Upon reaching home that evening, Engi had the widest of grins on her face. She had made a new friend in the forest today. She wanted to tell her parents of what had happened and so walked straight to their bedroom only to find them in a state of grief and agony. Joy gave way to worry as she noticed her parent's sad faces. Seeing her, her mother tried to secretly wipe the tears off her eyes. But Engi saw them too well. Her father was seated in his rocking chair deep in thought. "What happened?" she asked.
Her mother opened her arms and Engi dug into her bosoms. Her father stood up from his chair and climbed besides them on the bed embracing the two. Their tight embraces meant something was not right. It reminded her of the day she woke up after being rescued from the forest. They had the same faces that day too.
Her father was the first one to break the long silence, asking Engi about her day. Ignoring their sad faces, she went on to speak of her encounter with her new friend from the forest, and how she remembered what had happened on the day she got lost in the forest. How she fell into a ditch, and was afraid for her life. Her parents listened with patient ears. Whatever the Man from Nowhere told them was true. Engi was happy to have finally shared her heart with her parents. But she did not see her excitement reflect on their faces. Rather, they looked grimmer, as if they had seen a poltergeist.
"What happened?" she asked again. Her parents stared into each other's eyes. Before she could ask again, her father began by telling her of their encounter with the Man from Nowhere and what he told them about the day Engi went missing. It was as if he had witnessed everything that had transpired that day. Further, he was also aware of the prophecy that the village elder had made. He gave her parents some more crucial information and insight of the future to come. The brightest of lights attracted the notorious of moths. And the moths were already on their way.
All this was too much for her to consume. Engi started sobbing and stood up to leave. Her mother rose from her bed and hugged her once more. Her father followed suit. For the first time in fifteen years there family was in a real crossroad, where Engi take a crucial decision. Either stay here and face the imminent hardship unprepared, or leave now and return equipped to defend her land when the time of real turmoil approached. Her parents told her that they will always understand and love her, whatever be her choice.
They were told that both ways would have their own difficulties for her, which she would have to endure alone. The snakes are going to crawl into the garden no matter what they do, and that they could not protect her any more. That night they decided to sleep together, just like when she was still a newborn. Like family!!