by A. Achaka
“Ok” she said and settles well in her seat.
They drove further into the town, it was already dark and the people were either home or wherever, because the street was empty. They search through but found none and they drove further and turned left into an Avenue and there by one corner a sign post written “Sharavin Hotel” He made a turn and stopped at the gate. From the gate, it tells how welcoming the hotel was, the building were glowing with the heavy security light that shine through, a well tendered garden.
“Well done sir” the gate man greeted and peeped through the car, He wasn’t quite satisfied with who was in the care but he made his way and lift the block out of the way.
They drove in, giving less concern to what his face was saying. By the left was a small sporting area for lawn tennis and basket ball, to the other side were open chalets for relaxation. Further in there was this fountain, the light gave it a great view, two moulded sculptures of people in and embraces, and the watter flows from their loins. It was a view that Erica kept her eyes on, they drove past it and park by the side, there was a little post ‘Parked at owners risk’ they parked anyway and left to the main entrance.
They walk in the lubby, and by the right was the receptionist, he turned and head towards it, there were two ladies standing there, both tall and pretty, Mav and Sarah were written on their clothes. He smiled at them and look down to Erica but she was no there, his heart started racing ‘this is why he was scared in the first place, because you can never know whats in her mind until she had done it’ but when he turne around, he saw her staring heavily at the magnificent chandeliers, at the centre and further to the paintings very attractive and neatly decorated on the wall.
When their eyes came in contact, she smiled and approached the reception.
“We want a room” he said to Sarah, who was standing in front of him.
“Ok, we have, that of ten thousand, fifteen, twenty and fifty, which would you like, sir?”
He looked down to Erica expecting her to say something but she turned and glued her eyes to a painting just by the enterance, which she had not seen before.
“The one of twenty please” He reach into his pocket and counted double and paid for two nights. They were given the key and because they had no luggage, they asked for direction and went on their own. It was the second floor but they took the elevator and soon was in the hall way very empty, with no soul, they walk down a bit to their room numbered 24.
****
The noon finally given to the evening hours and almost sunset, the forest has an habit of making strange noises when its getting dark. It was a feeling of uncertainty, the fear of the unknown, we had no idea what mystical story attached to this very forest, because it was told that African forest has alot to it that meet the eyes. But since am the man and holding a gun, I had to keep my fears in my bladder and not long ago, I let out some of the fear through urine.
We have no bearing, and no idea where we are going, the forest is vast and wide, and with the sunset coming, the only light was this reddish ball, deep in the sky. We were just wndering, but our prayer was never to go around and end up back in the camp of those murderers. The sounds in the forest was becoming unbearable, from the monkeys down to the criket, you minght not know what you are stepping on, that was the fear. At any given sound she cringe to me as a baby monkey, to his mother. I couldn’t count the number of times she had made marks with her nails at my neck, first because a bird poop drops to her hand.
I laugh my anger out, but it is typical to know how girls are. Whenever I laugh at an incident, she would looked pissed but she don’t really know that, I was trying to stay strong for us.
We walked to a point that seems like the end of the forest, because we could see the clear skies without the interruption of trees, It was a beautiful sunset, perfect for a romantic bliss. I just watch her keeping her gaze at the fading redish ball over to the west.
As happy as we could be, we have no idea we have entered a danger zone, my eyes dropped from her wandering around for something spectacular, then i landed my eye on the first monkey, it wasn’t on the tree but on the ground. I just stood there looking at it and so does the monkey looking at us, she on the other hand was busy fantasising at the fading redish ball. The monkey became more than one, all which were staring at us, they had red eyes and brown fur or so it seems, they don’t look frightened at all.
When her fantacies were over, she turned and realise we just walked into the danger zone, she hugged me tight i couldn’t breath. This time we were both scared, i have heard too many stories about monkies beating people along their path, especially when they over power them.
“Please let go of me, so i would be at guard” i then remember i had a gun, but held me the more.
Now the monkeys started chanting more strongly and jumping from one tree to the other, she buried her face on my shoulder as we take one step after another, i had a strong grip of the gun hoping one would make an attempt. When our steps were getting more and more forward, the monkeys started dropping down and gradually coming at us, ‘if we were all boys, I would have prefer to run but how can I leave her behind’ I told myself and to worsened the situation a monkey finally drops in front of us holding a branch in his hand “indeed it is true” I uttered and stopped but her face was still buried on my shoulder and her hands held my arm tiredly. At that moment, I knew only one thing would save us which was the gun but I had never fired a gun before, I just remember I had watched a lot of movies and how they do it, but my heart was beating fast, I could feel it in my mouth.
I raised the gun because the monkey in front had started chanting, I pull the trigger to my surprise nothing happened, In my mind I thought we were dead, because there was a saying that “if a gun was fired and you didn’t hear the sound it mean you are shot” but I didn’t feel no pain nor was i down.
