The meeting was over and everyone started to leave, going to their different destinations. The rest of the people had to wait for The Obong and High Chiefs to leave first before they began to mingle, discuss, while some left the compound altogether.
Meanwhile, Priestess Umang hadn't recovered from the shock of seeing Chief Effiong Edet alive. The chief that was beside her, who had spoken earlier had to nudge her, bringing her out of the state of shock that she was in so that she could stand up because royal servants had begun clearing up and gathering the chairs away from the compound.
"This has never happened before. The gods have never failed me," Priestess Umang murmured.
"Why are you talking to yourself, woman?" the nosy chief asked, leaning into Umang a little.
The Priestess had had enough of him. She frowned and said; "If you do not stop talking to me, you will see your tongue on the floor," she threatened with irritation dripping from her voice.
The chief's hand went to his mouth as if to protect it. "Sorry," he uttered before he left her, shooting the priestess one more nervous look before leaving the royal compound.
"Nonsense," Umang hissed. She sat there thinking about what must have gone wrong till a servant pleaded with her about the seat she was on. Umang watched Effiong with her mouth agape.
* * *
"Good day!" Chief Effiong took long but confident strides towards where the missionaries stood discussing.
Mary Hutchison was explaining all that happened... all that was discussed and agreed during the meeting to her people because of the language they didn't understand. It still surprised Father John and the other missionaries that Sister Mary was quite fluent with the Ufik language.
Then they heard the greeting from behind them.
Father John was the first to look back and saw the tall chief approaching them. "Good day," he repeated what he had heard from the chief with a smile.
Mary smiled too before she looked at the person that Father John had greeted.
"Welcome, Chief," Mary said, bowing her head down a little.
"Oh, you do not have to bow to me. I am just an ordinary chief," Chief Effiong said... sounding modest.
Mary took the man's physique in.
[He was the one that defended me against that hostile high chief], she thought, recalling how he had her back, which she highly appreciated.
The man was tall with skin like fried honey... and surprisingly smooth. [Rare for a man], Mary thought. His dentition... [Wow]. Mary caught herself looking at him a second too long. [I shouldn't be looking at him like that. What if he was married?], she thought as she took her head slightly.
"Can I talk to you alone?" Chief Effiong asked, pleased that she could understand him. [It would not have been good if language was an obstacle], Effiong thought.
Father John and the others were lost because they couldn't even understand what the chief had just said to Sister Mary. Father John looked at Mary, expecting some form of translation, but he got none.
"Father, the chief wants to talk to me. You can go on ahead. I will meet up with you later, Father," Mary said to Father John.
Father John's brows creased but smoothened again, as he nodded and signaled to the there missionaries to follow him back to the missionary ground. He waved his goodbye to Sister Mary, who waved back with a smile.
Mary was unsure about what the chief wanted to talk to her about. She looked at him and said; "Yes, Chief..." she trailed off, expecting him to get the message and fill in the gap.
"Effiong. Effiong Edet," he replied... apparently, getting the message.
Mary stifled a smile.
"You are Mary?" Effiong asked, being careful while pronouncing her name.
[Good job], Mary thought. "Yes. I am Mary," she replied.
"Can we walk, Mary?" Chief Effiong asked. [Let her not say no, please!], he prayed silently.
Mary looked around and noticed they were almost alone... besides the servants who were still clearing up the compound.
"Yes. We can. Let us walk, Chief Effiong."
"Effiong."
"What?" Mary asked...confusion heavy on her brows.
"Please call me Effiong. Only Effiong," he said.
Mary understood what he meant now. She smiled and nodded.
They both walked out of the compound... with nowhere in mind.
The sun had begun to come out but the weather was still cool. Effiong hoped that it would stay like that for a while.
[Let the sun allow me know this woman please], he thought.
"I have not seen you around here before," Effiong said.
"I have not seen you too."
Effiong chuckled.
"Have you been around since the new strangers came?" he asked.
"Why do you call us strangers?"
Effiong looked at her and tilted his head. He didn't understand why she had asked that question, but it seemed as though, she was offended by the term.
"What is wrong with 'strangers'?" he asked with his brows creased.
"Nothing. It just sounds different. I speak your language-"
"Very well. I was going to talk about that," Chief Effiong said as he smiled... the confused expression leaving his face momentarily.
With a smile of her own, Mary continued; "I speak your language, so I do not think I am so different from you anymore."
"Hmm..." Effiong pondered. "What you say... there is some truth to it," he said as he nodded his head. "I will not call you a stranger anymore, Mary," he concluded.
"Thank you!" Mary was actually pleased. [This man is different], she thought.
"Did you travel down here alone?" Effiong asked her. The question he had wanted to ask initially was a different one from what came out of his mouth.
[It depends on what you are asking], Mary thought. "I traveled with the missionaries."
"Oh... okay. I am so happy that you didn't say no when I asked you to walk with me. Thank you, Mary. Can I walk you to where you stay?" Effiong asked her.
"You are welcome, 'Chief Effiong'"
They both chuckled as they made a turn leading to the area Mary resided in.
"I ask many questions, Mary...but I will not apologize because I really want to know."
Mary laughed and said; "Okay... please go ahead."
"Do you have a husband?"