“Get on the cart,” said one of the soldiers.
“We’ll see you by the house,” said Alaba. “Your mother’s there. She fainted when things got rowdy, and I asked one of my customers to take her home.”
As a show of good faith, they take children selected for the harvest to their homes for a final goodbye before leaving for Ode. Alaba and Kemi left for our house. I looked around for Bala, the soldier that, for no reason, stuck his nose into my family’s business. He wasn’t around.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The priestesses climbed onto their carts, and I pulled myself up to join Dotan in the other cart. It contained pillows and soft rugs with Arabian style designs I’d seen some merchants bring to the market. I hesitated; was this the right cart? “Sit down,” said a soldier. I sat beside Dotan and made a conscious effort not to touch anything.
The cart lurched forward along the dirt road. Village children and curious adults trailed at a safe distance. I hoped Mama would have the courage to continue without Dotan and me. It won’t be easy on her, but having Kemi should help her pull through. The distance from the village square to our home wasn’t long, but today it seemed to take forever. The cart rounded a corner and we were on our street. I saw our hut and Alaba.
I sprang to my feet and lost my balance as the cart wobbled along the road, then fell back onto the seat. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips but disappeared as we got closer and Alaba’s face came into focus. His eyes and lips were swollen. His dashiki was torn. My hands flew to my mouth, and I stifled a cry.
“What happened?” I murmured.
Then I saw Mama leaning on Kemi. She had aged five years since I’d seen her this morning. “Stop the cart!” I jumped off despite the shouts by the soldiers to wait.
“Ah, leave them, they are only saying goodbye,” said another soldier. “The family has suffered so much. Do you want to mess with her after that demonstration?”
Dotan was behind me. We enjoyed a group hug with Kemi, Mama, and Alaba.
“You have ten minutes,” said a soldier.
“What happened to you?” I asked Alaba.
“It’s nothing,” said Alaba. “It’s the animals that live in the community we thought were respectable human beings.”
“Nuju,” Kemi said and gave me a hug. “They were calling Mama and me evil spirits…” A sob escaped her lips. “Then they threw stones at us. Alaba tried to stop them, and they attacked him.” Kemi took a deep breath. “Now I feel magic must come back. Everyone was terrified when the sun disappeared. They said you made it happen. I hope it’s true. Promise me you’ll bring magic back.”
I froze, and alarm bells went off in my head. “I didn’t make the sun disappear. If I did, I don’t know how.”
“We don’t have too much time,” said Mama, cutting me off. Her voice was low and sad. “Take care of each other. I don’t want to think of what might happen at Ode. Have faith; the gods are already with you.” She touched Dotan on the cheek. “Dotan, be strong.” She ruffled his hair.
Mama took my hand and pulled me to the side and spoke in a low voice. “Nuju, you’ve always been a special child. I’m so sorry. I haven’t treated you well over the years. I’m so sorry and hope the gods will forgive me. I’d blamed you for taking Baba away from me. Try and remain calm despite what I tell you now.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. “What?” A knot in my stomach tightened. “No, no.” I didn’t want to know.
“I had a baby that died a few days after she was born. She was sick, had the shaking fever.” Tears streamed down Mama’s face. “I couldn’t function. I was inconsolable. My first child died. Baba… my husband, your… your father took the baby to the forest to bury her. When he came back, the baby was alive again; he brought you back with him. I was overjoyed. I thought maybe he had the gift of bringing back the dead. He never told me how you came about, and I never asked.”
Tears rolled down my cheek as Mama exploded into sobs. I didn’t know what to say.
“Baba loved you so much,” said Mama. “I loved you, too, but Baba focused all his attention on you. He never wanted us to cut your hair, he treated you with so much love and respect, even after we had Dotan. It was only after we had Kemi that some of his focus shifted. I know over the years I haven’t treated you well, I was only jealous.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. “No, Mama,” I whispered. “I always knew you loved me. Actions speak louder than words. You fed me, bought me clothes, cared for me when I was sick… braided my hair—”
A sob mixed with laughter escaped Mama’s lips. “You never enjoyed your childhood.” Her laughter eased the tension on her face.
“Tunde drove you. He made you practice with the bow and arrow every spare time you had.”
“But I liked it,” I said.
Mama took my hand and placed something hard in it. “Don’t open it yet; wait. You are the best daughter one could have ever wished for, and what you did for Kemi today…” Mama cried again.
A painful lump formed in my throat. I swallowed, but it wouldn’t go away. Mama looked like there was more she wanted to say.
“Time to go,” said the soldier. “Get back on the cart.”
Kemi flung herself on me and held on tight. Sobs wracked her body. I fought hard not to shed any more tears. I hugged her back.
“It’ll be alright, Kemi,” I said, my voice thick with emotion.
“I’ll take care of your mother as I promised,” said Alaba. He walked to me and touched my shoulder. “Come, come, Kemi. Everything will be alright.”
As I walked back to the cart, I squeezed my palms. The thing Mama gave me must be made from metal because it dug into my palm. How I wished they had set Dotan free, too. Dejected, I climbed onto the cart. Dotan took my hand to help me.
“You’re bleeding,” said Dotan.
I looked at my clenched left fist as I got on the cart. Blood dripped from my fist to the ground. “It’s nothing.”
“What will happen to us?” asked Dotan.
At the same time, I felt a burning sensation in my palm. “We’ll be alright.”
Note to the reader
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Reviews help me gain exposure and can help bring my books to the attention of other readers who may enjoy it.
Thank you for reading The Selection, Book 1 of the Harvest of Blood Series. Nuju’s adventures has only just begun. Other series are on the way.
Book 3 of Harvest of Blood is available. Click on preorder to get your copy. But …(continue on the next page)
About book 2
…for book 2, click the link below to download a FREE copy of the second book in the series - Harvest of Blood: Black Panther Book 2 from my website
Ifeanyiesimai.com
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About the Author
Ifeanyi grew up with an inquisitive mind. He loves folklore, and reads across different genres; which he argues, tongue-in-cheek, qualifies him to write thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, plus romance.
Ifeany was born in Nigeria and trained as a physician. When he’s not writing or reading, he spends time with his wife, three children, and a bearded dragon at their home in New Jersey.
Also by Ifeanyi Esimai
Sambisa Escape
One Thing After Another (Sequel to Sambisa Escape)
Fantasy
Harvest of Blood Book 1
Harvest of Blood Book 2
Harvest of Blood Book 3
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