He drove to her mother's school and pulled in in front of the gate. The gates swung open and he drove in without saying anything to the watchman. The old man at the gate was taken aback. Morgan never does that. He is respectful and kind. Even though he is from a rich family and his parents have spoilt him with practically everything including a sports car, he was a humble and respectful boy. He did not look down upon anyone. He did not despise anyone.
He parked in front of her mother's office, killed the engine and jumped out of the car. He was sweating profusely. He prayed that his mother be in the office. He was exploding with anxiety. He hoped that she had answers to what bothered him. He really prayed that she will tell him it was Melisa and not him who had the problem. He had never mentioned Melisa to his parents but that did not bother him at all.
He knocked on the door and waited. There was a student in the office. He burst in.
"Mom, we need to talk," he said.
"Morgan! Is everything okay?"
Prisca was shocked at her son's behavior. He never barged in on anyone. He knocked even the kitchen door. Something had to be terribly wrong. One look at him, send her nerves on the edge. Morgan was drenched in sweat.
"Young lady, we will continue with this conversation tomorrow. Run to class," she released the student who was openly shocked at Morgan's behavior. She was looking at him with wonder. Prisca noticed the shock on her student's face and signaled her to step out with her hands. The girl was too engrossed in Morgan that she did not see what her teacher had asked her to do.
"Mom, something is happening to me." he went on.
"Girl, I said run to class." Prisca shouted. The girl was eavesdropping at the door. Prisca could see her shadow lingering at the door cracks.
"sit down, Morgan. Sit down," she gestured him to a chair.
"No mom, I don't want to sit. Melisa might be in trouble."
"Who is Melisa?" her eyes were wide in shock.
"My girlfriend." There was no other way of putting it.
"you have a girlfriend, already?"
"mom, that is not here or there. Something attacked me today. Something attacked us. Melisa and I."
He ran his hands through his hair. He wondered what would be the right thing to say. How was he going to tell his mother that he was trying to make love to his girlfriend for the first time?
"Where were you?" his mother asked.
"Mom, does it matter?" he was getting angry and desperate.
"Okay, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened so I to help you."
"Mom there is no time. Melisa…"
"where is she?"
"In her apartment."
"Okay. Is she sick?"
"mom. Stop asking me questions. I don't know. We were just…"
He couldn't say it. He couldn't bring himself to tell his mother what he was doing. He looked at her with desperation in his eyes. He wanted her to understand without being given the nitty gritty details about his sex life. He was too embarrassed to explain. He should have gone to see his father.
"I have to go." He said suddenly.
"Where to?" there was alarm in his mother's voice.
"to find Melisa. She might be …"
"might be what Morgan? Did you kill someone?"
Prisca was now spiraling out of composure. Her son was acting strange. What could have happened to him? What had he done?
"Mom, who is Xumba?" the words rolled off his tongue before he could catch them.
He saw his mother's jaw drop. Her eyes were wide in horror. Blood was drained off her face. There was an audible gasp from her throat. She held on to the table and slowly sunk down into his chair.
"You know Xumba? What is that?" Morgan went home. He could tell his mother had answers. He could tell that the answers were nasty. He could tell that she was shocked. And this was all he needed. Proof that someone knew what that thing was. That person was his mother.
He sat in the chair he had been shown earlier and waited for her mother to recover from her shock.