Lia's files 2_Heading down south

by Kathrin Kilambya

  Josh was pensively rubbing his chin and looking at me rather unhappily. “Say, do you always take such a gloomy look at things? The way you put it, it doesn’t sound good. For us, I mean.”

  He picked up my hand and started drawing circles on the palm of my hand.

  “You know,” Josh mused after a while, “we are very close to the southern end of Lake Tana. From what I could gather from your maps this afternoon, it will be roughly 350km from Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa. And from there down to Moyale we should be able to make it in a day, two at max.”

  “But is it safe to drive toward Addis Ababa?” I asked. “I mean, what with that Nemesis base that is supposedly somewhere near Addis Ababa?”

  Josh wrapped his arm around me and pressed me close. “You know, I agree with Paul and Nin that we should try to find a plane down there in Bahir Dar and fly from there. It can’t be that difficult. And what a difference it would make for us! That way, we could comfortably circumvent that base in Addis, whether it is there or not. And it would enable us to get away from here quickly. In case Nemesis should pursue us.”

  I shuddered at this last bad omen. Otherwise, I really liked that plan and I said so, enthusiastically. Which made Josh caution me. “Let’s not name that baby before it is born, shall we. It’s just an idea. It may never even work.”

  “I am sure it will. It’s a great idea!”

  “Yeah, but it’s feasibility will have to be assessed later. Once we get to Bahir Dar. And also, we’ll need to ask Goytom. After all, didn’t he say that he was from Addis Ababa or its vicinity? He maybe wouldn’t like us to just fly passed Addis Ababa.”

  “Okay, but you will asked him, will you not?”

  “Promised.” Josh chuckled.

  Whatever he was about to say next was interrupted by a low thundering noise. But no need to worry, it was just a thunderstorm a bit to the north. We watched the lightening in silence for a while. It was magnificent. Like all thunderstorms. It wore itself out rather quickly, but while it lasted, the furious lightening and rolling thunder were magnificent. The rain of the storm cell never reached us, not even by far.

  “Say,” Josh suddenly mused. “Have you ever thought about what will happen once we reach Blue-Hill-Farm? I mean. I don’t know, but I somehow just can’t picture us living there in peace and quiet.”

  Again, he traced circles with his finger on the palm of my hand.

  A cold feeling tightened my throat; I had been afraid of this. However, I tried to answer with as level a voice that I managed.

  “Why shouldn’t we? Live peacefully ever after, I mean?”

  “Don’t be flippant. Be honest. We will have to organize the fight. Won’t we?” Josh’s voice was tense and it clearly cost him a lot to bring this up now. I had no right to deny him the discussion he apparently sought.

  “Fine, I am being honest. I hate the idea of organizing a fight. The danger, the uncertainty, the losses we might incur. I shrink from that all. I admit.” I heaved a deep sigh, “but I also know that once we will have reached Blue-Hill-Farm, once we will have settled down there and gotten ourselves organized, I will feel differently. I’ll be ready for whatever will be necessary, once this stress is over and we will have found Mum, Nate, the twins, Uncle Phil, Aunt Kamene and everyone. Just give me some time, please. Let us have some time together, without worries, without danger. Then I’ll be able to face anything.”

  “I love you, Lia, I truly do. Just in case you should have forgotten.” Josh pressed a fervent kiss into my palm. “I promise you that we will have that time together. Far away from everything. Just you and I. And then, as you said, may come what may. And we will fight.”

  “Why do you bring this up now?” I wanted to know; I needed to understand what was going on in his mind.

  “Because I am so happy right now. Here, with you. But, at the same time I know that other times will come. It has gone so smooth so far. Our getaway. Our entire journey so far. Far too easy, if you ask me. So, I am kind of anxious. For your safety. For our being together. For everybody’s well-being. Maybe I am just being a sissy here, but I can’t help feeling a dark foreboding.” He sighed and held me close.

  I didn’t answer to this, but intertwined my fingers with his. It was enough, he understood, because he blew a kiss on my hair and whispered, “Thanks!”

  We sat in silence for a while, each enjoying the others company. No need for many words.

