes.Ididntknowwhattosay,soIjustwatchedmyfather
walkawaywithhisshouldersslumpedover.Whatwouldthismeanformytown?Iwas
extremelyworried,butwhatcouldIdo?
AsIwalkedintotown,IspottedagroupofmenfromtheForcePublique,the
colonialarmy,marchingintotown.Theyhadfierce,determinedlookspaintedontheir
faces.Ikeptmyheaddownandcontinuedwalkingastheymarchedrightbymewith
purpose.Iinstantlyrecognizedthattheywereontheirwaytotheforest,wheremen
collectedsaptomakerubber.Assoon,astheywereareasonabledistanceaway,I

turnedaroundtofollowthem,forcedonwardbymycuriosity.Theywalkedrightpastmy
house,andintotheforest.
Ifollowedthem,sneaking100yardsbehindthemintheshadowsofthetreesand
plants,untiltheycameacrosssomeoftherubbertappers.Astheworkersspottedthe
ForcePublique,theireyeslitinfearandtheyrushedtoworkharderandfaster.I
watchedinsilenceastheForcePubliqueobservedtheworkerswithagrimlookontheir
face,andafterpassingafewgroupsofmen,theycameuponanolderman,strainingto
workasquicklyaspossible.Hewasobviouslyexhausted,andwasworkingasquickly
aspossible,butitwasn'tfastenough.
TheForcePubliqueconfidentlywaltzeduptheolderman,shovedhimandyelled
inhisface.Icringedastheyabusedthispooroldman,butitonlygotworsewhenone
ofthemenpulledouttheirgun.IturnedawayasIhearthegunshotfireandheardthe
thumpofthemanfallingtotheground.Slowly,Iturnedbackandsawtheblanklookin
theman'seyesandthesteadystreamofblooddrippingdownfromthesmallholeinhis
forehead.Iwasinstantlyhorrifiedandfrozeninplace.Myheartwasbeatingasquickas
ajackrabbitanditmusthavebeenloudenoughforthewholeforesttohear.TheForce
Publiquestoodovertheman,beforeleaningdowntocutofftheman'shandbecause
theywererequiredtobringbackthehandsoftheirvictimstoconfirmtheirkill.Ifeltsick
tomystomach.Istruggledtokeeptheminisculecontentsofmystomachdown.How
couldsomeonebebrutalandheartlessenoughtoshootaninnocentoldman?I
regainedmyabilitytomove,andtookoffrunningbacktowardsthevillage.
OnceIreachedthetown,Islowedtoabriskwalk.Ihadn'tfoundanyfoodyet,but
didn'twanttoencounteranypeople,soIstoppedbymyhouse,grabbedmyhomemade
fishingsupplies,andwenttotheriver.Isatdownonthehard,dirtbankandcastoutmy
line.Mymindbegantowander.Thiswasonlythestart.Iknewtherewouldbeother
incidents,whichonlymadememorefrightenedofwhatthefuturewouldhold.Aftera
longdayattheriver,Ihadtwosmallfishtoshowforit.Igatheredmythingsandwalked
backhome,toodrainedtorun.Ienteredmyhouse,andonceagainmymothergreeted
meandIpresentedherwithtwofish.Wewaitedandwaitedformyfather,buthedidnot