I knew something went wrong, i checked the gun and discovered a metal by the side, it was turned up, by then the monkey was holding the branch up and moving gradually to us, i struggled and pull doun the metal and at a spot two round went off, I could feel my head ringing and a massive headache was initiated and my ears went dumb. I turned and she was not by my side, i tried to move and felt something on the ground, she was lying there, i wandered what had happend ‘so this is how it feels, when one shoot a gun’ i mixed the thought with trying to get her up.
The first time i tried to pull her up, we both fell down, i was too worried lest the monkey come back again but then i summoned more strength and pulled her up and we staggered forward still not hearing a thing. Not far enough we saw the monkey lying dead on the ground, indeed i have gotten it. i smiled.
The reddish ball had finally given in to darkness, and walking in the other part of the forest seems very hard, gradually i could hear the hooting of the owl and the cricket sound, it means my ears were back. I still feel she would have been a guy, my mind would not have to be too worried about her. The journey to survival was much moving because of the darkness in the forest, at a time i would hit my leg or she would, i was hoping some sorth of a light would gave us a clear vision, and it did. It was like a reflection but it was coming from behind and when i turned she had her cell phone touch up, to my eyes.
“You didn’t think to bring it out earlier?” i was a bit angry, my feet were hurting, but it was also comforting, so I let her lead the way and I followed behind.
“What are going to do, if we don’t find any place to rest?” she broke our silence
“Then I climb on a tree and you sleep in the bush” I said, she made a quick stop and turn, the light was down but I could feel her anger.
“I was only joking” I said and she continued walking and i followed.
The flash light gave us reason to walk faster and when we thought the journey was unending, we were finally out of the forest. All our expectation was to see at least a village, or settlement of a sorth that we could seek shelter, i was dehydrated and she would be too. But we are dism
ayed, yes we are out but we still have long way to go or so we think, the light was just for few feet ahead of us and nothing more.
It was just farm lands instead, with ridges waiting for rain to make planting, we had to climb over the ridges, tracing for any possible pathway.
Emmanuella was very tired i could tell because she had slowed down, and twice tried to hold my hand but it failed, her breath were becoming heavy, i could feel it but no way we could just lay out there, Just when i dismissed the thought of resting i had a strange laughter coming from ahead.
“Stop” i told her, “Listen” the laughter came again this time a little bit louder, ‘that is no human’ i think to myself, the next time the laughter came, i grab her and we landed in between two ridge on the phone, with my hands to her mouth, she remained silent as the sound came closer.
In a short while we heard sniffing sound, closer to where we hide, and coming closer, i had to press her down so she could not make a sound. The sniffing came closer and then the laughter almost to my ear, but then another distance sound was heard and the sniffing vanished. The truth was, I almost pee in my pant, and the closeness of that thing to my ear was something I call closer to the grave. We remain there for about ten minute without movement, all i could smell was her fading perfume mixed with fear and sweat, this was the closest, i got to a lady in years and it feels good.
I finally let go of her and was about, getting back on my feet, but she pulled me back and tightly held my arm, she was seriously shaking, i had to hold her for a bit. We all felt the warmth of each other’s embrace, I could feel her hot breath close to my mouth, this time my imagination were a little wild, ‘I hoped she don’t have the same’ but then came another noise, and sniffing “wow’ my mind went off, then our lips touched. I could feel her feet stretching, ‘Wow’ again, it feels so good. But the noise passed and another came along.
None of us have the intention of breaking off the little, lip action we gat going on, even though it was at the fear of the sniffing animal. Just when we thought it was over, a strong sniffing came this time to my ear, very closely, i had given up already, the next sniffing would be on my ear defiantly and who knows what next would happend, I was seriously praying anf from a distance a gunshot sounded, the animal laughed and dashed off, its hoofs scrap off the ridge sand over my body.
Out of fear, we maintained our position for a while and break off to got up, she was still holding on to my arm, it was dark althrough until she finally got up and the flash ligh shone through.
“We can’t stay here” i told her “The cold would make a dancing figure out of us” I took the phone and head out of the farm to the pathway.
We walked in silence, we were all silent to talk about the lip action that happened back there, i can’t believe that happened. With her hand to my arm, we move the direction from where the animals came from.
The walk seems unending but her presence make it compatable for me, i gues si could say the same for her, we were both tired no doubt but out there who could tell. We were glad we had the phone light, it penetrate the darkness as spear without mercy, showing us a bit of where to go.
By my side her head rested on my shoulder as we walk, we were silent as usual, she yarn that i know it will be hunger and tiredness combine together, by now at home she would have been in bed or chatting or something else but here she is with a strange person, she don’t even know his name.
I Started playing with the light, from left to right and back again, we have to know where exactly we were going to, when my eyes caught something at the right side, I stopped which got her attention
“What is it?” she asked
“I think i saw something” I flashed the light again, i couldn’t hide my excitement, neither can she, we were both perplexed and relaxed. Out there in a farm was a little hut, made with thatch roof, and a small door. I turned towards it.
“Don’t you think we should be careful?”