  “You still haven’t really answered my question, come to think of, why you think that Steve and his lot might pursue us all the way here.” Josh suddenly said.

  It came out of the blue, and I had to gather my thoughts first. Josh let me.

  “Well, it’s a hunch, too. Nothing more. I just can’t help wondering whether they don’t have control over the satellite systems and could track our plane. I am sure that eventually these satellites will go out of order. What without proper maintenance. But it will take some time. Right? And as of now, I am sure, they still work. I mean, just think back at the incident when you flew over from England and were contacted on radio by Nemesis. Somehow, they got to know that you were around. Maybe, hopefully, by sight. But probably by a kind of tracking system. So, I can’t help wondering whether we are not already being pursued.” I paused to gather my thoughts. “Because, I am sure that Steve and his group will pursue us, if they can. I mean, just imagine. If they had to face their superiors with the news that they had a plane stolen from under their noses, just so. If I were in their shoes, I would first try my level best to find that plane. Am I making sense?”

  “I don’t know. It’s all conjecture, pure and simple. I can understand, though, that you worry. Especially considering the effort Steve took to destroy your home and kill you. I just hope that it’s your paranoia only. I give you this though: it’s better to factor in every and any possibility than to be taken unawares. Therefore, we will try to get away from here as quickly and unobtrusively as we can. If we can put several hundred kilometres in between here and us by plane. Well, that would certainly help a lot.”

  “Thanks!” I whispered.

  “You’re welcome!” He whispered.

  There was another thing. “Say, what do you think about Paul and Mahlet?”

  He wasn’t surprised. “So you have noticed, haven’t you?”

  “It wasn’t hard to notice. They are both very obviously attracted to each other. What will come of it?”

  “Actually, Paul asked my opinion on this before, while you were cooking dinner.” Josh kept tracing circles in my palm. Then he suddenly lifted it to his lips and pressed a fervent kiss on it.

  “He wanted my advice. As if I had any. He said that he’d fallen head over heels in love with Mahlet. And that he needed to act fast now. Because once we’d reach Bahir Dar we would split. He wants to ask her to come along with us. But that will mean that she’ll be separated from her sister. Maybe forever. How could I advise him?”

  “So you said nothing?” I asked a bit indignantly.

  “You think me a coward? Maybe I am. I asked him what Mahlet’s feelings were in this? He said he wasn’t sure and too scared to ask her. The only advice I gave him was to talk with her and to follow his heart.” Josh said in a tight voice, as if he were angry. Or uncertain.

  “Good. What you told Paul. He needs to talk with Mahlet. That’s the first priority, isn’t it?. I like her. You know. She understands English quite well, but is just too shy to say anything. But she listens very attentively. And back there in Azezo she was very brave. She didn’t show any fear. She took that gun and was ready to fight. I like her.”

  Josh first out in a chuckle. “Of course, that would impress you. Right. So she is a fighter. Ah, Lia, sometimes you are so transparent. And so cute! I love you so much.” He turn toward me now to embrace me properly, kissing my face, my eyes. Lifting his lips from mine, he whispered after a while, “I hope that Paul will find love with Mahlet. I hope it for him. He’s been alone for too long. I hope that she can be the one for
him.”

  Before I could answer to this we were rudely interrupted by Paul and Nin, who had come to take over their watch. They refrained from commenting, but the way they both rolled their eyes made me blush with embarrassment anyway. Josh briefed them on how our watch had gone and also mentioned the idea to get a plane in Bahir Dar.

  “I am still all for it, mate!” Paul commented. “For sure there won’t be any problem whatsoever. We’ll easily find a plane.”

  Sometimes his boisterous over-optimism grated. Really. But I refrained from comment, just punched him in the side. He and Josh chuckled at this.

  Nin was all for that plane thing too and they discussed how to go about it, while I wondered whether I should mention Mahlet. Maybe better not. Not yet.

  The others were discussing whether to leave Bahir Dar immediately or whether to first accompany Idris and his group to their destination. Nin was for the latter, but Paul nudged him in the side and said. “No, mate, I think the sooner we get away from here, the better. You know, Josh, this lake may be magnificent and all, but the sooner we put a distance between it and us, the better I’ll feel. It gives me the creeps somehow.”

