Laziza's pov
It's been a week and fourteen days since we lost everyone, and the three of us that survived stayed with the seer in the woods.
But today kalanje had told I and Ara to go to tela where he would meet us later.
The seer had told me not to decline his proposal when he asked.
She had said we were dated to be together, as I watched her talk about fate and destiny I felt guilty for Ara, I felt guilty about taking away the love of her life.
Back in mubaila, Ara has always spoke to me about being the wife of kalenje, she had dreamt and lived it in her head for the longest of time, and I too have fallen in love with the way she spoke about him.
And fate had played a trick on her, everyone was gone and still he did not chose her.
These thoughts cloud my head as I walk behind Ara who was quiet today.
She was always chatty and in the mode for jokes but not today, it seems her head is full too, it seems her mind is housing the same thoughts that I have, but I dont ask her.
Ara wait for me you are walking too fast I yelled.
She keeps walking and I call after her two more times and then she turns to look at me.
What is it? she asks.
You are walking too fast.
Sorry she says and then a smile comes upon her face showing her perfect dentition.
What has filled your mind?
I ask her with a smile of my own.
"You "she says slowly.
Ohh, I say with tension welling inside of me.
Why did he chose you?
I have loved him always!
I don't answer, I watch the area around me and then, I hear her say it.
And you pitied me and asked him to also take me, I could feel the bitterness under her voice as she spoke.
I say to her"he can have the both of us, he is chieftain now, and even after us there will be many.
I did not pity you, I asked him because I would like us to stay together, when the others come.
No, I want him to chose me because he wants to chose me, I want him to stay with me because he wants to stay not because you tell him to.
She stomps off leaving me speachless this time.
I walk to Tela all alone, I go to my aunts house and I tell aunt Manila all about my family and and days after I tell her of the chieftain's son who is now the chief.
I tell her all that has happened between I and Ara and she tells me not to worry, she says Ara would still come around after her heart is healed.
And after a brief silence she asks "who will marry Ara now?
It would be easier for someone from a another village to marry her as her circumstances have changed.
But since Tela has no market where strangers from far come to trade, she would have to settle for someone who lives here and knows about her father who can't control his taste for moonshine.
I just listen to her talk and talk but I just hope it would go this way.
Kalenje would want her as his wife too and we will all live happily.
As I sat there in thought not paying attention to what my aunt was saying.
One of her son ran into the compound screaming "gbali!
Gbali!!
From and she stood and ran into her hut and I too followed her without asking, it was inside that she had asked the boy who was the first to enter the hurt why he had been screaming that name.
And the boy spoke in short breaths, first he continued to call "gbali" as he tried to catch his breath.
"What happened to them? his mother asked impatiently.
" They' he repeated as his eyes widened in terror, they are killing people outside.
I saw them kill people outside.
Quick let us hurry and before they come my aunt instructed.
I watch her carry a few things she would need and then we followed the back of her hut and went straight into the forests.
Kale her only son, was with us so I knew she would only worry about her husband if he is safe.
Inside the forest we made our way deeper were we would be safe, the sun had gone down a bit before the attack so now it was night nigh already.
We slept there and then the next morning we made our way back to the village.
The huts had been burned down and the corpses of people lay on the earth waiting for a kin to bury them.
It looks really familiar now, this sight looked like mubaila.
I could feel my tears betray me once more, I turned but my aunt was gone now.
Kale where is your mother, I don't know he says pointing to his left.
But she went that way, I turn and head straight into the village now.
With kale tagging behind, and then I hear my aunt scream, we rush there and find her crying over the dead body of her husband.
She was still wailing when the gbali people returned.
She stood and rushed towards us, but before she could kreach an arrow had pierced through her heart.
She fell and her blood covered the earth.
We rushed towards her but they don't shoot us , the only move closer to us and capture I and kale.
And we were taken into the forest, and there we found a band of people who washed their body in the same stream that passed through mubaila.
And as they talked I. Noticed that these people are impasonators of the gbali people but, I see a strange face one which looked familiar too.