arrive.Worryclutchedatmythroat.WhatifhehadbeentheForcePublique'ssecond
victim?Ihadn'tsharedmyday'sadventureswithmymotherorBontebecauseIdidn't
wanttoworrythem,sotheyhadnoideawhymyfathermaybedelayed.Eventually,we
decidedtoeatwithoutmyfather,butIhadnoappetite.Ihadalmostgivenuphope
whenmyfatherwalkedin,evenmoretiredandsomberthanthedaybefore.Whenhe
lookedinmyeyes,IknewhecouldtellIhadencounteredtoday'sincident.Hequickly
swallowedsomefoodbeforegoingdirectlytobedwithoutaword.
BythenexttimeIwentintotown,thenewsofthehorridmisfortunehadspread.I
couldseethefearglisteningineveryone'seyes.Iwatchedasmoresternsoldiers
marchedintotown,headingtowardstheforestonceagain.Laterthatday,Iheard
rumorsthatthesoldiershadcutoffthehandsofthementhatwerenotproductive
enough.Iwashorrifiedbothformyfatherandtherestofmyvillage.Everyonebeganto
realizethatwewerenevergoingtomeetthequota,sotheforcepubliquehadalready
startedourpunishment.
Later,theForcePubliquemarchedincarryingbagsfullofchains.Iwatchedas
theydemandedwomenandsmallerchildrentocomeoutside,pulledoutthesnakelike
chains,andattachedchainstotheirhands,feet,andsometimeseventheirnecks.Iwas
terrifiedasIheardpeopleyelloutandscream.Iwatchedinhorrorasayoungboyand
motherwerechainedandyankeddownthestreet.AssoonasIsawthis,Ithoughtof
Bonteandmymotherathome,soIsprintedhometowarnmymotherandbrother.
WhenIroundedthecornerandmyhomecameintoview,IstumbledinsurpriseasI
sawmybrotherandmotherstandingoutsideinchains,amongagroupofchained
womenandchildren.
MyheartthumpedasIrealizedanothergroupofsoldiershadgonetothe
outskirtsoftowntobegintakinghostages,andnowmybrotherandmotherwereamong
thegroup.RageboiledinmychestasIranuptothesoldiersandyelledatthemtolet
mymotherandBontego,butthatachievednothing.Instead,asoldierthrewmeonthe
ground.MyheadslammedontheharddirtasIheardmymotherscreamout.I
struggledtogetbackuptomyfeet,butthesoldieronlyshovedmedownagain.Ifought

back,butitfeltlikethemanhadthestrengthofanox.Alookofhorrorpassedovermy
faceashepinnedmedownandpulledoutalarge,gleamingknife.Iwrithedand
screamed,butitwasnouseasanothersoldiercametoholdmedown.Theevilman
heldmywristandwithonequickmovement,heslicedmyhandcleanoffwiththesharp
blade.Thesearingpainwasunbearableasmyvisionblurred.Icouldfeelthewarm
bloodpouringoutofmyarmandmybodybecameweakerandweaker.ThelastthingI
rememberedwasthesoldierstandingup,wipinghishandsoff,andfrowningatthe
stumpthatwasoncemyhand.
Iwokeupinmyhousewithmyfathersittinginachairacrosstheroom.Ilooked
downatmyarm,hopingthatIrecalledtheincidentincorrectly,butallthatwasleftwasa
bandagedstump.Myhandthrobbed,butIforgotaboutthepainasIthoughtaboutmy
village.Iinstantlyknewthatmyvillagemustbeinruin.Iknewthatalotofthewomen
andyoungchildrenmusthavebeentakencaptive,menmurdered,andhands
amputated,butIdidnotknowthetrueextentofthedamage.
WhenmyfathernoticedthatIhadawoken,hequicklycrossedtheroomto
crouchbesideme.Hehadagrimlookonhisface,asheaskedhowIwasdoing.My
handthrobbedandIfeltlightheaded,butitwasntuntilmyfatherdeliveredthenews
thatmystomachreallybegantotwistandturn.Yesterday,theforcepubliqueburned
downthevillage.Luckily,ourhousewasfarenoughfromthevillagecentertobe
spared.saidmyfather.Ididntknowwhattosayorthink.Hethencontinuedtotellme
thatwewouldneedtoleavetownwithinthenextfewdays.Ifeltfaint,bothduetothe
painandtheideaofleavingtheonlyplaceweknew.Wewouldhavetoventurethrough
theforestuntilwecameuponanothersuitableplacetolive,butIcouldn'tthinkabout
thatyet.
Istruggledtostandup,andwithmyfathershelpIstumbledoutsidetowardsthe
village.IcouldsmelltheashintheairandseethedestructionassoonasIstepped
outside.Itonlygotworseaswecontinued.Everybuildingnearthetowncenterhad
becomenothingmorethanapileofashes.Ilookedonwithagrimlook,andnoticed
somethingintherubble.Itwasahumanhandstickingoutfrombelowtheashes.The

fleshofthehandwasredandburned,andIknewthatthepersonthatthishandhad
belongedtocouldnothavesurvivedthecarnage.Tearsbeganflowingdownmycheeks
asthesituationcameintofullview.IfelltomykneesasIsobbedloudly.Myfather
restedhishandonmyshoulder,whichonlymademecryharderasitremindedmethat
wewereallalone.Iwasfullofuncertainty,butallIwassureofwasthatmylifehad
changedforeverandIwouldneverforgivetheBelgiansforwhattheydidtomyfamily
andmyvillage.Theseeventsmademerealizethatsomethingneededtobedoneabout
theBelgiansandKingLeopoldII.