“sssh, don’t anger the night with your voice” I almost burst into laughter but held myself. All this while i have totally forgotten that I had a gun, i felt its heaviness on my shoulder and the bag as well.
We made our way crossing some ridges to the hut, it was a round hut and the door was ajar. I pushed the door open and flash the light, immediatly two rats came out running, Emmanuella jump on to me.
“Its only rats” I whispered, I went in and she followed me, the floor was roughly cemented but had couple of rat’s holes in it.
The hut might be a store for grains after harvesting; I pushed the door closed after us and scan arounf for any more surprises. When there was none I finally set the bag down, the gun and we sat down close to each other, I could now understand her fears, I brought out the bread in the bag and water, we ate and drank abit, cos we don’t know what tomorrow might hold least we die of hunger,I set the bag as pillow for her to lie down, while I watch for a while.
The battery was half gone, flashing through the dark, i had a thought about tomorrow, and we might really use what is left, for emergency or for touch light, so I turned it off, and sank into the darkness and quickly consume the both of us. As usual she was scared and held my hand closely; soon I started dozing but was still struggling to stay awake. The room was hot, but I could not open the door for the fear, that some animals might troop in.
Emmanuella on the other hand, had now adjusted her head to my thighs; I don’t know what to make of it, though she was very scared, a way from her seems i have left the room or left her alone. She tried hard to sleep but she couldn’t I noticed because she was turning every minute, the floor was no doubt uncomfortable plus the fear already in her mind, that wouldn’t let her sleep at all.
I was struggling between staying awake and slepping, my eeys were very much heavy but i wasn’t letting them fall completely. Slowly the eyes had their own sense and fall shut, and my hand fall over her head, and i woke up and i went ahead to stroke it gently, ‘i can’t believe it work, in no time i heard a gentle snore. It s a good thing one of us get to sleep, i just kept at it stroking her hair gently.
No knowing what the time might be, i had totally forgotten there was a phone with me, i was just in my thought, drifiting from my parent to the very moment, how do i explain what had happened, we sure call it grace, because we were meant to be dead or remain captured with the others, but here we are. I felt a gentle breeze blew in through the little opening at the door and small round round hole at the very top of the hut. In less than a minute, the breeze became very heavy, i could hear the sound of the trees dancing to it, ‘it must be a heavy one’ i thought ‘hope it might just rain’ my mouth just kept shut and there the rain started. That was an angry rain it poured as if it had been held captive for a long time and needed to get done with it. The wind heavily blow the rain into the hut through the little hole, i felt it over my face and more again, I quickly wake her up, so we can adjust to the end.
“Its raining” she exclaimed, How excited her voice sounds. “did you sleep at all?” she asked me, I brought out the phone, and the time gave me a long concern, in all my thought it will be past mid night but it was just a little minute after ten.
We adjusted to the other corner, waiting for the rain to settle on the thatch, there might just some places leaking, that we will get the best of the place to settle for the night. It wasn’t long before the thatch at the opening started dripping into the room.
“Well we can sleep on this side” I told her
“How do you know this thing?”
“Well, I have a village” I said
“Ok, you have to sleep too, what’s the time?”
“After ten”
“We sure have a long way go, beside the rain has come to scare away the animals”
“That you are right”
She was right at that, we have a long way to go, i better get some sleep myself. We adjusted well and sat down beside each other, now the room was getting a little chilled, she squeezed and held my arm, and then adjus
ted her collar to cover her ears, in no time we both were dozing together while sitting. It was impossible for me to adjust because she all on me, her head at my neck, it was hurting but i manage to give her the comfort she needed and soon dozed off.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Exactly four in the morning the Lieutenant cell phone came buzzing, disturbing the quietness of the room, he was having a dream seriously fighting with an ugly beast in a nowhere land, Just about to slay the monster he realised he was holding his cell phone and it was buzzing loudly into his ear drum.
He felt like throwing the phone, to the ground, and sat up, he was very angry at the caller because he never want an interrupted dream, especially when he was in a serious battle. He had this believe that dreams are connected to your daily life. Every moment he failed to succeed in any battle in the dream, he always encounter difficulty for a week or even more, and now he was faced with another one and it was caught short.
The call ended and the light went off, He rubbed his eyes to look at the little alarm watch beside the bed, it reads four minutes after four, thinking who would be interrupting his sleep at that time of the morning. The call came buzzing again he immediately reach for it and pressed the button, his “hello” was interrupted by the caller who talk all through the conversation.
He threw the phone on the bed in annoyance, he knew that it was a bad luck, because he couldn’t kill that monster and now he had received a bad news.
“I told them not to keep them there, but they wouldn’t listen” he said to himself and he got out of the bed. Cracked his knocles, and went out for his daily excersise that was abandoned for some while. He usually don for two hundred pushups and fity sit ups and followed by a long walk on a matchine.
He grew tired at the number hundred, he wanted to do more but the body was really heavy, he went on with push up and stopped at twenty, it was a horrible excercise, He didn’t proceed to the matchine at all, he felt embarrassed as if someone was counting or watching him.