  “Another one.” Josh murmured exasperatedly.

  When Paul wanted to know what he was hinting at, he told them about my suspicions that we might be pursued by Steve and Co.

  “Maybe that’s why this area gives me the creeps.” Paul answered to this. “I sincerely hope that you may be wrong, Lia. But it doesn’t hurt to look out for the worst. However unlikely that may be. I wholeheartedly agree with you: the sooner we leave the better.”

  I had expected him to deny my fears as ludicrous assumptions based upon no facts whatsoever. To have him worry about the same things I did, made me very uneasy.

  Nin didn’t say much to all this.

  Josh wanted to get back to the house and get some sleep. He urged me to make a move and so we said goodbye to Paul and Nin, handing over the gear. We didn’t put on any torch to find our way down to the house. Our eyes had become adjusted to the dark. The only problem were some of the stone steps that had become slippery from all the hundreds upon hundreds of people who must have walked up and down it over the years. We made it, though, even without stumbling or falling.

  Everything was quiet in the house; nobody stirred or got up. We found Alice still nestling close to Yuki. Yuki, however, was awake, she greeted us in a whisper. We quickly informed her that everything was okay outside and she heaved a sigh and sank back on her mattress.

  We settled down, too, close together. I was a bit thirsty, but it couldn’t be helped now, so I willed myself to forget it and fall asleep.

  Josh wrapped his arms around me, a by now familiar gesture. I pressed a kiss on his hand and quickly drifted off to sleep.

  The next thing I knew was Alice stirring and murmuring that she was thirsty. A glance at my watch told me that it was close to six o’clock in the morning. Yuki and Winter were awake, too, from what I saw. The men had already left the house. Tigist, Melat and Mahlet were inside, too. In fact, they must all have been up for quite some time, because they had already prepared something for breakfast and were arranging things for everyone to sit down and eat. Everyone else was busy packing up our gear. I felt a bit silly to be the last one to wake up. However, no one noticed nor commented; and so Alice and I just made sure that we were ready to join everyone as soon as possible.

  Alice was a bit cranky and disorientated. She needed some extra hugs and talking-to to motivate her. When I had combed her hair in precisely the way she asked for she relented and gave me a smile.

  “Lia, do you think we will have to stay here for long? I want us to drive on; I want to get to Mum.”

  She wasn’t complaining, just inquiring.

  “I really don’t think we’ll stay here longer than it will take us to pack up and get going, sweetie. We’ll follow along the lake to Bahir Dar and there we will leave Idris and his people behind. Afterwards, if all goes well, will soon be in Southern Ethiopia. What with Goytom guiding us it should be no problem. It won’t be far from there to Kenya, to Mum and Nate and everyone. Okay?”

  She gave me an incredulous look and said a bit exasperated. “You don’t have to treat me like a baby, Lia, you know. I am almost ten years old after all. I can deal with a lot.”

  “As well I know. Sorry tiger, I didn’t mean to belittle you. It’s just, you know, I hope so much that we will be able to get far today, that I maybe am a bit overoptimistic. I am so worried about those Nemesis nearby.”

  Now it was she who gave me a reassuring hug. What a brave little girl she was! I pressed her close and whispered, “I love you, so much,” into her hair.

  She punched me into my side and laughed. “Don’t be silly, Lia.”

  We got up and went outside to wash by the water pump. Alice put up a bit of a fuss that she was to wash her face and brush her teeth with such cold water. Why, wasn’t it an adventure we were in and didn’t one normally leave off brushing teeth in adventures? I assured her that one didn’t, especially not with no dentists around, and she relented with a giggle. Finally, we were ready to join everyone else and walked back to the house.

  Senayit and Melat had sat next to Yuki and were talking animatedly with her. Winter helped Tigist lay out bread on a platter. She looked up as we approached. “Slept well?”

  “Can’t complain. And you? This looks nice. I am certainly hungry. Where are all the men?”

