As I woke up this frigid, dark morning, the sky was heavy and hail fell on my tin roof,

I tried to close my ears but the loud noise was howling in my mind, 
All my reflexes ignited as the new fear took hold of my body,
I was reliving something traumatic about my life 35 years ago,

Today was a sombre reminder of the political turmoil which my country has endured since 1981.

I remember days like yesterday when government soldiers fired their AK-47s into our home, we barely survived,

They shattered my father's door and dragged him out, including my brothers, my sisters and me,

The agitated soldiers had rained kicks on us, one of the angry soldiers had urinated on my father's head, 
They bombarded us with questions,
When we didn't reply,  they beat us with long yellow bamboo sticks.
Their commanding officer inquired harshly whether we knew where the guerrillas were hiding.

Two days before, a...