MALEDICTION (10)
"Mama." Njeri laid her head on her deceased mother's body. The warmth that her chest once had had slowly disappeared over the short amount of time her heart wasn't pumping blood. The same heart that was capable of loving a girl like her, one who never listened to her mother's words of advice, to her mother's plea. She didn't cry a single tear, but she could feel them welling up inside her eyes.
"You shouldn't cry for her." Blake interrupted.
"That's harsh of you to say to a grieving girl." Njeri just laid her head, holding back her tears.
"I suppose, however, she wouldn't want you to cry for her."
Njeri raised her head, "Then what would she want?"
"I don't know, she's your mother, you should know all there is to know about her."
But she didn't, she didn't know what her mother even wanted from her.
"I don't know either."
She leaned back in and listened to the faint beating of her mothers heart.
**************************************************
"We have arrived."
Gil stared at the iron sheet mess that Njeri and her family called a house.
'Last time you came here things didn't go so well.' Catherine reminded Gil.
"True… wait how do you know that?"
'I read you memories, I've had a ton of time since last night.'
"Please don't, Its rude."
'Aww, but I'm bored, its not like I can sleep when I'm dead.'
Gil sighed. Not even his internal dialogues were safe. "Let's get her clothes and leave, I don't wanna be here longer than needed."
He had brought a bunch of paper bags which he had stuffed into his left pocket. He opened the metal door which creaked as Gil let himself in.
'I should've knocked, but it felt kind of inappropriate.' He thought stepping in. There was a silence, a brief one. It felt awkward being in here like this, especially with no one around. He didn't know this house to be this quiet.
'Hurry and sit down Gil.' Njeri would call out to him from the floor mat.
It felt empty, abandoned, unwanted, maybe even unneeded. Especially with Anne dead, and maybe even her husband, all this place would do is remind her of what she didn't have now. A family.
The small house had three rooms, one belonged to the dad, the other was Anne's and Njeri's room and the last one was a small one that functioned as a kitchen and living room. Floor mats would be spread across the floor and a little fire would be lit at its centre.
Gil stood in that room specifically. The one to his left was that father's, and the one to the right must be Njeri and Anne's. He gave the room a glance before walking in, there were two suitcases. Small ones, and more clothes scattered on the floor.
'She must have been looking for something.' Catherine suggested.
"Yeah."
Gil opened one of the suitcases, only to instantly close it again.
'What's wrong?'
Gil had only just realized that he was walking into a girl's room and that the suitcase he had opened was filled with undergarments.
"Why did I think that would be ok?" He was a little embarrassed. Closing both suitcases and deciding to carry both of them.
"We'll let her decide which one's are hers and which one's to return later."
Catherine agreed.
He then got up and walked towards the door, only to stop for a moment. His eyes were on the ground tracing it as he walked, it was a style he liked to use and it became a habit of his to walk with his head low. He would do this and try to guess where in the village he was, and try to see if he could make it back home without looking up. He didn't half the time though.
But this time he saw a pair of dirty boots on the ground, he could've sworn they weren't their the first time he entered.
He listened closely and heard heavy breathing coming from the other side of that door.
'Gil watch out!'
As Catherine's words echoed in his head, the door in front of him collapsed as a man swung a machete at him. Gil quickly dodged moving away in an instant. It would've been a shame if he could travel at lightning speed and not move out of the way in time.
"Wewe ni nani? (Who are you?)" He screamed swinging at Gil again.
Gil let go of the suitcases and grabbed the man's arm mid-swing.
"Unajaribu kuniibia sindio? (You're trying to steal from me aren't you?)
"No, just listen to me will you?"
"Eti?"
The man kicked Gil in the stomach making him move back a little, the man took this opportunity to raise the machete and swing it again at Gil, grazing his cheek.
TIN!
Gil felt the back of the room, he had hit a dead end, and using his sorcery to escape would fry the man. Instead he concentrated it to his palms and melted the iron with lightning.
He now had enough breathing space, and in an instant he swiped the man's machete and moved back completely. The man was stumped, he had to take a moment to re-evaluate his situation.
"Oh, ni wewe? (Oh, its you.)" He looked at Gil with a sour look, and murderous intent in his eyes.
"Baba Njeri, sikujua uko nyumbani (I didn't know you were home)"
Now that he thought about it, this part of the village wasn't touched by those demons. But why?
'Maybe they didn't sense people around here.' Catherine suggested.
"No, that's probably not it."
"Eti, unasemaje Gil?" (Huh? What are you saying?)
"Hakuna, msichana wako amenituma kumchukulia nguo." (Your daughter sent me to bring her clothes for her)
"Uwongo!(Lies)" The man spat, "Mbona asitume mamake? Mbona askikuje peke yake, I'm not styupid." (Why not send her mother or why not come by herself?)
Gil sighed, "Your wife is…" He took a deep breath, "She's dead."
The man froze for a moment before a look of confusion came, "Eti, unasemaje (Huh? What are you saying?)"
"Bibi yako amekufa."
"Oh, na Njeri ako sawa? (Oh, but is Njeri ok?)"
"Um, Yeah, ako sawa (She's just fine)"
"Oh, sawa mwambie arudi kable lunch ifike (Oh, tell her to get back before lunch is over.)"
He then turned back and headed into the house.
Gil stood their in confusion, "Wait, but bibi yako amekufa." (But you're wife is dead.)
This stopped the man. "So? Tufanyaje? Kama amekufa amekufa, mtoto wake anaweza mreplace(What do we do about it? If she's dead, she's dead, her daughter can replace her)
Gil sighed before watching the man stop to scratch his back.
"He gives me weird looks, in fact once he tried bringing me into his room." He remembers Njeri telling him once, "And the other women say he did the same to mama, which is how she got pregnant in the first place, that man is a creep."
What Gil saw in the suitcases were women's garments, and most of them Njeri didn't have the build for. It was weird how he was the only one left in the house and didn't even care about leaving. His wife died and he only cares about his daughter who he probably wants to pleasure himself with.
What Gil saw made him understand the kind of man was standing before him. In his back pocket, the man had pink undergarments.
Suddenly Gil appeared in front of the man, in surprise the man jumped back.
"Uchawi! (sorcery!)"
The man threw a punch, Gil dodged it and with the machete cut the man's right arm.
AHAHAHAHA!
He stumbled back screaming as blood oozed out of his hand. Gil kicked him, sending his body rolling onto the floor.
He then flipped him over and took the undergarment. It was too small to be Anne's
'Disgusting, you're own daughter.' Catherine shouted.
"How about me and you have a little chat before we go our separate ways." Gil's face curled inwards with disgust.
A MESSAGE FROM THE GRAVE END!
TO BE CONTINUED!