  “Checking cars and having a look around. Josh and Paul went up to the church with Goytom to discuss the route; they’ve already eaten their breakfast. Josh was most insistent that we wouldn’t wake you up. I didn’t sleep a lot; half of the night I lay awake. Wondering about the Nemesis, and life in general and so on.” She gave a little laugh and tilted her head as if to apologize. “I can’t help it, but when I kind of think about everything, it scares me a lot. When we are doing something, getting somewhere, travelling or so, it isn’t as bad. We have a goal toward which we are working. But in idle mode, if you so like, I feel terrible. It all gets to me then. I also wonder about my family and where they are, whether they are still alive and all this. So, you see, I didn’t really sleep well. But nothing to worry,” she angrily wiped the tears from her eyes as I stepped forward and embraced her.

  At first, she was stiff and distant, but then a quiver ran through her body, she gave a sob, wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in the hollow of my throat and wept.

  Rob had chosen this very moment to reappear from wherever he had busied himself. He looked concerned and about to rush over to us. I motioned for him to stay away. After one longing glance at Winter, he conceded and sat down by the door, watching us from afar.

  I was at a loss as to what to say, but she seemed not to expect much in that line. Alice, who had watched it all, embraced her, too, and pressed her face into Winter’s side. It was she who asked the question I had not dared to voice. “Where is your family? How many are they?”

  Winter knelt down in front of Alice and held her close. She glanced at me apologetically and whispered, “I am sorry.”

  “No, don’t be.” I said with an uneven voice.

  She looked at Alice and gave a tiny smile. “You are such a sweet little girl, Alice. I am so happy that I am with you! My family? I left them in the States last autumn when Rob and I moved over to Cambridge. He’s been with Caltech, too, for quite some time and then switched over to Prof Papadopoulos. They are all connected in some way. Your Uncle Phil, Prof Papadopoulos, your Dad and their research assistants like Josh, Rob and others. My sister lives in California, and my parents up in Vancouver. I think I will never see them again.”

  Alice looked at her horrified. This was too much for a child to understand, let alone cope with! I put a protective hand on Alice’s shoulder and was about to intervene, when Winter went on.

  “Sorry to have frightened you, Alice. I didn’t want to do that. But it’s true. Most probably, I will never see my family again. I
tried to tell them about Uncle Phil and his boat; but I don’t think that they understood the danger they were in. After the first assault of the Nemesis I was never able to contact them anymore. And then we also lost contact with Uncle Phil. So, here I am, hoping against all odds that they may have been able to make their way to Uncle Phil, and in time. Knowing all the same that it is most unlikely, they made it. As long as Rob is with me, I can tune my mind away from this. But today, here, in this wonderful spot. It’s just a bit too much.”

  With this she looked up at me, forcing herself to smile.

  I shook my head. “No, Winter, don’t apologize or feel sorry. We understand. We are so sorry for your family. Don’t lose hope, not ever. Maybe they made it.”

  The words felt silly and inadequate. I gave her a hug instead. We all embraced, Alice, Winter and I, and stayed like that for a minute or two. Then Winter murmured ‘Thank you!’ and got up. Alice still looked confused and scared, but when I looked at her questioningly, she shook her head and walked over to Yuki.

  Winter watched her and then lifted her gaze at me. “She is really one in a lifetime. And, Lia, thanks for everything.”

  With that, she turned away and briskly walk to where she had left her bags, knelt down and busied herself with packing and repacking. Clearly, she wanted to be alone for a little while.

  But Rob was having none of this. As soon as he saw her being alone, he walked over to her and took her in his arms. Burying her face in his chest, she let him wrap her up in his arms and hold her tight for a long, long time.

  Yuki, who had been watching us, raised a questioning eyebrow, but I signalled that there was nothing to worry about and walked over to her.

  “What was all this about?” She inquired. “Is Winter alright?”

  “Yes and no,” I replied. “She didn’t sleep well and was worrying. Apart from our journey, mostly about her family. They are in the States, her sister in California, her parents up in Vancouver. She hasn’t had any news from them since the first assault of the Nemesis and she fears the worst, naturally. They may have made it to Uncle Phil and be on the boat with him. But she doesn’t know. Don’t make a fuss about it. She wouldn’t like it. Her momentary weakness embarrasses her.”